So why am I going to art school?

[Bloodmorphed]

I have been asked by a lot of people, Why exactly do you want to go to art school?

I am having a hard time answering this, Not because it isn't my passion, or lack of interest. I would be taking the Game Design program stuff.

What does this teach me?

Drawing

3D Modeling

3D Animation

Programming

These are the basics of what this program will teach me. I am very interested in all of them. However, I'm struggling on that question. Why?

Because I want to? Well yes. Because it's invigorating to think of all the things I can do with this? Yes, again. What drives me? There is only one answer here, and it's quite a weird one.

Insanity.

Yes, Insanity. No I'm not going insane, but I do feel like it. While I know why I am this way, it is quite intriguing why my mind works this way. OR even other people if they have the same problem.

So why insanity? Simple. I have an extreme amount of ideas every day, they are stuck in my head every day. Why? Because I don't know how to put it in drawing/modeling/programming. This makes me suffer from actually teaching myself, because of this I irritate easily when I CAN'T get an explanation. I learn by, well, doing. But I can't DO unless I know how, right?

To put this in perspective, I have about 200-400 Ideas of drawings everyday. Yes, that is a lot, and yes I don;t remember most of them. The ones I do remember though, which I still have a lot in my head. I probably have 100 different unique drawings of characters I WANT to do. Insanity right? It wouldn't be so bad if I could sketch them, but unfortunately I can't. Oh but I want t so badly. Just do it you say? I say SCREW YOU! Not to be rude. If I draw these things in my head, and they are not to my liking (They don't have to be perfect mind you) but if this were to happen. It would irritate me to the point I'd start pulling my hair out. (Not really, but it would be close to it).

This also wouldn't be a problem if they weren't in my thoughts at all times when I'm awake. Hell I've even had a few dreams about actually drawing them! For some reason I can't get these ideas out of my head, perhaps I have to draw them in order to do so. I don't know.

So my question to anybody willing to read this non-sense... Does this happen to you? For the people who can draw, does it happen to you? Will it not go away until you draw or sketch the thing you are thinking of?

 

[nio kasgami]

2D 3D animation buddy!

 

[Amysaurus]

I'm studying Graphic Design and Digital Animation, so I just wanted to let you know we're kind of in the same boat. Well, I'm not going to an "art school" per se, but I did pick a university that has a very strong art program.

When you have an overflow of ideas, the best advice I can give you is to write them down, which leads to my second point that you should always try and carry a sketchbook or notepad with you. I'll be honest, I don't do it enough myself, but I do keep a running list of ideas in my phone. Whether you go back and look at these ideas is entirely up to you, but I find them a good reference for when inspiration doesn't help me out some days.

Basically, yes, draw! Draw as much as you need, draw as much as you want. If my professors saw what percentage of my notes were dinosaurs, they'd be crying right now.

 

[whitesphere]

There are 2 reasons people go to college in general.  The first is to earn more money by getting a specific degree (MBA, engineering, etc) to start/change careers.  The second is because it is your passion and you want to take that as far as it can go.

You can always tell people that you're not going to art school for the money --- after all, the cliche "starving artist" has more than a grain of truth in it.   Most artists, until they reach a certain level in their careers, have to do other work to pay the bills.  Heck, in Hollywood, the lion's share of people there probably work pretty much every menial job in the hopes that their acting/art/whatever dreams make enough money so they can do them full time.

Then, if an artist gets good enough and lucky enough, s/he might eventually break through to the "self-supporting artist" level, where you earn enough so you can solely do the art you love.  Jim Butcher, of Dresden Files fame, said it took him 9 years to even break into the book publishing business.  And Issac Asimov, famous sci-fi author, was a college professor and science writer until his sci-fi started earning enough.  And Scott Adams worked normal jobs at Pac Bell until he had a lucky break (I think).

So, tell them you know full well art doesn't pay the bills, but if it is your dream and passion, and it sounds like it is very much so, that you're doing it because it is your dream and passion.  After all, money is only ONE type of wealth, one that society puts FAR too much emphasis on.  It's important to have "enough" money, but society seems to emphasize it so heavily that it's considered laudable to throw everything else into the fire to achieve it (see:  A Christmas Carol)

Other forms of wealth:  love of partner+family+friends, health, joy (such as indulging your Passion), spiritual growth, knowledge (which may or may NOT equate to wealth), beauty.  And you may feel far Richer if you maximize ALL of those types of wealth.   Even if that means your material income is a bit lower, you will be happier if you gain and nurture many of the other forms instead.

 

[sai]

When it comes to idea overflows, I write them down and return to them later. I tend to pick out the ones that I would have fun drawing or something that challenges me when I'm up for doing something difficult. Sometimes ideas can be combined and you can make something neat out of that (for me, it's really good for comics)! Really, though, when it comes down to it, just focus on a few ideas at a time and don't fret so much over how you have so many ideas. Break down things into more manageable chunks, and even if you don't reach through all of them, placing effort and focus on small chunks means less time wasted and more time being productive. But yeah, draw things!

 

[_Shadow_]

[SIZE=13.63636302948px]Dear @Bloodmorphed let me express my personal opinion on this.[/SIZE][SIZE=13.63636302948px] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.63636302948px]There are some things you can not answer in life.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=13.63636302948px]Like... "Why do I  like this?"[/SIZE]

You just like it.

Hmmm... Drawing, 3D Modeling, 3D Animation, Programming.... wow! 

SO... if you add music making, you can make a FULL game from scratch all by yourself... 

For a person with a high amount of imagination and ideas, like you,

probably this drives you to find ways of expression but it needs time and ideas come like hundreds...

And there you go!

"I have an extreme amount of ideas every day, they are stuck in my head every day. Why? Because I don't know how to put it in drawing/modeling/programming. "

I do not do recommendations or suggestions or stuff.

I will just tell you what I do and works for me.

There is a way to store your ideas on the fly.

Keep a notepad and a pen along with you all the time.

Write down all the ideas and all derived ones.

Go back home.

Store whatever you wrote in a text file on your PC (and keep backups)

Later, you will be able to sort the ideas under many topics or tags.

This will be helpful for you to make an "ideas database"

Later on you can use that to put variety on something.

Maybe a game, maybe a movie, maybe a huge painting...

Who knows?

Oh... by the way... I wouldn't treat this as bad. You got fast ideas, you just need to keep track of them.

If writing isn't fast enough, record your voice describing stuff that comes out of your head on the fly.

Mobile phones have voice recorders anyway right?

Just a few ideas to deal with lost ideas.

Finally, never mourn for ideas you have lost.

Just grab as many as you can.

There must also be a time you do a job, to make an idea come true. That time, you stop your brain doing that, so you will not be distracted. Focus on that ONE idea.

 

[Bloodmorphed]

It is funny that you mention making my own game.

In order to get my Bachelor's Degree, my final project will be a game. That I have done. I'm not too sure if I can get help or not with certain things. Even still it would be quite a feat.

Also I'm too scared to draw the things right now. I am in no shape to draw what is in my head. What is in my head is very detailed most of the times.

 

[doncht]

What is in my head is very detailed most of the times.

That's a good start I guess. Great output comes with little things in our head most of the times. 

 

[_Shadow_]

Also I'm too scared to draw the things right now. I am in no shape to draw what is in my head. What is in my head is very detailed most of the times.

Keep notes then!

Having something so detailed in your mind can be expressed in detail through words no matter what, then later, after improving your skills, you can browse your notes and start making things.

Well I am not an expert on psychology, arts, painting, design, or anyrthing...

but here is my opinion.

"Keep notes then" was told assuming you are not in shape to draw things, as you said. If that's the case, well it's up to you I guess to improve your skills. But if the case is fear of failure, well... people are afraid of failure, it is natural. Still I have to encourage you to fail. Nobody succeeded without failure first. That's what video games are teaching us anyway!

Remember also that this failure will be for your eyes only and will train yourself on needed skills. If you find a weakness in your style, you go to one of your teachers and I hope they will be nice enough to show you how to do stuff.

Please keep in mind that you have a gift here. Having such a power of imagination, you can do a lot of stuff. Getting scared thus doing nothing will lead you nowhere. Try things out, learn things, make things wrong and learn from your mistakes. It is natural. I have a friend who had the talent of drawing from about what... 8th year of his life? STILL he was making mistakes. He went to an Art school and now he worked for a newspaper, has his own comix published, two movies, and we will see more great things from him in the future. 

Everyone said he had the talent.

But... he knew....

It's not about a talent or a gift only.

It's also about having the guts to learn from your mistakes.

It's also about having the passion for what you do.

It's also about having an open mind to learn new stuff.

Do not be afraid.

Do not get scared.

Okay. You can be afraid or scared. Just beat both feelings and try something.

I would love to see something nice from you in the future. 

Can I assume you are a perfectionist? 

 

[Bloodmorphed]

When it comes to this yes I am a perfectionist. Lol

 

[Nivlacart]

I'm studying a diploma in Game Art and Design. As much as I have tons of ideas every day, I don't have a severe urge to draw them down, so I'm not exactly in the same boat. The ideas normally combine or filter themselves as time goes on, and then the rare times I do draw I pick something I really thought about and do a neat one.

I joined Game Art and Design school because I wanted to find people like me, who liked games and liked drawings and had huge, blazing passion.

After going through a prim high school where I got mocked for wanted to do things like these, and told that it'll never work out, that it's a dead end job,

I just wanted to find people that were like me who did it for the love of it, not the money. I also wanted to find competition, rivals, comrades.

I feel Art school students gets the most questions out of any job-specific school students :\

 

[whitesphere]

The funny thing is when you are really good at something you have the most ability to judge what you do. When you're just starting out you can think you're doing great even if you're not.

Sort of like karaoke. When I'm drunk I think I sound great. The audience doesn't agree though. When I'm sober I do better but think I did worse.

 

[_Shadow_]

The funny thing is when you are really good at something you have the most ability to judge what you do. When you're just starting out you can think you're doing great even if you're not.

Sort of like karaoke. When I'm drunk I think I sound great. The audience doesn't agree though. When I'm sober I do better but think I did worse.

Dude... you are aren't worse than me on singing...

I really SUCK BIG TIME!

I sing so bad that the microphone faints.

I sing so bad that roaches leave the house and never come back (very convenient).