[FallenLove]

Is anyone currently in Art Center, Otis, or California College of Arts? Or any art school ?
Do you have to take any general ed classes[calculus, science,English ,history]? Or is it all art?


I've decided to major in Art. But, I'm so worried if i can even make it in and the portfolio.
After seeing other people's artwork, I feel I suck at it.

The college I really want to go to is Art Center @ Pasadena, LA.
I'm kind of interested in Graphic Design, so I signed up for classes already!
The classes start soon [:
I heard lots of people are Graphic Designers. So there's lots of competition?
Graphic Design is like designing product packaging, websites, etc?

Is there any skill I need to learn that would help me? like Photoshop?
And somehow I'm attracted to Photography as well. But I don't know anything about it
so I'm planning to take it as an elective at school - for fun maybe.

Can anyone give me some suggestions or give some advice? Thanks! <3

Oh and I'm currently a Junior.

[0417*]

I'll help you!

I'm currently a student at FIDM (LA) -majoring in Graphic Design. It's nice to meet you.

Yes, graphic design is product packaging, websites and etc. In the end, it's what you think will be best for you. For example, in FIDM, there's BRANDING (logos, packaging, t-shirts) and ENTERTAIMENT (movie posters, flyers, the media-billboards). I'm heading towards Entertainment.

There's really no skills that you need to learn yet. You're going to learn it there, once you take the course. But I'll advise you, it's better to learn now than to learn later. Especially photoshop, Illustrator, and In Design.

As for your portfolio, what do they require of you? If they need some designs from you---it's not all computer generated--- use color pencils, markers, anything that would work to make a poster or cd design.

I'm also into Photography but that's a different subject for later time.

PM me for more questions.

-Pachia

[Yashi]

my older sister is a junior in digital media (animation/3-D stuff) at otis, but she has some friends who went to art center but transferred to otis because it was too hard. she mentioned that art center has this reaaaally rigorous program or something. and yeah, like the person before me mentioned, photoshop is a MUST. and at art center, i think sometimes one project determines your entire grade? i have to check with my sister on that.

[ygbigbang]

No need to worry about if you're better than others or not. You go to art school to improve and learn more about art and pursue it as a career. Art schools usually require portfolios but they don't have to be outstanding. They just look to see if you've got your basics down and if you actually have the potential. Then again it depends on the school you decide to go to. I strongly recommend that you major in what you find most interesting. This may change as your going to school but it's always good to start with something that you know you love.

Hope this helped

[Meenuh]

No need to worry about if you're better than others or not. You go to art school to improve and learn more about art and pursue it as a career. Art schools usually require portfolios but they don't have to be outstanding. They just look to see if you've got your basics down and if you actually have the potential. Then again it depends on the school you decide to go to. I strongly recommend that you major in what you find most interesting. This may change as your going to school but it's always good to start with something that you know you love.

Hope this helped

I completely agree. I worried a lot about my skills compared to other people since I have never taken art classes. I have a friend that is helping me with the basics and most of his portfolio were sketches. He says that they aren't looking for people that draw well. What they want to see are your studies. What have you been learning? He told me how he went to a portfolio day and a guy showed a school his portfolio full of those anime-ish drawings and they told him "We teach you how to do this here. We want to know if you know how to draw." His portfolio is mainly just everything he has learned throughout the years. He was accepted to Art Center with their highest scholarship. So focus on improving and the basics. Show them what you've been learning.

[hippo_sleekz]

Graphic design is a competitive field, but you shouldn't be so worried about if your portfolio is good enough. as long as you feel confident in your work then every thing will be fine. a good portfolio doesn't have to be mind blowing and outstanding. A portfolio should display your work and your understanding of art. It should all so show progression with in your work, so hold on to your older pieces as well. You don't have to submit a portfolio tailored to your specific major, but showing works from different mediums would be a good idea as well.

I'm a freshman at the California College of the Arts(CCA) in San Francisco majoring in Graphic Design and it's a pretty good field to go into. From graduating from a Art College your going to have good connections to people in the field, a lot of the GD instructors here are still working in the field so they know what's going on in the industry, and the same should apply to Art Center. It's good that your taking some GD classes or are you taking general art classes? but none the less that a great idea especially for portfolio building. Feel free to pm me if you have any questions as well.

[love*beat]

Whoa! That's awesome, you're just like me
I also want to major in Graphic Design AND attend Art Center~! (Or Otis)

I also feel the same way about my art too @__@
Art Center, from what I've researched, is one of the hardest Art schools to get into.
So when I look @ my art I'm like D: "How will I get in to that school with THIS?"
But, it's also one of the very best, so if you graduate, you probably will get a good job.

But yeah, are you new to Graphic Design? xD Because YES Photoshop is definitely important lol.
Or atleast, any Adobe products/programs related to design.

I think you're on the right track! Heheh or I hope so because I'm somewhat in the same boat as you.
Except I've been doing Graphic Design since I was in 5th grade. XD So it's kinda different.

I think by taking classes, it will help you to see the different types of designs you can make.
From my perspective, Graphic Design is pretty broad, so you can make pretty much anything with the skills you know.
(On the computer obourse, lol)

[redringlets]

im a sophmore at cornish college of the arts in seattle. i wanted to go to art center as well but couldnt because they have no dorms.

first of all--be confident in yourself when you go on ur portfolio review. plan what you're going to say about each piece in case they ask you about it.

as far as software goes: i would say definitely play around with photoshop, illustrator and indesign to get a feel for them if you already have access to them. it never hurts and then you won't be completely clueless when you go in. i would say taking the leap into art school--make sure its what you want to do. you'll be paying alot of money for a long time. art center is very intense and they recommend you not work (they came to give a presentation at my community college) once you get there stay focused on ur end goal and be committed to making every project the best you can make it even if its something small.

[FallenLove]

im a sophmore at cornish college of the arts in seattle. i wanted to go to art center as well but couldnt because they have no dorms.

first of all--be confident in yourself when you go on ur portfolio review. plan what you're going to say about each piece in case they ask you about it.

as far as software goes: i would say definitely play around with photoshop, illustrator and indesign to get a feel for them if you already have access to them. it never hurts and then you won't be completely clueless when you go in. i would say taking the leap into art school--make sure its what you want to do. you'll be paying alot of money for a long time. art center is very intense and they recommend you not work (they came to give a presentation at my community college) once you get there stay focused on ur end goal and be committed to making every project the best you can make it even if its something small.

ooo that's cool [:
You have to present your portfolio? I thought it was just a submission. I play with photoshop now - It's kind of hard to use.
But, I'm better now. I heard illustrator is harder to use. And I have no clue what to do about Indesign -website making?
Yeah I heard Art Center is intense - 100 designs/drawings a week and then 200 the next week .. so on.

Is anyone currently in Art Center, Otis, or California College of Arts? Or any art school ?

[yoorie]

I used to be an advertising major at Art Center a few years back.. Graphic designers and advertising majors basically take the same classes the first three terms or so.. I think the program is still only 8 terms (about 2 1/2 years) so it's very demanding and intense ( =several sleepless nights).. But I mean, your efforts will be rewarded :] I know several people who went there and had a job secured even before they graduated.

Have you checked out Art Center at Night?
art center
They have intro to graphic design classes that you can take in the evenings. I actually took the intro to advertising class before I applied and the teacher turned out to be the department chair of advertising.. Taking these classes can connect you to faculty and it helps you prepare your portfolio..

Good luck with everything

[FallenLove]

I used to be an advertising major at Art Center a few years back.. Graphic designers and advertising majors basically take the same classes the first three terms or so.. I think the program is still only 8 terms (about 2 1/2 years) so it's very demanding and intense ( =several sleepless nights).. But I mean, your efforts will be rewarded :] I know several people who went there and had a job secured even before they graduated.

Have you checked out Art Center at Night?
art center
They have intro to graphic design classes that you can take in the evenings. I actually took the intro to advertising class before I applied and the teacher turned out to be the department chair of advertising.. Taking these classes can connect you to faculty and it helps you prepare your portfolio..

Good luck with everything

Same classes? As in?
oh. 2 & 1/2 years? and you graduate already?
I'm currently taking Graphic Design in the afternoon.
I checked out @ night, & somehow it seems like it's the
advanced students.. what time is it ? is it the same as the
morning/afternoon ones?
oh wow, about the department chair thing, - wow... kind of freaky.

I'm nervous - I don't know if I can make it...
everyone in my class seem so pro :3

[yoorie]

Same classes? As in?
oh. 2 & 1/2 years? and you graduate already?
I'm currently taking Graphic Design in the afternoon.
I checked out @ night, & somehow it seems like it's the
advanced students.. what time is it ? is it the same as the
morning/afternoon ones?
oh wow, about the department chair thing, - wow... kind of freaky.

I'm nervous - I don't know if I can make it...
everyone in my class seem so pro :3

Same classes, like design 1&2, typography 1&2, visual arts, graphic design 1&2, modernism (art history class), and there's this one class that teaches you the basics of photoshop and illustrator.. You start out with very basic classes that enhance(?) your design knowledge.. After the basics you can choose classes that focus on your interest such as motion design or package design.

Art center at night is open to everyone.. I enrolled not knowing a thing in advertising and there were a lot of people like that in my class. I didn't know ACCD offered afternoon classes too~ ^^; Well, you should give it a try and see how you like it.. Art Center is a really great school, but as you know it's very intense and you have to be very devoted to your work.

There's no GE courses.. Most of the classes deal with art in one way or another.. They make you take a placement test once you're accepted and then you either have to take some english class or you if you do well you can be automatically placed into modernism. Oh, I just remembered there was one person I knew who had to take a math course, but I don't remember what his major was.. >_<

BTW, I didn't graduate from ACCD.. I'm actually at UCLA now I finished up to my fourth term there and decided to change my major entirely.

[FallenLove]

Same classes, like design 1&2, typography 1&2, visual arts, graphic design 1&2, modernism (art history class), and there's this one class that teaches you the basics of photoshop and illustrator.. You start out with very basic classes that enhance(?) your design knowledge.. After the basics you can choose classes that focus on your interest such as motion design or package design.

Art center at night is open to everyone.. I enrolled not knowing a thing in advertising and there were a lot of people like that in my class. I didn't know ACCD offered afternoon classes too~ ^^; Well, you should give it a try and see how you like it.. Art Center is a really great school, but as you know it's very intense and you have to be very devoted to your work.

There's no GE courses.. Most of the classes deal with art in one way or another.. They make you take a placement test once you're accepted and then you either have to take some english class or you if you do well you can be automatically placed into modernism. Oh, I just remembered there was one person I knew who had to take a math course, but I don't remember what his major was.. >_<

BTW, I didn't graduate from ACCD.. I'm actually at UCLA now I finished up to my fourth term there and decided to change my major entirely.

oh so do i need to really know photoshop and illustrator to get in ACCD?
& when you take classes[as in already accepted] is it all in the morning?
or you get to choose what times? Like can I start in the afternoon or something?
oh & is UCLA a good art school? o-o