<p>I am a college grad with a BA in French from Earlham College (graduated in 2007), and I am planning on attending art school to get a BFA in Illustration either Fall 2010 or Fall 2011. I've been looking at the usual suspects (RISD, SVA, MICA, Pratt, etc.), and I am interested to hear if there are any up-and-coming programs at other schools as well.</p>
<p>Location is, for now, not an issue. I'm also pretty much resigned to the fact that I will have to take out loans to the extreme, so tuition is not a huge concern (although the cheaper the better!). I am simply interested in finding what fits me best.</p>
<p>Since I've already gone through the liberal arts education rigamarole, I want to be able to concentrate purely on developing my skills and technique in Illustration. I want something rigorous and challenging, maybe even experimental and somewhat eccentric. A mix of traditional studies and experimentation would be ideal.</p>
<p>I'm also curious how polished most art institutions expect their applying students' portfolios to be? I only recently resumed drawing again, and although I think I am more sure of who I am as an artist and what I want to say in comparison to high school graduates, I'm concerned that the younger whipper-snappers have a leg up on me in terms of the breadth of their portfolios (at least at the moment).</p>
<p>The forums at Conceptart.org will help you much more than anyone here will. They helped me figure out which CSU had a quality animation/illustration program while everyone on this board blew me off. If you don’t want to go to Ringling or RISD no one here will give you the time of day. </p>
<p>I’m with you on feeling nervous about younger people having a better portfolio than you. Take figure drawing classes. I hear it helps a lot, but I can’t do it until spring sadly, so I’m not speaking from experience. Draw landscapes. Hang out at the park and draw people. That kind of thing will help you out immensely.</p>
<p>I took cross-country trip looking at many schools. I can’t see your work other than the opening page and can’t tell what exactly you are looking for but from what you said, if I were in your pants, love to go to SFAI. They don’t do illustration per se but students are much older and many come for their second degree. The school is plain gorgeous and works were very polished but not restricted in any way.
PNCA is also great; price and the location couldn’t beat. Very open for any kind of artist in many walks of lives.
I dunno how to appreciate schools in NYC but SVA is IT for illustration, I guess, if money and overcrowding are not the issue.</p>
<p>Art Center College of Design–Excellent illustration department, prepares you for the professional world unlike any other, and the average age of the students there is older; but be prepared for a boot camp as it’s very rigorous.</p>
<p>to Pandem and Lethal Fairy - thank you for the advice! I posted my question to the conceptart forums so hopefully I’ll get some good feedback</p>
<p>to bears and dogs - also thank you for the advice. if you would like to give my site a second try, click on the text on the first page and should take you to the rest of the website. if that’s still not working, please let me know so I can fix the problem!! :P</p>
<p>Nah, I used firefox instead and worked fine. SFAI. def.
Seattle has few schools I didn’t get to go. Nothing in Cornish you wanna do?
My personal fav is Evergreen State. They had, like lumberyard in woodwork shop.</p>
<p>Is SFAI a more traditional arts kind of school, or does it also lean toward more experimental, cutting-edge kind of work?</p>
<p>It’s my understanding that Cornish is not as good or reliable a school as it once was. Can someone agree with or counter this statement?</p>
<p>It’s a bit dizzying when you first begin looking for potential schools!! Here are the ones I’m currently looking at :</p>
<p>MICA (Maryland Institue College of Art)
RISD (Rhode Island School of Design)
SAIC (School of Art Institute of Chicago)
Laguna College of Art and Design
Art Center
PNAC (Pacific Northwest Art College)
CalArts</p>
<p>Does anyone have any info/opinions about Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design? </p>
<p>I’m also open to really good public university art programs. I simply don’t know where to start with that kind of search. Any and all input would be greatly appreciated!!</p>
<p>Id say good mix. They are serious about painting and works around show that.
Traditional part, Ansel Adams started their photo dept and Diego Rivera directed mural painting in the gallery if it means anything to you.
Experimental part, Jerry Garcia and Courtney Love were once students, if it means anything to you.
Best thing is to go visit. Their website is rather drab, so are reps that come to NPD and outreach opp in other big cities. It really was pleasant surprise to me (and the big disappointment $ wise).
It will be on your way to OR, SoCAL if you are planning to visit other schools.
Not on your list but CCA also opened grad school and arch. way downtown SF. It is this humongous warehouse worth checking.
And yes, there are AAU properties everywhere, as often as starbucks or CVS pharmacy.
For Uni,loved UCLA and heard that transfer is much easier to be in, though CA $ is worrysome. Did not like DAAP at all but it is just me, sorry taxguy. CMU mixed feeling, the building is nice, works are fine but bit too stiffy, Pittsburgh is lovely, Warhol museum helps. Something tells me to avoid WASU, didn’t go.</p>
<p>Oh, public only?
I have been told to look into VCU, UNC Ash and Greensboro, UW seattle.
Only saw Greensboro out of these. If in state, good option with very nice museum and good studios but works are so-so.
State of NC is loaded, campus was like, southern retreat.</p>
<p>You might consider just taking classes as a non-degree student at a college wherever you currently reside. It is absolutely not necessary to have a degree in illustration in order to have a career in this field. What you should be looking for is a path to an outstanding professional portfolio. Good classes would be helpful, but a specific degree is not important.</p>
<p>That said, you should talk to admissions at any art college you are considering. I think some could give you several years of credit based on your already-earned undergraduate degree. Think carefully before taking out major loans for a degree in illustration. Not only is the degree not necessary for a career, you may never be able to repay the loans.</p>
<p>I’m an Art Center student, and I highly recommend it for illustration. It really focuses on contemporary illustration and how to progress design and apply it in everyday life. What I like about it the most is how open ended it is, however, because it’s so open ended, it might be hard for some students to focus. From illustration, you can get into Entertainment Arts/Illustration, Illustration Design/Illustration, Motion Graphics Design/Illustration and Fine Art/Illustration.</p>
<p>Conceptart.org would probably be your best bet to check out, a lot of my friends are on it.</p>