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[silentleaf]

Ok so i live in woodland hills ca, and i've decided that i need to get some more training in art. I have an associates degree in graphic design, but i haven't used it much. I'd love the beef up my skills in illustration. any suggestions for schools other than university's in la. i don't think if they will take me lol i have a pretty limited portfolio.. bah. I'd love to end up illustrating book covers and things like that.  any suggestions would be a huge help.

[Foxeye]

I can't remember if I mentioned this to you already, but I strongly recommend checking out "The Art Department" that is run by the folks at conceptart.org.

http://www.theartdepartment.org/

Or, if that's a BIT too ambitious, and you want to just start out slowly, check out the streaming classes from the same folks at conceptart.org:

http://www.conceptartstore.com/stcl.html

The "Colours and the Theory of Light" class (which is at a great price right now) is one that I attended when it first happened, and it was SO GOOD. Oh, and "Anatomy for Artists" with Vandruff was !@#!%#@ awesome.  Off course, when I took them they were live, so you could ask questions, but just watching the recorded class will still be invaluable.

I also took a great composition class from them, but I don't see it on that list. ...oh, that's because it got moved to an actual download, rather than streaming:

http://media.massiveblack.com/downloads.html

Look for "Jason Manley's composition". Jason Manley also did the color class I attended.

Those three classes...anatomy, color, and composition, would make a really great cornerstone for getting better at illustration.  And it's dirt cheap right now.  The only downside is that you can't interact with people in person, but then again, you can do it at your own time and no need to submit a portfolio.

What I liked about the above is also that these are people that embrace the world of art that tells stories...they aren't going to turn up their noses because you like "that fantasy stuff". This is their bread and butter. So no fluff, just the good stuff.

And yes, they need to pay me now for doing their advertising. *laugh*

[Foxeye]

Oh, and made this into a "tools of the trade" thread. Hopefully Windrider will pipe up at some point, since she may know more about art schools on the west coast.

[silentleaf]

thanks foxy i looked at the site before but didnt find these clases.! your super ..gets out credit card...........

[Afke]

It's silly to deny anything fantasy just for itself, but if you're really serious about learning more, you shouldn't limit yourself to a genre. It could really help to expand your portfolio. I don't know anything about american artschools, but see if you can find one that allows you to explore a wide variety of techniques, skills, styles.

[silentleaf]

watching the anatomy for the artist SOO cool

[Faerydae]

Well I'm in Woodland, CA so I'm waaaay up north from you but me and the other half went back to school last year, at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco - and are doing it all online.

We are both taking graphic design to start with and going for our first degree, an AA, because it will at least get us some sort of a degree the quickest to help us with jobs (I'm currently working in three departments at my 9-5 job, in multimedia, tech support and graphic design and kinda hoping with the degree I might be able to move more into the graphic design dept since that's what I enjoy the most) and then we will pursue other degrees and just roll over our units into those.

We decided to both go for a GD degree so that we could help each other with homework and support each other as we'd bnoth been out of school for decades,plus, that way we can share the book costs and that helps too. I pretty much consigned myself to just staying in school now until I die so I can defer my loans (LOL!) so I'm just going to go for a degree in everything that interests me lol.

So far it's been cool, this Fall will be our third semester ... and it's not bad, it feels good to be working towards a degree at long long last and to get it at the school that I'd dreamed of attending since I was 15 is just wonderful.

[silentleaf]

thats awesome! I'm kind of sad I'm not working on a BA in GD but sadly my Associates degree does not transfer to any good art schools. I am in woodland hills ca..

[Faerydae]

Hmmm really? Some of the units for the basic clases on our AA does roll over into the same basic classes needed for a BA - but maybe there is a difference in getting those basic classes at the same school?

I mean not all of them roll over, but ... it will take us 5 years to get a AA with a half load every semester (2 if we were shouldering a full load every semester) ... and if we go for a BA ... it would be 10 years for a degree (5 if we were doing a full load) - and just a LOT can happen in 10 years to derail one from their goal! So we just figured we'd go for something that was a little quicker so that it can better impact our lives a little sooner - and then the next degree ought to take a little less time maybe.

If we could swing taking a class in the summer and winter break, we'd get through it all a little faster, but ... I really NEEDED the summer break! LOL!

But you ought to check it out - especially since you can take the classes online - let's you work it into your day a little easier!

[silentleaf]

hmm i may have to check it out.  I REALLY wanted to go to otise school of art and design. I' working on my Bachelors in Business marketing now. September of next year i should be done if things keep going as they have been. i really would love to take some more art classes maybe in background and landscape.  but I'm also taking a double load so my time is pretty taken up right now.

[Wildfire]

*snip*
http://www.conceptartstore.com/stcl.html

The "Colours and the Theory of Light" class (which is at a great price right now) is one that I attended when it first happened, and it was SO GOOD. Oh, and "Anatomy for Artists" with Vandruff was !@#!%#@ awesome.  Off course, when I took them they were live, so you could ask questions, but just watching the recorded class will still be invaluable.
*snip*

Oops, I never saw this post.
Those two look really interesting. They look really helpful, but my knowledge of colour theory is *very* limited. How advanced are they? And how long are they approximately?

[Foxeye]

Those two look really interesting. They look really helpful, but my knowledge of colour theory is *very* limited. How advanced are they? And how long are they approximately?

They are advanced, but...I can't say I had any color theory myself before I saw it, except for people saying things like "try making your shadows bluer".  From what I've been seeing in your art, and the things you are starting to do with color, I think you will get something out of it. 

I'm somewhat concerned, though, about just what form the class takes these days. At the time I posted it, I think it was clear that you were watching a replay of the live class, and could stop/start it at your own pace.  The description of the class on the site now makes it sound like it's live. *scratch head* But then again...it's 7.99 instead of the 99 bucks I paid (yowzers!), so seems unlikely that it's live...

Oh, and for length...it was long. I don't remember exactly how long, but 2-3 hours comes to mind.

[Wildfire]

They are advanced, but...I can't say I had any color theory myself before I saw it, except for people saying things like "try making your shadows bluer".  From what I've been seeing in your art, and the things you are starting to do with color, I think you will get something out of it. 

I'm somewhat concerned, though, about just what form the class takes these days. At the time I posted it, I think it was clear that you were watching a replay of the live class, and could stop/start it at your own pace.  The description of the class on the site now makes it sound like it's live. *scratch head* But then again...it's 7.99 instead of the 99 bucks I paid (yowzers!), so seems unlikely that it's live...

Oh, and for length...it was long. I don't remember exactly how long, but 2-3 hours comes to mind.

Hmm, the text below seems to indicate that it's a stream-able version. I think it's still the same. Especially if you paid 99 bucks (O____o) for it. Eh, I'll give it a try! Thanks ^__^