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Help! I Want to Be a Computer Graphic Artist! |
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I am 16, and am interested in becoming a computer graphic artist. I read your tip #4 and was wondering if you could send me more info on the kinds of schooling and basically how to get into this line of work. |
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I don't know where you're located, but the following schools are tops for artists:
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I've been creating web graphics for about a year now and even though I realize that I'm not good enough yet, this is what I want to do for a living. It's the most fulfilling work I've ever done.
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You're asking a very important question, and I'd suggest you do a written business plan for yourself and also subscribe to spiderwoman mailing list for support and more advice:
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Just when you think you've finally outgrown homework, you get someone else's! What follows is a questionnaire I responded to sent to my by a high school student who plans on becoming a graphic designer.
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1. Why did you choose this career?
For a number of years, I thought I'd be a children's book illustrator. Several years, thousands of mailings, and a dozen unsold books later, I rethought this course of action. (Note to self: being 7 months pregnant is not the time to show your portfolio in NY.) I started experimenting with computer graphics, offered to write an article for a magazine. Never heard back, offered another magazine several articles. Again, didn't hear, so I queried a third magazine. About that time I learned about editorial calendars: all three magazines wanted me to write articles! 2. What school classes were helpful to you? All of my art education was helpful. I academic topics were always really easy for me, but I worked my butt off in art school, and I'm glad I did. The main things I learned were: don't give up, there will always be people more naturally talented than I, and creative work doesn't wait for inspiration, it's work. Even artists have mediocre days, and that's okay. Don't give up. Business skills and tenacity are just as important as artistic talent. 3. What education is required for your job? That keeps changing: some folks have no college education, some have a lot of college. I have a 4 year (BFA in Illustration) degree. The reason I urge people to go to college is that I've seen many talented people hold themselves back because the didn't have a diploma. Now maybe these folks wouldn't have had the courage to pursue being a freelance designer even if they did have a diploma, but I've never met anyone who has regretted going back to school. 4. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of this job? The advantages are that I work for myself, set my own hours, standards, and guidelines. The disadvantages are that I work for myself: often I can't afford to delegate, there's obviously no one else to blame, and I have to do things I'm not terrifically talented at, like selling my work. 5. What advice would you give a person interested in this career? Don't give up. If you love this kind of work, nothing anyone says will deter you. Keep raising your standards of achievement, but also tolerate the plateaus in your learning curve, the mediocre days, and HAVE FUN at it. It's a big juggling act. 6.Describe this job ( i.e. hours, free time, fun/boring ) It's wild, better than anything else except maybe Disneyland. It's exciting and risky and intense. It can also be lonely and depressing. You need to find other people who think and work like you do and stay in touch with them. You also need to schedule time off, and pat yourself on the back once in a while. |
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