Planning for career change...need your help guys

#1

Hi I am Rohit , currently working as a software engineer. But I am very much interested to become a matte artist or concept artist. I have been working on my artwork as well.

I would like to know …if its a good option to go and professionally learn matte painting/ concept art in some well known university.

Also please suggest me some good universities for learning matte painting or concept art and which provide good placements to help me repay my loan. I have heard about Gnomon , VFS and FZD. But not sure they provide such specialized courses.

Thanks in advance guys…Please help me out.

#2

Your own skills that you can demonstrate after the school are more important than it’s name. If you have enough drive you could simply go to a community college and work on your art skills: life drawing, perspective, foreshortening, shading, etc. I would suggest you read through the list I made off another websites forum on the topic somewhat http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=283&t=1024964.

#3

Thanks a lot sir. It was very informative and inspiring. I really had lost hope of getting any replies here.

But …in India…There are no good schools which can teach me concept art or matte painting…and I am already an engineering graduate…I don’t want to spend my another 3-4 yrs learning in fine art college…:(…I do work on my skills whenever i get time…like after my job hours…and weekends…but I never had any professional coaching in art field…Since childhood I have been painting n learning on my own…

I am not even sure how good I am …or will this art line suit me…or I can survive in this industry with my skills ? . Please check few of my works here : http://rohitnayak.zxq.net/
Let me know…if you are aware of any good schools …where I can learn matte painting and concept art…Or is it really important to go to an art school ?

#4

you don’t need to go to school to get work, your art is phenomenal already I would suggest working on it continually and teaching yourself off anything you find. There are tons of tutorials on youtube and spread across the internet, many free as well. Also try to find people needing matte painters/concept artists for personal projects or side jobs to get your work around and seen. If you keep working at it and get your name out there you can be just as successful as someone that went to a top art school.

#5

I’m not going to overstep my bounds on this subject matter, so I hope some of the professional concept/matte artist mods might show up. Nevertheless, I’ll ask this…have you applied anywhere in India? I say this, because we’ve had two students from our school that I would label as ‘marginally’ good 3D artists that have been employed in India no problem for years. This is NOT a knock on India’s cg industry, but after perusing your works, I’m wondering if you should just throw your hat in the ring and see what happens…shrug.

#6

Thank you very much for the post. This is exactly what I’m looking for. As a 3rd year animation student, I began to have doubt about whether or not my school can lead me to my goal. I want to build a strong 3D character/ creature animation reel, but I’ve found there’s a long way to go before I can actually create nice pieces.

The animation program at my school is young and general. At this point, I’ve taken most of the classes required and I could only repeat a class that is related to just character animation. I’ve considered of taking classes else where or even transfering to a different school, but I still can’t make up my mind. I’m desperated to hear advice.

The rest of the classes like storyboarding, hand drawn animation and 3D modeling& lighting can definitely enhance my different animation skills, but should I pursue only what I want to focus on? Should I take a semester off and go to Animation Mentor and community college just to focus on character animation?

Money is a problem. I don’t know postponing my art school education is a good idea. Should I go somewhere else to take just the classes I like or? What should I do? I’m really confused.

#7

Hey thanks a lot for the guidance…but in India I cannot see much options for a matte painting career…:(…
Please check my updated portfolio here :

http://www.wix.com/rohit_trunks/rohitnayak

I am getting few small freelance projects but I want to enter in this profession as a professional full time matte artist / concept artist .

So I am planning to go for vanarts for this september for VFX or game art and design course.

Is this a good choice ?..If yes which is a better course which would help me towards my goal. game art and design or VFX ?

#8

I personally don’t think university professors knows how to teach “concept art” since it’s a really new field and the professors are pretty old? Maybe you will find a better luck in those really nice schools …I live in Canada so it might be different in USA

#9

any opinion on vanarts vfx and lost boys vfx learning?
i am attracted to vanarts coz of houdini is there in learning…

#10

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