What I've learned in TAD

[esthercuan]

Hello everyone, I've been wanting to create this thread for some time now!
I just think that with all I've learned, to sink it all in I've got to write it down somewhere!
If you study at TAD and want to share the most amazing things you've learned do it like me!
:) so here goes what I've learned in 10 points (more and i'd never finish)

1. Elements of picture making. This one is a BIG one. And applying it is very hard since I've never used them before!. So what I do is a check list (Dooriann!) and check each of them on my images.
2. Value control sheesh value scales and all those greys.
3. Depth my different types of perspective and design elements.
4. Cubes :oneye:
5. The design process. I've never done a thumbnail in my life.
6. Ideation, Observations, that sketchbook class is diamonds if you really put your brain into it.
7. Angles, measurements, creatures, etc . in order to create perfect forms wow..
8. Silhouettes Silhouettes Silhouettes are SO important I can't even begin to describe how much they matter!
9. Dark on light and light on Dark. The two rules of life.
10. Sensitive mark making. Gosh those Fechins, and simple lines that explain so much with so little. One day I will be that good!

This is only a little of all the information stacked in my TAD notes. I am so grateful and so happy and still as excited as the first day of school.

Guys, its your turn, come and pause a little and think about all you've learned, you will be surprised.

[Beeston]

I just realized an incredibly useful thread idea.

Things you've learned, and how much you paid to learn them. Maybe from a $30 book, a $60 internet video or a $30-000 course. Maybe put some cost effectiveness on things we've learned.

[Elvy]

This is a great idea you've started, Esther!

Hi everyone, Belle here and I'm in Foundations 1 too along with Esther and the rest of the gang. There are just a ton of things I've learned through this past 4 months and it's been a blast every step of the way. Esther has listed out 10 out of 10,000 other things we've learned at TAD, so I thought I'd just write down a few of the things are currently stick out in my mind.

1) Shapes! Everything is a shape. And shape has everything to do in a composition. Interesting shapes = interesting composition. This applies to anything from fine art to digital art to design work. Even when drawing figures, painting a landscape or making thumbnails - focus on the shape.

1.1) Subgroup of Shapes - draw cubes. Everything can be a cube. Draw cubes.

2) Values. Values help to give an image a clear "read". By giving your "shapes" various values, it will help build form, and enhance the shapes. I.e. Values & Shapes go hand in hand. But knowing how to read values and understand it completely and to put it to use especially in colour is hard - practice!

2.1) Subgroup of Shapes & Values: Making things 3D. This comes with shapes & values. Of course it's more than that, but basically shapes and values.

3) Mark making. This is like icing on a cake. The decoration that makes one go, oh interesting! Playing with various materials to achieve different marks, and watch how the marks help shape and enhance a picture - exciting.

4) Training the mind. We learn to be disciplined, to remain focused and stay motivated by the teachers and fellow mates! It's not like the teachers tell us that - but somehow you just "feel it!"

I felt pretty intimidated after learning how much planning goes into one picture and there is a lot of thought processes and planning involved. But we are given information to make our minds go "woah!" And you can feel your mind whirling and thinking all the time which I think is essential in picture making, idea generation, and many other things I'm sure you can think of.


ANYWAY, there is just so much more I've learned but I think those four points above are a good summary. But I also thought maybe I can contribute more to this thread by giving a little insight as to what it's like being a student at TAD - I know I had such questions before I started, so maybe this might help those of you who are considering studying at TAD but just aren't sure.And just a disclaimer: these are just my opinions and they do not reflect upon the opinions of any of the TAD staff.

1) Cost

I think cost is something a lot of us bear in mind when considering a school. Well, for me personally, TAD is an expensive investment on my part because it meant quitting my full-time job and taking on freelance/part time work to keep my income going. But I feel that so far, TAD is worth every bit of money I invested into it. Why?

Granted I've never been to any art school or had any formal art background, but I believe the information I gathered from the teachers and fellow students are well worth what I'm paying. I've learned so much in such a short period of time! It's amazing. If you can take advantage of the huge student discounts offered by TAD, then that should help keep costs down.

In terms of art supplies, you just buy what you need. I never bought what was listed in the art supply list you get when you enroll.

All the classes also have their own supply list. So you buy them when the teacher tells you. Also, none of the teachers ever say YOU NEED TO BUY THIS. They encourage you to get similar materials so you can get the most out of class, but there are always equivalents to whatever it is they are using. And they never ask us to buy the most expensive stuff. Just student grade materials so costs are low and you can still do your assignments! After all, it's your ability, not the materials that create great art!

If you wanted a real break down about the cost like cent for cent - I'll probably have to do some calculations...

2) Questions about studying online

I was so skeptical about this portion of TAD. How can an online education compare with a classroom environment? Well, I've never been to an art school with an art teacher in front of me to teach me so I can't say. But I've been to school.

It's not the same for sure. But it's as effective. We use a program which you will get access to as a student and it is as vibrant as a LIVE classroom. We chat with each other in the chat box, we listen to our teachers teach and they can do paintovers of our mistakes. We even get demos from the teachers via webcam. We turn in many assignments on a daily basis in a student forum and we get feedback almost instantaneously so we are really working 24/7.

Even though I do most of my classes on Demand, you don't feel that much of a difference. You get the same amount of information as a person who has attended LIVE and it is all up to you to make use of that information.

But I would caution that doing TAD online (or any online classes for that matter) is that you really need discipline. It's all up to you to attend classes and turn in assignments because no one is going to breath down your neck if you don't. But discipline shouldn't be a problem if you know this is exactly what you want to do. :)

And to add in another point about cost - if you really want to save money. TAD Online is a great way to save cost. Imagine this, you save on transportation fees, you save on eating out and you save a ton of time from not having to commute :)

3) Effectiveness

Hrm... I sort of covered this point in my first two points. Unless anyone has any more specific questions - read above + I'll add that my zero understanding of art and the picture making process has now improved by 100 fold. Literally from zero to hero phenomenon. Ok, I'm not a hero but I'm working on it. :P

4) Accreditation

This is also another stickler I've read in the forums. Well, I didn't think too much about this because I already had my previous non-art related degree so TAD was just another path I was taking. I did look into getting an art degree locally but guess what - it costs $100,000 for a 4 year program.

The way I look at it is - TAD offers an alternative path for those of us who feel that we dont need an art degree to pursue a career in art. It may not be for everyone (and it maybe too soon for me to say too) but it definitely will be for some. I don't think there will be a time or a debate where it will be based on an ultimatum of: TAD or No TAD.

There are always many paths and TAD is just one of them. It's up to an individual to decide what is worth your time of learning.

I come from an Asian society and a country where the paper chase is everything! So I've put off going to art school because my parents said no. It's not a suitable career and much less going to a school with no "certificate" at the end?! That's notion is almost absurd.

I went on to do what I needed to do, got a job and later realized that I still wanted to try pursuing a career in art. But now that I'm financially able, I can afford TAD and I decide what I want to do with my own money.

So some of you might say I wasted my time and my parents money taking a big detour before getting an art education. But I say no - it wasn't a waste of my time. Pursuing another degree was my other passion and it is a great "fallback" I have if this "art thing" doesn't work out. Also, I believe I learned other skill sets which I can most definitely apply to my TAD education now and in my future career(s).

Well, that's all I have for now! And I hope this helps some of you out in making a decision that could very well change your life! :D

-Belle

[Beeston]

I can't help but feel like this is a marketing ploy, but whatever, we'll run with it.

Just to balance the discussion I wouldn't mind hearing some things about TAD that could use improvement. Qantm College for example puts more effort into making sure all their computers work on Open days then they do for their own students. The licencing for the programs screws up every so often and their library of resources is currently a little lacking.

I hate to be cynical but this thread smells like it needs a Devil's advocate with all of these happy and cheery recounts of how much better off you are for buying something.

[esthercuan]

Belle! Great post about everything you've learned. And Damascus, please keep posting things like that. I agree every institution has its good and bad things. The platform we use to learn has very limited tools in order to get full paint/overs and the application sharing is very slow. Although its pretty impressive how teachers find other ways to show things, for example, they create a camera station to show live demos on composition and technical abilities. I love those!

In short, since we are very happy students here it's hard to think of things that need improvement. The worst part of TAD would be technical problems with servers, or slow connections. But the faculty is admirable and teachers devote 200% to the excellence of their students and that is unquestionable. Anyone have some opinions on how can TAD be a better school?

Thank you again Belle for the great insight and opinions!

[Elvy]

Hahah Damascus! You're right, it does sound like a marketing ploy. But I'm just expressing how I feel so far with the program and basically all I want to say is that I am enjoying it!

Hmm in terms of what some of the kinks in TAD, I would offer that TAD is still in it's infancy - we are only the 2nd batch of students. So a lot of things are still sort of in "experimental stages."

Orientation was a little messy as we didn't know what to do until the day before classes began, or how to access the system for the OnDemand portion. But the faculty and staff are always on the lookout for solutions, even in the way they conduct classes, that works best for the student body so the next batch of students benefit from what was learned from the previous batch.

Also, we don't have student IDs. Like over here in my country, if I produce a student ID I can get student discounts, but because TAD doesn't have that, we can't take advantage of those student perks.

You also mentioned about lacking in library resources. Well, we don't have anything equivalent to a library that exists in art colleges (maybe if you went to the POD, I don't know). But I guess that's just due to the nature of TAD. However, we do get access to VLP for free and that's very valuable. It's not a substitute for a library but it does help alot.

Anyway, it's great for you to continue asking questions like that, after all this is a forum for potential students and parents of potential students. So it's best if they understand as much as they can about a school they are considering :)

[Colin Boyer]

. . .we don't have anything equivalent to a library that exists in art colleges (maybe if you went to the POD, I don't know). But I guess that's just due to the nature of TAD. However, we do get access to VLP for free and that's very valuable. It's not a substitute for a library but it does help alot.

Thank you for mentioning the VLP. It's incredibly valuable.

[esthercuan]

Yes the VLP has helped me a lot with all its online demos and workspace. :)

[Jason Manley]

The student ID's are a great idea. We can do that.

We just had Valve software in, giving the honors students their art tests, and providing feedback. Rolling Stone Magazine was here. THQ has been here. Popular Mechanics and others too... Blizzard comes in this week. And we are about to start school wide Industry Days...which has not yet been announced. I cannot wait to share who will be here. 0_0 I don't know any other programs who bring the industry into your living room or studio.

No marketing...just facts. Folks can make up their own mind. The student work speaks for itself.

I am very lucky to be a part of this. The instructors care so much that they will not settle for anything less than being the very best, most up to date art college anywhere. Next semester the majors begin. Looking forward to sharing the new instructors joining us too.


If you have questions, by all means. Thanks for sharing everyone.

Best,


Jason

[Choob]

Looking through this, I think that the best thing TAD are doing is keeping you guys interested, motivated and happy. By far the most important thing in art, that you enjoy it.

Well done guys and girls, keep it up. ;)

[Iristhevirus]

I'm really glad this thread was made! I'm thinking of attending TAD, in three years, argh, it's such a long wait... but I'm so excited and looking for more information almost daily! It's really helpful to get a feel of how students feel about the school because I'm so curious and excited. It's great that you guys mentioned what you're learning, your enthusiasm, getting classes on demand, access to the VLP, these are very good things to know. And the forums and feedback and... and everything else, haha.

Also, I had a question about the industry visits I've seen mentioned such as Blizzard, Valve, etc. When they come in, do they basically only visit the PODs and see what those students are up to, basically meaning that the students in other countries kind of really miss out on that crazy awesome opportunity to get their art glanced upon by them? Or is their also a spotlight shone upon the online students? I understand that it would definitely be an advantage to be in the same room as where that's happening, but I'd definitely be happier to hear that it were made fair somehow.

Thanks! I'm definitely gonna be on the lookout for more information :) I'd love to speak to anyone in a program there right now to learn more, if anyone would shoot me a message. :P And more of you must post in this thread!

[_Token_]

Its nice to see what people have learned while attending TAD. Looking forward to spring 2012.

[John English]

Iristhevirus-

Thank you for your interest in our program. The companies and contributing professionals that assist TAD do so in several ways:

• Our online delivery allows professional to come into the classrooms from wherever they work from. Distant Learning means there is no distance, making it easy for the professionals to contribute to our program.

• The 2, 3-week workshops we offer each year creates a hands on immersive program like no other. 3-5 professionals each day looking over your shoulder, demonstrating, critiquing and lecturing makes for an incredible learning experience.

• The Pods offer the ultimate in art school immersion, sharing studio space with like minded individuals/students and contributing professionals.

Hope this helps!

John

[Angel Intheuk]

Thanks for bumping this spambot :D lol, a rare moment of usefulness there.


This is great idea for a thread, I joined the VLP last year for a brief time and it was incredibly interesting and useful, it wasn't quite enough on it's own though and I'm hoping to join TAD either part-time or come to a summer workshop.

Is anyone doing or done the foundation class? I've got so many gaps in my knowledge as I studied full-time back in '97, I've been filling in what I can from all the tutorials and threads I can find on here but I know there's alot I still don't know and I'm thinking of just starting from the beginning and working my way up again.

What I'm trying to ask is if it's worth it? (I know any education isn't a waste) but I've covered all the subjects in the foundation course at one time or another, at college we did intensive perspective and media appliation but the colour theory, value studying and indepth anatomy where sadly missed. I don't want to do the foundation if I already know half of it and I also want to do the Drawing and Painting course and possibly the Illustration one too, and I'm hoping these two also cover the foundations (if only briefly)

Sorry for rambling. :)

[Jason Manley]

If you got this info in another college I will be surprised. I ask at every workshop who has heard all the composition and color theory info, for example, and out of 500 people from students to professionals, not one will raise their hand.

Take Marshall's composition class for example...I have taken that class three times in my life, and his anatomy class twice. I still don't have all his anatomy knowledge and I have been at that for many years. The other classes are no different. I did six years of college and ten years working in the industry and there is info in Dorian's light and form class that I had never seen before...same goes for just about every class. Honestly, if I had the time I'd take some of the classes myself just to improve my skills, and I am President of the college.

That is my honest opinion. Hit up any of the students if you want direct info. They will give you their own straight answer from a non-school official I am sure.

For example, here are a list of speakers coming through TAD this semester...on top of the faculty here already. This is only a partial list of the 100 coming in.

JOHN STEVENSON: CO-DIRECTOR- KUNG FU PANDA
ALEXANDER SEROPIAN: FOUNDER- BUNGIE and WIDELOAD GAMES, FORMER PRESIDENT, DISNEY INTERACTIVE
JEFF BRAUN: FOUNDER OF MAXIS and FORMER PRESIDENT OF EA
CAREEN YAP:VP of LICENSING AND BIZ DEV - KONAMI
JAY DEE ALLEY: DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT DEV.- CAPCOM
KEITH BOESKY: PRESIDENT OF BOESKY AND COMPANY
LORNE LANNING: CO-FOUNDER- ODDWORLD
SHERRY MCKENNA-CO-FOUNDER- ODDWORLD
MEGAN GAISER: CHIEF CREATIVE STRATEGY OFFICER-HER INTERACTIVE
HEATHER HAZEL: SENIOR PRODUCER- POPCAP GAMES
CHRIS AVELLONE: LEAD DESIGNER/OWNER- OBSIDIAN ENTERTAINMENT
J.E. SAWYER: LEAD DESIGNER-OBSIDIAN ENTERTAINMENT
STEVE BOKKES: LEAD DESIGNER- SONY ONLINE
JOSEPH OLIN-FORMER PRES. ACAD OF INTERACTIVE ARTS AND SCIENCES
BILL DUGGAN: AUTHOR- STRATEGIC INTUITION
JOSEE LALUMIERE: GM NEWBREED VFX
RON LEMEN- ARTIST/EDUCATOR- THE ART DEPARMENT
MARIO WYNANDS: FOUNDER- SIDHE INTERACTIVE
JEFFREY T. MAKOFF: SENIOR PARTNER- VALLE-MAKOFF LLP.
JEFFREY ROSE Esq. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ATTORNEY
ODED PALLED: CEO- ROCKET NINJA
MILES THOMPSON: MEDIA PUBLISHER
RAJESH RAO: CEO, DHRUVA INTERACTIVE
STERLING HUNDLEY: AWARD WINNING ILLUSTRATOR- THE ART DEPARTMENT
JASON DELLA ROCA-GAMES CONSULtANT=FORMER HEAD OF IGDA
SEAN KAUPINNEN- CEO, IDEA- GAMES INDUSTRY BIZ DEV GURU
TIM DONLEY: CREATIVE DIRECTOR- THQ/VIGIL GAMES
BRIAN REID: FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR-OSIRIS
JOHN SCHINDEHETTE: SENIOR ART DIRECTOR, WIZARDS OF THE COAST

As I said before, any one of these people can make or break careers. If it were me, and I was working here and wanted to learn...I'd be going to TAD.

Jason