Question for the advanced artists considering their college life/habits

**Wisdom_Cube** · April 2nd, 2005, 11:33 PM

Im very curious about what school habits you guys had when you got out of highschool and started college for art and design, even if you didnt go to school and taught yourself. Im curious aout this because i ahve other hobbies as well such as games and things, but I also want to become great at what i want to do. So how much time in the avg day of when you went to school would you put into your learning and work and projects compared to video games or parties. Did you have to put all of the other interests on a tough restriction for the time, or did you just live life and acted casual about it and still got those work hours in? Im very curious, I need something to compare myself to a bit. Im a freshmen in college rightnow going for a bachelors of fine arts in animation. Please respond to this because im sure other amateurs are very curious... I want to see if im pushing myself to hard or to little.

Edited:

**Denart** · April 3rd, 2005, 12:43 AM

Originally Posted by Wisdom_Cube

SDid you have to put all the fun stuff on a tough restriction for the time

creating art is the fun stuff man!

I also would like to hear from others on this topic. I'll be off to art school in half a year

**Wisdom_Cube** · April 3rd, 2005, 01:19 AM

lol yeh it is i agree, i didnt mean to insinuate i didnt enjoy it.

There i editd it

**Skulldog** · April 3rd, 2005, 01:48 AM

I get some gaming in, and moives from time to time...but my social life is shot. I only hang out with the other artists I live with, and don't leave the house much for social outings.

At least I can draw and be online at the same time..

I'm almost out of my four years in art college, and it seemed as I went on, I learned to balance out working and play more. First year I just drew, nothing else. Now I can eek in a little fun between comic pages now, as I know better about my speed at working, and plan accordingly.

Edit: But I'm hardly pro.

**darth massacre** · April 3rd, 2005, 04:20 AM

I'm not a pro either. But I think most schools are quite flexible with schedules leaving a lot of time to experience other things or try out freelance projects. Unless you're in VFS where there's practically no rest (48 weeks of school in a 52 week year).

I think its relatively simple to enjoy school life. I just get the work listed out on a notice board above my computer with their deadlines....then check them off bit by bit. I dunno about other schools, but Sheridan is pretty structured so if a student follows the course outline week by week they're quite safe. Easier said than done though

**tinyhands** · April 3rd, 2005, 12:26 PM

I started at the art school I go to when I was 16, so I was still juggling high school along with art school on the side. Plus while I was in high school I was working really hard at becoming an animator. I would work before and after school and through lunch breaks and shit. Once I got out of high school I just went to art school full-time, and have been working hard ever since(i'm still in school) My teachers are my friends as well as other students. Don't really have time to have much of a social life. My goals are too important to me. And thats something everyone has to decide for themselves. To be a great artist you have to sacrifice quite a bit. But disregarding all romanticized notions, the pursuit of perfecting a craft is well worth the obvious drawbacks. I'm slowly working towards trying to balance everything out, but its quite difficult. On the downside I suppose, while working alot is good, not having a social life altogether is bad as well. Because as an artist you definately have to have a variety of life experiences to help culitivate your work. Holy crap this is a novel. Long story short, there needs to be some balance. But being a workaholic is a necessity to being a sucessful artist imo.

-tiny

**Wisdom_Cube** · April 3rd, 2005, 03:55 PM

Heh, yeh the main problem i was worried about was the social part. Never really had a social life anyway but so far i just talk to the other people in my class and get along with them. Im not to worried about it, but its good to hear others are working their asses off and take what they do seriously. The school i go to is easy to get into basically and you will meet some people who "think" this is what they want to do, or just complain about to much work. *scratches head* but i dunno Im just trying to do more than just what the teacher gives me, and also do my own stuff...

Thanx so far for the replies, lets hear some more huh? Joshuathejames or maybe some other moderators might like to tell about their experiences?

Just like you guys im just trying to find a fine line between everything, or Ill probably just dive into the drawing and art and not worry about the other things for rightnow.

Does anybody think i analyze and think to much, and dont get enough stuff done?

**el coro** · April 3rd, 2005, 04:09 PM

10-16 hours a day drawing or painting. when i went to school, outside of my 40 hour a week job, thats about all i did was make art. i had no gaming system, no computer, no nuthin. i would draw until my arm hurt, then id paint. i had it in my head that in order to be good, i had to work real hard. now in my mind i still suck, or have volumes to learn still, but working like that did allow me to fool people into thinking i was good enough to do it professionally. work your ass off...it pays off big time. put the hours in early, and it will allow you to live your life more comfortably when you are actually doing it for cash... slack off and you prolly wont end up doing it professionally, unless you are a rare exception to the rule. my 2 cents-c36

**helix7** · April 3rd, 2005, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by Skulldog

... it seemed as I went on, I learned to balance out working and play more.

Same here. The work didn't get easier as the years went by, but somehow I still managed to make it seem easier.

But honestly, I regret that. When I got better at finding free time, I should have used that free time for more productive things. I look back at some of my larger projects and think "Man, that could have been so much better if I had just spent a little more time on it."

It's not all bad though. I guess college is the time to make those mistakes, and learn from them. My work ethic is way better than it was in college, and I manage my time better.

I guess based on that experience, my advice to people still in school or going to school soon would be to make the most of every minute. Find time for the video games, but make that the smallest portion of your time each day/week.

**Slash** · April 3rd, 2005, 07:19 PM

Hmm.. i believed that all professional artists ever did since 10th grade was being depressed, listening to something spawned by maynard and smoking weed all day. With dark makeup and coloured hair.

**ApolloNuevo** · April 4th, 2005, 01:57 AM

college was a madhouse. usually 3-6 hours of class a day, add on at least 4 hours of homework, then usually another 4 of my own art trying to get myself to where i needed to be. a lot of times would just skip all the classes so i could get in like 18hrs of work (i don't recommend that) unfortunately, burned out hard core my last semester and everything went to pot. now i'm back doing the pro thing and i've learned that art isn't all there is..balancing the craft and the rest of life (gf/church/excercise/food/etc...) life is much more pleasant now and i'm not so hard to get along w/.

art is important, but it's not all there is. the joy is in the journey cause you'll never be the artist you want to become. learn to enjoy the process and your life will be fulfilled.

-apollonuevo