Best Universities for Computer Graphics/Animation?

Are you intending to become a game artist or a game designer? These are two very different roles. Game Designers do not need art skills (OK it helps, but all the game designers I ever worked with just sketched maps of levels and passed those over to the artists to work out how to make them look pretty). Game Designers need to know gameplay and also have the ability to write extremely interesting texts that are clear and succinct and explain the gameplay and requirements thereof. They also need to have played a lot of games. Skill with scripting/ programming is a much more useful skill to a game designer, as is knowledge of a level editor to move scenery around and fine tune the environment / triggers. A Game Designer usually starts off as a Level Designer (and before that, if they are unlucky, as a games tester) so knowledge of how to make your own levels is paramount - andthe ability to do while re using assets already in the game is extremely helpful - it shows you have the right brain for recycling to save memory / asset generation costs.

A Games Artist needs a combination of 3D and 2D art skills, from drawing to modelling, texturing, rigging and skinning and animating to lighting and also realtime knowledge of current engines and how to get artwork from the software that made it into the editor and create assets or characters for the world the game is set in. Writing skills are not as important, some coding knowledge is helpful (but not essential), but a knowledge of aesthetics and artskills is vital.

Be very careful about applying to courses that claim they can teach you games art AND games design - you are likely to end up knowing a small amount of information about a lot of things, but none of it will be indepth enough to help you get a job. I've taught students who have studied on these sorts of courses and they were not very happy about the level of skill they were taught at or required to gain to do well academically (which is often not the same as become employable). You would do well to see if you can find graduates who have studied at these courses and got jobs afterwards and see if you can contact them and find out what they thought of the education they received.

If it's any help, I have heard good things about the course at Abertay.

Same! Just a bit left I dont know how you did it so fast O.o ohhh before mine!! Mines at 12! We may even see each other lol

Also how big is your portfolio? Because mine is A1! So massive!

Hi all,

I am an A2 student hoping to get a place on the Computer Animation Arts course at Bournemouth. I know there have been many posts about 3D work in portfolios, but i was wondering- if i have a lot of animated shorts in maya and loads of models in zbrush and silo does that increase my chances? I have invested in the full Zbrush package, using the student edition of maya and a silo trial. I do have sketchbooks filled with technical drawings and still life if that is what they would prefer to see.

Chris

not yet :s when did you send off your ucas??
although i have interviews for uca rochester, glamorgan and an online portfolio request from portsmouth

Hi all!
So I'm applying for Herts, Bournemouth and teeside.
I was wondering if i could get some critical advice on my work (don't hold back )
here is a link to it, so feel free to praise or vilify it!
thanks,
darryl
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http://dazzy.carbonmade.com/

Looking good - the life drawing is loose and poses well captured. It feels you are experimenting in places which is great - check out some of the proportions though - upper arm and the trunk look odd sometimes - maybe some more examples of capturing the pose and gestures would be good. I like the painting - some more of that would be good. The hand gesture work is ok but could do with more definition - your pencil marks look like they are going over the same mistakes. Think about the line as you define the silhouette of the pose - try and be confident and represent it in a single stroke. Perspective is ok as well - would love to see more examples of that if you have (like your bedroom/Art room piece)

Line of action could be better defined. Have you read Walt Stanchfield's books? Take a look they are excellent - its called 'Drawn to Life' - there are two volumes - one focuses on the human the other animals.

Some more sketch books would be great. Do you have any photography or sculpture? You have a good eye, so that's good, But you need to push yourself - I'd want to see 3 x the amount of work you have so far; and I want to see examples of sketches, finished artwork and WIP. I'd certainly like to see the types of work and ideas you would want to develop and create as well...

Hope that helps.

Thanks a million for the critique, sofronis.
I do have 2 full sketchbooks of those quick poses, i could only fit on that many on that carbonmade thingy.
For "types of work and ideas you would want to develop and create", do you mean concept art, storyboards for a story etc? just want to make sure i get it right.
what is the deadline for portofolio submission to bournemouth and can i submit it online?
and my final question, I am doing a Irish level 5 FETAC course in ballyfermot college for animation drawing studies. it is a one year course and I get a college level certificate after I graduate. Will I be able to use this instead of my Irish Leaving Cert (A-Levels) as I fear I may not have enough UCAS points.
thanks again for the advice, Sofronis, Very much appreciated.
Happy new year.
Darryl.

hey would you also be able to have a look at mine too, i realise i do have a lot of work to do and there are a few things there i would not usually show at an interview but i need to send an online portfolio and they wanted some specific things , i know i need to add a lot more too it but any advise in what to specifically aim for would be really appreciated
thank you

http://www.flickr.com/photos/73130921@N05/sets/72157628637692731/

I dont have a great deal of work and have 2 interviews this month (hertfordshire+teeside). I'm technically a third year college student(didnt fail...needed to take art) and in this third year I picked up a/s photography and art with absolutely NO prior art background, although I have been using a 3d package for quite a while. atm this is all the work I have =\

Life drawings - Not many but there okay I think, proportions wise and some shaded

3d work - some product design/ unfinished projects/ really short 1 or 2 animations / couple of interior scenes

painting - so bad at painting its hilarious, 1 thing to show honestly =\ - worth showing?

Character design - im RLLY negative but I'm happy with my character design. in pencil, no color, front/back,side 2 characters and then 2/3 poses from each character

Sculpture - to do mainly with my art theme, the sculpture I thought was okayish but the paint ruined it - worth showing?

Graphic Design - some wallpapers and a logo I made for someone - worth showing?

Photography - haven't chosen the images yet, going to choose with teacher

VB Program - had to create a computer program for computing cw last year using visual basic - worth showing?

THANKS GUYYYSS!

well i think the life drawings would be a really interesting piece of work to bring and maybe work your computing in with that?

Hi,

Its good your thinking about the overall impact of the portfolio. You have a broad selection of work which helps us understand your aesthetic ability as well as the manner in which you tackle a brief.

My first observation would be your life drawing - different quality of work is evident here. Mainly your proportions on the human body needs addressing. For example the fingers, the trunk of the body, shoulders and the limbs in places look wrong. Check out some of the books I mentioned; plus it would worth while looking at some anatomy books as well. They will help define these regions better. However, you seem in places to be getting it right so well done i.e. the feet. Keep at the life drawing it will get better and will help no end. It would also be useful to do quick 30 sec drawings so that you try and capture the pose. These will be very rough but help you understand the main landmarks in the body as well as balance, weight and line of action present in the pose.

The clay sculptures are nice - always good to work in '3D' so that you can see if the volume and character design is working. It also nice to see you are mixing different media together.

Character designs feel weak - but these may improve as your drawing skills get better via life drawing. You seem to like playing with texture and light; so it might be useful to focus in on this a well. Rubbing's, sculpture, collage, experimental paintings or photography might be a good way to demonstrate this so do include them if you have any.

Hop that helps.

Saf