Is studying art a bit risky?

shifty_uk

shifty_uk

shifty_uk

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My course is a science degree and I'll hopefully progress onto my degree year after next summer but I'm debating art school. I have no formal education in art, didn't even take it in school but people keep urging me towards a career in this sector(production design/painting). Having had experience in a load of environments from graphic/interactive design, web development, supervising and sales, this career option seems like a dream. However, should I finish this year and instead do my final year(s) at an art school? :confused:

My views of art schools in the UK from experience are nothing short of bad! Including that of former colleagues who went and my other half who is currently being taught by a horrendous art school grad lecturer at uni who wont look twice at you if you prefer windows over mac, for example. They seem completely narrow minded, giving you no creative freedom unless you follow their set ways and largely wouldn't look twice at you in the street. You know the type, beige slacks who think Arial is the devil and Helvetica is god.

The way I see it, my current degree will give me a better standing in later life if all should fail and art school would simply be a year or two of drawing with a bunch of stuck up snobs and a chance at insider critique and a good name on my CV. Or, am I completely and utterly deluded? Feel free to shoot me down if I am! :p

Cheers!
 
shifty_uk said:
The way I see it, my current degree will give me a better standing in later life if all should fail and art school would simply be a year or two of drawing with a bunch of stuck up snobs and a chance at insider critique and a good name on my CV.
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That's what I think. It's far easier to be a technical person that branches in a creative profession than vice versa (think architects).

If you have the capacity to do a science degree then I'd encourage this every time.
 
You'll encounter a lot of 'interesting' individuals but by no means is it all like the stereotype.

We'll no doubt go into both extremes of your option - probably with a heavy bias in favour of the non-art-route as you're posting on a computing forum - I think it's far more important to pursue what you want :)

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Robbie G said:
It's far easier to be a technical person that branches in a creative profession than vice versa (think architects).
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Architectural education is predominantly arts based - though you wouldn't 'branch' into architecture, someone with architectural training could branch into graphic design.
 
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I'm a little confused. You are currently doing a Science Degree, but you want to drop out before your final year to go to art school, even though you have no formal grounding in it?
 
Personally (from a guy with no artistic talent what-so-ever) I'd stick with the science. There will be ways for you to try out more creative things in your spare time either on your own or some sort of group done by the uni/college but doing things the other way around won't be as easy. I'd say its easier to add art to science rather than trying to add science to art since it has to be meaningful.
 
It would be mental to drop out of your science degree before your final year. Graduate and then if you're still inerested in an art course take it from there.
 
Castiel said:
I'm a little confused. You are currently doing a Science Degree, but you want to drop out before your final year to go to art school, even though you have no formal grounding in it?
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No, I have a fairly big portfolio and years of industry experience in design with a catalogue of everything from interfaces, installations, websites, logotypes and of course all my artwork/sketchbooks. I'd just be doing a final year at art school if my portfolio were to stand up to it. My degree does have design elements but it's largely science related.
 
Depends what you study, why you study it and where at.
Glasgow School Of Art is very well respected, you'd be better off going there than Coatbridge Academy of Paint by Numbers...

The talent at GSA is phenomenal aswell..
 
Ahleckz said:
Depends what you study, why you study it and where at.
Glasgow School Of Art is very well respected, you'd be better off going there than Coatbridge Academy of Paint by Numbers...

The talent at GSA is phenomenal aswell..
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:p It would indeed be one of the big art schools like GSA. I'm not sure, everyone I've met from there is incredibly stuck up. I don't particularly enjoy the company of those who apply to the stereotype! A couple of girls I know who went there now work in Topshop and my GFs uni lecturer went there who is apparently insufferable and one of those 'if you can't do it, teach it' types.

I've also tried phoning them a number of times in the past for information and the customer service experience is zero! That's if they actually answer the phones. Took me 4 attempts across two days to get through, only to be hung up on when I was being transferred to a different department.
 
Ahleckz said:
Depends what you study, why you study it and where at.
Glasgow School Of Art is very well respected, you'd be better off going there than Coatbridge Academy of Paint by Numbers...

The talent at GSA is phenomenal aswell..
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The Art School was really good then the pretentiousness got a bit out of hand. I'll have my girls with all their hair, not half of it shaved off ta.

shifty_uk said:
:p It would indeed be one of the big art schools like GSA. I'm not sure, everyone I've met from there is incredibly stuck up. I don't particularly enjoy the company of those who apply to the stereotype! A couple of girls I know who went there now work in Topshop and my GFs uni lecturer went there who is apparently insufferable and one of those 'if you can't do it, teach it' types.
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Duncan of Jordanstone has a good reputation and the majority of the art sudents I met through my brother seemed not too stuck up.
 
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shifty_uk said:
:p It would indeed be one of the big art schools like GSA. I'm not sure, everyone I've met from there is incredibly stuck up. I don't particularly enjoy the company of those who apply to the stereotype! A couple of girls I know who went there now work in Topshop and my GFs uni lecturer went there who is apparently insufferable and one of those 'if you can't do it, teach it' types.

I've also tried phoning them a number of times in the past for information and the customer service experience is zero! That's if they actually answer the phones. Took me 4 attempts across two days to get through, only to be hung up on when I was being transferred to a different department.
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that's why I sAid it depends why you are studying it. The career prospects of being a taught artist Are slim. I'm sort of the view that creative subjects are best taught to those who want to learn rather than make money from it.
Design students are a dime a dozen nowadays, I'd think it would be better, career wise, to study a design engineering subject... There's a good course, PDE, at Strathclyde. I know people that did that and went into good design jobs. Though there is a lot of maths and engineering in it...

I love the shaved haired look, its a shame that I don't look anything like the guys thAt my type of girl goes for!
 
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