Huh that's really surprising :0 (the not going to art college) If you dont mind telling how you got to your position? Did you go to a specific art highschool or were you just lucky enough to go to a public highschool fairly connected to the industry?
Ok so, gonna let ya in on a lil secret:
You don’t need to go to art school to be a storyboard artist.
It works for some people, not gonna knock it for those who do wanna go or are planning on it! There’s a lot of benefits to art school! Especially to those who didn’t have the resources that I had access to growing up. It’s just that... it’s not for EVERYONE and it wasn’t something for me, especially since I couldn’t afford it and going through the programs to re-do all the stuff I already know before I got to the fun stuff just.. wasn’t my vibe, either.
Art school is a good place to learn the skills you need and make connections, as well, but your don’t really NEED the degree. In fact a good number of CalArts students don’t even finish CalArts, they get picked up for a job and drop out. When I got outta high school, I did two years of community collage before I hunkered down and decided “maybe I’ll apply to CN Storyboard Academy! Dunno if I’ll get it but might as well shoot my shot!” And then I got in, and now I’m here.
Except it’s not that simple, either. I didn’t just do community college for two years and then suddenly get picked up outta nowhere for no reaso, I worked Really hard, on improving my art and building a proper portfolio throughout that time. I took figure drawing classes, I frequently checked in with teachers, friends, peers, etc. for critique to make sure everything looked good and to figure out what I needed to improve on. I hyperfixated on STARKID for a short while and managed to pump out some decent animatics to use, and that’s not counting everything I did and learned in my high school animation class (which, yes, was a public highschool that very luckily happened to have an amazing and dedicated animation class. It’s where I made my short film, UFO. But at the same time, being in that program was not specifically what got me in, it’s in my resume, of course, and It provided me with the knowledge I needed to help me flourish as an artist and as a person, but I still needed the hard work to back it up.) As an artist, specifically a storyboard artist, making sure your portfolio shows off your skills and voice is the best thing you can do. Do film study, do figure drawing, step outta your comfort zone and make sure your portfolio reflects you and your best work. (And also that you’re specifically giving examples related to the field you wanna go in. For storyboard artist: anything having to do with sequential arts is your best bet. Meaning comics, storyboards, thumbnails, animatics, etc.)
And then APPLY EVERYWHERE. Even if you don’t know if you’ll get it. Just apply to it anyway. Whether you get it or not, people are gonna see it, and if you put you best work forward in your portfolio, they’ll notice. I see so many talented people who don’t apply for things cuz they don’t feel confident in their work. Just do it, all artists think their own work sucks, for some reason, even i feel that way all the time despite knowing all the work I put into getting to where I am today. Your work doesn’t suck, it’s just that all artists are diagnosed with imposter syndrome. If you don’t get it this time, you can apply again, and you never know if you’ll get it or not. Hell, I did NOT think I was gonna be accepted for CNS academy. And then I was, so... you seriously never know. Also make a LinkedIn Account, follow active animation people on social media, keep up with the industry, it’ll help you network and be in the know.
