Hey there people of the world! Prospective students of the Wonderful craft of animation! WELCOME, WELCOME!!!!!
So many people have asked me the same question. "How do i get into Cal Arts?" You have no idea how many people want to get into CaArts. And they all are doing what I did and what you should be doing. And that's find students that went to Calarts, and hound them. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, heck I did it, and that's what helped me get in. The only thing is that it gets old typing the same advice over and over again to new prospective student, so I created this step by step of what I did, not saying that you should do all this, but this is the advice I got and how I used it. enjoy and I hope this helps!
here are links to important advice and products you might need to make your portfolio.
http://www.dickblick.com/products/blick-studio-presentation-case/
http://www.dickblick.com/products/blick-basic-portfolio/
http://www.posemaniacs.com/
http://www.ehow.com/how_5878323_prepare-
calarts-character-animation-program.html
http://calarts.edu/admissions/portfolio-audition/film-video/character-animation
things you need to know about making a cal arts Portfolio...
1. Do you love animation, do you want to spend long hours with pinched wrists and hand spasms, as you tirelessly draw the same character over and over again with a dead line in the back of your mind?
2. Do you have the will power to stay up all night and work on something that will only last a couple minutes on the big screen??
3. Does everything I'm saying make you more excited about animation than discouraged???
... well then you are a true animation student in the making, but don't say I didn't warn you!
So this is what you must know if you want to make the most presentable of entrance portfolios for Cal Arts!
Before you go out and buy a fancy plastic black book portfolio with see through plastic slips in it to hold your art in, you must remember to be yourself, and not what Calarts simply wants you to be, because if you are ready to be at this school, they will want YOU. You simply need to be your unique self.
But as a warning to you, you must not rely on talent alone to get in. You have to try harder then what you can do, and give only your best.
The next step is to go out, buy a sketch book, or use the one that you already have and start drawing in it. Draw everything you see, draw your house, or what is out side, or what ever comes to your head, and use this as a journal a way of expressing what you have in you, like ideas, characters you've made of doodles you want to draw. Let this be the real "hey I am unique and I have a vision as an artist." if you end up having multiple sketch books like this, then just choose the best one you have and turn it in. Don't give the teachers too much to have to look at.
Next you want to find a local place where there are nude models that you can draw. These are called life drawing classes. if there are none around you or if you have conservative parents, that's no problem, I didn't go to life drawing classes myself. I got all my life drawing from having friends pose for me at school (fully clothed) and I used websites online. Here are the ones that i used
posemaniacs.com,
and
posespace.com
These where where I got a bulk of my life and figure drawing from.
And when drawing your life drawings, please DO NOT TRY TO COPY THE MODEL EXACTLY!!!!! Cal arts want to see that you understand the body enough to deform be creative with it. NO STIFF DRAWING THAT LOOK academical!!!! make them loose and show movement. when you are drawing a figure you are drawing a VERB not a NOUN. be colorful and experiment with the mediums you use. I mostly used $5 watercolors set from my local arts store, and they worked just fine, i also used charcoal and a lot of other things. Remember to draw movement in the character you are drawing. AND APOVE ALL STORY!!!!!
Another thing you should do is go to your local zoo if you can, and draw animals. Cal Arts Loves drawings of animals.
But in the end after you have drawn all your life drawings and figure drawings, have gathered a couple of pieces of personal artwork that you think represents you the best, and having had filled a sketch book up completely with drawings personal and life oriented, then it is time to edit yourself.!!!!!!
Next Step... EDITING!!!! Calarts character Animation is a department based on good art but most importantly good story telling. So when ordering your Portfolio it is very important that you don't just haphazardly through you pieces in the portfolio and turn it in. You must organize them in a way that each drawing goes with the other drawings and in a way that it tells a progressive, but not having to be a literal, story. Start with a drawing that you think is maybe your second best or one of your best, and then take your 15 best life drawings or figure drawings and order them appropriately until you end with a strong piece as well. it is possible to have 25 drawing or 30 but I would not exceed that amount. QUALITY over QUANTITY.!
Now all you need to do is put your name and address on your portfolio(s) and sketch book(s) and you are ready to go!
If you have any other questions about Cal Arts or how to get in, i recommend you check out these websites...
the ones above...
and if you have anymore questions don't hesitate!
Good Luck and God Bless!!!
