Photoshop career

hey dudes,

I am an avid user in Photoshop and would like to end up as a special effects artist (CG animation/special effects). Most colleges offer courses in Art media and Graphics design. Would Graphics design w/ photoshop etc. potentially be a place to start this course to CG? If you can supply any information of e-mail of person(s) who would know of or are in related feilds, it would very much be appreciated.

Thank you,

Ray

I read recently that something like 90% of working artists today are digital artists. If this is your goal, you really need to choose your school based on the quality of program they have. By now, everyone boasts a digital art program, but many are really sadly lacking, because of the cost of constantly buying and updating the hardware and software needed, not to mention finding qualified instructors (this is a field that has radically changed in the last decade, and many "old school" art instructors haven't learned the new stuff). The best school near me, isn't a National University, but a Private Art School. It's like a "School of the Art Insititute" or something (check your phone book). As a teacher myself, I toured the place and checked out their program. It looked great, giving extensive education in graphic design, web design and 3-D animation. It wasn't cheap though, and this is most certainly a career where you'll always have to keep learning to stay up-to-date. You need the ability to educate yourself, unless you want to keep paying for classes throughout your career.
Jobs may not necessarily require a degree. Right now the field is so new, that some employers care less about a piece of paper than whether you can actually do what they need. If you think you're good enough, you may be able to apprentice at some animation studio and learn more practically. Aside from my teaching, I've worked many jobs in the digital design world, yet I've never taken a formal class in any computer-based design.
Good Luck!

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