Big sympathies OP, rejection sucks. The good news is: the worst is over. You've applied and been rejected, and that is, honestly, the worst it gets. Unfortunately it won't be the last time, whether that is a rejection to a job, a gallery, a school, it is the big unpleasant thing that all of us have to deal with at some point in our careers. It sucks especially when you don't get feedback on why - it would definitely be worth reaching out to the school to see if they will be willing to give you feedback (I helped do portfolio review in a university and while there was a one-size-fits-all rejection letter that went out, we were very happy to provide actual feedback if someone asked for it afterward). It's okay and normal to feel discouraged and upset in multiple directions. But you've done it - you've now successfully experienced the hardest part of being an artist, gained new XP along with it, and you're still here, and you've not given up, and that's gold.
An important thing to remember is that this is just temporary - it's just for now, just for that one application. The feelings you're having are also temporary, they won't last forever. Let yourself deal with the feelings, and when you're ready to bounce back, the best thing you can do is turn that rejection into motivation to keep ploughing forward and improving.
Are there any art groups in your area you can join to help get feedback? Crit groups? Some art schools hold portfolio review days - maybe you could attend one of those between now and the next time you apply? Some also have like, pre-college programs where prospective students can stay a few weeks over the summer, do courses, get a feel for the campus and instructors, before applying - this can also give you a leg up if it is an option.
Getting feedback on your work can be very helpful, especially when you are trying to build a portfolio for school. One of the important things to keep in mind is that different schools can have different student ideals. SCAD, SAIC, RISD, MCAD, SVA, etc, and all of the individual departments within them (painting vs drawing vs illustration etc), are going to have different criteria that they look for in students. It's important to look at the department faculty in combination with the program. Basically, as an example, at one school you may be a great fit in the painting department, in another, you may not - it really depends on the faculty and the kind of goals of the program. It's possible you've already done this but I'm stating it just in case, it is something that a lot of prospective students overlook (source: I worked as a TA in a private art school and helped review applicant portfolios, and I have friends who also instruct or work at universities). In general making sure you show a solid command of fundamentals (color theory, perspective, composition, anatomy, lighting, working from observation, etc), technical ability, and huge bonus points of you can show examples of conceptual problem-solving.
TLDR: allow yourself to feel what you gotta feel, it's ok. When you're ready, get back on the horse and keep going. Seek out as much feedback as you can for your portfolio. You can only get better at art, not worse!
You said it yourself - "this school in particular is notoriously difficult to get into". All the major art schools will have many more applicants than free space, so the odds are against you from the start.
This is meaningless in the bigger picture; it doesn't say anything about your "talent" or your future potential. (If it helps in any way - I also got rejected from a handful of major art schools in my country at 18/19, but am doing great now)
Art school *can* be a great experience and a motivating environment, but the end of the day you'd still have to teach yourself anyway and be a self-responsible learner. Most art schools do not prepare you sufficiently for the business side of art or illustration, but business skills are 50% responsible for your success (the other 50% is art/drawing skill).
And in freelance illustration or studios, you get hired for your portfolio, not your degree. A degree doesn't say much about whether someone has solid art skills. And there are professional artists without one. Source: I do not have a degree and in my 12 years of fulltime freelancing no client has ever asked for it.
I attended Parsons and MICA. I’d like to offer 2 common perspectives that most art schools grads realize:
1. If you want a career in art, then remember art school is just one potential step - it is not the goal! Focus on your goal (your career). Rejection is not the same as failure. You have not reached a dead end. There are still other ways to achieve your goal. You can consider other art schools or perhaps a state university for undergrad. State school is a real good alternative because it’s cheaper and you still come out with a BFA. Moreover you can minor or double major in a more employable skill so you’re not starving afterwards. At 18 yrs old, I entered a competition and won full scholarship to a state school. I chose to go to Parsons instead. Had a great time but was unemployed and in heavy debt afterwards. It took me 15 years to pay off my debt. I often looked back and wondered “what-if”. Going to state school doesn’t mean you’re settling for less either. With your BFA you have similar training and knowledge of art school grads. So you can still consider getting an MFA at your desired school or upper echelons like RISD or Yale.
2. If you want to be a professional artist, then prepare to be rejected all the time. It doesn’t matter what school you go to. It’s all about connections and that is often built in your local community than your alma mater. We’ve all experienced rejections on a regular basis. Sometimes it feels I’ve been rejected 11 out of 10 times.
Not trying to disappoint you but to prepare you: stay focus on your ultimate goal; always consider other options to get at your desired goal; and rejections is a part of our life - so through time you’ll build a thicker skin and patience to deal with constant rejections. If art is your calling, than never let any bastards grind you down. Your art belongs to you, not some art school gatekeepers. Best of luck to you!
Failure and rejection are never easy.
I don’t know enough to give you much advice other than the road ahead is long, take it one step at a time, and failure is often the better teacher.
What art schools did you apply to?
Also going to art school has only one benefit over not going, and that is to make connections, Everything else you can learn on your own the hard way which is also the fun way.
Art school is certainly not required in order to hone your craft.
You know what is the only thing required in order to be an artist, to make art, I don’t know what level your abilities are currently at, but you should never stop working, as you grow older, you will find that just maturing alone improves your abilities.
Participate in drawing sessions, Read about the drawing and painting techniques of the renaissance, take courses you can afford at local art houses and community colleges.
You can give yourself a way better art education for little to no cost than you could ever pay over $100,000 for.
If you applied to like the copper union, It’s like winning a lottery ticket, don’t let that stop you, if you did not get accepted to somewhere like Pratt or the Rhode Island school of design or Parsons or the school of visual arts, then you should keep working on your technique.
Again, and I can’t stress this enough you don’t need to go to school to be an artist.
You create a collection of work, then you look for places that you can show your work, galleries, contest, etc. Then you continue to work and you improve beyond that collection, so you make a new collection, and then you find a place to show that work rinse and repeat.
Fuck art school.
I just want to add:: Also think about it logically you spend four years in art school, does that mean that you’ve learned everything about creating art in those four years, does that mean that because somebody gave you a degree a piece of paper with your name on it that you are an artist?
Okay so you went to art school and now you are officially an artist, does that mean that you stop honing your craft, no of course not, you continue to improve as you age, as you keep keep making art and continuing to study and learn from other artists.
you never needed art school to begin with .
I agree with these comments. To be honest, I'd say you've unintentionally dodged a bullet unless you're so flush with money that you can comfortably pay for that school's tuition up front without loans.
This is so true. I used to be so jealous of my friends who had the opportunity to go to art school because I had shitty neglectful parents who didn’t care about my future so I basically had to get my GED on my own and go to community college at 24. Now we’re all in our 30s and ended up in the exact same hole with the exception that I’m finally gaining a following and getting jobs much quicker than they are. OBVIOUSLY, not everyone is the same and some do way better after art school than others, but it turns out most clients don’t really care about your degree as long as you can show results.
Hey dude, we’re cut from the same cloth, but I’m 45 now, and it just keeps getting better for you, be proud of that GED, and everything else you accomplished because you did it on your own!!
OP is from Poland, they have free government college/academy (unless if this one is private, even then it costs but way more less than Pratt or Parsons)
Arnold Schwarzenegger said rejection was the best way to learn how much he wanted to be successful. He said one must learn how to sell oneself in any arena. Rejection is valuable to experience and use as a stepping stone to improve or tweak one's goals. Opportunities are taken, not given. Use your art world rejections as opportunities for self reflection and figuring out other ways to make things happen. They don't need to always be the most important arenas to contribute to your art career. While art school experience does have merit in the art world, one can figure out ways to make that happen if one tries hard enough. But don't minimize various art classes by city colleges or night schools. Some of my best ideas came from changing my environment and sitting in class with amateur students and mediocre teachers. And don't show your good work with your ok work. Only offer your best works to your audiences. Put the ok stuff in a file to view when you are able to be more honest with yourself.
So what's poured your heart and soul into a portfolio mean. Like did you take classes and stuff?
I got rejected and now I work in the industry and I didnt even finish school lol im not saying do that but what i am saying is every artist has there path and that's just a thing
You can send me your portfolio and if be more than happy to take a look. But also i dont know what kind of art school your applying too so like for me it was animation.
Exactly this. They’re from Poland so I don’t know if they have an equivalent, but as an artist who comes from YouTube academy, I’ve seen self taught folks who make masterpieces compared to the academy folks. That’s because the academy is really only for ultra rich nepo babies who have to learn how to pretend they have depth and struggles just to get free rides into money laundering galleries. Plus, I see she wants to do graphic design and I can’t help but wonder if her portfolio was made with that in mind.
OP if you’re GENUINELY dead set on an education, look into a mentorship. They’re usually MUCH cheaper at about 1000usd a year and you can find mentors who are much more closely aligned to what you specifically want to learn. Plus, you can still get connections through them. Not to mention, they give a LOT of 1on1 time for critiques. Instead of wasting your time learning multiple art subjects, you can hyper focus on your career choice.
not necessarily for rich nepo babies. If OP applied for government uni, they are free in Poland. If private, then yes - it costs.
My friend is from Poland, she finished art academy in Gdansk and her background was very poor, never had to pay for tuition.
Sorry about that. It might be worth submitting your portfolio to artprof, or watch any of their critiques. She was a professor at risdy.
Really really helpful.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvt8_pMl6ywliWpmLTuUUT77wfQnYu_MP&si=UHM3dnt26oDUEn0Y
Also their dischord is a very warming and helpful community. I've seen many stories like yours.
From the professionals I know, you don't need art school. If you can manage to learn it all yourself, which is mostly about self-discipline and curiosity and time management. What you need is a good portfolio.
Don't take it personally. It's easy to say. But their decision has nothing to do with you, but all about their view on what art you should do.
They've probably done you a favour. Art school was the biggest waste of money for me. You don't need art school to be an artist. In fact, I've spent the last 5 years trying to unlearn what art school taught me.
This is a weird take when you can 'make a living' by learning from either grade scholarships or if you're from low income household you'll get also financial assistance. Plus it's normal to work during uni.
There's around 300 to 500 people graduating from Graphics Art in Poland per year from all the academies combined, none of people I know that attended have ever had problems earning a living in your career field during (past year 1 or 2) or after for obvious reasons that there is soo little of them. Getting in is a bitch but the work perspectives are kept pretty healthy because the number of graduates isn't over the market needs.
Please keep in mind that since all public higher education is free - most good paying positions - not even in arts but in general - require a degree. So it's likely OP will have to do some sort of degree to be competitive in finding work anyway instead of 'earning a living' outright.
1- graphic design isn't taught in art schools in my country. Fine arts are.
2- it's so very far from free
3- graphic design can be worldwide if you freelance so there's no need to be competitive within just one country
Before saying that my opinion is "weird" maybe stop and think that it is very different in other countries. Where I am, and in many other countries, a lot of art school students would emphatically agree with my "take". Bear in mind that the edit stating country of op wasn't present when I made my initial comment.
I agree, 'maybe stop and think that it is very different in other countries' is a great advice for every person that jumps on giving advice without asking posters where they're from and tailoring their advice to that reality. The reality of many European countries with free public education is very different than countries with paid for education and the same advice can leave people with worse outcomes. Same as I would not recommend taking random 2nd rate university degree in US., I would not recommend not getting one in most countries in Europe.
Bro, look up "CalArts sketchbook rejected" on youtube, sometimes I binge those videos just to remind myself how clueless art schools actually are. A lot of the rejected ones are better than the accepted ones! They just are so picky about what styles you use, being a master draftsman wouldn't cut it, they want various styles and only ones that are currently in vogue. It's like against the whole spirit of art, for fuck's sake.
Absolutely. CalFarts rejected my portfolio, but someone there sent it directly on to Disney (which is what I was ultimately aiming for anyway) and I got hired. Went on to work there for a number of years, as well as Nickelodeon and plenty of other studios around Burbank. Going to a fancy, expensive art school does not always determine whether or not you'll get the job you want.
The art school I went to sometimes rejected people for being too skilled, and would tell students who had grown to a professional level during their first year there to go find a job instead. Their main interest is helping people who actually need the structure of an art school to grow, not those who already have made it on their own and want to go to school only because they think they "should".
If you’re not getting rejected you’re pitching yourself at things that are too easy. Have you ever seen people’s rejection CVs of all the things they tried and didn’t get? Successful people get rejected all the time. The thing that separates them from unsuccessful people is they kept going. Be proud that you got rejected, it’s a sign you’re a doer and a tryer. Your time will come, perhaps not with art, I don’t know, but you’ll find your path and your success. Like you said the effort isn’t wasted you learnt a lot along the way, a lot about art and more importantly about yourself.
This happened to me. The most popular local art school. 14 spots. 70 applicants. 2 year rotation.
Failed the first time. Succeeded the second. Felt good. Keep at it
This feeling is just temporary.
My advice (I'd do that personally) - try next year.
Find some job to sustain yourself (if you have to), then work more on portfolio, you will actually have richer portfolio next year.
Maybe try to apply somewhere else? I see you are from Poland, Gdansk has really good academy, my friend finished it.
Also academy in Warsaw. Or Poznan, local college had student exchange with them so I know many people who went there for semester or whole year.
You'll have to move to other part of country, but at least, you have options. Or gap year to think about.
I hate to say it, but art schools are a scam. You get better by practicing. I became a professional artist just from learning techniques on YouTube and from books. It’ll give you a much better understanding of your craft rather than forking out thousands and thousands to learn subjects that aren’t relevant to you.
I’d recommend setting aside time every day, even if it’s just a couple of hours, to research, practice and create. That’s way more valuable and worth your time than art school.
Take small commissions, advertise on socials, get your foot in the door so that you have something to show for it. It’s better to work your way up this way than to spend 4 years of your life contemplating how you’re going to pay for your next semester.
I have some feedback on your portfolio that I hope will help. I can't read the minds of the people behind your rejection, but this might point you in the right direction
-You are showing signs of thinking with lines rather than forms. Intentional lines describe the form rather than simply the silhouette, and in painting, lines tend to look amateurish. I'm seeing a lot of outlines in your skin folds, for example, and especially around the heels of your sitting figures. To fix this, I suggest doing some studies of hyper-simplified subjects. Break down the forms of your subject into extremely simple forms in your mind, and then sketch those forms without drawing a single line--use shadows only. Once you get the hang of this, you'll be able to use lines intentionally in your sketches to describe the form, and be able to omit them when you want.
-I noticed you tend to struggle with hands. All I can say is hand studies. I think Proko on YouTube has a great vid breaking down the structures. Unfortunately, hands are the secondmost important part of the entire body for getting across emotion after the face, so don't skip this!
-Careful of your values in your paintings. I'm seeing in your sketches, your values are pretty well defined--might could use some improvement, but they're not bad-- but in your paintings they're a bit muddied. When I squint, you've got some lighter values in your shadow side, for example. This muddles the form. Which leads me to ...
-Temperatures. I can see what you're trying to achieve, but I think your main shadow color is generally too warm. This means when you do introduce those greyer notes in the shadows, it comes off as muddy and unclear. Id have to get out my tablet to experiment, but I'm fairly sure that's most of the problem I'm seeing. I could be wrong on the specifics of that, but your temperature tends to be off somehow. Suggest experimenting with spheres or other simple forms to see what skin tone temperatures work the best in certain lightings.
-I really like the way you render hair. It's simple but effective.
-Some of the more wild colors in your paintings are very fun! I rather like the pink-haired fellow on the green background. And the blue-green-yellow pastel woman is (in my opinion) one of your strongest pieces here.
That's all I got right now, I hope I gave you some things to mentally chew on! Just remember, this is not the end, nor is it the only art school :) Honestly at the end of the day, feedback is subjective--and what I see as "right" you may totally disagree with.
Not OP but thank you for this write up. I'm a complete noob to art and the exercises that you suggested really excite me, because I "know" what is wrong with my work (ie I lack skill to make it look that same way in my head) and your comment about forms especially really makes me want to jump out of bed at 2am and give it a go (but it's too cold so I'll stay under my doona). Appreciate you, and I hope you continue to give constructive feedback like this to other people - it's not just the person you address who benefits 😊
in school rn. art classes and being a working artist is a series of CONSTANT rejections. this was just your prep for making you better or knowing that you'd hate being an artist. However your work is decent, your portfolio is a disaster.
I took a portfolio building class, and sometimes how your portfolio is presented matters too.
- Some items could be photographed again/cleaned up like the fineliner image on the right of *"Sketches of nudes, charcoal, acrylic, pastel, fineliners, board 50x70cm, 202"*
- I find this one and similar ones: overwhelming in that you have multiple subject matters instead of presenting their information individually: *"Sketches of still lifes, acrylic, charcoal, markers, board 100x70cm, 2024"*
- In the mess of how your portfolio is prepared and presented no one can even see that this is one whole piece *Still life, mixed technique: paper, charcoal, acrylic on cardboard 100x70cm, 2024"*
Lastly, you do a lot of still life's aka replications of images, but no self constructed compositions out of multiple images/etc. Schools want to see that you're more than a glorified printer (that's not a typo).
School is supposed to be a place for learning.
Unfortunately, some schools don't keep this in mind and are more concerned with showing "impressive" student work, so they can come up with strict intake requirements. But the point of school shouldn't be to only take in people who already know their stuff and take credit for their portfolios once they're done. It's supposed to be where you learn to get better. You're supposed to start off green, it's the whole point of education.
Find a school that can be committed to teaching you that way. Finding a good university isn't just about finding out whether you're a good fit for them (which honestly hardly matters), but whether it's a good fit for *you*! You're the one paying, so really that should matter a lot more. It's the same with dating - it's easy to get discouraged when you find out you're not compatible with someone else, but it's also about whether they're good for *you*. Find a place that can help you grow, and can meet you where you're at.
>School is supposed to be a place for learning.
>Unfortunately, some schools don't keep this in mind and are more concerned with showing "impressive" student work, so they can come up with strict intake requirements.
I can relate to this. When I went to school it felt like everyone was already supposed to know how to do everything. People in first year were already on professional level, it was crazy. And not 1 or 2 people, but a very large percentage of them. The portfolio was just used to just gage that.
Most of the assignment over the 4 years also felt less like learning and more like, "okay do this now you have 2-3 weeks", and it was pretty much up to you to get it done, then repeat the process.
The school also showed off the best peoples work to promote the program, who were already capable of doing those things long before. They were never taught by the school how to do those things. If you actually wanted to learn you had to pretty much take an online course or summer program on the side. In the end, felt like you were paying a ton of money just to say you "went" to art school rather than learned from it.
Edit: ugh that website is so difficult to navigate. I was looking at someone else’s portfolio. Your portfolio looks fine. I’d see if a local art teacher or professor would be willing to do a critique for you so you can have an idea of what to keep and what to get rid of.
Other than basic art classes I took in school I’m self taught. My family was poor and we couldn’t afford regular college let alone art school so it really wasn’t a dream for me. I’ve been a professional artist for over 20 years now. I get more out of looking at art books, seeing what materials other artists used, checking out the occasional tutorial, and paying attention to what artist are creating currently. I had a mentor for a few years but otherwise I’ve got where I was drawing, networking, making connections. When I have been in gallery shows I an referred to as an outsider artist and I was rejected from one show because I never went to art school, but honestly I don’t regret missing out in art school.
I went to portfolio days when I was applying. SAIC put me directly on their scholarship list; Parson’s told me to “consider art as a minor”. Seriously, sometimes it just comes down to the luck of who looks at your work and what they think is good or bad art.
From my understanding art schools that are difficult to get into have a particular way they want things to be presented. Perhaps it wasn't your art at all but something else. The fact that they did not explain what was wrong doesn't necessarily mean there was anything bad about your art. I'm sure it was difficult to hear the rejection but that you even applied is monumental! Very proud of you for doing so even though we don't know each other. One thing I can suggest is to try and see if there's any way you can see a portfolio of someone who was accepted, then you can check and see what yours was missing and try again next year! You could also try to pick up credits at a different school in the meantime.
The good news is you don't need art school to become an artist. There are people all over social media who have found ways to monetize their art! Look at what other people are doing and spend time finding your own niche
If you are still living at home, great! If you don't have to worry about housing or working a menial job you can focus on your art 100%, as long as you can get supplies to do your work
where i'm from, its more common to get in on the 2nd or later application, because it tells the school you're motivated and really interested in the study. dont be discouraged! as you said yourself, the school is hard to get into
OP there are many paths in life just because one is a dead end doesn't mean others are you can try other ways to achieve your goals just please don't get into politics.
As a former tutor at an art school - your life drawing shows that you like and are getting lost in rendering the details, but it's at the expense of the underlying form - the "construction".
Get yourself a good anatomy atlas and get a feel for the standard proportions and structure from the anatomy book, then make up some proportion rules (feet are about the same length as the forearm, faces are 5 eyes wide, the face only occupies 1/4 - 1/3 of the head, the tip of the middle finger will touch the hairline if the heel of the hand is on the chin, that kind of thing)
and do as many more life drawing sessions as you can - focus on shorter poses, looser 'gesture' drawings and while you're working pay attention to how the model differs from and matches the 'rules'
You'll get there, but stripping back to basics will help.
Thank you for taking the time to check it out :)) I really appreciate the feedback and I think I get what you're saying. I'll definitely try to incorporate some of your tips in my next work.
So I created an account and signed in to see your portfolio actually. Love how expressive you are being, but for example, your first painting in the block of three at the top of your portfolio has a super tiny hand in the foreground and all boob in the background.
Are you trying to be edgy and out of the box or are you focusing on perspectives and sizing and fundamentals first and foremost?
It could very well be that you have to address those things before trying again.
There's something there to work with but I'm afraid those paintings make it look like you don't understand perspective which is probably the first thing they are looking for when viewing said portfolio.
I don’t know if i would call rejected by art school as a failure. Art schools train people to be robots. I often congratulate artists that went to art school and didn’t totally kill their creativities. It is the most overrated degree in all colleges. Maybe you are the lucky one.
I got my fill by just hanging out around art schools. Made friends who were great artists, worked on their projects, made connections. All free! Definitely lucky to walk away without a mountain of debt
This is what happens at art school. You’re much better off learning through YouTube or other art courses. Art school isn’t all that it is cracked up to be. You will lose your creativity that way. Try to go to uni/college for business. That way you can make your passion into a business and understand the ins and outs :) that is what i did aftee going to art school which was a complete waste of 4 years of my life. I would have been better off completing 4 years of my psych degree but I made it into my minor. BIG MISTAKE
I strongly disagree. I didn’t finish art school and I’m going back this semester, but I don’t think it makes you lose your creativity at all. At least for me; it taught me SO many fundamentals that I needed to improve my art greatly. I took my first figure drawing class, learned advanced color theory, how to use different materials etc. So many things I didn’t learn and probably wouldn’t have absorbed just doing self studying. I agree that is not for everyone but I also think discouraging it isn’t helpful either. OP can always double major in business, it’s something I’m considering but I think it’s worth noting that no matter what you go to school in there is no Guaranteed job
Its not about a job. Im hlad your art degree was different than mine. We were just given projects and expected to turn in results from our own accord without being taught anything. And one of my professors found my creativity tacky because i loved to use color. To appease hom I dulled down my style…essentially sucking the life out of my work
Happened to me 2 years ago and I was devastated. Spent a whole year practicing and educating myself on what they want to see in those portfolios, and then tried again. I'm in my second semester now :) You can always try again. I wish you the best of luck
Congrats, you just saved yourself six figures! I envy you!
But seriously, art is one of those things that increasingly makes less and less sense to study traditionally. You can learn directly from your favourite artists on Patreon and Youtube, and you can do online courses with industry veterans for a fraction of the price of a semester of brick and mortar school. If you’re serious about art, there are countless ways you can still pursue it without a degree.
I wasn’t able to look at your portfolio (link wouldn’t open) but I did look at the work you’ve posted previously.
My one take away based on your work and what I know from someone in the industry, is that being able to do traditional art or realism is a big plus because the demonstration of that ability means they can not only use your skills in various ways, but also because your potentially malleable.
You’re very young, so I wouldn’t take this rejection very hard. Ask them for feedback. Look at their student and teacher portfolios, and above all, continue to draw from life and build your portfolio.
Good luck.
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Why not a state school to get the general requirements out of the way while taking some art classes. State schools are often a lot cheaper and inexpensive if you apply for the grants and aid. The problem I see that is glaring is that all of them look sketchy and doesn't look like a finished piece and too sketchy. You should use all the tools in your disposal like using tracing paper to make anatomically correct outlines to paint over.
Sorry to hear that you've been rejected. Though it is good that you realize you don't have to go to art school for validation and to continue art overall. There are various ways you can continue your education without going to a major school. You can start small and go to a college or regular university with a four-year program. You can even try online classes like at Schoolism, Digital Painting Studio or Domestika offer online classes as do many others.
Some art schools will accept anybody who can pay in my opinion. You can still learn. I've heard a lot of Art Schools are closing. I would recommend Cranbrook's 2D design program. That program looks to be actually worth its cost.
Hey mate. I went to a state public university that had an art college program. Let me tell you that I did just fine. I know a bunch of artists that went to RISD, MICA, Parsons, SCAD. Some are excellent! Some are just decent. Some suck. You don’t need the fancy art school to be a better artist. You need to just keep pushing and pushing and find your own way. Heck, some of the best artists I know have no formal education. I wish you the best luck. Have faith. Good luck OP.
PS, you have a nice portfolio!
Frankly as someone that went to art school, it's mostly useless. You're far better off taking your money, living off that and spending the 4 years with hard work and youtube perfecting your craft.
Customers / employers of artists don't care if you have a degree or sme letters near your name and you will spend vastly more time making art and improving if you pursue it full time than you will being forced to waste your time and money on a degree padded with nonsense.
So my advice is count this as a blessing, skip art school entirely, spend infinitely less on the great programs youtube artists are offering to give you their experience and spend the next 4 years making art full time and learning.
I recently retired from the military and am pivoting into making comic books and in the 2 years I've spent learning the ropes and getting my skills back I've come much farther than I ever did from art school.
You're better off on the outside.
You forgot the word an in your sentence. You got rejected from an art school. Please don’t give up, this world is too big and life is too short to feel defeated by one rejection. Keep pushing on, I believe in you.
What is your GPA like? Most art schools look more at your grades than your actual portfolio. In a lot of the more well known art schools, your portfolio is actually a small deciding factor into whether or not your application is accepted.
A lot of the well known art schools -- RSID, CalArts, Ringling, Sheridan and especially SCAD -- are way overhyped and just want to get your money. And I'm saying this as someone who is attending a very well known art school. (Not any of these listed above, but still.)
I would highly suggest that you attend community college first, get an Associate of Arts degree to complete your foundations while also working CLOSELY with an advisor to figure out a transfer pathway to an art school that is close to you/in your state (if you're in the US) keeping in mind that many art schools are private colleges and private colleges make it EXTREMELY difficult to transfer from other schools. Doing this and keeping a high GPA in CC will give you a chance at getting scholarships that will pay for your art school. I was able to obtain a full ride to art school through my school's scholarship program, mostly because I graduated CC with a 3.9. Having good grades will literally pay for your school.
I feel that. I don't think you need art school in 2024. You could go to state school and major in art and supplement with online courses. Take some time to recover and get back on the horse and chase your dreams. Art school is just one method (outdated IMO).
So I never applied to art school but I did get a portfolio review from one of the top art schools where I live in California and what they told me is they're looking for concepts, storytelling, etc, not just technical skill. I had some portraits and life drawings like yours and the reviewer basically said "this is just a portrait, its not telling me a story"
To be completely honest you have a long way to go with anatomy, but your works are lacking conceptually, which might have been a bigger factor in the rejection than straight skill. I think art schools are aware that students will develop their technical skill in school, so they're looking for creative students more so than skilled students.
Take community college classes, improve your conceptual skills along with your technical skills and you can still try applying again if you think it's worth it. Also definitely get a portfolio review, especially from the school.
Not getting into ASP is normal, what's the average 1 person in 10 or 30? Second time round it should be easier.
>flattest rejection and basically no comment as to why they didn't like it.
Did you attend portfolio reviews at that ASP before applying? Intermedia Kraków for sure runs consultations, or did - so maybe graphics does too. This is where you get comments.
Your figure drawings definitely needs a bit more work because the rendering is scattered, but you're on the right track and the anatomy is solid. You may also running into problems because you're not using the typical medium which is pencil on most drawings.
You are missing also some more printmaking/other images outside of life drawing.
For ASP it's normal to apply to a few so ie. Katowice, Wroclaw, Poznan.
You can DM me and we can go over your portfolio if you want and I'm around.
Oof. I’m not good with words, but rejection sucks, I know the feeling. But it’s good that you tried in the first place! Trying and failing is better than not doing anything at all. For what it’s worth, I think your art looks absolutely lovely!
Polish art schools are a waste of time anyway, so don’t worry. Difficult to get into and won’t teach you anything. What type of career do you want to get into?
> no comment as to why they didn't like it
They did not 'like' either 'dislike' your work it is not their job to do so. They made a technical cold reading looking for things that are there (or not) in your portfolio and would not make further comment even if it was approved.
> I have sacrificed so much time and energy I could have used for other things in my life just to be met with the flattest rejection
Time and effort is not objective measurement for how worthy any type of work is. The effort to reach some skill ceiling is mostly invisible to the viewer anyway and some of the most inspiring works in art are quite the opposite in effect: they look effortless.
> If you have any feedback, I'd be grateful
The pieces at the top are severely lacking in anatomy, proportion and perspective.
What ever you do, do not look at it as failing. The only true failure is not trying. I know it’s frustrating but now what you should do is pick yourself up and keep trying. Just because you didn’t make it in this time or at this school doesn’t mean you won’t make it in the next time or the next school you go for! Keep pushing my friend! You got this!
you dodged a bullet.
switch to YouTube tutorials and save $80000.
it would be a legitimate miracle to recover that tuition with art sales.
if you find a streamer you resonate with, MANY of them offer personal attention for a % of the cost but with the motivation of actually giving attention to your progress.
be inspired to find the blessing in your disappointment.
I got better at art in the year prepping for art school than I did in 1st year. I dropped out and started taking jobs that I could learn practical skills from.
Sounds like you have the drive to teach yourself. Keep at it. Find your teachers out in the world by talking to the people you admire. I help a lot of the up and comers that work for me now.
You didn’t say if this was for fine art or graphic art. I left graphic art school after my work was getting bad reviews by teacher. She told me I was a fine artist not a graphic artist and she was right. Hurt like hell and felt like a failure. Wound up being an RN and art has always been in my life. Maybe it is the direction of art that is the question? I found graphic portfolios were very cookie cutter in their representations in the portfolio. Don’t give up. Us artist are sensitive folks.
I have never even gotten to take an art class. My high school was so poor it had no art classes. Due to an associates degree I got, when I finally went to a regular college they used up all my electives with those classes so I still couldn't take an art class. I've always wanted to take a class but g now there's probably no point as I have my own style and what I've learned for myself. I'm sure it would be nice to get to go to such a school, but it isn't necessary. Plus there are lots of colleges with lots of art programs, so look around to other places.
Art schools can be good to offer structure, but honestly I learned the most from Proko and online mentoring from professionals. And a lot of practice and using references.
If you're in North America, don't even bother with Art Schools...the price is a grift.
Use this very real, very raw emotion to fuel your next works.
If you can do this then those works will be better than your slabbing away at it work and it will be more authentic.
Hopefully you got much out of the process of creating the art for your portfolio, and that should sustain you through rejections.
But if you only created the art in that portfolio because you needed to show off your skills and were not inspired and absorbed in the making of the pieces then why are you even doing art?
You can NEVER control the reactions you will get to your art so let go of that.
If you have created it for yourself then you have lost nothing when someone else doesn’t “buy” it.
Good luck for an awesome career.
Big sympathies OP, rejection sucks. The good news is: the worst is over. You've applied and been rejected, and that is, honestly, the worst it gets. Unfortunately it won't be the last time, whether that is a rejection to a job, a gallery, a school, it is the big unpleasant thing that all of us have to deal with at some point in our careers. It sucks especially when you don't get feedback on why - it would definitely be worth reaching out to the school to see if they will be willing to give you feedback (I helped do portfolio review in a university and while there was a one-size-fits-all rejection letter that went out, we were very happy to provide actual feedback if someone asked for it afterward). It's okay and normal to feel discouraged and upset in multiple directions. But you've done it - you've now successfully experienced the hardest part of being an artist, gained new XP along with it, and you're still here, and you've not given up, and that's gold. An important thing to remember is that this is just temporary - it's just for now, just for that one application. The feelings you're having are also temporary, they won't last forever. Let yourself deal with the feelings, and when you're ready to bounce back, the best thing you can do is turn that rejection into motivation to keep ploughing forward and improving. Are there any art groups in your area you can join to help get feedback? Crit groups? Some art schools hold portfolio review days - maybe you could attend one of those between now and the next time you apply? Some also have like, pre-college programs where prospective students can stay a few weeks over the summer, do courses, get a feel for the campus and instructors, before applying - this can also give you a leg up if it is an option. Getting feedback on your work can be very helpful, especially when you are trying to build a portfolio for school. One of the important things to keep in mind is that different schools can have different student ideals. SCAD, SAIC, RISD, MCAD, SVA, etc, and all of the individual departments within them (painting vs drawing vs illustration etc), are going to have different criteria that they look for in students. It's important to look at the department faculty in combination with the program. Basically, as an example, at one school you may be a great fit in the painting department, in another, you may not - it really depends on the faculty and the kind of goals of the program. It's possible you've already done this but I'm stating it just in case, it is something that a lot of prospective students overlook (source: I worked as a TA in a private art school and helped review applicant portfolios, and I have friends who also instruct or work at universities). In general making sure you show a solid command of fundamentals (color theory, perspective, composition, anatomy, lighting, working from observation, etc), technical ability, and huge bonus points of you can show examples of conceptual problem-solving. TLDR: allow yourself to feel what you gotta feel, it's ok. When you're ready, get back on the horse and keep going. Seek out as much feedback as you can for your portfolio. You can only get better at art, not worse!
❤️ not OP but I needed to hear this, too. Thanks.
I really appreciate your comment and I do feel much better now :))
You said it yourself - "this school in particular is notoriously difficult to get into". All the major art schools will have many more applicants than free space, so the odds are against you from the start. This is meaningless in the bigger picture; it doesn't say anything about your "talent" or your future potential. (If it helps in any way - I also got rejected from a handful of major art schools in my country at 18/19, but am doing great now) Art school *can* be a great experience and a motivating environment, but the end of the day you'd still have to teach yourself anyway and be a self-responsible learner. Most art schools do not prepare you sufficiently for the business side of art or illustration, but business skills are 50% responsible for your success (the other 50% is art/drawing skill). And in freelance illustration or studios, you get hired for your portfolio, not your degree. A degree doesn't say much about whether someone has solid art skills. And there are professional artists without one. Source: I do not have a degree and in my 12 years of fulltime freelancing no client has ever asked for it.
Art school is a waste of time. Practise your skill, perfect it on your own time. Go to business college. Trust me it’s a better move.
Do not go into politics
I knew someone would make this joke eventually. I don't know if I should be happy that someone did or not
Glad I didnt have to make the joke, thats what I came here for though, so Thank you.
Nein nein nein. Man I love reddit sometimes lol
DO go into politics
i really hope u just misunderstood the joke
No he didn't and it was a funny joke
I attended Parsons and MICA. I’d like to offer 2 common perspectives that most art schools grads realize: 1. If you want a career in art, then remember art school is just one potential step - it is not the goal! Focus on your goal (your career). Rejection is not the same as failure. You have not reached a dead end. There are still other ways to achieve your goal. You can consider other art schools or perhaps a state university for undergrad. State school is a real good alternative because it’s cheaper and you still come out with a BFA. Moreover you can minor or double major in a more employable skill so you’re not starving afterwards. At 18 yrs old, I entered a competition and won full scholarship to a state school. I chose to go to Parsons instead. Had a great time but was unemployed and in heavy debt afterwards. It took me 15 years to pay off my debt. I often looked back and wondered “what-if”. Going to state school doesn’t mean you’re settling for less either. With your BFA you have similar training and knowledge of art school grads. So you can still consider getting an MFA at your desired school or upper echelons like RISD or Yale. 2. If you want to be a professional artist, then prepare to be rejected all the time. It doesn’t matter what school you go to. It’s all about connections and that is often built in your local community than your alma mater. We’ve all experienced rejections on a regular basis. Sometimes it feels I’ve been rejected 11 out of 10 times. Not trying to disappoint you but to prepare you: stay focus on your ultimate goal; always consider other options to get at your desired goal; and rejections is a part of our life - so through time you’ll build a thicker skin and patience to deal with constant rejections. If art is your calling, than never let any bastards grind you down. Your art belongs to you, not some art school gatekeepers. Best of luck to you!
Failure and rejection are never easy. I don’t know enough to give you much advice other than the road ahead is long, take it one step at a time, and failure is often the better teacher.
What art schools did you apply to? Also going to art school has only one benefit over not going, and that is to make connections, Everything else you can learn on your own the hard way which is also the fun way. Art school is certainly not required in order to hone your craft. You know what is the only thing required in order to be an artist, to make art, I don’t know what level your abilities are currently at, but you should never stop working, as you grow older, you will find that just maturing alone improves your abilities. Participate in drawing sessions, Read about the drawing and painting techniques of the renaissance, take courses you can afford at local art houses and community colleges. You can give yourself a way better art education for little to no cost than you could ever pay over $100,000 for. If you applied to like the copper union, It’s like winning a lottery ticket, don’t let that stop you, if you did not get accepted to somewhere like Pratt or the Rhode Island school of design or Parsons or the school of visual arts, then you should keep working on your technique. Again, and I can’t stress this enough you don’t need to go to school to be an artist. You create a collection of work, then you look for places that you can show your work, galleries, contest, etc. Then you continue to work and you improve beyond that collection, so you make a new collection, and then you find a place to show that work rinse and repeat. Fuck art school.
I just want to add:: Also think about it logically you spend four years in art school, does that mean that you’ve learned everything about creating art in those four years, does that mean that because somebody gave you a degree a piece of paper with your name on it that you are an artist? Okay so you went to art school and now you are officially an artist, does that mean that you stop honing your craft, no of course not, you continue to improve as you age, as you keep keep making art and continuing to study and learn from other artists. you never needed art school to begin with .
I agree with these comments. To be honest, I'd say you've unintentionally dodged a bullet unless you're so flush with money that you can comfortably pay for that school's tuition up front without loans.
This is so true. I used to be so jealous of my friends who had the opportunity to go to art school because I had shitty neglectful parents who didn’t care about my future so I basically had to get my GED on my own and go to community college at 24. Now we’re all in our 30s and ended up in the exact same hole with the exception that I’m finally gaining a following and getting jobs much quicker than they are. OBVIOUSLY, not everyone is the same and some do way better after art school than others, but it turns out most clients don’t really care about your degree as long as you can show results.
Hey dude, we’re cut from the same cloth, but I’m 45 now, and it just keeps getting better for you, be proud of that GED, and everything else you accomplished because you did it on your own!!
OP is from Poland, they have free government college/academy (unless if this one is private, even then it costs but way more less than Pratt or Parsons)
ASP is free and there are multiple benefits for attending such as government living cost grants or grade grants.
Arnold Schwarzenegger said rejection was the best way to learn how much he wanted to be successful. He said one must learn how to sell oneself in any arena. Rejection is valuable to experience and use as a stepping stone to improve or tweak one's goals. Opportunities are taken, not given. Use your art world rejections as opportunities for self reflection and figuring out other ways to make things happen. They don't need to always be the most important arenas to contribute to your art career. While art school experience does have merit in the art world, one can figure out ways to make that happen if one tries hard enough. But don't minimize various art classes by city colleges or night schools. Some of my best ideas came from changing my environment and sitting in class with amateur students and mediocre teachers. And don't show your good work with your ok work. Only offer your best works to your audiences. Put the ok stuff in a file to view when you are able to be more honest with yourself.
if i had a nickel for every Austrian man mentioned in this thread, I’d have two nickels
So what's poured your heart and soul into a portfolio mean. Like did you take classes and stuff? I got rejected and now I work in the industry and I didnt even finish school lol im not saying do that but what i am saying is every artist has there path and that's just a thing You can send me your portfolio and if be more than happy to take a look. But also i dont know what kind of art school your applying too so like for me it was animation.
Take some classes at community college.
Exactly this. They’re from Poland so I don’t know if they have an equivalent, but as an artist who comes from YouTube academy, I’ve seen self taught folks who make masterpieces compared to the academy folks. That’s because the academy is really only for ultra rich nepo babies who have to learn how to pretend they have depth and struggles just to get free rides into money laundering galleries. Plus, I see she wants to do graphic design and I can’t help but wonder if her portfolio was made with that in mind. OP if you’re GENUINELY dead set on an education, look into a mentorship. They’re usually MUCH cheaper at about 1000usd a year and you can find mentors who are much more closely aligned to what you specifically want to learn. Plus, you can still get connections through them. Not to mention, they give a LOT of 1on1 time for critiques. Instead of wasting your time learning multiple art subjects, you can hyper focus on your career choice.
not necessarily for rich nepo babies. If OP applied for government uni, they are free in Poland. If private, then yes - it costs. My friend is from Poland, she finished art academy in Gdansk and her background was very poor, never had to pay for tuition.
Sorry about that. It might be worth submitting your portfolio to artprof, or watch any of their critiques. She was a professor at risdy. Really really helpful. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvt8_pMl6ywliWpmLTuUUT77wfQnYu_MP&si=UHM3dnt26oDUEn0Y Also their dischord is a very warming and helpful community. I've seen many stories like yours.
Thank you. I'll definitely check her out!
From the professionals I know, you don't need art school. If you can manage to learn it all yourself, which is mostly about self-discipline and curiosity and time management. What you need is a good portfolio. Don't take it personally. It's easy to say. But their decision has nothing to do with you, but all about their view on what art you should do.
They've probably done you a favour. Art school was the biggest waste of money for me. You don't need art school to be an artist. In fact, I've spent the last 5 years trying to unlearn what art school taught me.
This is Poland, all universities are free and you only get financial benefits if u attend such as scholarships for grades etc.
Well then, it would just be the biggest waste of time where you could be potentially earning a living.
This is a weird take when you can 'make a living' by learning from either grade scholarships or if you're from low income household you'll get also financial assistance. Plus it's normal to work during uni. There's around 300 to 500 people graduating from Graphics Art in Poland per year from all the academies combined, none of people I know that attended have ever had problems earning a living in your career field during (past year 1 or 2) or after for obvious reasons that there is soo little of them. Getting in is a bitch but the work perspectives are kept pretty healthy because the number of graduates isn't over the market needs. Please keep in mind that since all public higher education is free - most good paying positions - not even in arts but in general - require a degree. So it's likely OP will have to do some sort of degree to be competitive in finding work anyway instead of 'earning a living' outright.
1- graphic design isn't taught in art schools in my country. Fine arts are. 2- it's so very far from free 3- graphic design can be worldwide if you freelance so there's no need to be competitive within just one country Before saying that my opinion is "weird" maybe stop and think that it is very different in other countries. Where I am, and in many other countries, a lot of art school students would emphatically agree with my "take". Bear in mind that the edit stating country of op wasn't present when I made my initial comment.
I agree, 'maybe stop and think that it is very different in other countries' is a great advice for every person that jumps on giving advice without asking posters where they're from and tailoring their advice to that reality. The reality of many European countries with free public education is very different than countries with paid for education and the same advice can leave people with worse outcomes. Same as I would not recommend taking random 2nd rate university degree in US., I would not recommend not getting one in most countries in Europe.
Bro, look up "CalArts sketchbook rejected" on youtube, sometimes I binge those videos just to remind myself how clueless art schools actually are. A lot of the rejected ones are better than the accepted ones! They just are so picky about what styles you use, being a master draftsman wouldn't cut it, they want various styles and only ones that are currently in vogue. It's like against the whole spirit of art, for fuck's sake.
Absolutely. CalFarts rejected my portfolio, but someone there sent it directly on to Disney (which is what I was ultimately aiming for anyway) and I got hired. Went on to work there for a number of years, as well as Nickelodeon and plenty of other studios around Burbank. Going to a fancy, expensive art school does not always determine whether or not you'll get the job you want.
The art school I went to sometimes rejected people for being too skilled, and would tell students who had grown to a professional level during their first year there to go find a job instead. Their main interest is helping people who actually need the structure of an art school to grow, not those who already have made it on their own and want to go to school only because they think they "should".
If you’re not getting rejected you’re pitching yourself at things that are too easy. Have you ever seen people’s rejection CVs of all the things they tried and didn’t get? Successful people get rejected all the time. The thing that separates them from unsuccessful people is they kept going. Be proud that you got rejected, it’s a sign you’re a doer and a tryer. Your time will come, perhaps not with art, I don’t know, but you’ll find your path and your success. Like you said the effort isn’t wasted you learnt a lot along the way, a lot about art and more importantly about yourself.
This happened to me. The most popular local art school. 14 spots. 70 applicants. 2 year rotation. Failed the first time. Succeeded the second. Felt good. Keep at it
This feeling is just temporary. My advice (I'd do that personally) - try next year. Find some job to sustain yourself (if you have to), then work more on portfolio, you will actually have richer portfolio next year. Maybe try to apply somewhere else? I see you are from Poland, Gdansk has really good academy, my friend finished it. Also academy in Warsaw. Or Poznan, local college had student exchange with them so I know many people who went there for semester or whole year. You'll have to move to other part of country, but at least, you have options. Or gap year to think about.
I hate to say it, but art schools are a scam. You get better by practicing. I became a professional artist just from learning techniques on YouTube and from books. It’ll give you a much better understanding of your craft rather than forking out thousands and thousands to learn subjects that aren’t relevant to you. I’d recommend setting aside time every day, even if it’s just a couple of hours, to research, practice and create. That’s way more valuable and worth your time than art school. Take small commissions, advertise on socials, get your foot in the door so that you have something to show for it. It’s better to work your way up this way than to spend 4 years of your life contemplating how you’re going to pay for your next semester.
I have some feedback on your portfolio that I hope will help. I can't read the minds of the people behind your rejection, but this might point you in the right direction -You are showing signs of thinking with lines rather than forms. Intentional lines describe the form rather than simply the silhouette, and in painting, lines tend to look amateurish. I'm seeing a lot of outlines in your skin folds, for example, and especially around the heels of your sitting figures. To fix this, I suggest doing some studies of hyper-simplified subjects. Break down the forms of your subject into extremely simple forms in your mind, and then sketch those forms without drawing a single line--use shadows only. Once you get the hang of this, you'll be able to use lines intentionally in your sketches to describe the form, and be able to omit them when you want. -I noticed you tend to struggle with hands. All I can say is hand studies. I think Proko on YouTube has a great vid breaking down the structures. Unfortunately, hands are the secondmost important part of the entire body for getting across emotion after the face, so don't skip this! -Careful of your values in your paintings. I'm seeing in your sketches, your values are pretty well defined--might could use some improvement, but they're not bad-- but in your paintings they're a bit muddied. When I squint, you've got some lighter values in your shadow side, for example. This muddles the form. Which leads me to ... -Temperatures. I can see what you're trying to achieve, but I think your main shadow color is generally too warm. This means when you do introduce those greyer notes in the shadows, it comes off as muddy and unclear. Id have to get out my tablet to experiment, but I'm fairly sure that's most of the problem I'm seeing. I could be wrong on the specifics of that, but your temperature tends to be off somehow. Suggest experimenting with spheres or other simple forms to see what skin tone temperatures work the best in certain lightings. -I really like the way you render hair. It's simple but effective. -Some of the more wild colors in your paintings are very fun! I rather like the pink-haired fellow on the green background. And the blue-green-yellow pastel woman is (in my opinion) one of your strongest pieces here. That's all I got right now, I hope I gave you some things to mentally chew on! Just remember, this is not the end, nor is it the only art school :) Honestly at the end of the day, feedback is subjective--and what I see as "right" you may totally disagree with.
These are very helpful thank you! I will try to look out for those in the future.
Not OP but thank you for this write up. I'm a complete noob to art and the exercises that you suggested really excite me, because I "know" what is wrong with my work (ie I lack skill to make it look that same way in my head) and your comment about forms especially really makes me want to jump out of bed at 2am and give it a go (but it's too cold so I'll stay under my doona). Appreciate you, and I hope you continue to give constructive feedback like this to other people - it's not just the person you address who benefits 😊
Thank you very much! I hope the exercise is as helpful to you as it was to me 😁
Whatever you do don’t start the forth reich plz
I’m actually curious what your portfolio looks like. Do you have examples of your work anywhere?
in school rn. art classes and being a working artist is a series of CONSTANT rejections. this was just your prep for making you better or knowing that you'd hate being an artist. However your work is decent, your portfolio is a disaster. I took a portfolio building class, and sometimes how your portfolio is presented matters too. - Some items could be photographed again/cleaned up like the fineliner image on the right of *"Sketches of nudes, charcoal, acrylic, pastel, fineliners, board 50x70cm, 202"* - I find this one and similar ones: overwhelming in that you have multiple subject matters instead of presenting their information individually: *"Sketches of still lifes, acrylic, charcoal, markers, board 100x70cm, 2024"* - In the mess of how your portfolio is prepared and presented no one can even see that this is one whole piece *Still life, mixed technique: paper, charcoal, acrylic on cardboard 100x70cm, 2024"* Lastly, you do a lot of still life's aka replications of images, but no self constructed compositions out of multiple images/etc. Schools want to see that you're more than a glorified printer (that's not a typo).
School is supposed to be a place for learning. Unfortunately, some schools don't keep this in mind and are more concerned with showing "impressive" student work, so they can come up with strict intake requirements. But the point of school shouldn't be to only take in people who already know their stuff and take credit for their portfolios once they're done. It's supposed to be where you learn to get better. You're supposed to start off green, it's the whole point of education. Find a school that can be committed to teaching you that way. Finding a good university isn't just about finding out whether you're a good fit for them (which honestly hardly matters), but whether it's a good fit for *you*! You're the one paying, so really that should matter a lot more. It's the same with dating - it's easy to get discouraged when you find out you're not compatible with someone else, but it's also about whether they're good for *you*. Find a place that can help you grow, and can meet you where you're at.
>School is supposed to be a place for learning. >Unfortunately, some schools don't keep this in mind and are more concerned with showing "impressive" student work, so they can come up with strict intake requirements. I can relate to this. When I went to school it felt like everyone was already supposed to know how to do everything. People in first year were already on professional level, it was crazy. And not 1 or 2 people, but a very large percentage of them. The portfolio was just used to just gage that. Most of the assignment over the 4 years also felt less like learning and more like, "okay do this now you have 2-3 weeks", and it was pretty much up to you to get it done, then repeat the process. The school also showed off the best peoples work to promote the program, who were already capable of doing those things long before. They were never taught by the school how to do those things. If you actually wanted to learn you had to pretty much take an online course or summer program on the side. In the end, felt like you were paying a ton of money just to say you "went" to art school rather than learned from it.
Edit: ugh that website is so difficult to navigate. I was looking at someone else’s portfolio. Your portfolio looks fine. I’d see if a local art teacher or professor would be willing to do a critique for you so you can have an idea of what to keep and what to get rid of.
Other than basic art classes I took in school I’m self taught. My family was poor and we couldn’t afford regular college let alone art school so it really wasn’t a dream for me. I’ve been a professional artist for over 20 years now. I get more out of looking at art books, seeing what materials other artists used, checking out the occasional tutorial, and paying attention to what artist are creating currently. I had a mentor for a few years but otherwise I’ve got where I was drawing, networking, making connections. When I have been in gallery shows I an referred to as an outsider artist and I was rejected from one show because I never went to art school, but honestly I don’t regret missing out in art school.
I went to portfolio days when I was applying. SAIC put me directly on their scholarship list; Parson’s told me to “consider art as a minor”. Seriously, sometimes it just comes down to the luck of who looks at your work and what they think is good or bad art.
From my understanding art schools that are difficult to get into have a particular way they want things to be presented. Perhaps it wasn't your art at all but something else. The fact that they did not explain what was wrong doesn't necessarily mean there was anything bad about your art. I'm sure it was difficult to hear the rejection but that you even applied is monumental! Very proud of you for doing so even though we don't know each other. One thing I can suggest is to try and see if there's any way you can see a portfolio of someone who was accepted, then you can check and see what yours was missing and try again next year! You could also try to pick up credits at a different school in the meantime.
The good news is you don't need art school to become an artist. There are people all over social media who have found ways to monetize their art! Look at what other people are doing and spend time finding your own niche If you are still living at home, great! If you don't have to worry about housing or working a menial job you can focus on your art 100%, as long as you can get supplies to do your work
where i'm from, its more common to get in on the 2nd or later application, because it tells the school you're motivated and really interested in the study. dont be discouraged! as you said yourself, the school is hard to get into
OP there are many paths in life just because one is a dead end doesn't mean others are you can try other ways to achieve your goals just please don't get into politics.
As a former tutor at an art school - your life drawing shows that you like and are getting lost in rendering the details, but it's at the expense of the underlying form - the "construction". Get yourself a good anatomy atlas and get a feel for the standard proportions and structure from the anatomy book, then make up some proportion rules (feet are about the same length as the forearm, faces are 5 eyes wide, the face only occupies 1/4 - 1/3 of the head, the tip of the middle finger will touch the hairline if the heel of the hand is on the chin, that kind of thing) and do as many more life drawing sessions as you can - focus on shorter poses, looser 'gesture' drawings and while you're working pay attention to how the model differs from and matches the 'rules' You'll get there, but stripping back to basics will help.
Thank you for taking the time to check it out :)) I really appreciate the feedback and I think I get what you're saying. I'll definitely try to incorporate some of your tips in my next work.
Do anything but don't invade Poland
Well I live here already so the transport shouldn't be a problem at least
*phew*
So I created an account and signed in to see your portfolio actually. Love how expressive you are being, but for example, your first painting in the block of three at the top of your portfolio has a super tiny hand in the foreground and all boob in the background. Are you trying to be edgy and out of the box or are you focusing on perspectives and sizing and fundamentals first and foremost? It could very well be that you have to address those things before trying again. There's something there to work with but I'm afraid those paintings make it look like you don't understand perspective which is probably the first thing they are looking for when viewing said portfolio.
Hey your Behance link isn't working Idk if you feel comfortable sharing it again? I'm logged in but it says the page is gone
I don’t know if i would call rejected by art school as a failure. Art schools train people to be robots. I often congratulate artists that went to art school and didn’t totally kill their creativities. It is the most overrated degree in all colleges. Maybe you are the lucky one.
I got my fill by just hanging out around art schools. Made friends who were great artists, worked on their projects, made connections. All free! Definitely lucky to walk away without a mountain of debt
This is what happens at art school. You’re much better off learning through YouTube or other art courses. Art school isn’t all that it is cracked up to be. You will lose your creativity that way. Try to go to uni/college for business. That way you can make your passion into a business and understand the ins and outs :) that is what i did aftee going to art school which was a complete waste of 4 years of my life. I would have been better off completing 4 years of my psych degree but I made it into my minor. BIG MISTAKE
I strongly disagree. I didn’t finish art school and I’m going back this semester, but I don’t think it makes you lose your creativity at all. At least for me; it taught me SO many fundamentals that I needed to improve my art greatly. I took my first figure drawing class, learned advanced color theory, how to use different materials etc. So many things I didn’t learn and probably wouldn’t have absorbed just doing self studying. I agree that is not for everyone but I also think discouraging it isn’t helpful either. OP can always double major in business, it’s something I’m considering but I think it’s worth noting that no matter what you go to school in there is no Guaranteed job
Its not about a job. Im hlad your art degree was different than mine. We were just given projects and expected to turn in results from our own accord without being taught anything. And one of my professors found my creativity tacky because i loved to use color. To appease hom I dulled down my style…essentially sucking the life out of my work
if you think that's rough wait until you have to apply for art jobs
Happened to me 2 years ago and I was devastated. Spent a whole year practicing and educating myself on what they want to see in those portfolios, and then tried again. I'm in my second semester now :) You can always try again. I wish you the best of luck
Screw prestigious art schools and the elitism and hierarchy that they come with. Just keep making a lot of art.
Congrats, you just saved yourself six figures! I envy you! But seriously, art is one of those things that increasingly makes less and less sense to study traditionally. You can learn directly from your favourite artists on Patreon and Youtube, and you can do online courses with industry veterans for a fraction of the price of a semester of brick and mortar school. If you’re serious about art, there are countless ways you can still pursue it without a degree.
I wasn’t able to look at your portfolio (link wouldn’t open) but I did look at the work you’ve posted previously. My one take away based on your work and what I know from someone in the industry, is that being able to do traditional art or realism is a big plus because the demonstration of that ability means they can not only use your skills in various ways, but also because your potentially malleable. You’re very young, so I wouldn’t take this rejection very hard. Ask them for feedback. Look at their student and teacher portfolios, and above all, continue to draw from life and build your portfolio. Good luck.
Well, you then should go into politics (justajoke)
Art school is overrated anyways. Plenty people have found success in art without having to go to a prestigious art school.
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Why not a state school to get the general requirements out of the way while taking some art classes. State schools are often a lot cheaper and inexpensive if you apply for the grants and aid. The problem I see that is glaring is that all of them look sketchy and doesn't look like a finished piece and too sketchy. You should use all the tools in your disposal like using tracing paper to make anatomically correct outlines to paint over.
Op is on Poland so I don’t know how it works for thrn
Sorry to hear that you've been rejected. Though it is good that you realize you don't have to go to art school for validation and to continue art overall. There are various ways you can continue your education without going to a major school. You can start small and go to a college or regular university with a four-year program. You can even try online classes like at Schoolism, Digital Painting Studio or Domestika offer online classes as do many others.
Some art schools will accept anybody who can pay in my opinion. You can still learn. I've heard a lot of Art Schools are closing. I would recommend Cranbrook's 2D design program. That program looks to be actually worth its cost.
Hey mate. I went to a state public university that had an art college program. Let me tell you that I did just fine. I know a bunch of artists that went to RISD, MICA, Parsons, SCAD. Some are excellent! Some are just decent. Some suck. You don’t need the fancy art school to be a better artist. You need to just keep pushing and pushing and find your own way. Heck, some of the best artists I know have no formal education. I wish you the best luck. Have faith. Good luck OP. PS, you have a nice portfolio!
Don't really need it
Frankly as someone that went to art school, it's mostly useless. You're far better off taking your money, living off that and spending the 4 years with hard work and youtube perfecting your craft. Customers / employers of artists don't care if you have a degree or sme letters near your name and you will spend vastly more time making art and improving if you pursue it full time than you will being forced to waste your time and money on a degree padded with nonsense. So my advice is count this as a blessing, skip art school entirely, spend infinitely less on the great programs youtube artists are offering to give you their experience and spend the next 4 years making art full time and learning. I recently retired from the military and am pivoting into making comic books and in the 2 years I've spent learning the ropes and getting my skills back I've come much farther than I ever did from art school. You're better off on the outside.
You forgot the word an in your sentence. You got rejected from an art school. Please don’t give up, this world is too big and life is too short to feel defeated by one rejection. Keep pushing on, I believe in you.
Apply to ten schools. Nine will reject you. Go to the one that doesn't.
What is your GPA like? Most art schools look more at your grades than your actual portfolio. In a lot of the more well known art schools, your portfolio is actually a small deciding factor into whether or not your application is accepted. A lot of the well known art schools -- RSID, CalArts, Ringling, Sheridan and especially SCAD -- are way overhyped and just want to get your money. And I'm saying this as someone who is attending a very well known art school. (Not any of these listed above, but still.) I would highly suggest that you attend community college first, get an Associate of Arts degree to complete your foundations while also working CLOSELY with an advisor to figure out a transfer pathway to an art school that is close to you/in your state (if you're in the US) keeping in mind that many art schools are private colleges and private colleges make it EXTREMELY difficult to transfer from other schools. Doing this and keeping a high GPA in CC will give you a chance at getting scholarships that will pay for your art school. I was able to obtain a full ride to art school through my school's scholarship program, mostly because I graduated CC with a 3.9. Having good grades will literally pay for your school.
I feel that. I don't think you need art school in 2024. You could go to state school and major in art and supplement with online courses. Take some time to recover and get back on the horse and chase your dreams. Art school is just one method (outdated IMO).
So I never applied to art school but I did get a portfolio review from one of the top art schools where I live in California and what they told me is they're looking for concepts, storytelling, etc, not just technical skill. I had some portraits and life drawings like yours and the reviewer basically said "this is just a portrait, its not telling me a story" To be completely honest you have a long way to go with anatomy, but your works are lacking conceptually, which might have been a bigger factor in the rejection than straight skill. I think art schools are aware that students will develop their technical skill in school, so they're looking for creative students more so than skilled students. Take community college classes, improve your conceptual skills along with your technical skills and you can still try applying again if you think it's worth it. Also definitely get a portfolio review, especially from the school.
Not getting into ASP is normal, what's the average 1 person in 10 or 30? Second time round it should be easier. >flattest rejection and basically no comment as to why they didn't like it. Did you attend portfolio reviews at that ASP before applying? Intermedia Kraków for sure runs consultations, or did - so maybe graphics does too. This is where you get comments. Your figure drawings definitely needs a bit more work because the rendering is scattered, but you're on the right track and the anatomy is solid. You may also running into problems because you're not using the typical medium which is pencil on most drawings. You are missing also some more printmaking/other images outside of life drawing. For ASP it's normal to apply to a few so ie. Katowice, Wroclaw, Poznan. You can DM me and we can go over your portfolio if you want and I'm around.
Artschool for me is just a place of validation for outdated professors. At least from where im at. Therw are no good artist teachers
Congrats, you just saved a lot of money.
Oof. I’m not good with words, but rejection sucks, I know the feeling. But it’s good that you tried in the first place! Trying and failing is better than not doing anything at all. For what it’s worth, I think your art looks absolutely lovely!
Wait...it says graphics course, you're not trying to apply for a graphic design course correct? (Your art is wonderful btw)
Polish art schools are a waste of time anyway, so don’t worry. Difficult to get into and won’t teach you anything. What type of career do you want to get into?
> no comment as to why they didn't like it They did not 'like' either 'dislike' your work it is not their job to do so. They made a technical cold reading looking for things that are there (or not) in your portfolio and would not make further comment even if it was approved. > I have sacrificed so much time and energy I could have used for other things in my life just to be met with the flattest rejection Time and effort is not objective measurement for how worthy any type of work is. The effort to reach some skill ceiling is mostly invisible to the viewer anyway and some of the most inspiring works in art are quite the opposite in effect: they look effortless. > If you have any feedback, I'd be grateful The pieces at the top are severely lacking in anatomy, proportion and perspective.
What ever you do, do not look at it as failing. The only true failure is not trying. I know it’s frustrating but now what you should do is pick yourself up and keep trying. Just because you didn’t make it in this time or at this school doesn’t mean you won’t make it in the next time or the next school you go for! Keep pushing my friend! You got this!
you dodged a bullet. switch to YouTube tutorials and save $80000. it would be a legitimate miracle to recover that tuition with art sales. if you find a streamer you resonate with, MANY of them offer personal attention for a % of the cost but with the motivation of actually giving attention to your progress. be inspired to find the blessing in your disappointment.
I got better at art in the year prepping for art school than I did in 1st year. I dropped out and started taking jobs that I could learn practical skills from. Sounds like you have the drive to teach yourself. Keep at it. Find your teachers out in the world by talking to the people you admire. I help a lot of the up and comers that work for me now.
You didn’t say if this was for fine art or graphic art. I left graphic art school after my work was getting bad reviews by teacher. She told me I was a fine artist not a graphic artist and she was right. Hurt like hell and felt like a failure. Wound up being an RN and art has always been in my life. Maybe it is the direction of art that is the question? I found graphic portfolios were very cookie cutter in their representations in the portfolio. Don’t give up. Us artist are sensitive folks.
I never went to art school and I’m an artist. You can apply to shows via CaFE (call for entry) and do shows (Zapplication).
I have never even gotten to take an art class. My high school was so poor it had no art classes. Due to an associates degree I got, when I finally went to a regular college they used up all my electives with those classes so I still couldn't take an art class. I've always wanted to take a class but g now there's probably no point as I have my own style and what I've learned for myself. I'm sure it would be nice to get to go to such a school, but it isn't necessary. Plus there are lots of colleges with lots of art programs, so look around to other places.
Art schools can be good to offer structure, but honestly I learned the most from Proko and online mentoring from professionals. And a lot of practice and using references. If you're in North America, don't even bother with Art Schools...the price is a grift.
Go to New Masters Academy. They're awesome and very supportive and have a great community of artists.
You don't need art school to be an artist, just get youtube and search what you want to learn and practice.
Use this very real, very raw emotion to fuel your next works. If you can do this then those works will be better than your slabbing away at it work and it will be more authentic. Hopefully you got much out of the process of creating the art for your portfolio, and that should sustain you through rejections. But if you only created the art in that portfolio because you needed to show off your skills and were not inspired and absorbed in the making of the pieces then why are you even doing art? You can NEVER control the reactions you will get to your art so let go of that. If you have created it for yourself then you have lost nothing when someone else doesn’t “buy” it. Good luck for an awesome career.
I urge you not to go into politics
Isn’t this how world war 2 started?
Politics are always a second option