Im a highschooler who wants to persure a career in 2D animation. I need advice from a 2D Animator!?

Q. First, Id like to inform you a little about myself.

I've been drawing for a while now and I think I've developed some pretty good drawing skills considering Im only 16. My line of work is just sketches and more sketches of people and anatomical figures. I get creative with my drawings and a lot of my 'finished work' goes along the lines of illustration that I do on the computer with my tablet.

Im awful at traditional painting, but Im quite confident in my drawing skills when it comes to drawing from life. Especially the human figure! But I work with the human figure blind more often than I do from life. I look to Jack Hamm's 'Drawing The Head and Figure' as well as Andy Smith's "Drawing Dynamic Comics."(Which teaches about drawing superhero comic figures) I try to mesh the two so that I can one day animate my own figures similar to those of the more realistic comicbooks you see on the shelves. I've also grown up looking at movies in the analytical aspect, scrutinizing pieces of the film to appreciate scenes and the storyboard that go into the film. My influences to persue in animation were DEFINATELY Batman the Animated Series and cartoon network itself! That as well as a few anime with either a very moving narrative or astounding animation qaulity. (Cowboy Bebop, Wolf's Rain, Ghost In The Shell..) And even a few disney favorites... Oliver in Company, Aristo Cats, Balto, Lion King.

Here are examples of a few edited works from my sketchbook.
http://i39.tinypic.com/2ex26vd.png
http://i41.tinypic.com/yfhq8.png
http://i40.tinypic.com/2ilo6q0.png
http://i43.tinypic.com/14iizk5.png
http://i42.tinypic.com/axi80m.png
http://i40.tinypic.com/5b2tlv.jpg (this one is a quick, maybe 15 to 20 minute drawing of my little brother laying down on the couch)

My drawings niches right now dont fit what I'd like to be able to do in the future, (Im having difficulties in drawing guys! Especially their muscles!) but Im working hard to up my skills before its time to send applications into college. (Im in the 11th grade) Im very informed on portfolio requirements and what schools would like to see because Im in my highschool's 'Senior Portfolio Class' which is a class to prepare Senior's portfolios for college. Im an advanced art student, as well as 2 other Juniors, and we're in it togethor. My grades, Ill have you know, are awful. I go to summer school once every year because I always end up failing one of my classes and I have to make up the credit so I can graduate. And the class that did that to me last year was french, which I couldnt take over the summer because they dont offer it at my highschool. So Im screwed when it comes to impressing a college with my '3 years of a language' thing. Im REALLY depending on art school at this point! I know I should not have done that because it shows a horrible work ethic, but drawing is the only thing I like to do! (besides play videogames, haha)

I want to become an animator! (I've got a lightbox, a scanner and my trusty tablet) And I aspire to continue a career into 2D! I've looked into A LOT of schools and I cant find a school with a truly impressive curriculum in 2D animation. (I know its actually just animation where they teach you both 3D and 2D, but I couldnt find a good batch of classes for 2D in each of the programs of study for the colleges I was looking into.) BUT...

I did find SCAD. Savannah College of Art and Design. (http://www.scad.edu) And their student work is very nice, I didnt see much 2D, but when I looked at their classes, it was a pretty nice list for 2D! I understand now that SCAD is supposedly a very impressive school, and I'd really like to get in!

But my questions are... Do I have any other options? Is my work or my plans right now only going to hurt me? I dont know about what its like getting a job as a 2D animator or what an average day is for somebody working as one. Or even what the chances are for me to work for a company that'll give me decent pay to live on and pay future debt! I need some intel on somebody who works as a 2D animator. Im ready for a long road ahead of me until I really have the skills and experience needed to be a truly magnificent animator, but I want to make sure that when I train for it in college that I'll find work to get myself out there. I understand I wont be a big time animator or something straight out of college, but I want to know places or companies to work that I can do what I love and get more experience. Whats a good company or place to start out with? I dont even know if I have the right mindset right now! I feel blind! I know nothing about the animation career other than little things on how to actually animate.

Last but not least, whats your story on how you became a 2D animator?

If you read this, thankyou so so much. Im positive that I and many other students out there have these same questions too. I read online that pay for 2D animation is looked at as a bad living, but it honestly de
Im sorry this is so long. If you know a different place where I can contact 2D animators, drop me a line!

Answer
Hey, first off your work is great. The last two are kind of boring, but the first couple ones are really impressive. SCAD is a great school, if I were you I would go there. I went to school where they had an animation program where you learned both 2d and 3d. I do know that if you can find a 2d animation job the pay won't be that great. New York is a good place to be for 2d animators, I recently worked with a girl on a show called Fat Guy Stuck in Internet who went on to animate for Super Jail, a 2d show on Adult Swim. All in All you really need to go to art school, it builds a lot of drawing skill in many different ways. Good Luck.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Title Post: Im a highschooler who wants to persure a career in 2D animation. I need advice from a 2D Animator!?
Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author: Yukie

Thanks For Coming To My Blog