Artistic Goals and Dreams

[WhisperPntr]

What are your artistic goals both short term and long term? Also what are your dreams and aspirations?

To be brutally honest, I do not want to make art a cold blooded job but instead a passion I can't wait to get up in the morning to do. I completely realize the necessity of figure drawing but I am an avid and passionate animal artist first and foremost. Because I am going to school, I need college to practice the figure and also learn how to draw humans so that I am not caught naked and unprepared. However, my dream is to create a semi realistic comic wherein the backgrounds and animals are convincingly rendered and emotive.

A long time ago when I was young I wanted to be an animator, then in school my teachers convinced me that I had some talent to be a concept artist (:P) but now I want to create a story and despite my considerable love for animation, my love to make that story is now greater than ever.

I may have a shot at sequential art, but it would be animal based. And thus far everything I've seen requires humans first and foremost. So my artistic goal is to focus on an purely animal world. Wish me luck! I'll need it.

[lavallelee]

My long term goal is to either make feature 2d animated films and/or 2d animated cartoons for tv.

As of right now, I have a new savings for college. I already went to college and graduated with a 3.8 GPA! But it was for web design and marketing.... Durring the coarse of my college schooling, I was animating on the side.

So after finding this site, all the money i set aside for another college education, will go into Don's dvds and animation equiptment. I think this site will teach me better than any college including Calarts.

On the side I plan on doing some life drawing classes and maybe a few painting classes. But my ultimate goal is to be a skilled animator and artist, as well as a story teller.

It might seem to be a pretty normal or basic dream, but to me its so much more. I love the feeling of bringing characters to life. I started animating in Flash in 2000, back then I made animations that were immature and rude, which is what's popular on the internet. (also all done with the mouse)

But now i want to make clean and wholesome moral cartoons, that teach and insipire people to be good/nice people. So thats me in a nutshell.

[Hana]

Well my dream would be to work on a big motion picture as either an animator or concept artist. That's like my super dream.

A more realistic long term dream is to work in a smaller animation company and do smaller projects like advertising and short toons. I'm happy to also just be an illustrator.

Short term I'd really love to go do some proper life drawing classes and really up my general drawing skills especially with people.

I'd love to go to Calarts but the cost and distance(Australia) let alone the requirements don't make it easy but it'd be nice.

[Snapai]

My long term goal is to have an animation job where my life is get up and draw everyday. Preferably in film or some other grand-format, but the media isn't too essential. That - and to have a nice enough one that I don't have to worry about where my career is going, so I can live all the non-career bits of life to their fullest too.

My short term goal is....to get a job that is at least art-relevant. To find something that asks me to draw at least once a day, even if not for the entire job. D:

I graduated college with an art degree (but a bachelors of science!), and I'm still working retail. :(

My dream is to somehow remind the US that animation is an artform - not just "kids stuff". I want to make animation popular again not by catering to the whims of the crowd per se, but by creating stuff that people feel they need to see. I'm not aiming at super junk-foody animation or super-preachy animation.

[Penumbra]

At this point in my artistic "career" I consider myself a hobbyist, highly amateur and mediocre at best. I only say that because I'm aware of just how much work I need to do on the fundamentals. I need to be better at drawing, and I'm working at it. :)

That said, since seeing The Land Before Time as a child I've wanted to be involved in making animation. Somehow, some way.. This is an excellent opportunity, and I'm thankful to be able to participate and soak up all this glorious knowledge. :D Other artistic dreams include learning how to paint (haven't ever had the space/time/money for oils, and acrylics.. Acrylics are my nemesis), and creating a graphic novel. We'll see what life brings.

[BrioCyrain]

I am a mix. I see your problem. I've been doing flash animation for years now but I also enjoy writing scripts that are for animation, though writing a script is a lot easier than doing the actual animation, but remember unless you can find someone to get actors and animators for your story, also doing the animation for it might be needed also.

[fanimation]

I am a lead production artist at a big printing company. I get to do some graphic design and sometimes get to draw and be creative, but the main portion of my day is spent cleaning up other peoples low resolution art because they don't know how to send in properly formatted art for printing. I trap the art, redraw logos, color correct, add bleed, set type..., you get the point, all very technical and not creative. It's a good job, but not the job I aspired to when I got out of Art school. I am 44 years old now and have been doing my job there since 1997. I did freelance illustration and graphic design after school and liked it a lot but when I got this full time job it got harder and harder to keep up with the freelance work on the side, and eventually I stopped. I kind of stopped drawing all together for many years. In this last year I have decided to pursue my creativity again and see were it goes. I want to find more time to draw and paint again and get some kind of freelance art career up and running again. I have always wanted to do Children's Books and Greeting Card illustration in particular. learning Animation is the one love I never really went for. I played with it in school but never really studied it. As my drawing improves and character design skills improve I hope also to learn to animate properly with Don's and this forums help. I would love a career change to animator one day but I am starting kind of late at 44. I would be happy just to make animated films for myself, Just for the love of it. But, I never again want to completely abandon my creativity all together.

John J.

[IzzyS]

I've always marvelled at the cartoons on TV or animated movies I always watched on tape/LD/or the theaters. and was like "hey! I want to do that!", to maybe, when I got older to change that to "hey! I did that! yes, that on the screen!"

but on the side, I've also loved children's books and such, wanting to draw such eyecatching pictures to accompany a story with colorful illustrations. At times, again, imaginging myself looking through a book when older and exclaiming "I drew THIS!"

[Regan]

My short term goal is to storyboard a feature-length script I've written...my long term goal is to animate it. :crazy:

[johncbeggs]

Well my Goal is to create an animated film using only traditional methods and to create something that will be remembered, :D that is it, I dont really want to work in a company with no soul! why not just produce your own films if you got some great talented people!

My dream is to save the world and everyone on it :)

[cartuneman]

Well My dream of being an animator has already happened. My dream of being a published artist has already happened. My dream of working in Hollywood has happened. hummmmmmmmmmmm? I guess my ultimate dream and aspirations with my art would be........To know that people will still like finding my art when I'm gone and it will bring a smile to their face and maybe even a chuckle.

for as old as I am I just look forward to tomorrow.:laughing:

:D

[johncbeggs]

Well My dream of being an animator has already happened. My dream of being a published artist has already happened. My dream of working in Hollywood has happened. hummmmmmmmmmmm? I guess my ultimate dream and aspirations with my art would be........To know that people will still like finding my art when I'm gone and it will bring a smile to their face and maybe even a chuckle.

for as old as I am I just look forward to tomorrow.:laughing:

:D

Im happy your dreams came true. :D

wish me luck

[cartuneman]

Hi johncbeggs,

Thanks. it was a short stint but none the less they are memories I'll never forget.

I'm wishing you all the luck in the world young man! Just remember two of the greatest tools an artist can have in his paint box. Never fear the critique and use all critiques as a tool. Then, always have perseverance. never give up !:D

[johncbeggs]

Hi johncbeggs,

Thanks. it was a short stint but none the less they are memories I'll never forget.

I'm wishing you all the luck in the world young man! Just remember two of the greatest tools an artist can have in his paint box. Never fear the critique and use all critiques as a tool. Then, always have perseverance. never give up !:D

thankyou for that :)

People may have their opinions but Im probably my own toughest critic :laughing:

[Mithmeoi]

My dream would be able to work freelance full time and actually be able to support myself totally with it or mostly with it. :P Right now it's only at about a quarter of what I need, but hey it's a start!
I love to design characters and do storyboard work (I've already done a little bit of this professionally.) and I really enjoy animating in flash. So web animations is one thing I would like to get into more.

[lavallelee]

Well My dream of being an animator has already happened. My dream of being a published artist has already happened. My dream of working in Hollywood has happened. hummmmmmmmmmmm? I guess my ultimate dream and aspirations with my art would be........To know that people will still like finding my art when I'm gone and it will bring a smile to their face and maybe even a chuckle.

for as old as I am I just look forward to tomorrow.:laughing:

:D


why not live those dreams again, and again!

[Hana]

Oh! Another thing I forgot to add is I'd love to be a college lecturer after I felt I had experienced enough myself to go into teaching. I'd love to keep the passion flowing in generations to come.

I've also always enjoyed teaching. I remember in third grade I used to 'teach' some of the peers in my class art using just leaves and twigs and dirt. It was great except for the hairy caterpillars.

[lavallelee]

Lol, i had the chance to be a college professor, but i turned it down. The school i graduated from needed a flash basic and flash advanced teacher. But my immediate future (after college) was not in teaching. Maybe when im retired :)

[BrioCyrain]

I just want to either be a lead animator/animation director, or if that doesn't work out write screenplays for cartoons or 2D feature films.

[johncbeggs]

I just want to either be a lead animator/animation director, or if that doesn't work out write screenplays for cartoons or 2D feature films.

You and I have the same dream!

We both have alot of hardwork ahead of us, I just hope I can handle it :D

[BrioCyrain]

You and I have the same dream!

We both have alot of hardwork ahead of us, I just hope I can handle it :D

Yeah, you can't be the lead animation guy without first learning animation.

;)

Thinking about that, I have multiple ideas for 2D films, hence the backup screenplay thing.

[GdeSouza]

I've worked in animation, gaming, illustrated, in one way or another, directly or not as much, for 25 years. Kept my nose above water with the help of my angel spouse and taught myself Flash. After experiencing it all I don't have the stomach (nor capabilty, really) for seasonal studio work or freelance. I actually realize I do prefer working in a relatively creative corporate culture and I could create whatever; animation, paint, etc., in my spare time.
As well as an incredible opportunity to be a cyber-disciple (don't let that word scare you: same roots as in "discipline") to a master. I am here because I haven't really touched full drawn animation in 10 years. Now I know my traditional schooling has benefited my other work, even my deliberatly goofy flash but I'm afraid I could or may have lost what I perhaps barely had. So time to get back into shape! I also hope I learn to be a good teacher/commmunicator by observing an imitating a fine one.

[zanekohler]

Part of my goals are to obtained animation skills that would make me competitive for potential jobs in the industry. More so as an artist to help me take my animation to the next level. I knew if I wanted to create animated shorts or get a job I needed to buckle down and really focus. I have always loved the short medium and have some ideas for what I believe are good stories. Most of them call for strong animation. Or at least stronger than my current skills. My dream would be to make one of these shorts a reality and get it into a festival circuit of some kind.

[zanekohler]

These are good questions and I raise you a few more...

Too often we set our goals and dreams with out a path to obtain them. I would also recommend to answer a couple more that fit 'inbetween' now and the dream...
What skills do you hope to acquire in the next year?
What steps are you taking to learn them?
Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years?

They are obvious, but often overlooked.

[lavallelee]

These are good questions and I raise you a few more...

Too often we set our goals and dreams with out a path to obtain them. I would also recommend to answer a couple more that fit 'inbetween' now and the dream...
What skills do you hope to acquire in the next year?
What steps are you taking to learn them?
Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years?

They are obvious, but often overlooked.

What skills do you hope to acquire in the next year?

Basically to be a better artist, to understand human shape, and be able to understand how to animate and do it well.

What steps are you taking to learn them?

Drawing, Drawing and more Drawing!!!! Basically to overdose on drawing, and animating traditionally. LOL

Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years?

Animating! :D Whether it be for work or for personal. But i will be animating. I guarantee it. I am not only the president, i am also a client. (Hair Club Ad) :p

[Moneyguns]

My goal is to someday make movies that change the world. Something that can teach people life changing lessons threw the characters experiences on the screen.

The way I look at it, if you got the power to communicate to ever person in the world with a TV, why not use that power for good.

[SmithyGCN]

I have several goals - some I know may not be realized during my lifetime.

As far as personal goals go within art, I want to create several animated cartoons, but there is one in particular I really want to do an animated film based around Irish mythologies in particular - the Pooka/Puka, the Bogeyman, and others. I want to leave a lasting impression of traditional art on peoples' minds and tell a story that both adults and children will enjoy and teach a moral lesson when all is said and done.
So far, my girlfriend and I have worked on several concepts, so at least it's in the working process.
Comics and childrens' book illustrations are also in my long term art goal plans.

As for the questions on how to get there:

1) I'd like to excel at everything I do as an artist. I may be better than I was a few years ago, but I still have a lot to learn and lots of room for improvement.

2) Drawing on a constant basis and watching/reading tutorials by Don Bluth and other experts in the field of animation and art in general. I have done a few animations before (I have yet to show them off here), but animation is something I need to improve on the most, I believe.

3) A job in animation. I won't ask for the moon and look for the perfect job where there's no stress and whatnot as every job is going to have problems, but a good job in the field would be ideal and especially worlds better than the job I have currently.

[Alexandra Poston]

I have a lot of pretty unreasonable goals, but if you shoot high, the chances of ending high are more possable, right?

Currently, I'm going into my fourth quarter at SCAD, and I'm graduating a year and a half early because of some previous academic successes. Which means I don't have a lot of time to improve before graduation - so my short term goal is to animate as much as I can in that time. That means participating in the Cyber Garag Project (learnin from the pros!), participating in each month's 11 second club competition (Get some of my own individual passion running and learning from experience), and trying my hardest in each of my animation courses at school! I hope to get an internship somewhere in the mix to get some studio experience.

After that, working in studio, anywhere, doing 2D animation is the goal - Laika or Disney being the main goal. During my work time at those studios gaining experience, I would like to make animated shorts, just to see if people could find my art entertaining. You know, like the old Mickey Mouse cartoons, or Looney Toons. Maybe one day, I'll even get the chance to work on an animated feature - but that's everyone's goal, right?

I also want to learn about production and directing, to see if I can make my own film - but that's the ultimate goal that I hope to accomplish with loads of animation experience. No place better to start working on that experience than now, huh.