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I have no say on how to get into any other department. I can only speak from my own experience as well. So the fallowing are tips that worked for me when I applied. If they don't work for you I am sorry, but I hope they do. Life Drawing: Cal Arts is looking for unique style, technique and vision in life drawing. They are not looking for classic life drawing! (Harsh but true.) if you do classic life drawing they want to see that you have taken it to a whole new level that is all your own. They want to not only know that you have a deep understanding of physical forms but that you are also capable of manipulating that knowledge in such a way that you create new an interesting views of the subjects. You should look to making a New and fresh portfolio that is mostly Humans and animals. It should also include landscapes, plants objects etc. Lastly as supplemental material (that they will only look at if they like your life drawings), which includes animations, characters, designs, layouts, paintings; etc. I have heard that they accept people who show outstanding skill in those areas but I would not take a chance. Focus on the life drawing. These are some but not all of the life drawings I used to get into Cal Arts: Life Drawings To get more life drawings I recommend taking your sketch book every where, and I mean ever where. Keep more than just a pencil with you. Try new mediums and styles. You never know when you'll get a great drawing so don't take a chance. Most of the drawings you do don't expect to send. They just help you get better. Allow yourself to interpret. You can stylize and manipulate what you see. Cal Arts wants that. Just make sure it actually says something about the subject. Make sure you interpret based on what you see not by what you have in your head. You will be able to tell when you are doing this right because your drawings will be vibrant and lively. You will look at them and see more than you thought you put down. Models: If you draw from a model make sure the poses are not more than 20 mins. One minute to 5 minute is best. These will help you be lose, fluid and fresh. Also seek after models that do more action-like poses. Zoo: If you draw from the zoo it does help to have some photos as well. Grab the fliers that are around or look at the signs to get some details. Usually when you are drawing from zoo animals you will only get gestures and general forms. That is great. Just let yourself flow. Find materials that express what you want faster. I got a 48 set of prisma-color markers and did many of my best animal drawings with them. I just roughed them up and got great and fast results. Every Day life: Like I said keep your sketch book with you at all times and allow yourself to take moments to draw. Keep sunglasses with you, the hipper the better (so you don't look as strange if it is inside. ;p). This allows you to stare right at someone without their noticing or caring. If you seat yourself so you are facing away from them but looking at them out of the corner of your eye you will be able to get a lot more out of drawing them. Make sure and suggest the surroundings. Try and tell stories when ever you can. Where is that person and why. Picking what goes: When picking the drawings to send go with what you honestly like best. Make sure your 20 - 30 drawings are as diverse as possible in terms of subject and medium. Go with what your gut says. You can also send a couple sketch books and other stuff. Make sure your sketchbooks are packed. If you have blank pages fill them up or tear them out. Research: Go the calarts.com and read everything you can. Talk to the people there. Call the school and talk to not only the admissions people but character animation people too if you can. Visit the school to if you can. Like I said before you just need to get in peoples faces and get what you need to know. Want any more tips? Just e-mail me. + Razi + |