Currently doing the first year in a Game Art Course at Uni, but I'm kinda on the fence about it. The Industries terrible, I'm not really sure if I even enjoy art that much or if I just went with it to meet more queer kids tbh. It's also an industry were alot of people are self-taught, so at the end of the day if I think I've made a major mistake the doors not completely closed.
My other option is a course in Digital Forensics, which has the advantage of being a steady STEM subject that I'm interested in that has a lot more employment opportunities and definitely far less chance of crunch. I have done previous qualifications in coding and enjoyed them too. I kind of like the idea of being able to make art as a hobby again instead of it always feeling like work too.
Whats your opinion Chapos? Anyone with any expertise in either fields that could give me some pointers?
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You could look at work in game design as an accelerated learning. I don't know shit about art, but what I've heard from YouTube people is that you want to rush your way into the industry so that you can get the hands on experience. They'd teach you what corners to cut and what to look for in a composition. If the crunches and pinches are too much for you, you could hop around companies. If you fundamentally don't like it, you could go back to school and have some work experience and a profoundly expanded sense of how to make good art.
My interests in what makes a good job changed dramatically after college (I'm a leftist now). But do you necessarily need a degree to get into game design? I would want to build a portfolio with both school work, volunteer work, and independent projects. I'd proceed to badger recruiters and companies until someone gives me a shot - preferably before you graduate. And, again, if you don't like concept art, in game assets, etc. then return to school, preserve your art as a hobby, and leave with a quantum leap of art knowledge.