Hello there ! This is my first post here so I am trully sorry if this kind of message has already been posted... I am from Brazil in still in pursiut for my dream, Game Arts But as there are many was to get to this, today we see more and more that the overall studies are mixed on this one kind of study, as "Game design & Arts" and so on.. But in Brazil, the possibilities are very very low on this, as my country has no experience with this industry I would really like, if possible, to ask if anyone know any possibility for a brazilian to study abroad on any normal possibility, not costing so much for internationals as we see on US universities Thank you alot :)

You don't need a game industry specific portfolio for your first job. Especially if you want to become a concept artist, you need to have an incredibly diverse and well put together traditional art portfolio. If you're interested in becoming a 3d modeler or animator, then study traditional animation and work on the 3d stuff on the side.

A good artist is a good artist, and most people who are doing the hiring at a game studio will be able to recognize this.

I agree completely with zer0wolf. You would benefit a lot if you go to a traditional art college and in your spare time teach yourself game art. There are very good educational dvds, forums, contests, books you can learn from.

Go to a traditional art school. Over the vacations and in your spare time, learn how to use the software to make game art, like Maya, 3dsmax, Photoshop, etc. Aim to have a very good traditional portfolio and some game art experience. I don't know how expensive PC's are in Brazil, but you should be able to do most things except heavy-duty digital sculpting.

You will need to move when you finish college, to the US or Canada. Without a very good portfolio, it is VERY difficult to get an art job. Your best bet, is to move to the US, then start looking for an entry-level games job or internship-like starting job (check out Gearbox Software, they have such a program). You can try game testing too.

You have more barriers to overcome than normal, because you must move to where the work is, and since it is international, you should expect to be in the country you intend to work as a resident BEFORE you apply for work; no company is going to hire an entry level job internationally. Either go to school in the US or where you intend to work for the last 2 years of your education, or move after university and find a job in the meanwhile you look for a job. The other barrier is you may not have such a strong game art portfolio right out of college; you will need to work hard to make a good portfolio, but do not expect to work right after college and moving, you will need to work in a non-game art job for a while probably.

If you really work at it, you will be able to do it. This is true of almost anything, except some people have more barriers in their way than others; you have a number of barriers but if you work very hard you will succeed at it.

WoW

Thank you alot for all the tips, I´m still checking all the options, but traditional arts is my first option anyway, it´s just that for the thought of it I gotta say, it does makes me fell a bit afraid as for job after college and so on.

But I am more and more confident that maybe my biggest barrier, people around me that think that this area is a "close-to-impossible" are is something I´ll just have to surpass

Thank you again for the support :)

Quote: Original post by infester

...people around me that think that this area is a "close-to-impossible" ...

it is, for lazy people ;)