In this day and age, pursuing an arts education can actually help you make a decent living out of doing what you love to do. A degree in art and design can lead to legitimate and even lucrative professions including graphic design, architecture, industrial design, education, game art/design and film making.
Before you go to art school, you have to decide on what kind of education you are seeking. Are you interested in obtaining a degree or do you just want to take few courses in art?. If you’re only interested in taking a few art courses, many local art centers offer a variety of inexpensive workshops where you can let your creativity run wild. However, if you want to make a living with your skills, you may want to consider enrolling in a degree program. A degree program will allow you to develop your technical and critical skills as well as provide you with the professional connections you’ll require in your chosen field.
Before choosing an art school, it’s important to research schools to find out what majors they offer. You can start by asking art teachers for suggestions or recent graduates for their advice.
All reputable art schools require a portfolio of artwork. The purpose of the portfolio is to showcase an applicant’s artistic potential. Some schools require students to submit work in specific mediums or to draw specific items. Other schools require a certain amount of art pieces to be submitted.
Prepare your portfolio by selecting your strongest pieces for presentation. You don't need to purchase an expensive portfolio to display your work. Your work should be well organized, presentable and current. You should avoid showing work that is more than three years old.
Make sure you have met all of the application requirements, including, but not limited to submitting your transcripts, writing a personal essay and submitting any test scores. You may also be required to present your portfolio in person and if that’s the case In that case, you’ll either need to submit 35mm slides, digital images or prints of your work.