How hard is it to get into IADT without an art background?

Birdyblue · 04-12-2015 11:31am #1

Hello there, I've been considering returning to education, I really like everything I read about IADT's Visual Communication. But I do not really come from an "art background". As an adult returning to education I understand that it depends mostly on my portfolio and I'm willing to take the portfolio preparation courses, but does that even sound realistic in any way?
The problem is, I have no real drawing skill, I keep reading about people including their notebooks and sketches in their portfolios, but I've never done things like this - I want to learn to draw, but as I stand now I have nothing to boast about in a portfolio. Even if I'll tart preparing it - i will have more than a year of time - I'm not sure how much I can improve to actually make it count.

The reason I want to get into visual arts is because visuals is definitely the path I should have taken but simply couldn't. My parents never let me pursue any kind of education in arts, even tho at some point my arts teacher from school insisted in transferring me to an arts high school. That refusal had a strong impact on me back then as a kid, and ever since I stopped drawing or painting because it was bringing back sad feelings of disappointment and guilt. I never actually fit in any of the colleges I got into and ended up quitting 3 different courses because I could never figure out what else I would like to do in life and everything was making me unhappy. Few years ago, I joined a free web design and programming course for unemployed people and ended up with a website project that was awarded 1st place. The company that was involved in managing this project ended up hiring me as an assistant, which had nothing to do with my webdesign project, but with the fact that I had to give some interviews and speech stuff that they really liked me for. The irony was that, about 2 years later, being stuck in a job as a structural funds consultant at this company, I ended up designing everything in our company and although I was good at my actual job I got a lot more satisfaction from designing covers, banners, flyers and every other materials that were needed for our projects. As stress piled up, the favorite thing to do for me was browsing internet and reading tutorials and watching videos of people drawing, painting.
In my final days at that company, my employer actually made me a proposal to come up with a plan on how we could create a graphic design department. I quit because I moved to Ireland, I needed a life change. I needed to stop doing the things I din't care about, and find my way. And that's how I came across IADT, but now all I'm seeing is that I'm old, I have a few graphic stuff I did but they weren't exactly the work of a professional and I'm not sure they have any value in a portfolio whatsoever.

I guess I really need to talk to someone who knows how things work around here, I keep reading about people submitting their portfolios but they all seem like they have a strong background and some solid work. Do people like me have any chance?

looksee · 04-12-2015 3:31pm

I did that course as a mature student - not in IADT, but the same course. I did not have an art background but I did have some work that I presented as a portfolio, just a few very average paintings and sketches. I had to do a test portfolio showing specific use of various media, and I had an interview. I do not consider my drawings to be good, but you do need to be able to represent an idea by way of a sketch, it does not have to be a 'work of art'.

The course I did involved a lot of practical work, not so much computer based, now I think it is the other way round. One of the main things to remember is that a computer is a tool, you are the one that has to be creative. Despite people thinking that art students have a doss life, I can tell you that it is hard work and involves long days and evenings of concentrated work. If you are also caring for a family then you need to be dedicated and determined. But it was extremely enjoyable and you get to do stuff that you afterwards really don't have time to do.

Give it a go, you have nothing to lose by applying, and colleges love mature students!

Birdyblue · 06-12-2015 10:04am

Thank you so much for your reply, looksee. I will give it a go, most likely, I just need to build some confidence I suppose. This whole adult returning to education thing is confusing a bit too, in my country they had no such thing so i am not familiar with how these things are considered here.
Also, now the you brought up the "computer" I realize this might be another issue with me. I don't have any other tools besides my computer and my graphic tablet, for so long these have simply been convenient. I used to paint and draw when I was little, but ever since my family went against it being near any kind of paint or coloring tools made me feel guilty as I was losing my time on useless things. I know it sounds ridiculous and there is no way I'm ever gonna be able to get colleges to understand this but i'll need to deal with it somehow.
The stuff I did for work did not involve any hand drawing from my side, just vectors and occasionally I had to paint using my tablet to make things look in a different way.
I do in fact have some notebooks I used to doodle things in with a mechanical pencil, I used to do this a lot as a means of stress relief from work... i wouldn't go as far as to call them "sketches" and they are too personal to show them to anyone. I had a lot of ideas that sometimes i needed to "write down" but again, I had no skill to draw it by hand because of things like anatomy and perspective. i'm thinking there are many ways to avoid having to use any anatomy AND perspective, something most people I know learn in high school... But they must be something people who get admitted into an art college should be able to do, right?

I assumed the course involves a lot of work, that's fine. I'm the kind of person who gets very absorbed and takes her time o perfect things - to some point this can be a burden. I have a family, but no kids so it wouldn't be such an issue.
I'm wondering tho, did you have a part time job or anything during this course? If I ever get into IADT or anything similar, this would be my main issue.

looksee · 08-12-2015 6:17pm

http://www.iadt.ie/en/ProspectiveStudents/HowtoApply/PortfolioRequirements/

I presume you have seen this? You do not need advanced fine art skills for the Visual Communications portfolio, though you do need to show that you can express yourself other than with a computer. You can use paints - acrylics and gouache are the easiest to get started with, and a few good quality brushes are better than a whole lot of cheap ones; polychromo pencils which are expensive but lovely to use, pencils, chalk etc.

The people looking at your portfolio will not be looking to put you down, they know you are doing the course to learn and can spot ability even when you are not sure about it yourself. The main thing is to show original ideas, don't copy other people's work, if you use photographs, use your own. You can create a portfolio between now and February, you don't have to show work that you did years ago!

beauf · 09-12-2015 7:01pm

I have no experience of this college but I would say they just want to check that people are interested and willing to work at the subject.

I think you are over analysing it.

looksee · 10-12-2015 12:30am

I would not agree it is that simplistic beauf, they do look for evidence of ability in mature students - and often leaving cert students too - it is necessary to show some basic design ability and interest, though it might not be as obvious as being able to draw and paint.

beauf · 10-12-2015 1:15am

I'm saying the work Birdyblue has already done seems, ideal for the requirements.

Birdyblue wrote: »

...
...website project that was awarded 1st place.

company ...covers, banners, flyers and every other materials

I did ... vectors and
occasionally ...paint using my tablet...

I ..have some notebooks ...doodle... mechanical pencil....

A portfolio preparation class would be useful to get help in putting this work together as a portfolio and the teacher would identify what's missing. I had an art teacher help me with mine, which was mostly doodles, but they suggested some painting, and some technical exercises, like drawing interiors and buildings in correct perspective, and some design exercise, to add variety in different area's. Otherwise mine would have looked like a bad copy of a commando comic.

Not everyone in art college is a great artist. Most are just average and some are quite poor. Someone can be poor at drawing, but be a good designer. I wouldn't worry about it.

Rolllo · 13-12-2015 3:53pm

What they want to see in a portfolio is not necessarily a high skill level in art, it's more that you can demonstrate new or interesting ways of looking at things. There has to be some ability to communicate your ideas visually to begin with, but what they're really looking for is a foundation of insight and curiosity to build the skills on. A portfolio preparation course is a really good idea if you don't know where to start.

Birdyblue · 03-01-2016 10:56am

Thank you everyone!
I think the portfolio prep class is the best idea. Simply need to get more familiar with these things and hopefully achieve some progress with my sketching ability... That is the thing that has been bothering me, sketching things like I see people do here and there on the internet isn't something i've ever tried to work on. And it was never really required of me to do it either, stuff I did for work were different and for my personal satisfaction, the little i could draw was more or less enough.

beauf · 03-01-2016 12:10pm

When I was in college (a long time are) they wanted to see how you came up with an idea. Then how you developed it into the end result. That's what sketchbooks had to show. The sketches didn't have to be amazing in themselves.

A portfolio course would know what they are looking for though. There might be one that's attached or near to the college itself.

How hard is it to get into IADT without an art background?

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