If you are seeking an education in how to illustrate, draw and render artwork like the great masters, the place not to go is to college. Academic colleges of art do not teach people how to draw. They do teach art history, color theory and composition, but if you are interested in going to art school to learn how to illustrate and draw characters, going to an atelier is ideal.

But even then, art is like computer programming – it is a technical field. It is all about directed practice and skill – not about getting A’s by parroting a professor’s philosophy or appealing to their aesthetic sense.

One of my favorite 3D artists is Monty Oum. In his interview with Screw Attack, Monty Oum admitted that he never went to college, and is in fact a high school dropout. He doesn’t endorse the path he took, however, it is impossible to argue with his talent.

After he created “Haloid”, he got enough publicity and attention that he was recruited by Midway. At Midway, in his spare time, he created the “Dead Fantasy” series and later landed a job at Konami. He is arguably one of the most talented 3D artists in the industry.