Expert articles on the education and training requirements in animation and related fields

 What Does Computer Art Mean?

Computer art is any type of art produced with the aid of a computer. With computer art, the computer’s capability as a means to manipulate art in distinctive ways is emphasized. The end result is typically a style or design that cannot be achieved by any other means. Computer art comes in two forms including interactive and non-interactive. Although both forms have an audience, only one form—interactive, requires audience participation in order to realize the full potential and depth of the piece.

What Does Graphic Design Mean?

Also called graphic art, graphic design is the process of using color, type, illustration, animation, photography, and various print and layout techniques to create visual solutions to communications problems (www.bls.gov). Graphic designers develop designs for newspapers, magazines, advertisements, corporate reports, journals, books, and other publications. Graphic design is also used to create marketing materials, signs, displays, and packaging as well as material for multimedia projects, web pages, and interactive media. 

What Does Fine Arts Mean?

Believe it or not, there are more than 200 career options for fine artists. The reason is, fine arts is a broad field that covers multiple fields such as drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, illustration, multimedia art, photography, crafts, and more. In simple terms, fine art is concerned primarily with the creation of beautiful objects for pleasure rather than utility. No matter which field an aspiring fine artist chooses, in order to make it in the industry and maximize your earning potential, formal training is almost always required.

What Does Visual Effects Mean?

Visual effects is the process of creating imagery outside of live action shoots. This imagery is typically either too elaborate or even dangerous to create for or capture on film. Some visual effects (also called F/X or VFX) combine live action and say, computer generated imagery, while others are totally computer generated. Some of the most celebrated VFX scenes can be seen in films such as The Dark Knight (2008), Iron Man (2008), Titanic (2007), and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006).