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by Kirk Bangstad
kirk.bangstad@animationschoolreview.com
Animation School Review Columnist

Some of the best animators have backgrounds in illustration. Before enrolling in an animation college, make sure the institution will teach you how to draw.

Peter de Seve was one of the key artists who worked on the animated film, Ice Age 2: The Meltdown. De Seve didn’t go to animation college. Instead, he attended the Parsons School of Design, and focused his efforts on illustration. De Seve has worked on a lot of animated films, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Prince of Egypt, Mulan, A Bug’s Life, and Tarzan. Although a famous animator, de Seve has also illustrated for Time, Newsweek, and the Atlantic Monthly, among other famous publications. His versatility as both an illustrator and an animator signifies the importance of artistic skill in any animation career.

The Best Animation Colleges Focus on Drawing

In many of today’s lesser animation colleges, students are taught how to use state of the art animation software without learning basic drawing skills. They run the risk of graduating with a crude knowledge of how to put together an animated film without the artistic eye to make it smooth and interesting. Most professional animators will tell you that learning to draw is the hardest part about animation, but it will lead to the longest animation career. Learning how to use computer animation programs is much easier in the long run, but few can build an animation career off of computer skills alone.

In de Seve’s college days, there probably weren’t a lot of animation programs available. Today, there are many animation colleges, but only the best offer skills in both computer animation and basic illustration.

If you’re serious about an animation career, make sure the animation college you attend will help you hone your drawing skills in addition your computer training.

Source

Peter de Seve Biography

About the Author

Kirk Bangstad is a singer living in Chicago, IL. Having received his B.A. in Government at Harvard, Kirk previously worked as a management consultant.