Art Degree vs. Portfolio: What’s More Important?

Art student Jessica Parker wrote in to ask: “How important is a degree vs a portfolio when applying for an art position? I’ve heard very polarizing opinions on that front.”

I’ve heard this discussed many times between artists as they plan out their careers in the game industry. It’s important because school is time-intensive and expensive, so the idea that you could skip the education and get a job just by building a kick-ass portfolio is an attractive option.

But the answer is more complicated than it might appear. As it turns out, “degree vs. portfolio” is a trick question – with an even trickier answer.

What is an art portfolio good for?

If you’ve heard polarized opinions on the topic, it’s because it’s a false dichotomy. In reality it’s not an “either/or” situation.

One way to boil it down is this: Could you get a job with a great portfolio and no formal education? Most likely, yes. Could you get a job with a formal education and a weak portfolio? It would be extremely difficult.

But there are plenty of examples going both ways. Many artists in the game industry do not have formal educations, and they’re doing great. So if you have a friend who broke into the game industry without a degree, it’s tempting to think it could work for you.

And it might! But this is your career we’re talking about. It’s worth looking at the question more closely.

How important is an art degree for getting a job?

Here’s the bottom line: When it comes to getting a job as a game artist, having a formal education helps. A lot.

Why is that? It’s simple. When a hiring manager sees your art degree, she can make certain assumptions. She can assume that you have follow-through. That you’re serious about your career choice. That you can take direction and work in a collaborative environment. Also, that you speak the vocabulary of a professional artist and have stretched your skills in directions that you otherwise may not have tried. All of those things will affect your salary as an artist.

What does having an art degree not mean?

It does not mean that you’re talented.

The truth is that art schools, like most schools, are businesses. And it’s not good business to flunk out every student that isn’t particularly talented. So they’ll continue to take your tuition, in exchange for teaching you and pushing you and all the other things that schools do well. But they will not fire you for being mediocre.

The result? Every year, art schools graduate hundreds who just aren’t very good.

How important is an art portfolio for getting a job?

That’s where your portfolio comes in. An art director can look at your art portfolio site and get a sense of whether you’re talented, prolific and have the range they’re looking for. In other words, your portfolio tells them whether you’re one of the many lackluster art-school grads, or whether you’re a true-to-life rock star.

As art director Randy Briley noted in an interview on portfolios: “Your portfolio is your gateway to success. The work itself is the most important part.” (Read Randy’s interview here.)

There are many ways to start building your art portfolio. According to professional game artists Branden Brushett, getting an art degree is less important now than it was in the past, thanks to all the great training and tutorials available online. “If you would have asked me if art school was the best path 10 years ago, I would have said yes. But since then, things have changed significantly thanks to websites like YouTube, Gnomon, 3dtotal, Udemy and Lynda.”

Best of Both Worlds

The best situation is when a candidate has an art degree AND a strong portfolio. Because each says different but interrelated things about you as a job candidate.

Just be careful not to end up with an expensive art degree, but a weak portfolio. The only gig that will get you is a full-time job as a starving artist.
Image: t0zz / freedigitalphotos.net