ALL COURSES ALL TRACKS ACADEMIES WHAT YOUTUBE DOESN'T TEACH YOU. Enroll Now Hello . Differences between Learning Online and Formal Training in Art For one, you can ask an instructor a question directly. No matter how many times you pause and rewind a video, the instructor isn't there to clarify. Freelance Hard Surface Artist Cohen Brawley ran into this issue when he turned 17. For many of his teenage years, Cohen relied on online resources like YouTube to develop his skills. His self-taught education was effective but limited. "I had a decent amount of 3DS Max knowledge, including unwrapping to high poly to baking," Cohen said. "But I didn't know how to perfect that as an artist. I knew I needed to improve a lot more if I wanted to make it in the industry." When Cohen experienced formal training, he saw the differences between what a YouTube tutorial and an industry expert could offer. Using both resources, Cohen's portfolio improved significantly, helping him break into the gaming industry. While self-taught education in 3D modeling can take you far, here are four lessons you can't get on YouTube: 1. EXPLANATION No matter how good a YouTube video is, it's static. It can't respond to your questions or rephrase confusing instructions. You'll likely end up frustrated, wondering how they got from step one to step two. Cohen went as far as he could with tutorials but was frustrated with their limitations. "I got very stuck with 'how is this guy doing this, why does this look so good?'" he said. As a student in the 90s, I learned a lot by watching my colleagues work. Seeing their techniques, shortcuts, and styles helped me understand the creative process and industry pipeline. Bottom line, seeing is learning. - Poe Tan, Concept Artist Before formal training, Cohen created the weapon below. To many, this is a fantastic product. But Cohen wasn't satisfied. "I didn't know how to refine my skill when I got to this point," he said. "Psychologically, I knew something looked wrong, but I didn't know what." Both lectures and Q&A sessions helped Cohen understand the steps he had missed in tutorials. 2. FEEDBACK Feedback is crucial for every artist. It can point out mistakes, offer suggestions, and prevent tunnel vision. It's an essential part of working in the art industry and a significant component of any formal education. Instead of struggling through trial and error, feedback pushes your project in the right direction and helps you grow as an artist. For Cohen, this feedback helped push his weapon designs to the next level. He took the course "Weapons and Props for Games" three times, and you can see his progress from the first gun he created where he knew something was off but didn't know what. Getting a professional, trained eye to review the work you struggled on will save you a lot of time, and you will probably learn a lot more this way than watching a video of the same teacher painting their own stuff. - Gilles Beloeil, Concept Artist "Feedback was the main thing I was missing in my portfolio, getting that valuable feedback and being able to improve with it." This feedback isn't just about craft or technique. Instructors at CGMA are industry experts and can provide insight on best practices within the industry. 3. INDUSTRY INSIGHTS YouTube tutorials are typically focused on a skill or project but may not answer all your questions about the industry. A practiced instructor can share more than how to create a great asset. They can share how to create that asset on a schedule that studios expect. Creative Director and Environment Artist Clinton Crumpler often answers questions about industry expectations like, “Is it okay to use megascans or similar resources while building an environment?” (The answer is yes). If you're looking to turn your passion into your profession, this kind of advice is essential. Cohen noticed that the industry used Maya more frequently than 3ds Max, which was his preferred software. But he quickly learned that exporting work between software was an industry norm, so he continued using 3ds Max. 4. TECHNICAL ELEMENTS Cohen's YouTube education brought him a long way, but there were certain technical skills he just didn't know. One gap in knowledge was texturing. Cohen didn't understand why his weapons didn't have the same wear as the examples he had seen. His "aha!" moment came when an instructor slowed down this step and explained it broadly so students could apply the skill to any project. An art instructor is not just trained at teaching art but also at giving critiques and suggestions that are most helpful to the student. They can spot the struggles the students are facing and find the suggestions that are most likely to steer them in the right direction. - Shannon Beaumont, Illustrator "It made it a lot easier to comprehend: watching him from lecture videos than just watching a YouTube video that will show you one step for five minutes with music in the background," Cohen said. "You can't keep up with it." YouTube is a fantastic resource for artists looking to develop their initial skills, but getting stuck is inevitable. Finding a mentor or taking a class will take your work to the next level. Register Today If you need additional help deciding your next steps, don't hesitate to arrange a call with an advisor. 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