Chris Tezber from the archives

A couple of years ago we had a student enrolled with us by the name of Chris Tezber. Chris left an impression, especially with the work he was doing in the Background Design class. Here's a sample of a class assignment he created while enrolled at the Academy. Clicking on the artwork will give you a better view.

Chris used blue pencil to establish and render his composition. One of the methods he utilized for enhancing the composition and adding interest to the visuals of his work was his use of contrasting tone. For example, take a look at the jazz club he has featured in this scene. It's easy to find since it's the area of the composition with the lightest tonal values, giving the impression that a light source is focused on the subject. By surrounding this area with darker controlled values, Chris was able to further define it as the compositional center of interest.

Chris came to the Academy from the School of Visual Arts in New York City where he had achieved a Bachelor of the Arts degree. We often have students with a previous art education enroll with us to build upon what they've experienced beforehand, as was the case with Chris.

James Brown / Kris Anka collaborate

Students at The Animation Academy frequently work together in collaborative creative efforts. In this example from the Adult Program, James Brown (not to be confused with the godfather of soul) and Kris Anka whose work has been previously featured here on the Academy's blog, have combined their skills resulting in this presentation. James created the design for a ninja girl and Kris digitally colored his drawing in Illustrator.


Collaborative teamwork like this is part of the process of working in animation production. Some artists will focus their skills in one aspect of the process while others who specialize in a different discipline will pick it up from there and carry it further down the line towards a final result. That's one of the exciting aspects of working in the animation industry. It's a group endeavor requiring the contributions of many talented people striving towards a common creative goal. James and Kris have accomplished this in a small but significant way. Nice job, guys.

Micah Martinez makes his mark

Another student who's making an impact at the Academy's Teen Program is Micah Martinez. Micah is 16 years old and has been dilligent in his time with us. Here's a few samples of class assignments he's worked up. They range from his earlier sessions to more recent ones. Clicking on the image will give you a better view.


Micah is the kind of student artist the Academy attracts that helps contribute to the school's continuing creative legacy. Looking forward to exciting things from Micah Martinez in the future.

Alex Madrigal from the archives

Through a chance coincidence, I had the opportunity to catch up on what's been happening with Alex Madrigal. Alex enrolled at the Academy when he was a teenager. He made an impression with his work, to the point where he assisted the instructors with the class as he matured. Here's a sample of what Alex was doing several years ago back when he was a student in the Academy's Teen Program.


Alex went on to continue his education. He is currently in his last year at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) where he is studying character animation. Alex has his own blog which I'm happy to refer our visitors to. Check out more of his excellent artwork by clicking on the link below.

http://alexmadrigal.blogspot.com

Joshua Pina - emerging talent

It's always a pleasure to present the work of the Academy's students, especially when the presentation comes from someone like Joshua Pina. Joshua's art has been showcased here before on May 4 in a post entitled "Two more from the Teens". This drawing was created last Saturday during the Teen Program.


What distinguishes Joshua's sketch, aside from its quality, is that he is only 14 years of age. Joshua started with us when he was 11. Now that he's entering high school, his educational experience at the Academy combined with his current skill level has his school's administrators considering him for special placement in their arts program. If he's doing work like this at 14, imagine what we have to look forward to by the time he graduates and is ready for college. Joshua is a talent to watch.

Kevin Poythress 3D rotation

Whether you're working in 2D or 3D, character rotations are an important part of the production process in animation. Character design rotations drawn by hand are often used as templates for digitally modeling a character in 3D once the design has been approved. This example was created by Kevin Poythress during the last session of the Academy's adult program. The image will appear bigger if you click on it.


Kevin recently relocated to the Burbank area from Modesto, California to study at The Animation Academy. He got off to a good start and has been steadily improving in Character Design I, meeting the challenges presented by the class. This particular character rotation of his was developed with 3D modeling in mind.

Seth Hippen expressions

Establishing a range of emotions through facial expressions is an essential element of the character design process as it applies to animation production. Here's an outstanding example of expression models for a single character. These sketches were created by Seth Hippen during the most recent session of the Academy's Adult Program. Click on the art for enhanced viewing.


Seth was featured earlier in the Academy's blog. He's a 3D animator working professionally in Los Angeles. Seth is taking Character Design at the Academy to further improve his concept design skills and his basic drawing. Seth is doing a commendable job this semester. Expression models are a valuable asset in character development and an important aspect of the Academy's Character Design course.

Jorge Becerra revisited

You may recall early on in the Academy's blog an entry featuring a work entitled "Eclipse" by Jorge Beccera. Jorge is currently enrolled in our Teen Program. Here's something he created for the class.


Jorge skillfully used black line and color pencil to selectively develop the graphics. His rendition of the concept is as adept as the intriguing impression he created with his character.

Aaron Horvath from the archives

Here's something from the Academy's collection of student work that's worth featuring. Aaron Horvath began his studies with us early on in the history of the school while he was enrolled at a local university. Aaron grew tremendously at the Academy and left his mark as part of our legacy. Here's a few drawings he created while taking Character Design and Visual Development.


Aaron eventually broke into the industry as a Flash animation artist. He went on to a successful career working on production units at Comedy Central and Disney Studios.