Jessie Davis returns

Featuring yet another student who started with us as a teenager and returns to The Animation Academy as an adult.

Jessie Davis made an impression with her work in the Teen Program a few years ago, and she continues to impress with her latest designs from the class project she's developing. Here's a sketch she created from our most recent session of the Adult Program.


In the drawing above, Jessie explores form through the use of cast shadow and tonal rendering with blue pencil and graphite. She's also captured an intriguing expression with her character and framed the experience in design symmetry. Jessie carries on the Academy's legacy through the strength of her emerging skills.

Steve Montenegro returns

The Animation Academy is unique in the relationship we enjoy with our students. We've had many young artists grow up with us. Such is the case with Steve Montenegro who was enrolled in our Teen Program several years ago at its beginning while early in his time at high school. Today he works locally in banking and finance and has returned recently to pick up classes in the Adult Program.

Here's a sketch Steve created this semester.


Steve is starting to develop his own style in character design and is working on his visual development skills. His continuing participation adds to the positive atmosphere of the Academy and energizes our sessions. Looking forward to more from Steve Montenegro.

Mercedes Milligan class demo

It's always a pleasure to present the work of successful students from the Academy. Mercedes Milligan started with us when she was 15 years old in high school. Today she's a young lady on staff with Animation Magazine and creates editorial illustrations for the publication. She's been featured before on the Academy's blog this past July 3.

Mercedes has returned to the Academy is now an assistant instructor in the Teen Program. Here's a demonstration she created at last Saturday's session. Click on the image for a better view.


Mercedes began with a blue line sketch of her concept and proceeded to complete the drawing in color with her skillful use of markers. Mercedes is an exceptional talent and we're very happy to have her back with us in an assistant instructor capacity.

Heeeere's ArtShark!

It's always fun to work up a new version of the Academy's mascot, ArtShark. He's been around for almost as long as the school has been in existence. In his latest appearance he's dressed as a pilgrim and all set to greet visitors to the Academy's main website in anticipation of the Thanksgiving Holiday in the US.

I've included the concept sketch and the final line drawing in this presentation. Click on the image for a better view.


Drawing "A" focused on the formation of the idea and ArtShark's compositional pose. The sketch began with blue pencil then shifted to red pencil to further refine what was developing. In drawing "B" a blue pencil cleanup was done over the rough on a light table using the red line in "A" as the basis. The cleanup was scanned and digitally colorized in the final version at bottom.

Be on the lookout for more of ArtShark soon.

Noah Amrani before and after

Showcasing student work on the Academy's blog is most effective when we publish art from the beginning of the educational experience and compare it with what the student is doing now.

Here's something recent from Noah Amrani, a student enrolled in our Teen Program. On the left is a sample of what Noah was creating about the time he first started taking classes with us last summer. On the right is what Noah is currently creating. Click on the image for a better view.


In the before drawing on the left, Noah struggled with his symmetry, design elements and some basic drawing issues in general. Although he created better drawings than what I'm posting here as the before sample, I'm using this particular one to exemplify the range of his growth. In the after sketch on the right, his skills are showing much stronger and everything comes together for a successful and more appealing design.

Noah is a dedicated student that is making significant strides in the development of his artwork. We'll be seeing more of his creative efforts in the future.

Alan Simmons from the archives

The Animation Academy is distinguished by its long list of successful students, associates, instructors and professional colleagues. Alan Simmons has been an avid supporter of the school and what it stands for ever since our inception in 1997.

Mr. Simmons is a veteran designer in the industry, renowned for his work on the Batman and Superman productions at Warner Bros. TV Animation. He is currently a designer at Disneyland Entertainment. Below is a grayscale marker demonstration he created for the Background Design class he was teaching a few years ago. Clicking on the image will provide a better view.


Alan Simmons is an Oxford educated artist with a passion for great design and architecture. His influences include Frank Lloyd Wright. He embraces social issues that affect the human condition and is active in the community in regards to these issues.

We're scheduling an appearance by Mr. Simmons at one of our adult sessions soon. Hopefully this semester in our Background Design class which all of our currently enrolled students will be welcome to attend.

New from Kevin Poythress

In the most recent session of the Academy's Adult Program, Kevin Poythress created an imaginative sketch which he's since taken to color. Kevin has been featured twice before on the blog, on August 11 and June 12. Click on the picture below for a better view.


In his initial drawing on the left, Kevin developed the sketch with blue pencil and then went on to black line. On the right, Kevin has scanned his artwork and completed it with digital color.

Kevin has his own website which you're welcome to visit.

http://mutantpenguin.com