Saturday, January 19, 2013

The Animation Academy Celebrates 15 Years

Why is ArtShark so happy today?


If you answered that he's pretty much always happy you'd be correct of course. 
But today he is exceptionally upbeat and exuberant. 
That's because today is...



January 19 is a key day each year for ArtShark but this year it's especially signifcant...



That's because today marks the 15th Anniversary of The Animation Academy in Burbank !!!




It was 15 years ago today on the evening of Monday, January 19, 1998 in the back room of the Coral Cafe in Burbank that we held our very first class. Speaking of 15 that's how much money it took for me to start the business. I spent $15 on stamps and envelopes to mail flyers I printed from a little 486 PC and sent out to 35 former students and friends on a Christmas card list. I sold all 20 available seats and from then on it was history in the making as they say.

The Academy has been a hugely influential school since that time and continues to affect the animation industry to this day. It's had a big impact in the lives of a great many people who've gone on to significant achievements with their art and careers. I'm very proud of what's been accomplished since January 19, 1998.

So here's to the future of the Academy as we celebrate its past and head into the future! I hope it continues to be a positive influence for all!


Thanks to our students past and present, instructors, associates and friends as we celebrate the milestone of our 15th anniversary!

KEEP CREATING!!!

Charles Zembillas
President / Founder / Director
The Animation Academy
Burbank California
USA

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Assorted student work

Happy New Year to our current and former students, to our instructors, associates and all our friends from The Animation Academy  in Burbank, California!

A good way to get 2013 off to a great start would be to showcase some of the artwork our students have been creating lately. Let's begin with something Kristen Robertson came up with as a result of a project she's been developing in her Visual Development class. Kristen is an Instructor-in-training with us and has been doing a nice job in assisting students in Character Design 1 with their fundamentals. In this sample she's created an unusual and fun character which she skillfully rendered in Photoshop. 


Maia Gross is a new student to our program and has already made an impact with her impressive work. This is an assignment from Character Design 1 in which she turned the subject in a three pose rotation appropriate for digital modeling. Clicking on the image will give you a better view.


Marietta Semerdjian continues to progress with her art in Visual Development as she prepares her portfolio for submission to a fashion design college upon her graduation from high school. She created the composition using one color of acrylic paint to practice her all important tonal rendering.


Also from the Visual Development class is some of the latest class work from Margo Akopov. Margo is attending the Academy courtesy of a scholarship from Major League Baseball and the Boys and Girls Club of Burbank. She's developing a unique style that is becoming more evident in assignments such as this tonal rendering exercise in acrylics.


Last but certainly not least is a recent work from Joel Valdez. Santa was good to him this Christmas as he has a new Cintiq to create with which he used in this composition along with Sketchbook Pro digital drawing and illustration software. Joel is also an Instructor-in-training.


This is just a small sampling of the artwork our students generate at the Academy on a daily basis. Creative vitality, diversity, exploration and discovery are par for the course within our program as everything is built upon a foundation of fundamentals. With a solid base in the basics artists are able to do things they never thought possible. Strong fundamentals gives our students the strength, confidence and freedom to go on to marvelous things.

Wishing you and yours health, happiness, prosperity and all the good things in life for 2013 and beyond!  

Charles Zembillas
The Animation Academy
Burbank California