When John Nevarez Was Here

Many times when students inquire or enroll with us they're amazed when they find out the incredible artists who once  attended the Academy as students. Recently I dug up some treasure from our archives and discovered a trove of art from the great John Nevarez when he was here as a student. John eventually became an instructor with us. After several wonderful years enjoying his presence and generous enthusiastic creativity he eventually made it to Pixar where he's enjoyed a fabulous career with his most current credits on "Coco".

Here are some samples of original art that John created in the early 2000's. This is a small sample of a large quantity of work he left us to remember him by from his days at the Academy.

Hannah Smith on Patreon - Process animation video

She's been a fantastic student and now she's showcasing her animation expertise on Patreon. This is Hannah Smith's latest video where she features her animation process from the initial rough footage to the final color version. Hannah is proficient in Toonboom which is industry standard software for traditional hand drawn animation. Hannah has also started a Patreon account to help move her production along. Take a look at The Blue Wolf Studios on Patreon and consider supporting this emerging talent and her outstanding work. You can also follow Hannah Smith's Blue Wolf Studios on YouTube.

Joshua Lam - Drawing / Coloring Video

Academy alum Joshua Lam of Running Deer Publishing has created a speed drawing / painting demonstration video that highlights fundamental basics in both constructing a character and rendering the image in color. You can see more of Joshua's Running Deer content on YouTube.

Joshua Lam launches Running Deer Publishing

Another of our many exceptional students over the years has launched an exciting new venture. Joshua Lam is a professional graphic designer who studied with us at various times during his career. His latest project involves the publishing of a new iBook entitled "Water" through a company he's formed called Running Deer Publishing. The launch date for Water is April 19. You can find out more at the Academy's Facebook where there's plenty of related links to enjoy. Meanwhile have a look at Joshua's videos as he describes Running Deer Publishing and also provides a demo in digital illustration.

Jeremy Vasquez - First Commission

It's always great when our students start prospering with their art. Recently we experimented with our minimum age requirements by accepting students in middle school. 

Jeremy Vasquez is among the group and I'm happy to report he's completed his first professional commission. He created a family caricature with 13 individuals. Jeremy was paid $13 per character for a total of $130. And he's only 12 years old!

Congrats to Jeremy! He's on his way.

Share the Lesson 10 - Head and Shoulders

There's a YouTube based video series I've been developing entitled "Share the Lesson". In it I highlight some pointers that help artists better understand methods and ways to approach their work in character design on fundamental levels. Tips and thinking and theory that will improve your art. The latest episode involves a look at how the head / neck / shoulder areas of a character integrate in various ways to help define the look of the character. 

You're welcome to subscribe to The Animation Academy on YouTube and get instant notification whenever we post a new video.

Also please consider supporting The Animation Academy on Patreon. Your participation assists us in significant ways so that we can continue to produce educational content with greater frequency.

Thanks for your consideration. Enjoy the lesson!   

Spotlight on Maia Gross

She was once a student. Now she's grown to become indispensable as an instructor here at the Academy. Maia Gross is another of our brilliant artists that creates a positive affect upon our community with every class she conducts. Maia is the result of our practice of developing our teachers from our student body. She's as outstanding an instructor in Character Design and Visual Development as she is a vibrant individual and a visionary. She nurtures and inspires a highly talented group of future superstars and we're fortunate to have someone as dedicated and devoted to our school as she is. 

Below is a small sample of what Maia comes up with as assignments from when she was a student to class demonstrations as an instructor. Presented in no particular order and accumulated from the many times she's been featured on the Academy's blog.

  

Albert Park's class artwork from 2004

Way back in the earlier years of The Animation Academy we enjoyed having a very talented student attend classes with us. Albert Park was a teenager at the time as I recall and was enrolled in Character Design 1. He did a fantastic job with his assignments and it was very clear that he was headed for great things in his career. 

Below are copies of 2 of his works which we have displayed on our Wall of Fame seen publicly for the first time. One is a full body 5 pose rotation which is a basic for professional character designers. This establishes what the character looks like. The next is a series of facial expressions of the character which is also a basic requirement for professionals as this helps describe the personality of the character. The material is then incorporated into the model package for the character and utilized in production as things move down the pipeline.

Since that time Albert has gone on to work at several top animation studios and is best known as a storyboard artist at Marvel Animation. You can see his IMDb credits here and you can also see his Facebook here. 

Adapting your artistic skills to the necessities of animation will help in be positioning oneself for professional opportunities as they develop.

Academy Legend - Sean Jimenez

Here's another example of the incredible talent that has come our way and contributed to our 20 year legacy. This art is from an assignment by Sean Jimenez when he was a student at the Academy back in our first year of 1998. First time the art has been seen publicly. He created this for Visual Development and Production design. The assignment was geared towards creating a thematic composition utilizing gray tomes. Sean did a great job. We have the art feaurued as part of our Wall of fame.

In today's industry Sean Jimenez is among the most accomplished of professionals working in the biz. His credits include Background Design Supervisor for Disney's "Gravity Falls" TV series. Click here to see IMDb credits for Sean Jimenez. You'll be amazed at his designs at this link to Sean's blog.

Spotlight on Autumn Galvin

One of our most creatively vibrant students is a young lady who's been with us for several years and is currently attending the Academy as an assistant instructor. Autumn Galvin is also enrolled at a local college where she's impressing the animation department with her imagination and her unique approach to her work as well as with her basic skills in design and draftsmanship. Below are a few examples of what she's created in class. You can follow Autumn Galvin on Facebook and in other social media venues.

  

The Animation Academy is 20 Years Old Today !!

A very special day as The Animation Academy in Burbank California celebrates our 20th anniversary! We conducted our first class on January 19 1998 with a group of 20 students in the back room of a local restaurant. Twenty years later the legacy of our school still plays a significant part in the history of the animation industry and more importantly in the lives of the many students we've had who've gone on to great creative careers.

THANK YOU to all the wonderful people and all the talented artists who've made this possible!

Nazil Collins - Emerging Artist

Here's a spotlight on Nazil Collins who has grown into a very promising talent. He's been with us for nearly 2 years and has developed a unique look and style to his work. Nazil is currently preparing his submissions to some choice universities and art school colleges in the area. We're confident he'll find a great place to exhibit his skills while he continues to be involved with the Academy in days ahead.

The Animation Academy in Burbank - Now and Then

Happy New Year to you! Thanks for checking in and for following the Academy's blog. Looking forward to featuring more great student art and other items of education and interest in 2018. This year will mark our 12th complete year in maintaining this blog.

Here's a special treat. Let's ring in the New Year by taking a rare look at the past. The Animation Academy has been operating at our current location in Burbank for several years now. Locals tell us that at one time there was an ice cream parlor where our building now stands. As fate would have it a few days ago I discovered a photo of our location dating way back to 1976. Take a look at the series of transitional photos and see what was here once upon a time.

Here's the Academy's building in a photo taken over the weekend on January 6 2018...

Here we are as the present slips away...

...and we start to get a glimpse of the past.

We can now see that at one time...

...there was a Fosters Freeze at our currently location in 1976.

The stories the locals told about what was once here have been proven to be true!