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

Kris Anka going strong

It's hard to believe that Kris Anka is only 17 years old when you look at his work. Here's a composition in progress he was touching up the other evening during the latest session of the Adult Program. Click on the image for a larger view.


Kris started with us as a youngster by enrolling in the Teen Program a few years ago. He currently attends our adult classes as part of the assistant instructor crew. He continues to challenge himself and kick it up a notch with each new work he creates. Kris is dedicated to his art, is very productive and seriously studies his craft. This is the result when backed up by an intuitive talent.

The new semester for adults will be starting Tuesday, November 7. Contact the school if you're interested in joining us.

Brandon Andersen goes macabre

And just in time for Halloween. Brandon Andersen started with us years ago at a young age within the Academy's Teen Program. He continues his art education at his high school during the week and attends our Adult Program even though he is only 17 years old. Click on his art to see it larger.


In the composition above, Brandon does a good job of distorting human anatomical features to achieve something unusual and unique within his design. Combining organic and inorganic elements as well. The somewhat forced perspective he positions his subject in adds interest to the viewing experience.

Brandon will be graduating high school this coming spring. Looking forward to what the future holds for him creatively.

Ronan Relosa gets to basics

No bones about it. Here's an example of some miscommunication that put Ronan Relosa down a new creative path.

Ronan is enrolled in our Character Design I class. As he was working a basic rotation for a character concept he was developing, he interpreted the emphasis I was placing on structure as direction to establish the skeletal foundation of his character. The result was what you see below. Clicking on the picture will provide a better view.


Ronan did a great job at showing what could realistically be happening within the anatomy of a form based entirely upon fantasy. Like the skeletal framework he drew, the additional work he created for his assignment revealed a deeper dimension to Ronan's skills. It'll be interesting to see the unusual approaches he comes up with in his future projects.