Animation Concept Art Curriculum

The design process is essential for developing and visualizing potential ways to solve design problems. In this course you will explore the core elements and principles of design. Through a series of design challenges, including a Lego build, you will develop a greater repertoire of approaches and appreciation for the role of design in entertainment media. Through instructor-guided practice you will have the opportunity to develop core skills including orthographic, isometrics, and ellipses for example. Furthermore, you will be introduced to both traditional and digital design workflows.

You will discover the four principles that define the mission of the program – Critical Thinking, Research, Craft, and Story. Based on research, you will create a vehicle design package for a particular genre. Students will meet with their mentor twice weekly to receive critique and suggestions on their work, problem solve issues, and to maintain their production schedule. You will complete your own project while working in small creative teams. These supportive teams will allow each student to be critical of each other’s work, guide the group’s research, lend help with technique and craft, and continually improve the overall visual clarity of the stories being communicated. Lectures will accompany all of the classes to discuss critical concerns or skills for each stage of the design process, the language and fundamentals specifically related to drawing and design principles, as well as dedicated group reviews in the progress of the assignment. Discussion on the emotional, physical, and entertainment value of all aspects of the design package will be a core focus. Your experience culminates in the delivery of a comprehensive visual design package that includes vehicle and object designs and final concept images.

Discover what it means to achieve your creative goals with the pressure of a real production timeline and with the guidance and constructive support of your Industry Mentor. You will build self-awareness through mentoring and group review in this studio-based course. You will respond to constructive critique, provide input on the work of your peers, and modify your activities to achieve your Design Studio project goals. This course provides you with a window into the workings of an industry studio. Your success will be determined by your level of commitment, professionalism, preparedness, and your ability to communicate effectively with your Industry Mentor and peers.

You will be introduced to the elements and processes involved in digital painting. You will explore the unique properties of light and develop awareness of differences between digital and traditional painting. Emphasis will be placed on the use of light, shadow, value, mood, and accurate representations of the physical objects you observe. The majority of your class time will be structured around painting and sketchbook studies. Through exercises, teacher led demonstrations, presentations, and discussions you will be introduced to relevant industry examples, artists, and the skills necessary to prepare you for advanced course work and industry.

Find out why the study of the human form is a vital practice for animators and artists. Whether you have strong life drawing skills or are just beginning this course has precisely what you need to observe the relationship between form and function, anatomical structure, and to practice representing the movement, balance, weight, silhouette, and gesture of the human form. Through instructor-guided practice you will study the human model in many poses and augment the knowledge that you have gained in other course work. Please note, this course utilizes nude life-models.

Find out why the media design process is the most vital tool in the development of entertainment properties for TV, film, and games. Through a micro examination of props and vehicles you will further explore the issues, histories, and theories that underscore your technical course work. The combination of screenings, readings, research, discussion, and guest lectures encompass the critical frameworks that are core to the entertainment designer’s craft. Crucially, you will find your own vital voice in the critical dialogue of media design and experience how the act of designing is always embedded in that discourse. And you will enhance your unique point of view and creative practice by sharing it through group presentations, an assignment focusing on innovative design, as well as informal discussions.

Explore the theories and principles of perspective drawing. By the end of this course you will be able to render 1, 2, and 3 point perspective emphasizing appropriate scale. Your assignments will provide you with the practice necessary to create convincing visual forms and spaces that will also support the development of your major Design Studio project.

The Career Prep track is a workshop series delivered in 3-hour segments from Term 1 through 6. The key topics are intended to equip students with essential skillsets for pursuing employment in their industry and position of choice. Students will explore their preferred career paths, understand the importance of networking and social media, specific cover letters and resumes, as well as examine strategies for nailing the perfect job interview. Attendance is mandatory, and students will be evaluated based on attendance of workshops.

You will discover the four principles that define the mission of the program – Critical Thinking, Research, Craft, and Story. Based on research, you will create an environment design. Students will meet with their mentor twice weekly to receive critique and suggestions on their work, problem solve issues, and to maintain their production schedule. You will complete your own project while working in small creative teams. These supportive teams will allow each student to be critical of each other’s work, guide the group’s research, lend help with technique and craft, and continually improve the overall visual clarity of the stories being communicated. Lectures will accompany all of the classes to discuss critical concerns or skills for each stage of the design process, the language and fundamentals specifically related to drawing and design principles, as well as dedicated group reviews in the progress of the assignment. Discussion on the emotional, physical, and entertainment value of all aspects of the design package will be a core focus. Your experience culminates in the delivery of a comprehensive visual design package that includes a building design and a city establishing shot.

Discover what it means to achieve your creative goals with the pressure of a real production timeline and with the guidance and constructive support of your Industry Mentor. You will build self-awareness through mentoring and group review in this studio-based course. You will respond to constructive critique, provide input on the work of your peers, and modify your activities to achieve your Design Studio project goals. This course provides you with a window into the workings of an industry studio. Your success will be determined by your level of commitment, professionalism, preparedness, and your ability to communicate effectively with your Industry Mentor and peers.

You will be introduced to the elements and processes involved in digital painting. You will explore the unique properties of light and develop awareness of differences between digital and traditional painting. Emphasis will be placed on the use of light, shadow, value, mood, and accurate representations of the physical objects you observe. The majority of your class time will be structured around painting and sketchbook studies. Through exercises, teacher led demonstrations, presentations, and discussions you will be introduced to relevant industry examples, artists, and the skills necessary to prepare you for advanced course work and industry.

In Life Drawing 2 you will expand on the principles introduced in term 1 by further exploring the observation of the human form. This course focuses on the principles of movement, weight, balance, shape, and anatomy through gesture drawing, long-form poses, and humans in motion. Focused study on specific areas of the human form will be addressed. The practice of observation and application will be the foundation from which you will practice these principles. Please note, this course utilizes nude life-models.

Architecture is a discipline that incorporates the study of various aesthetic, environmental, and social conditions. The practice of architecture and urbanism also has a deep relationship to the story behind entertainment design. Designers must solve problems and ask critical questions about how the design of the environment will inform how the audience perceives the story. Therefore, studying and understanding architecture and place provides contextual knowledge that can become a valuable tool for your imagination. The combination of screenings, readings, research, discussion, and lecture encompass the critical frameworks that are core to entertainment designer’s craft. In this class you will find your own voice in the critical dialogue of media design and architecture and experience how the act of designing is always embedded in that discourse. You will enhance your own unique point of view and practice sharing it through group presentations and informal discussions.

Storyboarding is the art of working out story problems and determining which camera angles give the most impact to a scene. It is a visual format of the story idea and serves as a "blueprint" throughout the animation and/or film process. Students will express their ideas visually using proper film terminology, labeling and presentation. They will study basic storytelling principles and learn to illustrate camera angles through drawing, composition and perspective in order to create a mood in a scene or emotion in a character. Students will use storyboards both as a tool to further develop and idea and as a comprehensive communication device in teamwork and produce an animatic to present their final idea. The course will consist of lectures, viewing and discussion of existing storyboards and out of class assignments combines with one-on-one evaluation and critiques.

You will further refine your understanding of the four principles of the program – Critical Thinking, Research, Craft, and Story. Based on research, you will create a character design pack. Students will meet with their mentor twice weekly to receive critique and suggestions on their work, problem solve issues, and to maintain their production schedule. You will complete your own project while working in small creative teams. These supportive teams will allow each student to be critical of each other’s work, guide the group’s research, lend help with technique and craft, and continually improve the overall visual clarity of the stories being communicated. Lectures will accompany all of the classes to discuss critical concerns or skills for each stage of the design process, the language and fundamentals specifically related to drawing and design principles, as well as dedicated group reviews in the progress of the assignment. Discussion on the emotional, physical, and entertainment value of all aspects of the design package will be a core focus. Your experience culminates in the delivery of a comprehensive visual design package that includes a building design and a city establishing shot.

Discover what it means to achieve your creative goals with the pressure of a real production timeline and with the guidance and constructive support of your Industry Mentor. You will build self-awareness through mentoring and group review in this studio-based course. You will respond to constructive critique, provide input on the work of your peers, and modify your activities to achieve your Design Studio project goals. This course provides you with a window into the workings of an industry studio. Your success will be determined by your level of commitment, professionalism, preparedness, and your ability to communicate effectively with your Industry Mentor and peers.

Find out how to create story-driven worlds through the interplay of light, objects, and their environments. In this course you will further enhance your creative toolkit, knowledge of design, and research-based skills. You will utilize these to express the changing mood or theme of a script. This course culminates in the development of two photobashed pieces: 1 Character or Vehicle, and 1 Scene. The majority of your class time will be structured around traditional painting, digital painting and photobashing. Through exercises, teacher led demonstrations, presentations, and discussions you will be introduced to industry relevant examples, artists, and the professional processes necessary to prepare you for advanced course work and industry.

Life Drawing 3 focuses on the principles of movement, weight, balance, shape, and anatomy through gesture drawing, long-form poses, and humans in motion. Deeper study in scaling and detail anatomy studies of the human form will be addressed. The practice of observation and application will be the foundation from which you will practice these principles. Please note, this course utilizes nude life-models.

Discover why story plays a vital role in the development of entertainment properties. From Carl Jung to Joseph Campbell, you will go deeper into the issues, histories, and theories of storytelling with a particular emphasis on character and cinema. Screenings, readings, examples, discussions, and lectures that are relevant to the designer’s craft will be the focus of this course. In this class you will gain more confidence and practice expressing your own ideas and further explore how the act of storytelling is embedded in the broader discourse of media design. This course emphasizes group presentations and informal discussions.

In this course you will discover and practice the fundamental character design principles, professional techniques, procedures, and terms used in the creation of characters and model sheets. You will study the various disciplines of character design including the importance of turnarounds and silhouette, the use of different proportions to visualize archetypes, poses that define action and personality, character design analysis, developing complimentary and contrasting characters, and exploring different character design styles.

Advanced Drawing 1 is an intensive and advanced drawing study course. Long form master study will comprise a large part of the practice. Long form detail, shape, shadow and light studies of the human anatomy will be addressed. The practice of long observation and procedural application will be the foundation from which you will practice these principles. Please note, this course utilizes nude life-models.

You will discover the four principles that define the mission of the program – Critical Thinking, Research, Craft, and Story. Based on research, you will create a design package. Students will meet with their mentor twice weekly to receive critique and suggestions on their work, problem solve issues, and to maintain their production schedule. You will complete your own project while working in small creative teams. These supportive teams will allow each student to be critical of each other’s work, guide the group’s research, lend help with technique and craft, and continually improve the overall visual clarity of the stories being communicated. Lectures will accompany all of the classes to discuss critical concerns or skills for each stage of the design process, the language and fundamentals specifically related to drawing and design principles, as well as dedicated group reviews in the progress of the assignment. Discussion on the emotional, physical, and entertainment value of all aspects of the design package will be a core focus. Your experience culminates in the delivery of a comprehensive visual design package that includes a building design and a city establishing shot.

Discover what it means to achieve your creative goals with the pressure of a real production timeline and with the guidance and constructive support of your Industry Mentor. You will build self-awareness through mentoring and group review in this studio-based course. You will respond to constructive critique, provide input on the work of your peers, and modify your activities to achieve your Design Studio project goals. This course provides you with a window into the workings of an industry studio. Your success will be determined by your level of commitment, professionalism, preparedness, and your ability to communicate effectively with your Industry Mentor and peers.

In this course you will learn exercises which, if practiced consistently, will develop the fundamental skills required for professional digital painting.

The last and final installment of the Media Studies series focuses on the notion of the Remix and our role as designers within the context of our cultural landscape. Starting with the relationship of the creative process, copyright and public domain, this class will examine the Remix, look at case studies from entertainment and explore the changing landscape of entertainment media, its potential and our ability as independent producers to create and distribute 'content'.

Learn how to design for vector based digital animation pipelines and how to animate believable mechanics of motion. Understand the process of translating sketches and designs into functional and efficient character builds. You will also be introduced to the 12 Principles of Animation. Emphasis will be placed on developing authentic and compelling performances through physicality.

Working again with the guidance and support of your mentor you will push your portfolio production into high gear. Building upon the schedule and pitch that you design, you will assess the difficulty of your visual elements and refine your strategy to bring all of the assets together in to a cohesive and industry worthy portfolio that highlights your strengths as a designer. You will meet with your mentor several times a week to receive critique and suggestions on your work and problem solve issues. Course work will support critical concerns and skill-development for each stage of the design process, including the language and fundamentals specifically related to drawing and design principles, as well as dedicated group reviews. Discussion on the emotional, physical, and entertainment value of all aspects of the design package will also be focused on. The course culminates in the delivery of a comprehensive visual concept package presentation that includes character, environment, and vehicle concept designs and images.

This course covers the fundamental tools and techniques for modeling with a focus on character and anatomy. Following a general introduction to the interface and tools within the modeling module, students will examine the process of creating a variety of models and exploring, concepting and solving design problems. Students will also apply lessons learned in lighting and shading to their models for presentation purposes. Students will study a variety of modeling tools and techniques which will be applied to a series of modeling exercises and assignments that will prepare students for the advanced digital sculpting course and industry production. The course will consist of demonstrations, discussions, in-class exercises and out of class assignments.

Discover what it means to achieve your creative goals with the pressure of a real production timeline and with the guidance and constructive support of your Industry Mentor. You will build self-awareness through mentoring and group review in this studio-based course. You will respond to constructive critique, provide input on the work of your peers, and modify your activities to achieve your Design Studio project goals. This course provides you with a window into the workings of an industry studio. Your success will be determined by your level of commitment, professionalism, preparedness, and your ability to communicate effectively with your Industry Mentor and peers.

Building on the foundational skills practiced in Animation 1 students will work towards a finished final project. They will have the choice of either an animated loop, an animated motion comic, or two Animated BG's that tell a story. Focus will be on creating an emotional story moment through simple motion and well thought out composition.

A concept artist is a visual communicator, and the language of visual communication is composition. Without a thorough understanding of the dynamics of composition, an artist and designer is illiterate. This course takes you through a series of assignments that range from the deceptively simple to the increasingly challenging. You will study and apply principles of composition and perspective such as the principle of threes, staging, shape, light and shadow, line and movement, affinity, cinematography, dominance, and balance. The course will consist of lectures and demonstrations followed by discussions and in class exercises.

Working again with the guidance and support of your mentors you will delve into final production and create a comprehensive design package for your finished images. You will critically assess all of your design work and may select a key shot or scene to bring to life on screen. Each week you will participate in one-on-one studio dailies with your instructor, assimilate and respond to constructive feedback, and adapt your design package accordingly. Through the process of iteration, input, and reflection you will improve your project management skills and overall knowledge of the design production cycle. Ultimately you will deliver an exciting and original pitch package in addition to a compelling production quality portfolio.

Discover what it means to achieve your creative goals with the pressure of a real production timeline and with the guidance and constructive support of your Industry Mentor. You will build self-awareness through mentoring and group review in this studio-based course. You will respond to constructive critique, provide input on the work of your peers, and modify your activities to achieve your Design Studio project goals. This course provides you with a window into the workings of an industry studio. Your success will be determined by your level of commitment, professionalism, preparedness, and your ability to communicate effectively with your Industry Mentor and peers.

Life Drawing 5 is an intensive and advanced drawing study course. Gestural drawing study will comprise a large part of the practice. Motion, force, shape, shadow, personality and light studies of the human anatomy will be addressed. The practice of gestural sketching and interpretation will be the foundation from which you will practice these principles. A final class of Z-Brush life drawing sculpting will also be introduced. Please note, this course utilizes nude life-models.