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Extreme Figure Drawing with Dave Ross: Starts June 30, 2010
This intensive overview of the human form is designed to give the art student a strong understanding of how the human body is built. The program will focus on a simplified, constructive method of drawing the human form, allowing the student to draw the male or female body at rest or in action from their imagination.
Including exploration of heads & features.
Learn to draw the head and to achieve a good portrait drawing:
The world we live in can be harsh. Our culture seems to be having problems caring about anything but maximum profits. I wonder how many projects that have real merit have been shelved because the powers that be didn’t feel they’d make enough money, not that they wouldn’t make a profit, that they wouldn’t make a huge profit.
We’re deciding for our children what their taste will be by denying them access to films that don’t fit the profile of what’s “selling” right now. We’re limiting their exposure to a wider range of content and styles.
Technology may change the game for the better. Film makers can already distribute through Amazon. When creating an animated film becomes less costly, film makers will be able to bring films to life that just can’t seem to get produced today for purely financial reasons, and they’ll be able to distribute through outlets like Amazon!
My guess is that you lucky people who are currently in school will have much more freedom as creators in the future than those of us who are trying to create now.
Speaking of being in school, we are now in the heart of second semester and the time of year when people with mood problems often find themselves depressed. The Canadian government is asking everyone to take vitamin D supplements! It seems that up here in the north, we are deficient. Lack of sufficient levels of vitamin D is associated with depression, and can also leave you vulnerable to cancer. Please check this out with your doctor, or look it up on a reputable web site. You can get vitamin D in liquid form and take it as a tasteless drop a day. My suggestion is to take natural vitamins, not synthetic vitamins.
I would also like to suggest almonds, trail mix and apples as snack foods that will give you ongoing energy. Stay away from processed foods, especially soft drinks and candy that can give you a rush followed by a crash. This advice is critical for students with a predisposition to depression, but really it’s sound advice for all of us.
( And my apologies: I hadn’t realized that soda pop had snuck into our vending machine! I’ve asked that it be replaced with water and juice.)
Last but not least, I’m determined that this week we’ll finally get some work from Advanced Environment Design posted. Please let me know if you’re as impressed with it as I am!
Starts July 5, 2010
Cartooning: Starts July 5, 2010
Do your drawings lack substance and stability? Do expressive faces or hands give you trouble? Join this class and get the practice in solid structural drawing, dynamic anatomy, faces, hands, feet and perspective. Course content can be tailored to suit your needs.
Starts August 2, 2010
Some phenomena–such as falling rain, billowing smoke, tumbling blocks and flying flags–are difficult or impossible to animate using conventional key framing methods.
Starts July 19, 2010
A full overview of how things are done in the 3D animation industry. Topics covered include 3D software basics, modeling, animation, and rendering.
Character Maquette Building For Animation and Video Games: with Steve Millard
Starts July 12, 2010
I’m writing this in answer to questions I’m asked on a regular basis!
There seems to be confusion about the difference between Video Game Design and Concept Art : they are very different. The confusion is increased by the fact that many schools indicate that they teach both when in reality they are essentially teaching game design, and offering a few concept art classes as part of the curriculum.
Video Game designers conceive and program games. Concept Artists design the environments, props, and characters. To become a Concept Artist you will need more than one or two concept art courses. This is a position that requires very developed art and design skills. Take a look at the curriculum of our four year diploma program in Concept Art for Animation and Video Games. Every course listed is part of the knowledge base required for this profession!
Although studying illustration in a degree or diploma program will teach you some of the skills required, they will not all be covered. Concept Art is really a mix of illustration, traditional fine art skills, product design, animation and applied computer skills. It took us a year to work out our curriculum and we’ve been fine tuning it ever since.
I hope this helps!
Maxine
I’m happy to write that first year animation students are having a really exciting time in their first classical animation course, and Tina Seemann tells me their enthusiasm makes it a joy to work with them.
Twenty year one students have signed on (pending successful completion of the first diploma) for the Advanced Diploma in 3D Computer Animation and Production. We’ll be introducing this group to 3D with workshops during years 2 and 3.
The current year 3 animation students are working on the animatics for their film projects under the direction of award winning director Jean Pillote. The films will be completed during a 3 week intensive at the end of this academic year. I’m looking forward to seeing them !
Carla Drmay, Tina Seemann, James Miko, and the third year animation students recently visited Cuppa Coffee, a prize winning Toronto animation company, well known for stop motion animation, but also involved with computer animation. Three ‘09 graduates are working there, as well as some graduates from former years, and the company is very happy with their professional attitude! The report is that Cuppa Coffee is expanding and has added many computer stations.
In fact, the animation industry in the GTA seems to be rebounding from a very slow fall. The spring should see many companies ramping up.
Sequential Arts: Comic Books and Graphic Novels and Classical and Computer Animation Basics students who are slated to graduate in the spring, will be using Blog Spot to post their blogs very soon. Year 3 Concept Art for Animation and Video Games students will also post. There will be links to all their blogs on our gallery page. Since all graduating students must put up a blog as part of their portfolio development course, everyone who wants to will be able to see the full range of work produced by all Max the Mutt’s senior students.
That’s all the news for now. I’m hoping to have the time this week to get some recent art work from Concept Art students posted!
Starts July 19, 2010 Evenings
Beginning with the tools and interface, individuals will be introduced to Flash software. They will be taught how to design characters and will participate in basic animation exercises. Read the rest of this entry »
