Traditional Studies
- Cast Drawing
This subject will ground the student in methods and techniques for accurate observation and provide a theoretical understanding of how light interacts with form. Using traditional methods and materials the student will learn how to make highly refined drawings.
- Cast Painting
These monochromatic studies are a continuation of cast drawing and are meant to be a bridge between drawing and painting. The ideas previously learned in cast drawing are implemented while learning the particularities of the medium of oil paint. - Gesture Drawing
These courses focus on strategies and principles for rapidly grasping the essence of a pose. This will include students becoming familiar with overall structure of the human body. Students will be working toward mastery of the particularities of human anatomy in order to establish a “visual shorthand“, which later will enable the construction of the human figure in any pose from life or imagination.
- Figure Drawing
By taking the lessons learned from Cast Drawing and Gesture Drawing, the student will learn to make highly finished and accurate renderings of the figure. Long poses will be used so that in-depth study can be given to the intricacies of the human form and accurate observation of proportion becomes second nature within the students. - Painting
Through the practice of alla prima painting methods, the student will become exposed to various subjects and lighting situations. Attention will be given to formal painting methods such as color mixing, paint handling, and drawing with the brush. Students will learn techniques regarding art theory, planar construction and mark making, working general to specific, edge control, and important lessons regarding knowing what to paint and what not to paint in order to create convincing images. - Figure Painting
By utilizing the lessons from Figure Drawing and Cast Painting the student will execute oil paintings of the figure from life. Emphasis will be on form modeling and accuracy of proportion as well as capturing subtle expression and purposely communicating the moment that puts life in the painting. Poses will be for extended durations in order to allow for an in depth study. Traditional palettes and painting methods will be discussed and utilized. - Perspective
This study will give students an intellectual basis for representational thought through the means of linear perspective. An in depth look at how the picture plane is organized and how to construct illusionistic space will allow students to invent convincing scenes and compositions - Anatomy
With a basic understanding of the human body's underlying structures, a more lifelike and believable representation of the figure may be acheived. Emphasis is placed on skeletal structure, muscular origins and insertions, surface forms and proportion. Students will learn to intimately understand the key landmarks of the human figure and theory for creating subtle, powerful and anatomically correct figures from imagination in any pose and perspective. Required texts: Bridgeman’s Anatomy, and Figure Drawing books, Peck’s Anatomy for the Artist. - 2D Design, Composition, and Color and the Theory of Light
Students will learn the importance of shape theory including: rhythm, emphasis, variety, economy, movement, balance, continuity, repetition, and unity in order to understand the basics for designing anything from imagination. Abstraction will be heavily focused on during this period of instruction. Communication of look, feel, visual flavor, and mood will be focused on. Pictorial composition, in the middle of the course will explore black and white lighting theory for narrative and mood. Students will learn how to create focal areas, pictorial space through overlap and atmospheric perspective as well as object design. Color Theory, the final step in this course, will teach the students how to better understand lighting, color composition for narrative visual storytelling, and mood. Basic lighting theory will be heavily focused on including topics of temperature, value, saturation, compliment lighting, and palette choice for mood variation.
Concept Design Studies
- Orthographic Concept and Production Design
Students will learn the basics of production art processes through the creation of orthographic drawings from master concept artist works and historical concept designs. - Industrial Design, Vehicle, Technology, Prop and Item Creation
Students will utilize theory from the previously studied 2d design and color courses and apply them to sophisticated object design. Students will heavily research the assets being designed so that a historical understanding of such design becomes ingrained. Multiple categories of technology, industry, props, items etc…will be covered. Students will have a secondary focus on the history of ID. Production techniques will be explored and utilized. (In conjunction with environment and character design, the students will be creating a unique world from imagination as a team.) - Environmental Design
Students will learn to create the variety of cutting edge production techniques used for the creation of film, video game, and believable entertainment worlds. Students will utilize their color, design, and tonal skills for creating isometric, first-person, cinematic, detail, and narrative images. Students will learn to understand the full breakdown of imagery required for environment production and participate in the creation of an imaginative world from start to finish. - Character Design
This course will focus on the character creation process from start to finish. Students will learn to understand character types, archetypes, appropriate costume design, body language, and production techniques. Students will create believable characters from imagination and make them part of a cohesive world. All aspects of character concept design will be covered. - Animal Anatomy and Creature Design
Students will study the anatomy of animals, fish, insects, plants and other species of life on earth in order to apply their learning toward the creation of anatomically believable creatures from imagination. Students will study the process of evolutionary creature creation to create a circle of life for the world being created from the ground up.
Intended Flow of Studies
The intended flow of traditional study is as follows:
- Cast Drawing > Cast Painting > Life Drawing > Life Painting
This will be supplemented by:
- Gesture Drawing, All Prima Painting, Perspective, and Anatomy
The intended flow of concept design study is as follows:
- Orthogonal and Isometric Concepts > Industrial Design >
Environmental Design > Character Design
This will be supplemented by:
- Digital Painting, Speed Painting, Business Lectures, and Creative Development
Example Schedules
| Year One | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 -1 | Cast Drawing | Cast Drawing | Cast Drawing | Cast Drawing | Cast Drawing |
| 2 - 5 | Gesture Drawing | Concept | Gesture Drawing | Concept | Color & Design |
| 6 - 9 | Perspective |
| Year Two | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 -1 | Figure Drawing | Figure Drawing | Figure Drawing | Figure Drawing | Figure Drawing |
| 2 - 5 | Concept | Painting | Concept | Painting | Concept |
| 6 - 9 | Digital Painting |
Initial entry portfolios will require the following information:
- All portfolios must be submitted in digital format.
Send us a link, do not email jpegs. Make sure your images are big enough to see detail: at least 800 pixels on the long side.
- One Page Bio
Stating who you are, where you come from in life, previous education
and/or work experience. - One Page Mission Statement
Stating your top goals as an artist. Tell us what you want to do with your art and life.
What is your mission? - 10-15 pieces of your best artwork.
We do not want to see piles of your unfinished work; send only your best stuff- both digital and traditional media.
Include at least a few images that were done from life and some examples of your concept work (characters, creatures, environments and tech.) - 2 Letters of Recommendation/Testimonials
From people who know you well (not your parents, they’re biased). Include contact information (phone and email) for your references.
Failure to follow simple instructions gets you off on the wrong foot, so triple check everything and pay attention to detail! Start acting professional now and you’ll go far.
Send all of the above to Carl@massiveblack.com.
Hardware
- A laptop PC or Mac with a minimum 15 inch monitor (17 inch SXGA preferred), wifi capabilities, decent processor speed and at least 40gb of hard drive space.
- A Wacom Tablet with 6x8” live area (minimum size)
- 1 Gig USB Flash Drive (for swapping files)
Software
- Corel Painter 9
- Photoshop CS2
- ACDsee (or some similar picture viewing utility)
- Anti-Virus software
Analog
- Large Drawing board with clips
- Large Drawing pad – Good quality paper and Newsprint both
- Sketchbook – Good quality paper, 8.5 x 11
- Assortment of pencils, pens and charcoal etc. with accessories.
- Easel – folding, portable and stable
- You will need oil paints later on but the first few months are just drawing with graphite.
Tuition is currently $600 a month.