Animation Portfolio Workshop vs. Sheridan's Art Fundamentals...

[kamikazel33t]

What is the difference between the criteria of creativity and imagination? That is a tough one to figure out.

[Vince Peets]

Creativity can be seen in the act of combining ideas together that may not seem to be a natural fit at first, but add layers of interest when they are combined. I suppose no one would have trouble imagining a talking mouse wearing over-alls, but consider the person who pitched the idea of a talking sponge that wears pants...
Imagination can be seen in the unique way that each of us sees the world - one person's imagination will produce ideas that are very different from another person. We want to encourage each person who designs a character to add their own ideas to the mix and go beyond "copying" of the ideas of others. Of course, you will be inspired by animation characters that you see in movies, on tv etc. but I guess the imagination criterion will encourage you to take a character that inspire you and add your own unique twist to it - to get into the habit if developing your own voice when it comes to designing characters.

Does this help?

[kamikazel33t]

Yes thank you very much, I think I have a clear Idea of what is expected of the judging criteria. I would also like to ask whether you want fully complete drawings with color and such or would it be preferred to have it without any kind of rendering showing under structure just like how you would see in a college animation portfolio submission?

[Vince Peets]

Colour and/or any kind of rendering (light and shadow, surface textures, elaborate patterns on clothing, etc.) are not necessary. Draw your character in pencil. It's perfectly fine if your drawing shows some of the under-structure of the large forms. The only drawings that we won't be accepting are photoshop-ed images, no 3D computer renderings, no print-outs or photocopies - only drawings on paper - similar to standard character model sheets. This contest is not open to professionals, so we realize that some people who enter the contest may be doing these particular drawings for the first time. Here's a resource that you may want to use - starting on Monday, Dec. 10 we will be posting "Pro Tips" on the APW website from animation professionals. Each tip will be one idea used by that particular professional in designing a character. Look for this feature on our website and head over to the APW facebook page as well for more resources to use as you design your character.

Hope this helps!

Cheers!

[Gerard Sternik]

Myself, and Co- Director Vincent Peets we're interviewed by the Animation Career Review recently, and we have posted the online article on our website here:

APW Interview

The article provides some interesting background on what we do at the Workshop, as well as why we started the program up in the first place, which is pertinent information to those of you planning on joining up.
We also chat a bit about Art Fundamentals / high school art programs and the situation there in terms of prepping students to get into animation programs.......all in all, it makes for an interesting read in any case.

Enjoy!

Gerard

[Vince Peets]

Hi kamikazel33t,
Here's the first installment of "Pro-Tips" - it's a series of pointers from animation professionals about how to approach designing a character. I thought you might be interested.
http://www.animationportfolioworksho...1-simple-shape

Cheers!

[kamikazel33t]

Thanks you! I found it to be quite useful!

[Gerard Sternik]

No problem....if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

[Vince Peets]

Pro-Tip #2 is up now...here it is.
http://www.animationportfolioworksho...ference-images

Toronto Character Designer Nate Gaul has written this one. Have a look at Nate's blog, too.
http://nategaul.blogspot.ca/

[Vince Peets]

Pro-Tip #2 is up now...here it is.
http://www.animationportfolioworksho...ference-images

Toronto Character Designer Nate Gaul has written this one. Have a look at Nate's blog, too.
http://nategaul.blogspot.ca/

[Gerard Sternik]

This weeks pro tip is up and running....

Visit:

APW FREE TUITION CONTEST PRO TIP # 3


for more helpful hints on designing a winning character!

Good Luck!


Thanks to APW friend and former student Saud Boksmati for this weeks tip......



Happy Drawing!

[Vince Peets]

Another example of an animation portfolio character design from 2012 - these drawings are by former APW student Caroline Schvepper - now in her first year of animation at Sheridan. Check out her drawings (some room drawings and a storyboard too)

[Gerard Sternik]

Here's Pro Tip #4 for the Animation Portfolio Workshop Win A Free Tuition Contest


Many thanks to Justice Wong, former APW grad and current character designer extraordinaire for his helpful tip this week.

Study carefully and keep on drawing!!

[Gerard Sternik]

Here's the link to Pro Tip #5 for the APW Win A Free Tuition Contest, as well as the visuals for the tip.

Thanks to Myke Bakich our former student and instructor, now professional character designer, for giving us this weeks tip.

As Myke puts it:

"Contrast, in my opinion is the most important element in character design. Contrast means the difference between two or more things, whether it be with space, shape, tone, colour, or rhythm. Lets take an example to help me explain. This is a design from Uwe Heidschotter http://heidschoetter.blogspot.ca/.






Notice that the space around the design varies from top, bottom, both right and left sides.

Also, if we take a look at the different parts that make up the character, we find that there are six different shapes being used and each shape is quite different than the others.

Hope this helps you as you design your animation character, Good luck to all the applicants for the APW Character Design Contest!!!"


Thanks Myke for the great tip!

[Gerard Sternik]

For those of you who are interested, this is an open invitation to stop in at the Workshop this coming weekend to view the final portfolio selections of our 2012 / 2013 students for their various animation portfolio submissions.

This is the culmination of 9 months of hard work on the part of our students in the APW program.

For the address of the workshop just follow this link

Feel free to stop by between 11am and 5pm on either day.

[Gerard Sternik]

Here's some examples from the portfolio of Aaron Smrke , an APW student who applied for the Seneca York Animation program and was accepted with this portfolio.

[Gerard Sternik]

I forgot to post Pro Tip # 6 last week...my apologies...

Here's the links for the last two tips in our series to help your chances at winning the Free Tuition Character Design Contest for the upcoming 2013 session, which is almost half full at this point.

Character designer and former APW student Chang Dai, provided us with Pro Tip #6 - Line Quality

and Brian Lemay, Animation Instructor at Seneca / York provided us with this weeks Pro Tip - Study Video Frames

Thanks to everyone for supporting the contest, and our prospective free tuition winning character designer!!

[Vince Peets]

Character Design Contest...If you design a character for this contest you could win free tuition for the 2013/2014 session of the Animation Portfolio Workshop. If you're already designing characters on your own redraw one of your own designs and submit it. You can also win other stuff - art supplies from Aboveground Art Supplies, animation art books from Labyrinth and BMV Books.

CONTEST
RULES

PRO-TIPS to help you win the contest (what more can you ask for?)

[Gerard Sternik]

We are really honoured to have esteemed character animator Charlie Bonifacio offering sage advice in our final ProTip #9 for this year's Win a Free Tuition Character Design Contest which will be officially closed to receiving applicants April 10th at midnight, Toronto time.

Charlie's Tip is on developing personality and story in your design.

ProTip #8 has been provided by Workshop Director Vincent Peets, and it covers variation in shape design.....

Contest adjudication will be taking place this weekend with Seneca Animation Program Director and comic book artist / animator extraordinaire Jim Zubkavich making the final choices in terms of the grand prize winner and runners up.

Stay tuned....

[Gerard Sternik]

Congrats to Maisie Li of Toronto (see Maisie's winning character design below), winner of this years APW Win a Free Tuition Contest.

Maisie was chosen by Jim Zubkavitch to receive free tuition for the 2013 / 2014 Session of the Animation Portfolio Workshop.

Thanks to Jim , and congrats to Maisie, all the prize winners, and to everyone who entered this year's contest for doing a great job!