Sheridan Art Fundamentals or Animation Portfolio Workshop?

[MRGRN]

Hello. I am a grade 12 student and I wish to get into Sheridan's Animation program. I am nowhere near skilled enough to be accepted which is why I have 2 options: Sheridan Art Fundamentals or Animation Portfolio Workshop. Both have the potential of getting me into Animation, but both have pros and cons and neither is better than the other. Art Fundamentals give me access to several hours of life drawing every day and I am taught art, but a lot of the things I'm taught are irrelevant to animation. I will also have no guidance with my portfolio and even though I am friends with animation students, I can't rely on them for help because 2nd year Animation is a lot of work. Art Fundamentals Workshop will be a lot of help with my portfolio, but it is only once a week, and I will be improving at a much slower pace than Art Fundamentals, because there are barely any classes.
Any insight is welcome and thank you for taking the time to read and reply.

[Rhubix]

I'm not sure what part of the art fundamentals program is irrelevant to animation - but life drawing is essential. I know a bunch of people who made their way through Sheridan via the fundies program.
I don't know what your skill level is, but if your fundamental skills need work, you're going to need more than a well organized portfolio.

[MRGRN]

I appreciate that. You made some good points I didn't consider

[Gerard Sternik]

Hi MRGRN.

I suggest you talk directly to our students who are currently finishing up their portfolios with us to submit to get into the Sheridan animation program for fall 2013 who are actually taking the Portfolio Workshop at the same time as they are attending the art fundamentals program at Sheridan...I have a feeling your questions will get cleared up pretty quickly once you chat with them.
Also, this coming weekend February 23 and 24 , we have our big portfolio assembly sessions, where all the hard work our students have been doing over the past 9 months is coming together as their finished portfolio submissions.
I invite you to come in person, meet the art fundi's students in our group, and actually look at their portfolio's to get an accurate picture of what we do in the Workshop.

Feel free to email me directly - [email protected]


Also this thread on concept art about animation portfolio workshop provides lots of information pertaining to exactly what you're talking about.

Just so we get this straight, when you take the Workshop, you are immersed in the process of learning how to draw so that you not only can make the actual portfolio to get into an animation program, but you have made progress in the areas of observational drawing in a very deep sense, as they pertain to exactly what is required and expected of you in terms of observational drawing skills in the animation program, and as a professional animator.

All of the fundamental drawing skills that not only help you get you into an animation program, but also allow you to clear the bar of matriculating through the program from a position of strength are gained in our program because we are able to devote all our time and energy exclusively to this endeavour.


Studying art of any type, in a general fashion, will teach you something general about art.

Using the word irrelevant to describe the relationship of what is taught in an art fundamentals program and it's usefulness in terms of getting you into an animation program and sustaining your performance in that program from a position of strength is a misnomer.
As I said, studying any type of art will make some type of contribution to studying other types of art.....but the whole point of the Workshop is to focus on training students in developing the specific set of observational drawing skills that will make them great animators.
As has been said many times before on this website, you simply cannot get this deeply into the observational drawing end of it in the way we do in an art fundamentals program because it is not the mandate of those types of general programs to deliver that to their own students.

Feel free to contact me.

Gerard

[Gerard Sternik]

Jim Zubkavitch, Director of the Seneca College Animation Program has finished judging the contestants for this years APW Win A Free Tuition Contest and has picked Maisie Li of Forest Hill Collegiate Institute in Toronto as the first prize winner (see image attached for Maisie's prize winning character design).

Thanks to all contestants for submitting their work, and to Jim for coming out to judge the contest!

Stay tuned for more posts showcasing our prize winners....