Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Upstart Art Schools

Southern California boasts a variety of well established art schools that I’ve profiled on this blog, including Laguna College of Art and Design (LCAD), Otis, Art Center, Cal State Fullerton, and CalArts. (Links take you to previous GJ posts)


Laguna, for example, has a faculty that includes veteran illustration and painting instructors Michael Savas (left) and Jason Dowd (right) who teach as part of an accredited program that will soon include entertainment design as a major concentration.


The Los Angeles Area is also home to a few dynamic smaller schools, such as the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art (LAAFA). LAAFA occupies a repurposed bank in the San Fernando Valley.


They’re one of the rare schools that blends academically rigorous figure work from observation with imaginative work geared to the entertainment industry, taught by top instructors like Nathan Fowkes.

Continued tomorrow.
Links:
Laguna College of Art and Design
Otis College of art and Design
Art Center College of Design
The CalArts Story (vintage video)
LAAFA
Cal State Fullerton

18 comments:

Unknown said...

I'd be interested in hearing what notable art colleges/universities reside on the East coast.

mj said...

Add the Midwest to that list, as well. Searching for art schools/academies like this in Google is almost useless.

James Gurney said...

MJ and Kingworks,
If you click on the link for "Art Schools" under the GurneyJourney "Blog Index" (halfway down left column) you can read all 62 of my firsthand reports from art schools.

I haven't been to them all, but a lot of the best art schools for fantasy, realism, and illustration are listed there.

Pancho said...

would be perfect if it had such a school here in Brazil, in Recife preferably XD.

Roberto said...

I really enjoyed your composition lecture at LAAFA the other night. Composition is such an intuitive and subjective subject and everyone has a different emphasis and point of view. Even after 30 years of painting professionally every day, there is still so much to learn! Thanx again for sharing your insights and knowledge with us all. You are a real treasure. Keep up the good work.
Creatively yours. -RQ

Sergio Lopez said...

Y U NO mention Korpus??

James Gurney said...

Main Loop: Korpus mañana.

Thanks, Roberto. It's always great to see people who have contributed so much to this blog.

April Eriksson said...

Maybe I'm getting a bit ahead of myself but although you've posted many of the fine art schools available in California, your list is missing out on a few and as well as many of the entertainment art schools. Schools such as, Concept Design Academy, Red Engine Studios, Gnomon Institute, Animation Guild, Animation Academy, 3Kick Studio and Korpus School (which has been mentioned in the comments prior).

I don't mean to nit pick or be condescending, I love this blog and the great resources it provides. However, I thought I'd go ahead and give a shout out to those other schools. Thanks so much!

James Gurney said...

Hi, April,

I'm glad you mentioned those. I'll be talking about Korpus tomorrow, and I mentioned 3Kicks, Matt Marchant's Academy and Art Institute Inland Empire last year.

But you're right that I've left off the others, mainly because I haven't visited them yet. I can't possibly give an in-depth review of any of the schools, even if I've spent a day there. Like you, I'm just sharing a shout-out and some links.

Rebecca Kimmel said...

Hi James,

It's nice that people are mentioning Korpus (though I didn't put them up to it, I swear!) :) It's really great of you to profile these schools and keep up the fantastic work with the blog!

Best,

-Rebecca

logoian23 said...

i really enjoy your composition it is really great article i am very happy to see that

Aaron said...

Kingworks, I can personally speak to the rigorous curriculum and well rounded professors at the Savannah College of Art and Design, my Alma Mater.

T. Arispe said...

LAAFA seems like a really awesome school even though I hadn't even heard of it before you mentioned you were going to be there.

Liz Mooney said...

Come back to RISD!

James Gurney said...

Liz: I'd love to come back to RISD. Please ask your department chair to contact me.

Liz Mooney said...

My department head would love to contact you! He wants to know if the best way to reach you via your listed email?

Thanks!

James Gurney said...

Liz, yes, the email at the bottom of the left column is the best way to reach me.

Liz Mooney said...

Thank you!!