Spider-Verse an antidote to boredom with current animated feature-film fare
Is it possible that the look and feel of current animation feature films has hit a wall? Is creativity still alive in feature film animation?
Consider the current response to the Sony Pictures block-buster, Oscar nominated “Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse” in this article from Animation World Network entitled “Art Triumphs Over Everything. Animation geeks and mainstream film-goers alike are finding a virtual treasure trove of inspiration and visual interest in Spider-Verse’s artful direction by the art direction team of Patrick O’Keefe (Animation Portfolio Workshop grad) and Dean Gordon. Their combined approach inspired the Spider-Verse production team and resulted in a film with fresh exciting approaches to an old classic. Comic art, grafitti and urban art appear to be woven into this film in a different way than current animated features, a welcomed diversion from the same-old.
Comic art is made up of drawings (yes, obvious but true). In Spider-Verse, could we be witnessing the continued resurgence of drawing as a central component of animated feature-films? If so, then all the more reason to get really good at drawing if you feel you have something to contribute. Mediocrity is clearly not the goal here. Aim high – really high. APW students just finishing up their animation portfolio preparations for 2019 are setting their sights on further training in animation supported by their hard-won foundation of drawing skills.
APW was a major catalyst in forming my passion and skills as a young artist. It helped me to build a strong foundation that went far beyond getting into the college of my choosing and sustains my work ethic today as a professional concept artist and art director in the entertainment industry.
I got accepted to both Sheridan and Seneca, and without the workshop I don´t think I would have had the same results.
I came all the way from Paraguay to do this course because I read a lot of great things about it, and I was not disappointed. The instructors are so amazing! They really care about their students and they help us throughout the whole portfolio experience.
It´s also great because you make really good friends!
I highly recommend taking this course!!
APW not only changed the way I draw, it made me much more confident and passionate about my art. The structure of the course allowed me to stay on top of my work while preparing my portfolio and the environment created through dedicated instructors and enthusiastic students motivated me to work hard and keep improving. It still surprises me how fast my work began to improve (and continues to!) once I had a grasp of the exercises taught in the course. I’m utterly thrilled to start at SVA (School of Visual Arts) in New York this fall, and forever thankful to my mom for introducing me to this amazing network of friends and teachers.
Niko Powell
Animation student at Sheridan Animation / Honalulu, Hawaii
APW changed my life. I am proud and so grateful to have been introduced to the world of professional Art. I have learned so much from my amazing teachers: Gerard, Bernadette, and Vince. It has opened up a wide world for me to hone my own artistic talent.
They break your drawing down to the bottom so that you can build it up again as a stronger artist in every aspect. I can’t recommend APW enough, it has helped me in so many ways and anyone hoping to go into Illustration, Animation or any of the arts should definitely go through this amazing course full of amazing and inspiring people.
"Como minha experiência em direção a animação profissional, o Animation Portfolio Workshop foi um excelente primeiro passo. Quando ainda morava no Brasil, não tive a oportunidade de fazer desenho artístico e precisei começar praticamente do zero - e o preparo que a APW me ofereceu foi imprescindível para que eu pudesse ingressar na faculdade. Os professores são atenciosos e conhecem nao só a arte mas também a indústria, o que ajuda na hora de avaliar resultados e objetivos. Recomendo a qualquer um que queira tentar as escolas de arte canadenses ou queira melhorar o desenho e olhar artístico. Se eu pudesse, faria o curso novamente!"
Liz Eaton
2016 Summer Intensive student / Buffalo New York
Since I’ve been back home in Buffalo, I’ve had time to look back on
my 8 weeks in Toronto attending the APW Summer Intensive session. It
was an unforgettable life experience and I would do it again without
hesitation! I miss Toronto, it’s a fun city with so much to do and
see. I continue to draw everyday and carry my
sketchbook with me wherever I go. This Workshop has taught me great
skills to build on and has given me more confidence to present a
portfolio worthy of being accepted into college. Josh did
an amazing job teaching the class. He is a very dedicated and talented
artist. He knew my strengths and weaknesses and was able to tell me
exactly what I needed to do in order to make my drawing better. It was
exciting to see the improvement in my drawings week after week.
I cannot express enough how much I loved the entire experience and I
will remember it always.
Krishma Shinh
2017 APW Student
APW was honestly one of the best experiences in my life and I proudly recommend it to every art
kid I meet.
The environment is just so motivating and the
content is so valuable.
I'm very thankful to APW teachers: Bernadette, Vince, Sonia, Lindsey,
and Gerard. Everyone is so accepting and
encouraging. It feels like we're all one big family.
Looking back at all the progress I've made since
May, I feel blessed to have had the opportunity
to grow and develop my skill.
Ken Mi Nakano
2016 Winter Intensive student / Richmond, British Columbia
"APW is an unforgettable experience which I would highly recommend to anyone interested. The confidence gained and techniques learned are truly invaluable, I felt that I was part of a family. When I heard about APW's Winter Intensive, I cut my vacation overseas short to attend and would gladly do it again!, I consider my time there a keystone moment in my life. I'm still shocked at how much I improved in such little time. I was often denied entry into art programs during my time in highschool, but with APW, I was able to enter the school of my choice (Capilano University). Words cannot describe how thankful I am to the team at APW. As the Japanese proverb goes; Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher."
Alex Stevens
Summer Intensive Student / San Diego, California
APW was a great experience for me. I learned a ton of stuff and significantly improved my drawing. I feel way more prepared for applying to animation schools. Not only that, but everyone I've met there became a good friend to me. They're all nice and supportive, and it's great to have a lot of friends with a common interest.
Patrick Macadat
Summer Intensive Student / Fort McMurray Alberta
I'm from Fort McMurray Alberta. Before the workshop I didn't know how to draw gestures, let alone demonstrate structure. The APW Summer Intensive helped me with that and more. I chose the summer intensive because I'm not close to Toronto so I thought it would be better to complete the workshop within 2 months.
I'm super pleased with the course it was beyond my expectations! "With the help of
APW I've been accepted into Seneca and Sheridan.
Jim Zubkavich
Program Coordinator Seneca Animation / Comic Artist
APW student portfolios showcase skills that are crucial to succeeding in the industry – high quality figure drawing and a clear understanding of proportion, volume, and gesture. They give their students a solid drawing foundation perfect for building a successful creative career.
Tiffany Dang
Art Student / San Jose California
"Moving to another country for school can be nerve-wracking. I was in a country I didn't know much about, and had left behind much of my life in California. On the first day of APW, I sat in a room full of strangers whose names I didn't know. But as the months in the workshop went by, everyone - students, teaching assistants and teachers - taught and learned together like a family. Taking APW was not only an educational experience, it was a life experience. I gained so much, and I would gladly do it again."
Sam Vest
Film Maker / North Hollywood, California
APW put me a step ahead of the competition. Within a few short months APW helped transform me from an amateur into a proficient artist. So proficient in fact that I received acceptance into the highly coveted Sheridan Animation program. The one-on-one instruction I received from the APW teachers steered my learning so that I steadily grew better and better by providing me with foundational drawing skills that I'll use the rest of my art career. Concepts like feeling the pose, drawing through objects to create dimension, and sculpting the page to evoke mass are lessons I'll never forget. There's a saying that goes, "You have to draw 10,000 bad drawings before you make a good one." Looking back, the APW classes and assignments pushed me past those 10,000 in no time!