All in-person classes for 2020/21 are subject to be cancelled or delivered online depending on the status of COVID-19 in Toronto in the upcoming year. APW will endeavour to safeguard the health and safety of its staff and students (and by extension their families) in whatever way is deemed reasonable and in accordance with APW’s principles and the directives of the local health authorities. In the event of a switch from inperson to online, there will be no refunds and no reduction on the fees so please register only if you agree to these conditions. The exact same course will be delivered in both formats with the same schedule and the same number of students.
An APW instructor and APW Support Team members create a rich and engaging learning environment. This program is best suited to students who have the ability to focus and who thrive on a fast pace delivery of new material. The maximum enrolment is 12 students. Suitable for anyone 16 yrs or older. “Working with Gerard and Vince and having them focus my energy and enthusiasm for drawing gave me the start I needed. They knew when to answer questions I had and when I needed the encouragement to continue searching for myself.”
Graham Finley – Animation, Pixar Animation Studios
winter intensive
Winter Intensive
Monday to Friday for 8 weeks
Fees – $10,000.00 (incl HST)
Want to get into animation school? Come to Toronto and learn with the best.
For Canadian and international students unable to attend our regular 38-week program we offer the 2021 Winter Intensive. The program is 38 days in length over a period of eight weeks and is a complete version of our highly successful eight-month Animation Portfolio Workshop program. Classes take place from Monday to Friday for 6 hours a day. The ratio of 1 instructor to 12 students allows us to focus on the needs of each individual.
An APW instructor and APW Support Team members create a rich and engaging learning environment. This program is best suited to students who have the ability to focus and who thrive on a fast pace delivery of new material. The minimum of 10 students and will take a maximum of 12. Suitable for anyone 16 yrs or older.
Course Info
Date/Time
Wed. Oct, 20 to Fri. Dec. 10, 2021, 5 days of classes per week.
Class Schedule
Course Fee
Domestic etransfer – $10,000.00 (incl HST)
International or Domestic PayPal/Credit Card – $10,420.00 (Incl. HST / does not include any differences owing due to exchange rates)
Location
Visa Information
Because the APW Winter Intensive is shorter than 6 months in duration an international student can study in Canada if a Visitor Visa is obtained. It is possible to study in Canada
without a study permit if:
- Length of the course or program of study is six months or less, and
- The course or program of study will be completed within the period of your stay authorized upon entry into Canada.
Please visit the Canadian embassy nearest you to get detailed information on obtaining a Visitor Visa. It is crucial to plan the timing of your visa application carefully with respect to the startup date and duration of the APW Winter Intensive. Plan to receive your visa well in advance of the start date to give yourself enough time to make adequate travel preparations.
Government of Canada Visitor Visa information
Processing times for Visitor Visa Applications
Check your Eligibility
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, HawaiiAPW 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 YorkSince 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 StudentAPW 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, CaliforniaAPW 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 AlbertaI'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 ArtistAPW 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, CaliforniaAPW 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!