Max the Mutt College of Animation, Art & Design, located in Toronto, is a registered Career College established by artists and animators in 1998. They offer 3 diploma programs: Classical & Computer Animation & Production (4 years), Illustration for Sequential Arts (3 years), and Concept Art for Video games & Animation (4 years).
Max the Mutt offers a foundation year that has been carefully designed to teach “visual language” or traditional representational art skills including life drawing; principles of drawing, design and composition, color theory and water based media; a semester of structural drawing; a year of perspective and a year of painting in oils. Class sizes are small and all instructors are working professionals. The environment is friendly, but focused and serious. Max the Mutt is looking for students who have passion, potential, and a strong work ethic.
The Concept Art curriculum is a mix of high level traditional fine art painting and drawing courses; animation related courses such as film language, story boarding, cartooning, layout and background painting; illustration and concept art specific courses that focus on designing props, environments, characters, and creatures. The curriculum has been well thought out and is developmental. For example, students are familiar with Photoshop and have had an intro course in environment design before they take Advanced Environment Design and Painting in Photoshop; they have studied life drawing and human anatomy and have had a course in animal drawing before they take Creature Design. Max the Mutt College of Animation, Art & Design states:
We are fortunate to be located in a city that is home to many skilled artists, animators and designers, including Canadians who were born and educated in Eastern Europe and have had years of traditional training. There is a level of passion and commitment at Max the Mutt that makes it a community.
The last semester of year 4 is spent on one project, for which each student, choosing to focus on either video games or animation, is assigned a script or game, and does all the concept design. An art director advises and works with the students. Year 4 students also have a course in portfolio development that includes writing a resume, mock interviews, instruction and direction on designing a web presence and preparing materials for our annual Industry Evening. This is held just before graduation. Students have the opportunity to exhibit their work and meet industry reps and recruiters. We also have an articulation agreement with Daemen College that allows qualified graduates to complete a BFA degree in one additional academic year.
To get more information email: admissions@maxthemutt.com, or call 1-877-486-MUTT.
Link: maxthemutt.com
