The Animation Course is both a school and a community created specially for school-aged kids.

Come learn to animate or draw from former Disney animator and veteran homeschool dad, Chad Stewart! When you take a class with The Animation Course, you receive more than skills. You get the opportunity to...

• interact directly with field professional and experienced instructor, Chad Stewart

• receive personalized video feedback by a professional animator

• interact with other students

• have tons of fun

• learn real skills and lay the foundation for a real career

• in higher levels, create your very own short film

• and more!

Summary

Our first and primary course, The Animation Course consists of five levels with the goal of giving the student the tools they need to enjoy the process of creating stories and animating them, thus producing their own short films.

COURSE OFFERINGS

• Level 1: An introduction to animation through 12 principles of animation.

• Level 2: Basic concepts of physics and how they apply to animated motion, emotion and acting, and body mechanics.

• Level 3: How to tell a story—everything from basic story structure to staging and cinematography.

• Level 4: Combines concepts learned from Levels 1-3 to help students create their own animated short film.

• C.A.T. (Continual Animation Training): Students work together just like a real animation crew to complete a joint film project.

To view work that past students have done, check out our Student Work page!

What are the courses like?

See Course Formats below for more information.

Other questions?

Take a look at our frequently asked questions or contact us directly.

summary

The Drawing Course consists of two levels with the goal of teaching classical drawing skills. Using this foundation, The Drawing Course then launches into the world of characters and design, allowing the student to bridge the gap between imagining a character and then putting that character on the page.

course offerings

• Level 1, Fundamentals of Drawing: An introduction to the classic concepts of traditional drawing and how to use them to bring more life-like images to the page.
• Level 2, Drawing for Animation: The character and design of humans and animals; bringing life to the drawing through the concepts of gesture and expression.

To view work that past students have done, check out our Student Work page!

What are the courses like?

See Course Formats below for more information.

Got questions?

Take a look at our frequently asked questions or contact us directly.

summary

Our Additional Courses are courses created by outside professionals and graders who have a passion and expertise for a specific subject. Some are recorded, some are live, and all are created by a new instructor. As such, pricing differs from our Animation and Drawing core classes.

course offerings

• Level 1, Intro to Photoshop: Learn all the basic tools needed to start making your own artwork in Photoshop. Learn how to transform your ideas into a digital sketch, painting or illustration with all the amazing tools Photoshop has to offer.

• Live Class taught by Brooklyn Walker

• Introduction to Modeling: The main goal of the Introduction to Modeling class is to introduce the student to the concept of modeling, or 'sculpting' in Maya.

Recorded Seminar taught by Todd Pilger with Chad Stewart

• Introduction to Rigging: The main goal of Introduction to Rigging is to introduce the student to the concept of rigging, or creating an animation control skeleton in Maya and attaching it to a character model.

Recorded Seminar taught by Todd Pilger with Chad Stewart

To view work that past students have done, check out our Student Work page!

What are the courses like?

See Course Formats below for more information.

Got questions?

Take a look at our frequently asked questions or contact us directly.

1. Live Classes - $400 to $500

(outside instructor classes priced differently)

• There are three opportunities per year to attend a live 12-week session: Spring Session, Summer Session, and Fall Session.

• Class meets once a week via Adobe Connect

• Interact Live via Chat Box

• Classes are recorded if student is absent

• Class animation projects graded and reviewed by a professional animator

• Full access to the teacher

• Full access to tech support

• Open Art is included (optional extra hours per week of live interaction with teacher and students)

2. Recordings With Grading - $400 to $500

There are three opportunities per year to attend a live 12-week session: Spring Session, Summer Session, and Fall Session.

• Student watches recording anytime during the week of Live Class

• Class animation projects graded and reviewed by a professional animator

• Full access to the teacher

• Full access to tech support

• Open Art is included (optional extra hours per week of live interaction with teacher and students)

• Note: Levels 3 & 4 of the Animation Course and C.A.T. are only available live but can be watched as recordings and work turned in still receives feedback to allow for completion of projects.

3. Recordings Only - $150

• Student watches recording anytime they want (available all year round)

• NO access to individual reviews of class assignments

• NO access to the teacher

• NO access to tech support

• Note: Levels 3 & 4 of the Animation Course and C.A.T. are only available live

Session Dates

Applies to Live Classes and Recordings With Grading

summer 2024

Meets the weeks of June 3 – August 19

fall 2024

Meets the weeks of September 23 – December 9 (no thanksgiving break this session)

SPRING 2025

Meets the weeks of January 27 – April 14