CLASSES

FUNDAMENTALS, CONCEPT DESIGN, & GAME ART

Student work from Design and Fundamentals classes.

Student Testimonials

As a beginner in the art world, I struggled heavily in my goal of becoming a Concept Artist. Jacqueline’s guidance and courses gave me definite direction and showed me how to work smarter, not harder.

Digital Painting was my first course with Jacqueline. She covered artistic fundamentals such as efficiently approaching different painting and sketching methods in Photoshop and effectively studying from reality or reference. In Monsters vs Mechs, I learned how design creatures and hard surface more effectively with tools such as using shape hierarchy, focusing on distinct IPs, and form follows function.

Aside from the valuable class content, whenever I was struggling in either class she was always responsive and available. I really appreciate her faith in me and never giving up on me. Improving as an artist is tough and demanding, but as long as you keep trying, she will always be there to lend a helping hand in your artistic development.

Shermond Wong, Digital Painting & Monsters vs Mechs

Before Jacqueline’s course, I knew I had plateaued, but didn’t know how to improve. Jacqueline helped me break the old art habits and acquire new useful ones to push me out of “the suck”. It wasn’t easy and took time, but Jacqueline kept encouraging me forward with a ton of detailed critiques and draw overs. If you put time in her classes, she will return it back two-fold in feedback. From now on I’m taking any class Jacqueline is teaching because I know that in one way or another, I will definitely be a better artist by the end of it.

Pavel Eryzhenskiy, Monsters vs Mechs

Coming into Jax’s class, I had minimal confidence digitally painting even though I had taken several other digital painting courses. By following the workflow provided in class, I was confidently completing assignments by the third week. Her courses create a concrete foundation securely building each new skill on top of the previous. Assignments are organized to build your artistic tool box in preparation for the next, more challenging assignment.

Jacqueline’s courses prepare students for real world studio settings. The quality bar is high for work expected, but she will help you reach it. However many times you ask for help, she will give you a clear and quantifiable way to improve. She encourages students to communicate, collaborate, and help one another. All her critiques are very specific on how to refine your work and push you to reach your potential. In her class, maximum effort will yield maximum results.

Anna Peterson, Digital Painting

GAM328
MONSTERS VS MECHS

This advanced course is designed to delve deeply into creature and hard surface design. In the first half of the class, students will study a variety of animals to create their own creature & Kaiju designs. In the second half, students will focus on hard surface such as weapons, drones, aircraft, and vehicles to create their own Mech designs. Each week students will explore a variety of fantasy & sci-fi IPs such as Monster Hunter, Jurassic Park, Oblivion, Ghost in the Shell, and Pacific Rim. Field trips are planned to see animals in action and military craft & weapons up close.

Students will engage in the full design process from conception, iteration sketches, digitally shading clean line drawings, and presenting a final portfolio of polished, finalized work.

Course formerly titled "Creature Design for Games".
Prerequisite: Digital Painting & Digital Figure Painting

GAM288
C3: CHARACTER, COSTUME, & CREATURE DESIGN

A successful character design is enduring, iconic, and believable! This advanced course focuses on character, costume, and creature design. Each week students will engage with a variety of IPs from fantasy, horror, and sci-fi genres to create provocative and memorable characters for games. Topics such as establishing a character's thesis, storytelling, character archetypes, creating integrated design themes with supporting costume & prop design will be covered.  This class will also cover the career and business side of concept art. 

Students will cover the full design process - starting with an IP prompt, they will create concepts, iteration sketches, clean line art, toned black & white and polished renders. Midterm and Final will be a portfolio of polished, finalized work.

Course formerly titled "Character Design for Games".
Prerequisite: Digital Painting & Digital Figure Painting

GAM266
DIGITAL FIGURE PAINTING

Understanding the human body is one of the most important tools in creating a believable character! This class is designed to develop your artistic eye, painting, and draftsmanship skills to execute the human figure. You will learn how to break down the human figure to the most primitive forms, basic anatomy groups, gesture, structure, planer masses, and translate the reference to your digital canvas. Topics such as capturing likeness, lighting, and designing your shapes will be covered in class demos. Figure models will be both nude and draped. This class is taught from the view point of a character designer. 

GAM233DIGITAL PAINTINGThis foundation course covers the Photoshop basics with a Cintiq and the groundwork to approach digital painting and drawing. The class focuses on following an efficient process to paint various materials through weekly lecture…

GAM233
DIGITAL PAINTING

This foundation course covers the Photoshop basics with a Cintiq and the groundwork to approach digital painting and drawing. The class focuses on following an efficient process to paint various materials through weekly lectures and demos. Value, color, lighting, and form are stressed throughout the term. Students will learn how to find/create/edit their own reference, how to break down and understand lighting, and how to execute accurate value and color relationships in order to produce realistic, successful and communicative visual solutions. Students will produce value, color, and material studies of various objects and work their way up to the face and  portrait. 

These classes are currently offered through Academy of Art located in San Francisco, CA on their online and on site campus.

If you're looking for a one on one mentorship, click here.