Enrollment for the FALL 2017 session will open on June 2nd. Semester calendar and details will be posted soon-join the mailing list for fall enrollment notification
SUPERIOR, FULLY INTERACTIVE, ONLINE INSTRUCTION
Full Mentorships with Rebecca Leveille, Dan Dos Santos, Greg Manchess, Scott Fischer, Todd Lockwood, Donato Giancola and Figure Boot Camp Basics & Beginning Illustration with Marc Scheff. For more information and to enroll click here
SPRING 2017 SPECIAL GUESTS
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John Howe
Award winning and extensively celebrated illustrator and concept artist John Howe, known for his oustanding and signature work for The Lord of The Rings ( both in print and for the movies ) will join Donato's Class this spring as a special guest |
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Irene Gallo
Associate Publisher of Tor.com and Creative Director of Tor Books will join as the special guest for Greg's class |
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Freddye Miller
Freddye Miller (née Lins) is an editor and editorial coordinator for Dark Horse Comics. She currently edits books in the Joss Whedon universe, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Serenity. In her time as part of Dark Horse’s editorial team, Freddye has worked on a variety of titles that include Star Wars, Aliens, Predator, Prometheus, The Umbrella Academy, Mike Mignola’s Hellboy and B.P.R.D., and Janet Evanovich’s Troublemaker. Freddye will join as the special guest for Scott's Class |
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Jeremy Cranford
Jeremy is the Art Outsourcing Manager for Blizzard Entertainment. He will join as the special guest for Todd's class |
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Andrew Silver
Art Director for Riot Games. Andrew will join as the special guest for Dan's class |
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Giuseppe Castellano
Giuseppe is an Executive Art Director at Penguin Random House; overseeing the art and design for seven imprints including Penguin Workshop, Mad Libs, Frederick Warne and Co., Penguin Young Readers, Cartoon Network Books, and Penguin Young Readers Licenses. Follow his #arttips on Twitter at @pinocastellano. Giuseppe will be a special guest in Marc Scheff's Beginning Illustration Class |
OUR GUEST PROFESSIONALS
The teachers with SmArt School teach the business as well as the art therefore we know how vital it is to get relevant experience with art directors, editors, agents, galleries and publishers.
All of the "FULL MENTORSHIPS" have one industry special guest attend their class meet the students and most often,review student work and even frequently give spec assignments to see what students will do with specific imagery.
Our past guests have included the Editor in Chief of Dark Horse Comic'c Scott Allie, the founder and head of Vertigo Comics Karen Berger, Senior AD for Scholastic David Saylor, Creative Director for Blizzard Doug Gregory, Wizards of the Coasts Dawn Murin, Senior Art Director for Charlesbridge Publishing Susan Sherman, Senior Art Director for the Science Fiction Book Club Matthew Kalamidas, Editor in Chief of TOR.COM Irene Gallo, Former head of childrens publishing at Simon& Schuster and current Artists Agent Rubin Pfeffer, FFG's Zoe Robinson and Andrew Navaro, and many more .
All of the "FULL MENTORSHIPS" have one industry special guest attend their class meet the students and most often,review student work and even frequently give spec assignments to see what students will do with specific imagery.
Our past guests have included the Editor in Chief of Dark Horse Comic'c Scott Allie, the founder and head of Vertigo Comics Karen Berger, Senior AD for Scholastic David Saylor, Creative Director for Blizzard Doug Gregory, Wizards of the Coasts Dawn Murin, Senior Art Director for Charlesbridge Publishing Susan Sherman, Senior Art Director for the Science Fiction Book Club Matthew Kalamidas, Editor in Chief of TOR.COM Irene Gallo, Former head of childrens publishing at Simon& Schuster and current Artists Agent Rubin Pfeffer, FFG's Zoe Robinson and Andrew Navaro, and many more .
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"Many great artists now working regularly in the industry first came onto my radar through a SmArt School class, including Wylie Beckert, Kribi Fagan and Tommy Arnold( whom I've personally commissioned for three books recently...)"
Lauren Panepinto- Orbit Books |
We are SO proud to see former SmArt School students represented in this amazing project coming soon from publisher Jon Schindehette! Some of these projects above were completed in SAS classes and now will be published in this collector book along side Kinuko Craft, James Gurney, George Pratt and many other industry luminaries!
WHAT SMARTSCHOOL ALUM HAVE TO SAY
Before I began smart school, I had four years of college level art education that hadn't done much to allow me to summon the pictures I've always wanted to create from my head. No matter who I asked when I tried to improve, the only answer I received was, 'do more studies, do more studies, do more studies...' and so I copied picture after picture in a braindead fashion with paltry results to show for it. I didn't know why I was doing them or what information I was getting - until I started working with Greg Manchess.
Manchess surprised me with his calm rationale. Rather than other art teacher's vague instructions (now, capture the figure's essence why don't you), Greg started us off immediately with scientific, rational explanations for his ways of thinking, the growth of an artist and even the human psyche as it came to the ability to produce art over a lifetime. When we presented our work, he'd explain every stroke he made. Try to argue against him and he'd defeat you with pure logic. Try to make excuses for yourself and once again -
you'd be defeated rationally. Greg made it clear that, with enough hard work, any one of us could become exceptional
and expected nothing less from us. He gave us no magic tricks, but he did give solid strategies about everything from composition to visual communication, and even practical ways to address the overwhelming failures we all as artists experience. And on top of all of that, he's just about the sweetest guy you'll ever meet!
If you haven't taken his class and feel intimidated by his work or as if you're not good enough for him yet, I'd hope you'll change your mind. Greg is endlessly patient with students of all skill levels and not one of us has regretted our afternoons sharing art, our knowledge and laughs together.
-Ashley Lange
Manchess surprised me with his calm rationale. Rather than other art teacher's vague instructions (now, capture the figure's essence why don't you), Greg started us off immediately with scientific, rational explanations for his ways of thinking, the growth of an artist and even the human psyche as it came to the ability to produce art over a lifetime. When we presented our work, he'd explain every stroke he made. Try to argue against him and he'd defeat you with pure logic. Try to make excuses for yourself and once again -
you'd be defeated rationally. Greg made it clear that, with enough hard work, any one of us could become exceptional
and expected nothing less from us. He gave us no magic tricks, but he did give solid strategies about everything from composition to visual communication, and even practical ways to address the overwhelming failures we all as artists experience. And on top of all of that, he's just about the sweetest guy you'll ever meet!
If you haven't taken his class and feel intimidated by his work or as if you're not good enough for him yet, I'd hope you'll change your mind. Greg is endlessly patient with students of all skill levels and not one of us has regretted our afternoons sharing art, our knowledge and laughs together.
-Ashley Lange
My mentorship with Todd Lockwood was probably the biggest step up for me in several years, in terms of my art, and has stuck with me since. Even in the class setting, I was granted so much one-on-one advice and mentorship from Todd that it never felt like a traditional classroom.
I took a second mentorship with Iain McCaig, which unexpectedly pushed my storyboarding skills enough that I'm working full time in the animation industry.
I owe a lot to everyone - Rebecca, my mentors, and the other students in my classes, many of which I've kept close contact with since. Looking forward to taking another one soon!
-Britt-Lise Newstead
I took a second mentorship with Iain McCaig, which unexpectedly pushed my storyboarding skills enough that I'm working full time in the animation industry.
I owe a lot to everyone - Rebecca, my mentors, and the other students in my classes, many of which I've kept close contact with since. Looking forward to taking another one soon!
-Britt-Lise Newstead
It has been an amazing 3 months for me. The teachers are all very supportive, passionate, and so focused on what the students need.
I have got assignments that pushed me beyond my comfort zone, trying out new approaches, Improving areas where I am lacking and I really feel that I have improved during my study here. Every time I approach a new painting now , the voices of the instructors just kept echoing
in my head XD and it is a very good thing to keep having questioning
your piece what is important and what is not.
Smart school has been one of my smartest choices in life. Thank you.
-Lie setiawan
I have got assignments that pushed me beyond my comfort zone, trying out new approaches, Improving areas where I am lacking and I really feel that I have improved during my study here. Every time I approach a new painting now , the voices of the instructors just kept echoing
in my head XD and it is a very good thing to keep having questioning
your piece what is important and what is not.
Smart school has been one of my smartest choices in life. Thank you.
-Lie setiawan
After I graduated with my BFA, I fell into a slump and lost direction with my work. I decided to take Illustration 102 with Marc Scheff and I am so happy that I did! I feel like I have made a huge step forward in finding my specific, artistic voice. Marc was very helpful to all the members in our class, helping us on an individual basis with each of our specific goals.
I also sat in on Donato's lecture series, which was fantastic! How do you boil down 20+ years of experience in to 12 weeks? He has somehow managed to do this! It truly was jam-packed with high quality content.
-Allison Langston_
I also sat in on Donato's lecture series, which was fantastic! How do you boil down 20+ years of experience in to 12 weeks? He has somehow managed to do this! It truly was jam-packed with high quality content.
-Allison Langston_
The difference Donato Giancola made for me is incredible. He would open doors of knowledge and experiences to help us grow tremendously. With a painting I worked on during his Spring class 2014, I was accepted as a finalist within the ARC International Salon Competition. For me, that is a great achievement. Thank you SmArt School, thank you Donato!
-Nik Anikis Skusek
-Nik Anikis Skusek
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My experience working with Dan was amazing. I feel to have received a major upgrade in my image making abilities. It was an experience akin to ninja training and I feel to have acquired skills and information that will potentially launch me into creative realms previously unreachable. I am SO glad I stumbled upon smART School and hope to return in the future!
-Karen MacKenzie |
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Faculty Clients, Awards, Honors, Gallery Shows, Accolades:
The United Nations, LucasArts, Marvel Comics, Carus Publishing, Topps, Houghton Mifflin, MTV, Easton Press, Dark Horse Comics, The Science Fiction Book Club, Barefoot Books, Farrar Strauss&Giroux, National Geographic, Scientific American, CNN, DC Comics, Microsoft, The Village Voice, Playboy Magazine, US Postal Service, Wizards of the Coast, Blizzard, Scholastic, Simon&Schuster, Tor Books, Random House, Time/Warner, The Scifi Channel, OMNI, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, The Smithsonian, Time, Federal Express, Paramount, Columbia, Disney, Milton-Bradley, Hasbro, Atlantic Monthly, Hamilton King Award from the Society of Illustrators, Nineteen Chesley Awards, 2 Chesley Nominations, 2 Eisner nominations, 1 Caldicott nomination, Three Artist Hugo Awards, Gold and Silver Medals from the Society of Illustrators, notable awards from the Art Renewal Center, and multiple silver and gold medals among all faculty from the juried annual Spectrum: The Best of Contemporary Fantastic Art, The Roq la Rue Gallery,The R. Michelson Gallery, The Allentown Museum of Art, The Eric Carle Museum of Picturebook Art, Jonathan Levine Gallery, LeBasse Projects, The American Museum of Illustration.......and more
The United Nations, LucasArts, Marvel Comics, Carus Publishing, Topps, Houghton Mifflin, MTV, Easton Press, Dark Horse Comics, The Science Fiction Book Club, Barefoot Books, Farrar Strauss&Giroux, National Geographic, Scientific American, CNN, DC Comics, Microsoft, The Village Voice, Playboy Magazine, US Postal Service, Wizards of the Coast, Blizzard, Scholastic, Simon&Schuster, Tor Books, Random House, Time/Warner, The Scifi Channel, OMNI, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, The Smithsonian, Time, Federal Express, Paramount, Columbia, Disney, Milton-Bradley, Hasbro, Atlantic Monthly, Hamilton King Award from the Society of Illustrators, Nineteen Chesley Awards, 2 Chesley Nominations, 2 Eisner nominations, 1 Caldicott nomination, Three Artist Hugo Awards, Gold and Silver Medals from the Society of Illustrators, notable awards from the Art Renewal Center, and multiple silver and gold medals among all faculty from the juried annual Spectrum: The Best of Contemporary Fantastic Art, The Roq la Rue Gallery,The R. Michelson Gallery, The Allentown Museum of Art, The Eric Carle Museum of Picturebook Art, Jonathan Levine Gallery, LeBasse Projects, The American Museum of Illustration.......and more
