• HOME
  • Enrolling now
  • FAQ
  • About
  • Contact
  • Alumni Portfolios
    • Art Prize Winners Gallery
    • Alumni Portfolios A-J
    • Alumni Portfolios K-Z
  • Alumni News
  • HOME
  • Enrolling now
  • FAQ
  • About
  • Contact
  • Alumni Portfolios
    • Art Prize Winners Gallery
    • Alumni Portfolios A-J
    • Alumni Portfolios K-Z
  • Alumni News
SMART SCHOOL
MENTORSHIP WITH Winona Nelson
Picture

spring 2025

interactive small classes once a week for 14 Weeks

  • Gaming Illustration and Character Design
  • Special industry guest: Kara Kenna,  Senior Creative Lead for Dungeons & Dragons
  • 14 Sessions
  • Wednesdays 9pm-12 midnight  Eastern Time ​
  • Starts March 12 and runs through June*
  • 8 students max
  • $2500
  • Includes one FREE audit of another mentorship--watch another mentorship for free!​
  • Includes a FREE portfolio on our Alumni Portfolios page
  • Includes FREE entry into future SmArt School Art Prize competitions--where your work can be seen by more art directors, gallery directors, & editors + cash prizes. See our Instagram feed for past contests
  • No portfolio review is necessary but feel free to Email us your art if you're wondering if you're ready for this mentorship
​If you need a payment plan there's PAYPAL CREDIT interest-free credit Click Here
Enrollment closed

​
​​You can audit this course as an observer for $495. Click Here for more info.
*The mentorship runs for 14 sessions. SmArt School teachers sometimes have to travel for professional reasons. If they must miss a class they will notify all students with as much lead time as possible and add a session to the end of the calendar. Some weeks off are also scheduled into the calendar, see the 'Courses' main page for details. ALL CLASSES MEET LIVE and are not recorded due to proprietary content. Teaching will not happen via email, only during class time.

Gaming Illustration and Character Design

The field of gaming illustration is continually expanding. If you want to be part of it there are specific things you need to know. In this class you will build strong portfolio pieces. You will gain knowledge about the gaming business as Winona walks you through the process of creating industry-specific artwork.
Winona will work one-on-one with each student through specific assignments and weekly individual draw-overs and critiques. 

Towards the end of the semester a special industry guest will review student work.
​
After taking this class students will also receive the option of a free profile on the Alumni Portfolios page.  Visit the Alumni Portfolios page and type a teacher's name into the search bar to see some of the artists who studied with that teacher.

what students are saying

"The last 3 months were so important for my growth as anartist. I met incredible and beautiful fellow artists who inspired me and will continue to inspire as we all move forward in our own careers. We were so lucky to have an incredible, kind and fun teacher like Nonie. Who shared with us not only professional experiences but also personal stories. I already miss our Wednesdays and can't wait to see what's coming next!"
Marcos V. Monken
@marcosvmonken

"I'm so glad to have taken part in that mentorship, Nonie is an amazing teacher who addressed every conceivable aspect of being an artist including basics and advanced techniques, software tricks, motivation and health, business and negotiation. It was an infinitely rewarding experience and gave me a lot of confidence, not to mention new friends."
Daniela Ivanova
@danielaivanova

About Winona Nelson

Winona has created over 145 cards and tokens for Magic: the Gathering.  She worked as a concept artist on the Marvel Studios' Netflix series Echo and on The Last of Us: Part II video game for Naughty Dog. Her other concept art and illustration clients include: Warhammer, Fantasy Flight, Games Workshop, Flagship Studios, Planet Moon Studios, Kabam, Final Form Games, Aftershock, and Scholastic Books. Winona believes the key to a long-lived career in gaming is not only fulfilling a client's prompts, but by digging more deeply into your individuality to include your own voice. The goal is to go beyond delivering professional level illustrations, to create something your client and your audience cannot get from any other artist.
Magic Card Illustration by teacher Winona Nelson 'Life Crafter's Gift
Winona Nelson's Website: http://www.winonanelsonart.com/
Back to course listings page