The Art of Animation

Learn how to animate the fun, old-fashioned way! Students explore a number of different animation techniques, including drawn animation, flipbooks, paper cutouts, zoetropes, clay animation, and stop-motion. They write, storyboard, and finish both group and individual projects.

A final film, which students can take home on DVD, will be created and screened at the final exhibition.

Animation

Learn to animate the good, old-fashioned way -- then use modern methods to finish your work. In this studio, participants explore a number of different animation techniques, including drawn animation, flipbooks, paper cutouts, zoetropes, clay animation, and stop-motion. With these basic techniques, students get a complete grounding in the principles of animation.

Participants gain skills in squash and stretch distortion, timing, exaggeration, and storytelling. They write and storyboard both group and individual projects, and finish them using iStopMotion, iMovie, and iDVD.

No prior computer experience required. One student per Macintosh computer.

Architecture: Future House

Chances are that your first drawing of a house was a square with a triangle-shaped roof, two windows, a door, and a chimney. In the windows, or next to the tree outside, you drew your family.

This studio begins with a series of quick exercises introducing students to concepts of scale, proportion, and model-making techniques. A slide presentation showing a variety of houses from San Francisco and abroad introduces students to the diversity of what people call "home."

The final project challenges participants to design the house of the future, expressing their imaginations using SketchUp, a digital drawing and modeling tool.

Architecture: Sustainable House

Chances are that your first drawing of a house was a square with a triangle-shaped roof, two windows, a door, and a chimney. In the windows, or next to the tree outside, you drew your family.
 
This studio begins with a series of quick exercises introducing students to concepts of scale, proportion, model-making techniques and sustainable concepts. A slide presentation showing the history of homes, how culture and location helped to develop different housing styles. A variety of houses, local and abroad introduces students to the diversity of what people call "home."
 
The final project challenges participants to design a sustainable house of the future, which expressing their culture, values and lifestyles, realized using SketchUp, a digital drawing and modeling tool.

Black-and-White Photography

Photography as a creative art form is magical and inspiring. This studio introduces students to the fundamental principles of 35-millimeter black-and-white photography.

Participants learn how to use a camera, compose a picture, develop film, and work in the darkroom. Slide and book presentations further expose participants to the medium's exciting possibilities.

Participants are encouraged to talk about the images they make and what they find compelling about one another's work.

Students should bring a working 35-millimeter (preferably manual) camera to the first class.

Building with Drawing

In this studio, students explore drawing beyond the frame. Particular emphasis during the morning session will be given to drawing as discovery, experimenting with line, tone, texture, scale and composition, and developing a range of new skills by working with different subjects (from still life to the life model). Students will be introduced to alternative methods of drawing, alongside experimenting with charcoal and graphite, pastels, ink and mixed media.

During the afternoon session the work is then transformed by altering the drawings, using media such as plaster, wax, latex, and found objects, for an outcome that is both experimental and sculptural.

Cartoon Drawing: From Comics to Caricature

This fun-filled studio explores the many techniques and styles of cartoon drawing, from manga, and superhero-oriented comics, to humorous cartoon-style editorials, greeting cards, and advertising illustrations.

Students learn the creative, technical, and practical aspects of cartooning as well as the varied applications of the medium.

Clay Animation

Students learn basic techniques of stop-motion animation using clay characters that they design themselves. They investigate character and set design, lighting, camerawork, and animation techniques.

Students also create a final group project that they can take home on DVD.

Designing with Metal: Small-Scale Sculpture to Jewelry

This fun workshop explores the many methods of creating both jewelry and small-scale sculptures. After watching demonstrations of riveting, forming, metal fabrication, and other techniques, students begin their own experiments using nonprecious materials such as copper and brass.

Participants develop unique combinations of elements, and have the opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry or small-scale sculpture in sterling silver or another material.

Students are encouraged to bring in old chains, nuts, bolts, washers, small toys, and costume jewelry to use in their new creations.

Digital Photography

Photography has undergone rapid change since the advent and popularization of digital technology. This studio provides the opportunity for students to create visually exciting digital photographs using Adobe Photoshop to produce professional quality prints.

In addition to print production, the class explores alternative approaches and uses of photography through the scanning of images, production of handmade books and 'zines, and using the internet as medium for exhibition and publication.

Required equipment: Must provide your own digital camera

Explorations in Drawing

All two-week students take Explorations in Drawing as an afternoon studio.

Participants work with their instructor to explore the rich materials, concepts, and techniques of drawing. A number of sessions focuses on drawing from a clothed/costumed model, while others investigate both traditional and nontraditional approaches to various subjects, including nature, architecture, and abstraction.

Participants develop the ability to see and then translate visual experience into drawing, using pencil, charcoal, pastel, and other media.

Explorations in Painting & Drawing

In the morning studio, participants experiment with composition, content, color, and scale, while learning the technical aspects of using acrylic paint.

The afternoon session explores the rich materials, concepts, and techniques of drawing.

Focus will be on developing the ability to see and then translate visual experience, through investigations of both traditional and nontraditional approaches to various subjects, including nature, architecture, abstraction, and the figure.

Graphic Design

The computer and Adobe Creative Suite are essential tools for graphic designers. In this course, participants work with these tools to create package designs, logos, posters, and more, while gaining basic skills in typography, composition, color, and presentation.

No prior computer experience required. One student per Macintosh computer.

Motion Graphics

Motion Graphics are employed on television shows, commercials, music videos, and the internet. This course introduces students to motion graphics as they relate to special effects, animation, and design.

Working with Adobe After Effects and Adobe Flash, participants learn to create dynamic motion, moving typography, and more. By combining video, text, and still images, students produce a variety of short projects.

Painting

Cave paintings dating back 25,000 years testify to the human urge to create images. Students explore the expressive medium of painting through a variety of subjects, working both from observation and imagination.

Participants experiment with composition, content, and color while learning the technical aspects of using acrylic paint.

All instructors encourage creative thinking and personal expression.

Printmaking

Have you ever wished you could make multiple copies of a favorite drawing? Printmaking, one of the first methods of mass communication, allows artists to do just that. (In ancient times, some people even thought black magic was involved.)

In this exciting studio, students create their own original prints using techniques such as monoprint, relief, and intaglio. They learn about inks, rollers, papers, presses, and other basic equipment of the medium.

Sculptural Felting & Dyeing

In this fun, experimental studio, students learn the basic techniques for turning raw wool into seamless, three-dimensional felt objects. They explore the endless possibilities and applications of this ancient medium, from apparel to sculpture.

Participants are encouraged to develop design skills with an eye toward both function and creativity.

Sculpture: Found & Made

Artists get their ideas from many different sources, from personal experiences, live subjects, and even art-making materials themselves.

This course opens a conversation between found, repurposed objects and traditional sculpture media and techniques including plaster casting, woodworking, and construction with natural fibers.

Combining recycled artifacts can generate humorous and unexpected visual narratives. Students focus on scale, symmetry, and form while experimenting with contrasting materials to create a balanced and harmonious work of art.

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