Programs
Not sure where to begin or how our online training works? Watch this video first where I take you on a tour of the different options available.
Jump to:
Book a Free Assessment where I can meet you and have a look at some of your current work so I can recommend a study path.
Book a Discovery Call where we can simply meet and discuss the different options available.
Read our popular blog post: I didn’t get accepted into Sheridan College’s animation program! Now what?
Animation Foundation Track
4-Week Courses — Ages 13+
In this series of courses, you’ll be introduced to all of the foundational art skills you will require before developing your skills further with the Animation Portfolio Track. As with all of our courses, they are one-on-one with our animation instructor, and you can either sign up for 30-minute feedback sessions or 1 hour feedback sessions. There is more homework assigned to the students who sign up for the 1-hour long feedback sessions, so there is more to learn from the lengthier session.
Cost of 4-Week Courses
30 - minute feedback sessions: $360 CAD
60 - minute feedback sessions: $500 CAD
Most homework can be marked in 30 minutes, but 60 minute feedback sessions allow me to look at other artwork beyond the scope of the individual course. You also get access to our extended study prompt page to expand your skills further with 60-minute feedback sessions, and this work can be reviewed during the feedback sessions.
Course Sequence 1 - Drawing the World As It Is
Sketching I — Observational. A wonderful course to begin finding the correct way to draw.
Rendering Methods. Fine tuning your marks to deliver beautiful images.
Perspective I — Introduction. A starting point to draw great cities and objects.
Perspective II - Advanced. Continuing with more complexity to bring environments to life.
Course Sequence 2 - Designing the World As It Could Be
Storytelling for Animation. Creating the building blocks of engaging stories.
Sketching II — Imaginative. Converting the abstraction in your mind into the tangible and plausible.
Designing for Animation I — Geometric . Exaggerating real life and finding new objects.
Designing for Animation II — Nature. Hidden rhythms within trees and rocks.
Course Sequence 3 - Climbing the Animation Ladder
Visual Development I. Developing the colour & design from the story’s written word.
Composition I. Why does a picture work? When don’t they?
Visual Development II. Mood, atmosphere, and stories that pack a punch.
Composition II. How well can pictures work?
No dates? When do these courses begin?
These courses begin as soon as you sign up! If you want, you can sign up now and begin whenever you prefer.
What skill level is required?
Most of these courses assume you are at an early strage in your artistic learning, but if you’d like to schedule a call with us to share some of your work, please do so.
Animation Portfolio Track
8-Week Courses — Ages 15+
These courses were designed to help students develop their animation portfolios for College, or to improve their skills after completing an animation program. They are incredibly specific to this dynamic art medium, and have helped many students get accepted into their top animation programs. Animation Fundamentals 1 & 2 both cover the Sheridan Animation portfolio exclusively, but their criteria will also work for many other portfolios. The other courses are extremely beneficial for developing professional-level artwork that you’ll be proud to submit! See our Past Students’ Work to see a small sampling of the wonderful young artists who have trained with us.
Cost of 8-Week Courses
30 - minute feedback sessions: $590 CAD
60 - minute feedback sessions: $950 CAD
Figure Drawing & Anatomy. A foundational, necessary course to help you excel at figure drawing.
Animation Fundamentals 1. Covers the entire first half of Sheridan College’s portfolio.
Animation Fundamentals 2. Covers the second half of Sheridan College’s portfolio.
Worldbuilding: Character Design. A deeper dive into storytelling and character design for production.
Worldbuilding: Background Design. Creating vivid, believable environments for your characters to inhabit.
Colour & Light. The ins and outs of digital painting, colour theory, and advanced composition.
Storyboarding Fundamentals. Packed full of exercises to understand and improve your boards!
Program Bundles
2024 Complete Animation Semester
Dive into the world of animation. This comprehensive series of Group courses is designed for young artists who have the passion and discipline to get into their top Animation programs at a variety of Colleges and Universities including Sheridan, Seneca, CalArts, The Animation Workshop, Gobelins, SVA, RISD, and more! The Animation Tutor studied at Sheridan College, and is an expert in assessing this portfolio in particular. We have taught this program for over 10 years, and make small revisions to this Bundle each year. Coming in 2024, there are a variety of ways to take this program depending on the amount of input you wish to have. Please read carefully below.
All variations of this Bundle include:
6 courses (this will effectively replace an entire semester at a general arts program in College, University, or even an advanced high school art program, spanning from October 2024 to March 2024 when the Sheridan portfolio is due)
Over 20 hours of video lecture instruction (lifetime access — never expires!)
10+ hours of feedback on all of your coursework (video recorded and delivered to you on a weekly basis after you submit your homework)
3 incredible animation-specific textbooks
1 lecture on careers in animation to kick off the semester
1 lecture on portfolio presentation to close the semester
This Bundle is different from the rest of the Bundles because it is taken as a Group. Due to this, it runs at a set time each year — from October to March each year. It’s our top selling program across all of our individual courses, mentorships, and other bundles, so sign up early to ensure your spot for the 2024 Portfolio Season!
There are three variations, please click learn more below to find out more.
Cost: Option 1: $2800 $2600 CAD, Option 2: $3420 $3100 CAD, Option 3: $4740 $4300 CAD,
Group Bundle
Weekly homework schedule is set, and if sessions are missed, you miss receiving feedback on your work.
Course selection is set - no ability to pick your own courses.
Very important not to fall behind on the weekly assignments.
Homework is marked as a Group in recorded video, then uploaded to the cloud for students to view.
Starts in October and goes to March of each year.
More affordably priced due to these limitations.
One-on-One Bundles
You can book your own feedback session on our calendar for each week of your homework, and then reschedule as needed to accommodate your schedule.
Course selection is chosen by you.
You cannot fall behind, because if your schedule gets busy, you don’t have to book a feedback session for a while until you have more time. You’re the one that decides your schedule.
Homework is marked live on Zoom so that you can ask questions or clarify critiques.
Starts anytime that you’d like to start!
This bundle is ideal for:
Students applying to Sheridan College’s incredibly competitive 4-year Bachelor of Animation program
Anyone who wants to learn a wide variety of artistic skills that center animation production and storytelling at the center of them all.
Anyone who can’t stop drawing in all of their high-school classes
Anyone who has applied multiple times, and wants this year to be the one they finally get accepted!
Anyone who has a degree already, but has decided instead to pursue something they’re actually passionate about!
This bundle is ideal for:
Students interested in building their sketching skills.
Students creating a portfolio that requires both observational and imaginative sketches to demonstrate your ability to draw a variety of complex forms.
Students wanting to increase their “image library” in their minds so that they can draw anything without direct reference.
Students interested in studying concept art for games or animation production.
Students wanting to improve their hand-eye coordination.
This bundle is ideal for:
Students interested in learning how to paint digitally or traditionally.
Students who want to learn colour theory in a variety of applied assignments — no more abstract colour wheels!
Students interested in the Visual Development sub-field within animation.
Students interested in concept art for games or animation production.
Students who want to include beautiful, coloured work in their portfolios for animation applications.
Students who want to make moody, atmospheric scenes for their stories and characters.
This bundle is ideal for:
Students interested in learning the non-linear, creative field of storytelling.
Students who are ready to do some writing to build their story structures and character archetypes.
Students interested in filmmaking broadly, and want to use both their imaginative and drawing abilities to create worlds.
Students interested in character psychology and motivations.
Students who want to make a complete “story pitch package” for their portfolios comprising characters, backgrounds, and concept artwork.
This bundle is ideal for:
Students interested building a solid foundation of skills that will increase their base-drawing and painting abilities.
Students who are comfortable with occasional difficult drawing prompts to grow as much as possible from the process.
Students especially interesting in drawing from observation and understanding perspective more deeply.
Students who want a rigorous drawing regime that will complement any animation portfolio (or other drawing-related discipline such as illustration).
Students who want to be more comfortable with their figure drawing abilities (a skill rarely developed thoroughly enough in high-school).
Want to make your own Bundle? Enjoy the benefits of the discounted package while making your own!
Click on each image below to explore the varied options of 4 or 8-week classes. Keep in mind that you can always swap 2 x 4-week classes for an additional 8-week class, and vice versa. As with all of the previous Bundles, we offer 0% financing payment plans!
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While these costs may seem high, the primary difference between our training and being in a College or University program is the amount of one-on-one time with our instructor.
As a comparable example, in Art Fundamentals at Sheridan, the 2024 cost for domestic students is $5,453.64 and for international students it is $19,212.64. This is only for tuition alone and does not include relocation and living costs.
This program is also a general arts program, and not necessarily specific to animation, although some, but not all, skills will carry over. As mentioned previously, the major stark difference is the amount of one-on-one time with the instructor. In Art Fundamentals, one teacher is with 30+ students for 3 hours a week. This results in minimal one-on-one time for each student.
Compare this to our Bundle 3 priced at $4,950. You have the ability to access this program wherever you’re located, it is highly-targeted towards animation, and you will have 40 x 1-hour feedback sessions across all of the courses. You also can attend the two lectures noted, and you receive three textbooks.
We’ve priced all of our Bundles to be as competitive as possible, and we’re very proud of the depth and breadth of the education we are providing within our pricing structure. We’re happy to explain further over a call, as we are incredibly transparent about the considerations th t are inherent in our programming options.
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Absolutely! These substitutions are allowed.
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We have an ongoing list of favourite animation and design-related textbooks. The choices are:
• The Animator’s Survival Guide by Richard Williams
• Art Fundamentals by 3D Total
• Classic Human Anatomy by Valeria L. Winslow (current life drawing textbook used at Sheridan College)
• Anatomy for Artists by 3D Total
• Atlas of Human Anatomy for Artists by Stephen Rogers Peck
• Framed Perspective vol. 1 or vol. 2 by Marcos Mateu-Mestre
• Force: Dynamic Life Drawing by Mike Mattesi
• Force: Character Design from Life Drawing by Mike Mattesi
..and more! We’re flexible with recommendations as well.
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Like any of our courses or mentorships, you can begin anytime! Enroll today and start whenever you’d like.
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Absolutely! We can accommodate 2, 3, 4, or 6 payments over as many months, and will invoice you individually. We’re flexible with what works for you and try to accommodate a variety of income levels. Rather than enrolling, please contact us and let us know that you’d like to enroll in Bundle X with X number of payments.
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Please contact us about your situation. Occasionally, we’re able to grant some degree of a work program in exchange for our courses or bundles.
Membership
Access all video lectures for The Animation Tutor courses with our Video Course Memberships
Mentorship
Personalized 1-hour mentorship sessions with The Animation Tutor
Private Lessons
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If you're an aspiring animator with clear goals set for an animation school or program, private lessons with the Animation Tutor are tailor-made for you. With a focus on no frills, one-on-one drawing feedback and support, these sessions allow you to bring any artworks you’d like feedback on to help you build a stellar portfolio and hone your artistic skills in dynamic and fluid ways. Our expert guidance will not only assist you in getting accepted into your dream animation program but also mark the beginning of a rewarding journey in the world of animation. If you’d like a more structured week-by-week curriculum, sign up for a Personal Mentorship instead.
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Personal Mentorship
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Crafted specifically for your unique animation goals. A Personal Mentorship offers a more structured and comprehensive experience that ensures your growth and progress. Nurture your development through a thoughtfully designed schedule of assignments and personalized guidance. Whether you aim to excel in a specific animation project, sharpen your skills, or master animation software, The Animation Tutor will curate a mentorship tailored to your ambitions. This result-oriented approach guarantees tangible outcomes, leading you towards success in your animation journey
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Extensive Sheridan Portfolio Review
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Do you want to receive an extremely comprehensive review of your portfolio artwork that you'll be submitting for Sheridan's notoriously competitive Bachelor of Animation program? Order this review from us to receive live feedback on your entire portfolio, receive a scoresheet using their rubric of where we think you stack up, AND receive two additional opinions of current Sheridan students.
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Summer & March Break Camps
When: July 7 - July 25 2025
Enroll by: July 1 2025
Format: Three live classes per week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) that are 3.5 hours each, with two scheduled work sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays to keep on task facilitated through the Animation Tutor Discord. Homework is assigned with each class, with some class time reserved for beginning the work. Let’s students experience the what it would be like to work at an animation studio on a feature film production! This camp is a ton of fun, a great networking opportunity for like-minded students, and you’ll leave with a lot of artwork that you can use in your animation portfolio for College and University applications.
For a more specific breakdown of the details of the camp, click here.
Virtual Animation Summer Camp
Virtual 2D Animation March Break Camp
When: March 10 - 14 (5 week days during March Break)
Enroll by: March 7 2025
Format: One class per day that are 3.5 hours each, with two work sessions with live feedback on your work on Tuesday and Thursday evening. We will be communicating via the Animation Tutor Discord. Homework assigned with each class, with some class time reserved for beginning the work.
For a more specific breakdown of the details of the camp, click here.
