The Program in Character Animation supports animation focused on character development and narrative storytelling. The faculty admissions committee seeks portfolios that show evidence of strong, observational figure/life drawing skills, artistic originality, and the potential to tell stories and develop characters using sequential imagery. The committee values artwork that reveals a unique and imaginative voice, showcasing the applicant’s artistic interests and conceptual abilities. We welcome a range of traditional creative work, including drawings and paintings, as well as 2D digital art, and computer graphics (CG).
Part 1: Observational Artwork (minimum of 15 total)
Observational artwork consists of drawings done from the direct study of life with your subject(s) present in your environment, not from photo or screen reference. Subject(s) can include humans and animals alike.
You must include examples of the following categories of observational drawing in any number you chose.
A. Observational life drawings of human models:
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These observational drawings should range from short pose lengths (gesture drawings) to longer pose lengths, and should indicate the models’ faces, hands and feet. Drawings of nude models are preferred, but costume drawings may also be included. Applicants to the Character Animation program should have at least one year’s worth of experience studying figure/life drawing with a live model.
B. Observational drawings from real life:
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Drawings and sketches of people (in this case, not models) and animals from real life
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Drawings of interior and exterior environments
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Urban sketching, location drawings, café drawings, plein-air paintings, etc.
Keep in mind:
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Drawings should be from observing real life, exploring elements such as shape, form, contour, contrast, ambiance, and mood.
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Do not erase all of your construction lines while drawing from life – they are especially helpful to the faculty in understanding your approach to observational drawings.
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Do not submit traced pictures
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Do not submit copies of work by others.
Part 2: Other Creative Work
Images should be uploaded into the online portfolio and can include any combination of the following:
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Sequential image storytelling: Work that showcases your ability to tell a story and develop a character. For example: storyboards, comics, graphic novels, flipbooks, short animations or short stories with thumbnails.
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Digital creative work (animated or still): Creative work that you produce, or manipulate, in one or more computer programs. This might take the form of 2D digital art, illustrations, concept art, character designs, prop designs, cartoons, photography, or computer graphics (CG).
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Other Work (non-digital): Paintings, drawings, illustrations, concept art, character designs, prop designs, cartoons
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Other examples of art-making, including sculpture, ceramics, installations, photography, etc.
Online presence: provide a URL to your website, Instagram, Tumblr, Behance, etc.
Portfolio-related questions can be addressed to the CalArts Office of Admissions; we also encourage applicants to find solutions to questions through their own creative exploration and introspection.
Online Portfolio Submission
The online portfolio should be uploaded in the application.
For your portfolio, please submit one image per slide. Do not combine multiple images into a PDF document. Do not share your personal website or a Google drive in place of a digital portfolio. Do not include captions on images. If appropriate, captions should be added to the designated captions section in the application.
The application accepts MP3's, documents, images and video. You will be scanning or photographing your drawings to submit them digitally, and filming your sketchbook.
Once your portfolio is uploaded, it can be viewed and rearranged until the final submission is made. Make sure to double-check that each image appears as it is intended to be viewed. No changes can be made following the final submission of your portfolio.
If you experience technical difficulties while uploading your portfolio, you may send an email to the Review Coordinator, Ani Kazandjian, at akazandjian@calarts.edu.