One of the best parts of my job as an art school instructor is getting to work with graduate students. The majority of courses I teach are undergraduate courses from drawing and painting, to animation, illustration, concept art, fashion and foundations. But about a third of my job is working with graduate level students enrolled in our animation graduate program at the Art Institute of California-San Francisco. This unique group of more advanced students provides a closer working relationship allowing for more sophisticated and detailed dialogue built around the creation of their masters thesis films. I have really grown to appreciate this kind of instruction, discussion and creative inter-play I get with these students. Sometimes we are in a drawing lab carefully drawing and painting a live model and other times we are sitting in front of computer pouring over Maya and carefully discussing a bit of animation, storytelling, modeling or lighting and texture. The conversations are fantastic and illuminating and many times it is I who learns equally from the student experience. Over the years I have made some great working friendships with these brilliant artists and have stood in their "light" feeling fortunate that I was able to maybe contribute in some small way to the beauty of their thesis projects. I am truly grateful and humbled as a teacher and as an artist by the dedication and talents of these individuals.
ABOVE: (back row left to right) Cortney Bell, Chris Platz, Trey Gallaher(Me), Kevin Miller, Neil Miller, (front row) Albert Carmona
BELOW: (left to right)Courtney Bell, Puttachad Sattayasai (Chloe), Trey Gallaher (Me), Ratchanon Nobnop (Charlie)
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