Chuck Jones Center for Creativity and Laguna College of Art & Design to Offer Classes This JulyCosta Mesa, CA: The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, in collaboration with the Laguna College of Art & Design animation department, is proud to offer its first portfolio development workshop for aspiring animators. This summer, sixteen high school students who are interested in studying the art of animation will have a chance to develop their skills and prepare a portfolio specifically for submission to art schools offering animation programs.
This course will be taught by Larissa Marantz, a character designer for Nickelodeon, children’s book illustrator and professor at Laguna College of Art & Design. Participants will learn the basics of character design, appeal, observational drawing, and personality development inspired by the artistic approach of legendary animation director Chuck Jones, who helped create such classic cartoon characters as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote and Pepé Le Pew.
Ideal candidates will have had some previous art instruction, but have not had an opportunity to take animated-related classes. The cost of the four-week course is $500 and it will be held at the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity at 3321 Hyland Avenue in Costa Mesa on Mondays through Thursdays 9AM-1PM from July 8th though August 1st. Interested students may contact Lindsay Farr at Laguna College of Art & Design by e-mail (lfarr@lcad.edu) or phone (949-376-6000) to enroll.
The principles for creating memorable characters embodied in the work of Chuck Jones remain relevant today whether applied to hand-drawn, computer-generated or stop-motion animation. Young artists definitely won’t want to miss this opportunity to follow in the footsteps of an animation master.
About the Center: The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity was founded in 1999 by four-time Academy Award recipient and legendary animation creator and director, Chuck Jones. The Center’s vision is to inspire the innate creative genius within each person that leads to a more joyous, passionate, and harmonious life and world.
These are important goals, particularly in today’s world, when arts education is practically non-existent; we are dedicated to re-invigorating the creative spirit and we are doing it through art classes, exhibitions, lectures, and film festivals, all of which spring from the material in the Chuck Jones archive. Jones was a determined saver and his writings, art, and other ephemera from a nine-decade life, along with his philosophy of guiding and nurturing instruction, form the basis of our programs.
About Laguna College of Art & Design: Founded in 1961 as the Laguna Beach School of Art, LCAD has grown to include five undergraduate majors and a graduate department. We offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Drawing and Painting, Illustration, Graphic Design, Animation, and Game Art. The graduate program awards a Master of Fine Arts in Drawing and in Painting.
LCAD is one of an elite number of institutions that has both regional accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (www.wascweb.org) and national accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (www.nasad.arts-accredit.org). We get especially high marks for our use of technology and the liberal arts in the art and design curriculum. Our graduates are career-ready and receive assistance from the Office of Career Services and its many contacts in the art market and industry. Being an hour from Los Angeles puts you close to museums, galleries, the entertainment industry, and graphic design studios. Our faculty includes experienced professionals in their field; all are accomplished educators.