Session 1

3D Art and Animation

Bring your ideas to life

Step into the exciting world of creating 3D artwork and animations to bring your ideas to life! This is your chance to create your own superhero, villain, or even creature from another dimension, all while learning the fundamentals of visual storytelling and 3D art production.

In this art program, students dive into some of the tools and techniques used by animators and game developers to build lifelike models for digital art, animation, and even video games.

Through fun, hands-on projects, students learn how to conceptualize, shape, sculpt and animate characters, starting from simple sketches and building them into fully-formed, digital models – with even a backstory behind them. Whether they imagine a fearless hero, a mysterious villain, or a wild fantasy creature, students bring their unique characters to life, ready to leap into action!

Curriculum

Students are introduced to the essentials of storytelling, 3D art modeling, and animation. By the end of the course, students are able to:

  1. Demonstrate the foundational skills in the 3D modeling pipeline, including sculpting, texturing, and animating of digital assets.
  2. Imagine, design, and create compelling 3D characters, such as superheroes, villains, or fantasy creatures, using industry-standard software.
  3. Apply animation techniques to bring their characters to life in a simple digital scene, preparing them for future projects in animation, video games, or augmented reality.
Students in 3D Art
Planned Topics

Topics for this course include:

  • Screenings of animated shorts and movies with discussions and round tables.
  • Brainstorming sessions for ideation and world-building.
  • Concept art production, sketching, and storyboarding.
  • Walkthroughs and follow-along sessions on computer-aided techniques for 3D art production.
     
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Digital Art
Sam Cortina
Faculty Lead
Sam Cortina

Lecturer | Art, Media, Performance & Design | College of the Pacific

Master's in Information Design, Universidad de las Américas Puebla, 2002
B.F.A. in Graphic Design, Universidad de las Américas Puebla, 1995

Originally from Mexico, Sam Cortina brings over two decades of experience in digital art, 3D modeling, and graphic design to his courses, placing a strong emphasis on experiential learning while fostering a relaxed and friendly learning environment. A seasoned designer and former department chair, he helps students learn technical skills while improving their creative visual storytelling, building on his international experience in consulting, professional practice, and the academia.

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