The Animation Tutor Blog

Portfolio Tieran Holtet Portfolio Tieran Holtet

Tieran’s Story to Studying Animation

Growing up, my parents were teachers at the same highschool I attended, so they knew just as well as I did- their son wasn’t meant to be a scientist. I’d had an interest in the arts since childhood, but going into the tenth grade (with discussions of university on the horizon) it was time to take things seriously. At the time I drew often, but my learning consisted of youtube videos (BAM Animation is a holy grail) and artists I followed on Instagram (At the time, an artist by the name of Koteri.ink had me floored). But I knew that if I was gonna pursue art as a career I had to be diligent and find a school that would secure me a job.

Read More
Garth Laidlaw Garth Laidlaw

How to avoid character design tropes for animation?

Every year, I receive around 50-100 character designs from all my students. There are always a significant swath of these designs that tend to feel a little hollow — not quite believable as living, breathing characters. I think there are a number of factors that contribute to this feeling, but rather than dwell on individual drawing approaches, I wanted to break down some of the common tropes I’ve found that pop up a lot, and how to avoid them in the future.

Read More
Portfolio Garth Laidlaw Portfolio Garth Laidlaw

Connor’s 97% Sheridan Animation Portfolio

In this vlog I interview Connor, a past student of mine who was accepted into Sheridan College's animation program for the 2023 year.

I've worked with over a hundred students who have successfully made it through Sheridan College's notoriously difficult portfolio process. I'm Garth, the Animation Tutor, and I teach my online courses and personal mentorships to ensure all of my students have the best possible pre-College education and understand all of the necessary skills to get accepted at top animation colleges such as Sheridan, CalArts, Gobelins, The Animation Workshop, RISD, Capilano, SVA, and many more. My students have been accepted all around the globe!

Read More
Garth Laidlaw Garth Laidlaw

Should you study animation or illustration?

If you’re currently in high school and you want to pursue visual art in College or University, but you’re not quite sure which program to choose, keep reading this article! I’m going to go over some of the fine distinctions between the two.

It wasn’t too long ago that I was in the same boat. I didn’t know what the difference was between graphic design, fine art, illustration, animation, or the other more specific visual arts. I thought that animation simply meant cartooning, like the kind you’d find in the newspaper. While all these different terms make it seem complicated, wait until you see how many more different roles there are once you are out working in the art and design industries! It gets even more complicated. Hopefully this article can help you choose one of these broad categories of art.

Read More
Portfolio Garth Laidlaw Portfolio Garth Laidlaw

I didn’t get accepted into Sheridan College’s animation program! Now what?

It is very common for applicants of Sheridan College’s Animation program not to get in the first time they apply, especially those who are applying straight from high-school. In fact, if you do actually get into Sheridan from high-school, you are in the minority! Most students take some kind of introductory College-level art program for a year or so, such as Art Fundamentals at Sheridan, or even take a year off to build up their skills on their own. As a company dedicated to helping students close the knowledge gap between many high-school art programs and what’s required to be accepted into Animation, we feel that we’ve created a better way to proceed, and that’s what this blog post is about.

Read More
Portfolio Garth Laidlaw Portfolio Garth Laidlaw

Can you get an art education for free?

With all of the available online resources, many young artists may ask themselves, “Can I get a good art education for free online?” This is a really great question, especially if you are from a low-income family and don’t have access to many of the privileges that come with going to college or university, or taking any online paid courses. It doesn’t need to be said how engaged everyone is in the online world today; simply search YouTube to find educational content, and much of it is very well done. With so many great instructional videos, it begs the question: why go to art school and pay so much money for an education that could be found online cheaply or for free?

Read More