Esteemed Toronto school – Max the Mutt College of Animation, Art and Design – celebrates its 2015 graduates and students with a year-end public open house exhibit (includes free weekend workshops for all with top industry pros)! Note: Detailed schedule below.

“I think there is some tremendous work in the show tonight! I came last year and was equally impressed, and I actually hired one of your graduates, who is working with me on a feature film project.” – Clive Smith, founder Nelvana.

On view throughout the college; children's books by illustration graduates, animation reels and slide shows from animation and concept art graduates, prop and character design, comic book pages, figurative and portrait painting and more.

VIDEO (Animation student Sam Bowen, 2014): https://youtu.be/o9_G4z-GH-g

FACEBOOK EVENT: https://www.facebook.com/events/370282393174786

OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE:

Friday, May 29 to Sunday, May 31; open to the public, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The main reception is on the second floor. Year one, two and three student and graduate exhibition, curriculum information, school tours and two free one-hour workshops (Saturday and Sunday).

> Saturday, May 30:

10:00 a.m. – Information Session; school philosophy, the curriculum for the three diploma programs, workshops and development programs. Followed by a school tour.

11:00 a.m. – Free workshop; ‘Introduction to Cartooning’ with Toronto-based cartoonist and illustrator Megan Kearney. Learn the basics of cartooning including exaggeration, appeal and structure. Kearney manages Comic Book Embassy (co-work studio in Chinatown), and hosts High Tea at the Embassy (monthly mixer for women in creative fields). Her most recent works include Valor, and a graphic novel adaptation of Beauty and The Beast.

1:00 p.m. – Free workshop; ‘Introduction to freehand Figure Drawing’ with comic book artist, author and instructor Dave Ross. An outline of the methodology (straight from the mind to the page) behind freehand figure drawing. Dave Ross has mainly published in the USA; working on the series Rai at Valiant and such Marvel titles as Avengers West Coast and Marvel Knights: Daredevil and Inhumans. At DC Comic, he worked on JLA and Birds of Prey. He has a book coming out soon titled ‘Freehand Figure Drawing for Illustrators’.

> Sunday, May 31:

10:00 a.m. – School tours all day.

11:00 a.m. – Free workshop; ‘The Loomis head’ with head of Max the Mutt's Illustration for Sequential Arts diploma program Kent Burles. Andrew Loomis, the famed American illustrator, developed this system of drawing the head from life, reference or imagination.

1:00 p.m. – Free workshop; ‘Introduction to Cinematic Layout for Comics’ with head of Illustration for Sequential Arts Diploma program Kent Burles.

Founder/director Maxine Schacker states, “Our first year-end events at 2944 Danforth Avenue are almost here! We look forward to welcoming everyone to our weekend Open House, where this year, we’re providing two free workshops on both Saturday and Sunday! We invite everyone to see the amazing work all our students have created...a school filled with art!”

2015 graduate image enclosed: Concept art student Marion Manzo (Lava Rock Monster).

ABOUT:

Founded in 1996 in Toronto, Max the Mutt College of Animation, Art and Design provides in-depth training via workshops and three programs of study; Classical and Computer Animation and Production diploma, Concept Art for Animation and Video Games diploma (only of its kind in Canada) and Illustration for Sequential Arts: Comic Books and Graphic Novels diploma (only of its kind in Canada). Max the Mutt prepares students for careers in animation, concept design, advertising, art direction, comic books and graphic novels.