Class Descriptions:
Please click Here to view descriptions (in Adobe PDF)

Beginner:
This Beginner's class is for all ages. The Beginning Student will learn all of Guy Gilchrist's secrets on "How to Draw Cartoons". They will learn to add life, movement, dimension and depth and create their own characters and comic strips through easy to understand lessons that are accompanied by well-illustrated Take Home reference sheets.

Intermediate:
The Intermediate class is for those with a bit more experience in drawing. The student will learn Guy Gilchrist's secrets to bringing life and believability to any cartoon character. In simple easy to understand lessons that are accompanied by well-illustrated Take Home reference sheets, the student will learn how to draw animals, people, creatures and backgrounds. They will also learn how to tell a story through the art of sequential cartooning. The course finishes with each student creating their own comic feature.

Advanced:
The Advanced course is designed for the student who has graduated the Beginner & Intermediate courses, has previous art school experience, or is approved by portfolio review. The Advanced course targets each student's strengths and weaknesses and helps them to achieve their goals of preparing themselves for a possible career in cartooning. The three month Advanced course includes cartoon, illustration, comic book and graphic novel instruction as well as discussions regarding career opportunities.

Anime & Manga: Click here for samples of your teacher,George Sellas's Anime drawings.
Astro Boy, Speed Racer, Pokemon, and Dragonball! These are just a few of the well known cartoons that have come to America from Japan - the home of Anime and Manga. Join the Anime and Manga Class and learn how to create your own Japanese style cartoon and comic characters. Or learn to draw the characters that you already know and love. Students will learn the ins and outs of the style, anatomy and proportion, costuming, dynamic posing and facial expressions, and much much more!

Superhero Class: Click here for samples of your teacher, Bill Anstett's Superheroes.
Come join Bill Anstett, the king of Cartoony Superheroes, for drawing lessons filled with rough and tumble Super-Action-packed fun! This class is for anyone who wants to learn how to draw dynamic Superheroes and Supervillains. You can draw your comic book and television favorites, or learn how to create your own! Bill will teach students all elements of superhero creation, from their environment, to their cool vehicles, weapons and utility belts and costumes! Maybe even a secret identity or two! Each student also has the opportunity to learn how to take those ideas and artwork and create their own comic books, comic strips, or animation flipbooks! Bill has been Guy's Senior Instructor at the Academy, and his assistant on Guy's many projects. Each student of Bill's is guaranteed to have a SuperTime!

Saturday:
This course is a two-month program on how to create your own comic book. This course will be taught by Guy's comic book colleague, Steve Bove, with guest lectures by Guy Gilchrist. Steve is a graphic artist and has worked for Sesame Street and DC Comics. The Comic Cartoonist's course provides information and exercises designed to get you started on the path to understanding the comic art form and what it has to offer you. The course's main goal stresses the idea of finding out WHO YOU ARE as an artist and cultivating work in the commercial art field. Some subjects that are included in the comprehensive class are:

       Comics as a Profession
       The Human Figure
       Drawing
       Emotion & Expression
       Sketching
       Perspective
       Foreshortening
       Light & Shadow
       Writing
       Layout & Design
       Storytelling
       Lettering
       Inking
       The Cover
       Character Development

This course is suitable for all ages and abilities.


Special Skills:
These courses change to ofer a variety of skill sets to students of every age and ability.
Some of these revolving lessons include:

       Drawing Comic Book Action
       Animation
       Comic Book Lettering
       Villains & Monsters
       Pretty Girls
       Gag Writing
       Putting Together Comic Strip Submissions to a Syndicate
       Watercolors
       Coloring with Markers
       Designing Logos
       Mascots & Advertising Cartoons
       Greeting Card Design
       Life Drawing
       Brush & Pen Inking

September & October's Special Skills classes are:

Life Drawing: This course is for any level Cartooning Student. We use clothed live models to learn how to draw the human body, clothing, movement, light and shadow. This course is highly recommended for any of our students in the Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced class as a second class to attend.
Here at our Image Gallery are samples from our Life Drawing Class.

Brush & Pen Inking: Professional cartoonists since the beginning of the profession have used dip pens, brushes and ink to finish their drawings for reproduction. All of Guy's comic strips are finished in this way. You will learn how to begin inking with a brush and pen from Guy and his special guest cartoonists. This is recommended for any student, at any level, who is serious about improving their inking skills.

Any of these classes are available to all ages. If you have any questions as to which class you should be placed in, please don't hesitate to contact any of our instructors at our studio ~ Guy Gilchrist's Cartoonist's Academy in Simsbury at .