Concept Design Academy

This Summer, we are continuing to offer our “Multi-Course Discount"~!!! . . To apply, please EMAIL: [email protected] with your NAME and the CLASSES you are enrolled in. . DEADLINE: Friday, July 10th, 2026. . (Discount does not apply automatically, so make sure to submit your application email before the deadline to qualify.) . Terms: * Classes must be taken in the same term to qualify * Only full, 6-10 week courses with a minimum tuition of $550 USD qualify. * The applicant must be the one enrolled and attending the classes. (IE. A third party paying for multiple applicants' tuition will not qualify.) * Classes with different students cannot be combined for the discount. * Processing will begin after the July 10th submission deadline. * Please allow 1~2 weeks for the discount refund to go through * More details of our MCD Discount policy can be found on our “Terms of Service” page under Section 2 (/read-me) . Thanks for your time and make sure to take advantage of this discount offer~!!! . . . . . #conceptdesignacad #mcd #artlessons #artschool #designschool kc

CDA Summer Public Enrollment is starting at Midnight on May 5th (Tuesday)~!! . . We got many great new & returning courses taught by experienced professionals to help upgrade your drawing, painting and design fundamentals. . Make sure to check them out and come improve your art with us this Summer~! . . . . . #conceptdesignacad #cda #artlessons #artschool #artfundamentals KC

Here is a step by step full body drawing demo by Kevin Chen for his "Head & Figure Drawing (Long Pose)" online course at CDA!! . /collections/foundations-1/products/head-and-figure-drawing-long-pose-with-kevin-chen-online-course . This long pose course continues where the Analytical Figure Drawing class left off. It focuses on creating a complete image capturing the personality of the model with the composition of the page with lighting. The topics of value, lighting, edge, composition, detail breakdown of the facial likeness and planes of the body will be discussed throughout the demos. . A great class for character designers and for artists making the transition from drawing into painting. Pose length ranges from 20 min - 3 hours each. Analytical Figure Drawing experience recommended.   . Space is limited, sign up soon and come level up with us this Summer!! . . . . . #headandfiguredrawing #kevinchen #CDA #figureconstruction #drawinglessons KC

Here is a step by step head drawing demo by Kevin Chen for his "Head & Figure Drawing (Long Pose)" online course at CDA!! . /collections/foundations-1/products/head-and-figure-drawing-long-pose-with-kevin-chen-online-course . This long pose course continues where the Analytical Figure Drawing class left off. It focuses on creating a complete image capturing the personality of the model with the composition of the page with lighting. The topics of value, lighting, edge, composition, detail breakdown of the facial likeness and planes of the body will be discussed throughout the demos. . A great class for character designers and for artists making the transition from drawing into painting. Pose length ranges from 20 min - 3 hours each. Analytical Figure Drawing experience recommended.   . Space is limited, sign up soon and come level up with us this Summer!! . . . . . #headandfiguredrawing #kevinchen #CDA #figureconstruction #drawinglessons KC

Join me this summer for Drawing From Architecture! Here are some old samples of Gothic architecture which will be one of several styles we discuss this term! Link in bio! @conceptdesignacad #conceptart #sketching #drawing #archisketcher #pleinair

We're honored to introduce a new instructor, Robert St. Pierre (@robertstpierre_art ), who will be teaching our ONLINE "Background Design for Animation" class this summer! Robert St. Pierre is a Production Designer and Visual Development Artist recognized for his stylistic versatility and his ability to design sets with rigorous technical perspective. His extensive career includes major projects such as "Space Jam," "The Princess and the Frog," and "Star Trek: Prodigy." Register today by copy/pasting the link below! /collections/intermediate-design/products/background-design-for-animation-with-robert-st-pierre-online-course This introductory class explores the visual development process of designing sets and props for animation production. Weekly lectures and assignments cover essential topics such as research, style exploration, and the creation of comprehensive style guides. This is a must-take class to learn the key skills needed for a professional animation background design position. . . . . #backgrounddesign #environmentdesign #setdesign #productiondesign #visualdevelopment #CDA #conceptdesignacademy PY

Andrew Cano (@grey_dragon ) is back teaching our “Vis Com 1: Dynamic Sketching” online course & will guide students through the process of deconstructing complex objects into simple shapes and forms. Students will learn how to break down any object and learn to quickly draw them from imagination. Class lecture topics range from organic forms such as plants, insects, animals to main-made objects such as cars, tanks and airplanes. This course is one of the key foundations for our courses at @conceptdesignacad . All subsequent classes are designed to build on top of the drawing and observational skills learn from this course. Class starts Sunday, June 7th. Copy/Paste the link below to enroll ~ /collections/foundations-1/products/vis-com-1-dynamic-sketching-with-andrew-cano-online-course #dynamicsketching #viscom1 #artfoundations #CDA #andrewcano MB

Check out this amazing Corsair Mandalorian character design demo created by Alex Chen (@alexkineticflow ) who is our instructor for our online " Character Design for Game Production" course. In this demo, Alex envisions a Mandalorian as a corsair within the Star Wars universe, incorporating various pirate motifs into the design. If you're interested in this class, you can sign up for our Summer 2026 term today! Copy and paste the link below: /collections/intermediate-design/products/character-design-for-game-production-with-alex-chen-online-course Take your game character designs to new heights! Alex will guide you through the process of creating designs that fit within the game world while teaching you how gameplay, visual effects, and the development pipeline influence every decision. With experience working on Marvel’s "What If…?" as well as popular games like "Vainglory" and "Gallant," Alex brings hands-on knowledge and industry-tested techniques to every lesson. Join his class to gain real-world insight into creating bold and memorable characters for animation and games. #characterdesign #fantasy #visualdevelopment #conceptdesignacademy #starwars jc

Here is an in-class painting demo created by instructor John Staub (@Johnstaubart ) for our online "Painting for Character Design" course from the last term. In this demo, John painted Falco Dante, the protagonist of the fantasy novel "Battle Mage" by Peter A. Flannery. John used actor Finn Wolfhard as a live-action reference for the painting. If you're interested in this class, you can sign up for our Summer 2026 term today! Copy and paste the link below: /collections/foundations-1/products/painting-for-character-design-with-john-staub-online-course-1 This foundational painting and design course teaches how to capture character personality and render convincing costume materials through the study of costumed figures. Topics include maintaining strong shapes in realistic character design, using lighting and color for narrative impact, depicting different facial structures, material indication, the design process, and final illustration composition. With over a decade of experience in the film and gaming industries, John's ability to design captivating characters and cinematic scenes has made him a sought-after artist in the entertainment industry. His impressive portfolio includes major projects like "Avengers: Infinity War," "Spider-Man: Miles Morales," and "Shang-Chi." . . . . . #Figurepainting #characterdesign #Conceptdesignacademy #digitalpainting #BattleMage jc

A lot of returning teachers this summer! We're honored to welcome back Monica Davila (@monicacdavila ) and her ONLINE "Storyboard for TV Animation" class! Want to level up your boards Monica, an award winning director and storyboard artist? Register today by copy/pasting the link below! /collections/intermediate-design/products/storyboard-for-tv-animation-with-monica-davila-online-course Join award-winning producer, director, and storyboard artist Monica Davila as she covers techniques and specifics of boarding for the TV animation pipeline. Monica will cover everything from basic shots and composition to more advanced topics such as creating pacing and rhythm within a sequence. Should time permit, Monica will also cover topics such as character acting, choreography, and drawing short-hands. Monica has over a decade in animation, rising from production assistant to award-winning director. She’s worked with studios such as DreamWorks TV, and Nickelodeon, and clients like Netflix, Mattel, and Sanrio. Credits include “Big Hero 6: The Series”, “Dogs in Space,” and “Santiago of the Seas," which earned her the 2021 Gracie Allen Award. . . . . . #storyboardfortv #storyboarding #animation #storytelling #visualstorytelling #CDA #conceptdesignacademy PY

Here are some forearm structure rotation demo by Kevin Chen for his "Analytical Figure Drawing" online course at CDA!! . /collections/foundations-1/products/analytical-figure-drawing-tue-with-kevin-chen-online-course-1 . This is a popular course for beginners and intermediate artists alike as Kevin breakdown the structure of the human body in an easy to understand way. . From the topic of simplifying the figure into a 2D/3D manikin, understanding the proportion, gesture and balance of the figure, to breaking down the figure from inside out to help the student add believability to their drawings will be covered in the many in class lectures and demos. . Space is limited, sign up soon and come level up with us this Summer!! . . . . . #analyticalfiguredrawing #kevinchen #CDA #figureconstruction #drawinglessons KC

Gabe (@gabeyegan ) is back with his popular “Drawing from Architecture” HYBRID class! If you want to network and meet people face to face, this is your chance! Gabe’s class starts Thursday, June 11th, from 7:30-10:30pm PT. Level up your environment designs this summer by copy/pasting one of the links below! Register IN-PERSON /collections/in-person-foundation/products/drawing-from-architeture-with-gabriel-yeganyan-in-person-course Or ONLINE /collections/foundations-1/products/drawing-from-architeture-with-gabriel-yeganyan-online-course This foundational drawing course explores architecture as a storytelling medium; crafting worlds that feel real and culturally rich. This foundational drawing course examines the structures and evolution of different architectural styles, helping students anchor their designs in history while creating dynamic, story-driven visuals. Gabe is a freelance concept artist celebrated for his work on Lucasfilm’s live-action "Star Wars" and Respawn Entertainment’s "Jedi: Fallen Order.” He draws on his UC Berkeley Architecture degree and extensive experience at studios like Riot Games, Sony Santa Monica, Disney, and more to teach students how to design immersive, believable worlds. . . . . . #architecture #environmentdesign #worldbuilding #conceptart #visualdevelopment #visualstorytelling #CDA #conceptdesignacademy py