ConceptDesignAcademy

Founded in 2007, we are a private design school located in Pasadena, California focused on the art of animation, film and game development.

[ConceptDesignAcademy @CDA_Staff]

Check out some incredible artwork created by Britney Fan (artbybritneyfan) for Ed Li's (edlisketch) “Vis Dev for Animation & Games," course from our last term.

For the final project, Britney created visual development work for an original story she created titled “SNOWVEIL”. The logline for this story is as follows:

“As his village falls to a mysterious curse, a knight is drawn toward a dark secret hidden within the royal court.”

Ed is teaching this course again as a hybrid class for our Summer 2026 term. There's still time to sign up today! Copy and paste the link below to register.

In-Person Format:
https://t.co/o7OsWto6sU

Online Format:
https://t.co/7vEgrP458T

Ed is an accomplished Art Director in Animation with a wealth of experience in layout and painting.

His work on productions like "Princess and the Frog," "Planes: Fire & Rescue," and "Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse" showcases his ability to create visually stunning worlds that support storytelling in animation. Ed’s mastery of layout design and painting has played a crucial role in crafting the visual narratives of numerous animation titles.

#environmentpainting #digitalpainting #backgroundpainting #backgrounddesign #conceptdesignacademy jc

[ConceptDesignAcademy @CDA_Staff]

Here is last night's "Character Design Breakdown" Demo by Kevin Chen for his "Figure Invention for Animation" online course~!!!
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(Design based on Nausicaa from "Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind")
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https://t.co/XfxlmjmA4Z
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The goal of this demo is to show students how to breakdown complex designs into very simple shapes and proportions, so they can be easily remembered and posed efficiently for figure Invention.
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This is a great course designed for budding character designers, storyboard revisionists, animators, and illustrators to help expand their ability to adapt and work on various styles of animated shows.
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The course is recorded weekly, so it is easy to catch up for late enrollment students.
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There are only a few spots remaining, so sign up soon and come join us this Summer~!!
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#conceptdesignacad #figureinvention #kevinchen #animation #characterdesign KC

[ConceptDesignAcademy @CDA_Staff]

Here are some past in class demos by Kevin Chen, the instructor for our new "Head & Figure Drawing (Long Pose)" online course at CDA!!
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https://t.co/tIXYUjWzLF
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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.
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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.  
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There is only 1 spot left~ sign up soon and come level up with us this Summer!!

(All classes are recorded for easy make up viewing session)
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#headandfiguredrawing
#kevinchen
#CDA #figureconstruction #drawinglessons KC

[ConceptDesignAcademy @CDA_Staff]

Here are some in class demo samples by Kevin Chen, the instructor for our new "Head & Figure Drawing (Long Pose)" online course at CDA!!
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https://t.co/tIXYUjWzLF
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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.  
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There is only 1 spot left~ sign up soon and come level up with us this Summer!!

(All classes are recorded for easy make up viewing session)
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#headandfiguredrawing
#kevinchen
#CDA #figureconstruction #drawinglessons KC

[ConceptDesignAcademy @CDA_Staff]

Update - Only 1 spot left~!!

[ConceptDesignAcademy @CDA_Staff]

Last 2 spots (one online, one in person) remaining for Gabriel Yeganyan's (@gabeyegan ) ever popular "Drawing from Architecture" HYBRID class!
Go to the link below and take the last IN-PERSON seat today:
https://t.co/kpS7L48rIL

or choose this link to grab the last ONLINE seat:
https://t.co/6u5z100ZTT

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.
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#architecture #environmentdesign #worldbuilding #conceptart #visualdevelopment #visualstorytelling #CDA #conceptdesignacademy PY

[ConceptDesignAcademy @CDA_Staff]

Robert St. Pierre, our ONLINE "Background Design for Animation" instructor, was responsible for several of the backgrounds in Disney's animated feature, "The Princess & the Frog."

There are 7 images total in this set, scroll to see them all!

Spots are limited, don't miss this chance to learn from one of the best this summer! Register at the link below now!
https://t.co/41HqnxJTIt

Develop essential background design skills for animation production with Robert St. Pierre! 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.

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."
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#backgrounddesign #environmentdesign #setdesign #productiondesign #visualdevelopment #CDA #conceptdesignacademy PY

[ConceptDesignAcademy @CDA_Staff]

Here are last night's quick sketches by Kevin Chen from our Sunday Uninstructed Figure Drawing Workshop at CDA~!

Model - Kat it Rabbu

Artist - Kevin Chen (our instructor for "Head & Figure Drawing (Long Pose)" online course:

https://t.co/tIXYUjWzLF

These uninstructed workshops takes place at our school located at - 55 Waverly Dr. Ste 104, Pasadena, CA 91105

The event runs every Sunday from 7–10PM PDT($15 payment at the door).

Come draw, relax, and enjoy free snacks and coffee while you’re here. ☕🍪

We provide benches and boards — just bring your own drawing supplies. We hope to see you there!!

#conceptdesignacademy #figuredrawing #figureworkshop #uninstructedworkshop #livedrawing KC

[ConceptDesignAcademy @CDA_Staff]

Thanks everyone who came by to draw with us last night at our Sunday Uninstructed Figure Drawing Workshop at CDA~!!

(Here are 2 quick snap shots of the room set up before everyone arrived.)

The workshop runs every Sunday during the Summer semester from 70m~10pm PDT ($15 cash due at entry per session).

If you are looking for a place to draw over the weekend with great models, artists, music and snacks, come join us next Sunday and hope to see you there~!

We are located at:

Concept Design Academy
55 Waverly Dr. STE 104
Pasadena, CA 91105
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#conceptdesignacad #figuredrawing #uninstructedworkshop #artschool #artstudio KC

[ConceptDesignAcademy @CDA_Staff]

Here are some past class demos by Kevin Chen, the instructor for our new "Head & Figure Drawing (Long Pose)" online course at CDA!!
.
https://t.co/tIXYUjWzLF
.
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.  
.
There is only 1 spot left~ sign up soon and come level up with us this Summer!!

(All classes are recorded for easy make up viewing session)
.
.
.
.
.
#headandfiguredrawing
#kevinchen
#CDA #figureconstruction #drawinglessons KC