Professional Mentorship Program in
Concept Art for Character & Environment Design
Take Your Reel to the Next Level
Program DirectorAlfonso Blaas
Production Designer at Netflix
VOXEL SCHOOL - TOP 15WORLD'S BEST SCHOOLS FOR CONCEPT ART & ILLUSTRATION
Professional Mentorship Program inConcept Art for Character & Environment Design
Take your portfolio to the highest level with the help of the world's leading concept artists.
A program designed and taught in collaboration with the best concept artists from Netflix Animation, Cartoon Saloon, and Locksmith Animation that will help you create a portfolio that will give you access to major studios.
Led by Alfonso Blaas, Production Designer at Netflix, and mentored by Francisco Ruiz Velasco, Animation Director at Netflix, and Carlos NTC, Concept Artist on numerous AAA video games, this program will help you reach your full potential in the different areas that a concept art portfolio needs to be attractive to a major studio.
Build a stunning portfolio that opens doors to the most prestigious studios.
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE? Contact us
Alfonso BlaasProgram Director
Production designer at Netflix and Emmy Award winner
The program is led by Alfonso Blaas, production designer at Netflix Animation, visual development artist, and Spanish painter. He has collaborated on films such as Orion and the Dark, The Book of Life, The Brave Little Mouse of Rye, and Planet 51. He was art director for the short film Alma, winner of the L.A. Shorts International Film Festival, and production designer at DreamWorks Animation for The Tales of Arcadia and Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans.
Alfonso won an Emmy for his work on DreamWorks' Wizards. His experience and talent have allowed him to stand out in the industry, contributing to the visual development of incredible projects.
DreamWorks Animation
TrollHunters: Tales of Arcadia
Alfonso Blaas - Visual Developer
Mentors
In this professional concept art mentoring program, mentors lead activities with a very small group of students.
This approach allows for close, personalized monitoring, ensuring valuable learning. Each week, you will work alongside your mentor to review and refine your work. This constant feedback will help you improve the quality of your pieces, bringing them to the highest level while building a professional portfolio that will stand out in the industry.
Francisco Ruiz Velasco
Animation Director at Netflix
Mexican director, storyboard artist and comic book artist. He began his career at Marvel, Dark Horse and DC Comics. He has worked on films such as Pacific Rim, The Hobbit, Thor: Ragnarok, and Hellboy II. He made his directorial debut with A Gentlemen's Duel in 2006 and directed the DreamWorks series 3 Below, Wizards, and Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans.
Carlos Nct
Lead Concept Artist in Video Games
With over 13 years of experience in the video game industry, he has worked for Activision, ILMxLab, Warner Bros, Konami, and PUBG on projects such as Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and the Call of Duty series. He has also contributed to multiple audiovisual productions such as Capture the Flag and Mech Cadets.
WORKSHOPS
World-class concept art references will complete your training in workshops where they will address technical aspects and practical case studies.
Marcos Mateu-Mestre
Visual Development Artist at Netflix Animation
He began his career in comics, illustration, and advertising before moving to London, where he expanded his work into feature film animation.
There, he was part of the art teams at Steven Spielberg’s Amblimation and DreamWorks Animation in Los Angeles, working on films such as “The Prince of Egypt,” “Puss in Boots,” and “How to Train Your Dragon 2.” He has also worked for Sony and is currently at Netflix Animation.
María Pareja
Art Director, Production Designer and Concept Artist at Cartoon Saloon
A Spanish art director, production designer, and concept artist, she started at Cartoon Saloon in 2018, standing out as the art director for “Wolfwalkers,” for which she won an Annie Award for Best Production Design.
She has collaborated with Disney TV, Peekaboo Animation, and Studio Chizu. Additionally, she works as an illustrator and develops her own animation projects.
Carlos Zaragoza
Production Designer at Locksmith Animation
A Hollywood-based production designer, he has worked for studios such as DreamWorks, Paramount, Sony, Netflix, Warner, and Locksmith Animation. Recently, he stood out for his production design on “Vivo,” an animated musical film by Sony Animation for Netflix.
Carlos began his career in Madrid, excelling in the environment design for Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth.”
Aurora Jiménez
Visual Development Artist at Locksmith Animation
A production designer and visual development artist with over 20 years of experience in animation and video games.
She has worked for Universal, Sony Pictures Animation, and DreamWorks Animation on films such as “VIVO,” “The Bad Guys,” “Trolls Band Together,” and “Hotel Transylvania.” Currently, she serves as a visual development artist for DreamWorks Feature Animation.
HOW WILL YOU WORK ON YOUR REEL?
9 months - BLENDED ONLINE LEARNING
Each week, you will meet with your director or mentor to follow up on your work, and you will complete your training with specialized workshops and a quarterly Brain Trust.
Finish the Mentorship by presenting your portfolio at the Annecy International Festival.
BLOCK #1
Project Concept Art for Character & Environment Design forAnimation Feature Film
You will work on the development of visual design for characters and environments for animated feature films.
As a concept artist, your work will establish the film's aesthetics and tone, ensuring that all visual elements are cohesive and support the narrative.
Alfonso Blaas will direct your work to help you reach the highest professional level.
BLOCK #2
Project Concept Art for Character & Environment Design forVideo games
In this second block, you will develop concept art for characters, settings, objects, and other visual elements, establishing the overall tone and aesthetic of the game. Carlos NTC's experience as a concept artist in major AAA productions will help you focus on this part of your portfolio.
BLOCK #3
Project Concept Art for Character & Environment Design forAnimation Series
You will delve into the creation of the visual and aesthetic style of an animated series, from character design to sets and props. Learn about the nuances that make the visual production processes of animated series unique.
Work alongside Francisco Ruiz Velasco to get the most out of your creativity.
Methodology
The program is based on a completely practical dynamic in which the student works alongside their mentors on real industry case studies, personally works on the guidelines received, and will have a review of the work done with real-time feedback every week. At the end of each quarter, they will present their progress to a brain trust, in the style of the major studios in the sector.
WORKSHOP
Consists of a training session designed to prepare participants for each stage of the program. It helps establish the foundations and ensure that participants understand the next steps.
CASE STUDY
An analysis of specific digital art projects will be conducted that serve as practical examples exploring the challenges, decisions, and solutions involved in creating digital works. By studying these cases, artists can gain valuable knowledge.
INDIVIDUAL WORK
The student will have time to execute, independently, what has been learned with the aim of improving their skills and exploring their creativity. This fundamental component involves working self-discipline to advance in their career and perfect their skills.
WEEKLY
Weekly, and hand in hand with a mentor, the student will submit their project for review and receive direct feedback. The idea behind the 'weekly' in the program is to maintain a regular structure for interaction and creative development, providing the opportunity to improve, learn, and connect with colleagues.
BRAIN TRUST
A group of experts with diverse experience and knowledge within the industry provide creative guidance to students. This group will address your end-of-quarter work by giving feedback to maximize the quality and success of the project.
TRIP TO ANNECY FESTIVAL
This trip is the end of the mentorship program. You will attend together with your classmates and mentors the renowned French festival, the most important in Europe, to present your portfolio demo-reel.
BRAIN TRUST
REVIEW YOUR WORK WITH A PANEL OF EXPERTS
At the end of each block, you will culminate the progress of your portfolio by presenting your work before the [b]“brain trust”[/b]: a group of experienced professionals, emulating the evaluation processes of the main studios in the sector.
This cycle of practical and continuous learning guarantees you the development of applicable skills in the real world, preparing you for the challenges of the industry.
This is your program if...
You are a concept art professional looking to perfect your skills and advance in your career.
You are a graduate in concept art or visual development and want to specialize.
You are an artist in the entertainment industry working in film, television, video games, or other media and want to improve your technique.
You are self-taught with practical experience and seek formal training and mentorship from experts to improve your work as well as professional opportunities.
REQUEST INFORMATION
Through the following form, you will contact an academic advisor who will inform and guide you through the entire process to study at Voxel School.
