School of Visual Storytelling

Great ideas aren't found, they are forged. Ideas are pursued, shaped, refined and crafted. The world of commercial art requires the professional visual artist, illustrator, animator and designer to work within the confines of time, space, audience and story. IDEA DEVELOPMENT specific methodologies for generating authentic ideas within the limitations of commercial projects, as well as teaching you how to frame and solve personal projects.

Discovered and put to use through my career as an illustrator, artist, writer, Professor and as Founder of Legendeer, this program outlines an explanation of the problems that we face, and delivers a specific process by which to solve them. I have shared and refined the principles of this course over years of teaching professionals and students across disciplines as varied as illustration, animation, design, painting, gaming, comics, science fiction, fantasy, fashion, business, dance, advertising, editorial, and illustrated books.

Course Overview:

In IDEA DEVELOPMENT learn to generate unique ideas that communicate powerful messages. The first half of the course (five weeks) is dedicated to understanding how to work within the confines of client projects and to use those limitations as powerful tools in shaping your unique vision. The second half of the course (five weeks) is dedicated to understanding how to frame and solve self-generated creative problems with powerful ideas.

Course Outcomes:

Students completing this 10 week course will have a clear understanding in how to approach client problem solving and limitations, how to use those limitations to produce intelligent and thoughtful solutions, how to identify and generate their own creative projects and how to approach and solve personal projects. Students will leave this course having identified the next steps required to move them forward in their creative development.

Course Goals:

Over the  past twenty years, I have developed a specific methodology to teaching that is designed to make efficient use of student time and to shorten the time it takes to develop more advanced, professional level skills. Students will have four types of assignments listed as:

Slow, Medium, Fast and Major Projects. Each type focuses on different levels of skill, idea, process and completion.

Learn how to:

• Break down complex stories into simple elements.
• Develop your own creative way of shaping and sharing ideas.
• Generate creative solutions within client constraints.
• Give yourself relevant assignments for your own  professional development.
• Understand your own intention in developing the work that you want to make.
• Better understand when ideas working.
• Use certain materials to amplify your concepts.
• Develop a personal plan and syllabus that you can continue to use, post-completion of the course.

This course is made up of four types of videos:

1: Lessons- Videos that address specific topics each week.

2: Demos- Video lessons that demonstrate specific techniques, processes and applications

3: Case Studies: Videos that feature projects from inception to completion across a wide range of project types.

4: Critiques: Individual video critiques of your submitted assignments.

Course Level:

All- Beginning to Advanced. The complexity of the lessons scale with your abilities and existing skill sets.

Course Requirements:

Commitment, Time, Computer access, Quality internet connection.

Materials:

To be listed.

Course Delivery:

This 10 week course consists of weekly classes in the form of videos, assignments, demonstrations and handouts. All class content is downloadable to watch at your convenience.

With SVS Live courses, you can take part from anywhere in the world, at any time.

Completed assignments will then be uploaded for individual review by the Instructor. Your Instructor will provide weekly video critiques of your work. In addition, there will be an active discussion area where you can post questions at any time.

In each class, the Instructor will present an new topic related to Idea Development. This will consist of video lectures, demos, pdf handouts, and related materials.

Included with the class:

• Access to all class materials during your enrollment
• Discussion area to ask questions during the week
• Downloadable homework and resource files
• Written assignments
• Individual video critiques weekly

Requirements:

• Basic level of drawing ability
• Good internet connection
• Drawing/painting supplies

Course Schedule:

An initial Orientation email will be sent to prepare you for your course.

The course dates are TBA. Content will be released for you to watch at your own convenience. Class content is pre-recorded for review on your schedule.

*To participate in weekly critiques, you must have your assignment work uploaded on time (dates TBA).

Late work and missed assignments will not be evaluated.

Details:

• Cost is $500 for non-subscribers of SVS and $450 for subscribers. To subscribe, go to www.svslearn.com to enroll in the monthly or annual plan.
• Enrollment is limited to 16 students.
• There will be weekly assignments (plan for this!)

STUDENT OUTPUT:

18 fully realized value thumbnails and related process work, 6 fully realized grayscale drawings, 6 media studies, 50 daily drawing exercises, 2 complete portfolio pieces.

ASSIGNMENTS:

• SLOW- 1 Per week at (2-3 hours+). Ideation and Design process work
• MEDIUM- 1 Per week (1 hour). Skill development through media experiments
• FAST- 5-7 per week (5 minutes each). Daily discipline through visual note taking.
• MAJOR- 2 Finished works (undetermined). Fully realized finished images.
• SELF GUIDED FOUR WEEK POST-COURSE CURRICULUM. You will know your next steps after the course ends.

Refund Policy:

• cancellation up to 14 days before class starts: full refund
• cancellation 1 - 13 days before class starts: 75% refund
• cancellation during the first week of class: 50% refund
• cancellation during the second week of class and after: 0%

Please Note: When you enroll, we are reserving your seat, and others are not able to sign up. Because it can be challenging to fill seats when there are last minute cancellations, we only offer partial refunds once we are within 13 days of the class start date. However, if you are able to sell your seat to another student, we are happy to give a full refund 😀