Interdisciplinary Curriculum

Undergraduate Foundations

Master the Fundamentals. Thrive in the Future.

Human creativity and strong foundations in an increasingly AI-driven world matter more than ever. At the Academy, we don’t just prepare you to start, we prepare you to lead.

Our Foundations courses are your creative launchpad. Whether you’re pursuing animation, game design, illustration, fine art, or concept art, you’ll build essential skills in drawing, painting, color, and design, while learning to see, think, and create like an artist. We teach everything from the ground up—no experience required.

These aren’t just basic classes; they blend timeless techniques with modern tools to future-proof your creativity. Your eye, vision, and voice are what set you apart in an AI-saturated landscape.

Build your skills. Own your voice. Stay future-proof.

What You’ll Learn

Foundations courses jumpstart your skills and unlock your potential, giving you the tools to thrive in your creative passion.

Start here. Go anywhere.

    Student work showing form studies

    Analysis of Form

    Create lifelike drawings with traditional methods that give depth and tactile realism.

    Student work showing various examples of digital drawing

    Digital Drawing

    Use digital tools to master the building blocks of drawing—line, shape, form, perspective, and light.

    Various studies on figure drawing

    Figure Drawing

    Bring your figures to life with expressive gestures, solid structure, and natural proportions.

    Collection of student work showing work on perspective

    Perspective

    Bring environments to life with striking perspective and dramatic lighting.

    Various student sketches

    Sketching

    Sketch the world around you—objects, spaces, and ideas—with clarity and imagination.

    student work showing color and color theory

    Color

    Use color and design to bring your visuals to life with depth, harmony, and compelling stories—whether working traditionally or digitally.

    Student Work

    Pimdee Avihingsanon work

    Pimdee Avihingsanon

    Jessie Xiyuan Yang work

    Jessie Xiyuan Yang

    Robin Burney work

    Robin Burney

    Annika Jenkins work

    Annika Jenkins

    Ding Ding work

    Ding Ding

    Joy Zhou work

    Joy Zhou

    Aaron Hight work

    Aaron Hight

    Carmynn Zhang work

    Carmynn Zhang

    Ziming Xiao work

    Ziming Xiao

    Hyewon Jeong work

    Hyewon Jeong

    Yushi Kobuchi work

    Yushi Kobuchi

    Featured Alumni

    “I’ve often said that one of the best assets of the Academy is the emphasis on the foundations and understanding art in a broader sense before focusing on something specific. Comics is constantly throwing me into situations where I have to feel comfortable drawing anything. And attending the Academy was a great primer for that.”

    Justin Greenwood
    BFA Illustration / Freelance Artist, Executive Producer of Stumptown (ABC)