Michael is a wonderful asset to our LAAFA community.  Once you have taken a class with Michael, you will be completely devoted to his infectious personality, enormous talent and his generosity in sharing his knowledge with each student helping them become a better artist.  We are excited that this quarter Michael will be teaching a 3 or 5-hr, Still Life Painting in Oil class, a  3 or 5-hr Portraiture/Figure Painting class, and a 3-hr Portraiture Painting class.  We hope you can take this opportunity to learn from this wonderful instructor.

1.  How did having an artistic family help and inspire you to become an
artist?

I really owe my whole artistic lifestyle to my family. I grew up with the
notion that art and music are at the very core of life. My mother is an
extremely talented artist, and it was with her that I first studied anatomy,
life drawing, and ultimately painting. When I became restless studying
Mathematics and Computer Science at Berkeley, my father encouraged me to
pursue my art instead. He had done the same, when as a young man he left his
Chemistry studies to become a professional violinist. All in all, I’d have to say if it weren’t for the love and support I got from my parents, I would probably be a millionaire today.

2.  What was your favorite experience studying under David Leffel?

It’s difficult to single out any one experience, because that whole time in
my life seems like a wellspring of fun times. I particularly loved being
David’s assistant at the Art Students’ League in New York for his summer
workshops, and watching him in action at his old post there. After class it
might be a trip to the Met to talk shop, or back to his apartment to watch
the NBA finals. To see students fall under his spell was always a treat as
well. I once saw David go up to someone in class and ask him, “Do you think
Rembrandt would have worn that Hawaiian shirt?” Not 5 minutes later, the
student was back in class with a determined brow and a plain shirt.

3.  Why are you drawn to the “chiaroscuro” style of painting?

“Chiaroscuro” is often translated from the Italian as “Light and Shadow.”
This calls to mind the dramatic lighting of Rembrandt and Caravaggio. It can
also be translated as “Focus versus Mystery” (Chiario = Clear, Scuro =
Obscure). This is really what painting has become about for me. Let’s face
it, life is dramatic and mysterious! Where besides art do we get a chance to explore this central core of our experience?

4.  What techniques and materials do you use to create your paintings?

I think of painting as a sculptural language, as opposed to drawing which is
linear. For that reason, brushstroke becomes paramount as far as technique
goes. Maroger Medium and Italian Wax Medium are central to my work, because
they allow for the most versatility in brushwork. I always make sure to use
the best materials. Painting is hard enough without fighting bad supplies. I
use Old Holland paints and Innerglow Panels or Triple-Lead-Primed canvas.

5.  You have a very dedicated following of students in your classes.  How do
you keep each class fresh?

I try to tell new jokes.

6.  Your wife is also an accomplished artist, what is a typical day at your
house?

We share a studio in our home, so often we are painting side-by-side and critiquing each other’s work. Neither of us has a competitive streak, so we help each other quite a lot. I’ve heard artists say that looking at your painting in a mirror will always show you if something in the painting looks odd or asymmetrical, but I find that the easiest thing is just to ask Kyla.

7.  What advice would you give your students who want to become successful
gallery artists?

Gallery success can be very elusive, and artists can easily lose themselves
chasing after the siren’s call. My advice is to concentrate on learning to
paint for painting’s own sake. The more you try to follow a current fad, or
to stand out with flashy technique or style, the more your work will suffer
and any success you might achieve will likely be short-lived.

8.  If you weren’t an artist, what other career would you have chosen?

I would love to have been a classical musician. Over the years, I have
studied the piano, clarinet, harpsichord, and now the organ. I battle having
two artistic passions, and perhaps they both suffer for it!

9.  You have taught at LAAFA for several years.  In your opinion, what makes the LAAFA community special?

LAAFA is the perfect fit for me. They have beautiful studios, with natural light and dark walls. The staff is always a pleasure to work with, and the students are eager and committed to art. LAAFA is not a crafts and hobbies school; it’s the real deal for real artists.

10.  Please tell us about a person, place or thing that always inspires you?

I have always drawn inspiration from those people who have understood things at an incomprehensibly higher level, and who have a bigger view of the world. They don’t have to be painters. Bach and Beethoven probably have inspired me more than anyone, because they are always teaching me how much you can get out of life and art.

Past Spotlight Artists
Rey Bustos
Nathan Fowkes
Sergio Sanchez

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• find out.  View information on our classes, workshops and events coming up.
• be informed. We have many great programs at LAAFA, you will be the first to know about scholarships, spotlight artists, and community happenings.
• art. See the wonderful artwork of our instructors, visiting artists and students.

Book Drive -  LAAFA is building a Library and Resource Center this fall. Please consider donating your art books to LAAFA in support of our efforts to provide this valuable resource to our community. You may drop off books during our normal business hours or give us a call at 818-708-9232 to arrange for drop-off or pick-up. In addition, we are accepting book donations during our Spring Open House.

Mike Butkus Complimentary Demonstration

March 11th, 12pm to 2pm

Mike will demonstrate how to draw Vampires and Zombies  from his books, using a limited gouache palette. He will explain the techniques used in the books and advise on how to create creatures from imagination. In addition, there will be a Q & A session on producing ideas for the movie, T.V. and gaming industry.  Mike’s “How to” book series will be available for sale and signing in the LAAFA Plaza following his presentation.

Reservations for demos are required. Walk-ins will be based on space availability

Reserve Now!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rey Bustos Complimentary Lecture

   March 11th, 2pm to 4pm

Rey Bustos is one of the leading artistic anatomists in the country today! We are excited that Rey will be lecturing, drawing, sculpting and showing students first-hand his love for anatomy in a fun and dynamic way. Get ready to enjoy several brief demos, a Q & A session and more. It’s going to be lively!

Reservations for demos are required. Walk-ins will be based on space availability.

Reserve Now!

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My primary creative motive has always been emotional and thematic communication, in all forms of art. I fell in love with comic books/graphic novels as a boy, and this love and admiration for the deep poetic capacity of the medium has only increased throughout my life. While at CSU Northridge, I experimented in abstraction, but developed an abiding passion for classical and 19th-Century art—although, like comics, the latter was still largely denigrated at the time. After graduating, I studied with Glen Vilppu, while free-lancing in illustration and graphic design. My first published work in comics was for the enormously influential Neal Adams at Continuity Comics, followed by work for Dark Horse, Marvel U.K., and DC Comics, including several Batman “Specials” and a Bram Stoker Award-nominated Special of “The Dreaming”. Early in my career in comics I began teaching visual story-telling, first at The Learning Tree University, then UCLA & Otis Extension programs, and since 2002, ongoing at The Laguna College of Art & Design in their Illustration program. I’ve taught composition at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art, anatomy at Art Center, Pasadena, and given Artist’s Talks at the Getty Center, Ryman Arts, CSU Long Beach, and the Art Institute of California, Los Angeles. My wife Lori and I were born and raised in the San Fernando Valley and Sunland, and live in Los Angeles.

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Peter Markowski currently works at Warner Bros. Animation, in Visual Development and Background Design. Though he graduated with an art degree from Westminster College in Utah, his love of film and storytelling led him to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena where he graduated with Honors in Illustration. He has since storyboarded for commercials, designed characters for theme parks, and art-directed a children’s IPAD app.

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Thank you for watching one of our talented artists, Bill Perkins, paint a beautiful portrait of Wendy Burch.  If you are new to LAAFA, we would like to invite you to come and experience our school first-hand by taking a COMPLIMENTARY drawing or painting sessions class.

Please fill-out the quick contact form below and we will call you with the details.  In the meantime, you can explore our website to see what LAAFA has to offer you.

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Charlie Wen’s credentials include an assortment of accomplishments in the entertainment arts arena. He has worked on games, film, commercials, and print for SCEA, Acclaim, Dreamworks, Disney, Rhythm & Hues, Wizards of the Coast, and Darkhorse. Among Charlie’s recent accomplishments is his work as Visual Development Director for Sony Computer Entertainment America, where he created Kratos and helped establish the hit series God of War and highly anticipated God of War 2. Outside a production environment, Charlie enjoys teaching. He has taught figure drawing at Associates in Art, Rhythm and Hues, Acclaim Entertainment, and the Animation Academy. He has also taught character design at Gnomon. Currently, Charlie Wen works at Imagi Studios as a character designer for Gatchaman, a film remake of G-Force, or Battle of the Planets.

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David Shevlino studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (certificate ’84) and the University of Pennsylvania (BFA ’92). His work has been featured in national publications and he has exhibited his paintings in solo and group exhibitions through out the U.S. He has also produced two DVDs about his artwork and painting methods.

“My exposure to art began as a teenager growing up in NJ near NYC. I began making trips to art museums in NYC when I was 15 and developed a love of traditional figurative painting. As a youth I found myself especially drawn to the old masters. It wasn’t until much later that I became interested in modern art. Those early trips to the museum instilled in me a love of craft and a sense of where painting comes from.
Art is like a language to me; it gives me a means of expressing the way I perceive the world around me. What I love about painting is that it has no boundaries, except for the limits of one’s imagination. I can do anything I want with it.”

VISIT INSTRUCTOR’S WEBSITE

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Stephen has worked as character designer in the animation industry for the past 15 years, designing shows such as Disney’s Kim Possible, Nickelodeon’s Danny Phantom and many more. Stephen has seven published books on character design, sketching and life drawing. He has been training artists online from around the world as well as lecturing and providing professional workshops for studios such as , Hasbro Toys, Nickelodeon, Insomniac Games, Ultra Creative, Powerhouse Animation and many art schools and colleges worldwide.

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John Nevarez has been an artist within the animation industry for over 14 years, first working at Disney Television as a storyboard revisionist and storyboard artist on such shows as Pepper Ann, Kim Possible and then transitioning over as a designer for DisneyToons, where he worked on Tinkerbell, Kronk’s New Groove and Brother Bear 2. John provided environment designs for Imagi’s Astroboy, and is currently a sketch artist for Pixar Animation Studios, where he just completed environment designs for Cars 2 and Monster’s University.

VISIT INSTRUCTOR’S WEBSITE

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Sergio Sanchez has taught in all of LAAFA’s Programs for several years.  Students are most impressed by his talent in the way he tells a story in his artwork, as well as teaching the importance of light, color and form.  Sergio will be teaching a 3-HR and a 5-HR 10-week Life Painting with Focus on Light class, starting January 24th.

1. Was there a defining moment when you knew you wanted to be an artist?

No. I think I have just always been attracted to interesting imagery from very early on and had a family that supported my artistic interests.

2. When you are teaching a class that focuses on light and color, what knowledge will your students learn?

The students learn from observation by analyzing the consistency in which light and shadow function and how they relate to color, rather than only relying on pure observation without any understanding of why it is that they are seeing what they are seeing.

3.  Do you have a preference to drawing or painting?  Why?

No preference.  Drawing and painting are both equally important to me.  I guess as a final product, painting has color involved and is a complete use of all of the fundamentals, which I think makes it more advanced.

4.  What advice would you give students who want to become an artist?

Just to realize that it is a life long learning experience and a life style choice that you must stick to for the long term if you are to be successful in making a living with your art.

5.  How do motivate your students to progress to the next level?

By giving students results and skill sets they can trust.

6.  How do you feel about today’s contemporary art scene?

I think traditional methods and representational/ realism is back.

7.  You are known as a realist. How do you think realism is important for students in the 21st Century?

Well, just the interest in realism again has brought back some teaching methods that were abandoned for a while that’s important to the next generation of artists, no matter what subject or style they choose. Even abstract art is limited to the use of the four fundamentals, shape, value, edge, and color as a two-dimensional image, so I think it’s important that this vocabulary has been brought back.  For me it was via realism.

8.  You have taught at several other universities, can you tell me what makes LAAFA special in your opinion?

It’s small and private, making it have a more intimate feel throughout the learning experience.

9.  Who of the old masters inspires you the most and why?

There are so many to mention.  I’m not sure where I would begin, but even more importantly, I am equally as inspired by all of the amazing living artists creating work today as I am from the old masters. I feel this is just as valuable.

10.  What would we find you doing on a typical weekend?

Tattooing people, eating and drinking with my friends and family.

Past Spotlight Artists
Rey Bustos
Nathan Fowkes

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Born in Vietnam, Khang Le immigrated to the United States with his family when he was 9 years old. Though drawing has always been a huge part of his life, it wasn’t until his later years in community college that he decided to make it a professional career. He is currently pursuing BFA in Entertainment Arts at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Today, Khang is working professionally as a background layout artist, storyboard artist, concept artist, and illustrator.

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Sean Cheetham was born in 1977. He has a Bachelor of Fine Art degree with honors from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. He exhibited his work in 2005 at the Portrait Award National Portrait Gallery in London, England. In 2006, Sean had his first one man exhibition with The Mendenhall Sobieski Gallery in Pasadena. Sean has become recognized as one of the most acclaimed young figurative painters today! He was featured in American Artist’s Workshop magazine, with a tutorial article.

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The Extension Program offers a variety of classes for students of all levels who are unable to attend our full-time intensive programs, but want serious art instruction from our highly qualified faculty. Classes are conveniently offered 7-days a week to fit your busy schedule.

Please note that this page is best viewed on Firefox and Chrome browsers. If you are having problems viewing this schedule on Internet Explorer, press the small black arrow box to the top right of the white box to open the page in a new window.  You can also download the file here.

Download (PDF, 290.13KB)

Click here for a schedule of our Fall Quarter Classes.  For your convenience you may go directly to our online registration system to enroll in your classes. You may also view our classes by category:  Drawing, Painting, and Other (including Sculpting, Design and  Entertainment).   Each class title will link to our online registration system.

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Rey Bustos is one of the leading artistic anatomists in the country today! Rey has taught in all of LAAFA’s Programs for many years and is one of our students’ most respected instructors.  We are currently in production and post production for online educational videos by Rey, which are due out in 2011/2012.

Why did you decide to become an artist?

When my family came here from Colombia, South America, I was the youngest of four and at six years old I really didn’t know what was going on. The move, the language, nothing was explained to me.  Anyway, I had a very difficult time.  I had never been to school before and all of a sudden I was in the first grade in a “Sink or Swim” educational system.  Though I had no desire to draw nor color in Colombia, here in our new home, the U.S., I discovered that when we had “Art Time” the kids seemed to gather around me and what I drew.  It was the only time that I felt that I was on an equal playing field.  I was hooked.

What other interests do you have besides being an artist and instructor?

I love going to museums and I never have a single day without working on a crossword puzzle.  I do about 400 a year, every year.  I am also an American history buff with a slight leaning towards U.S. Presidents. It’s hard to stump me on presidential trivia. If I didn’t teach art, I’d love to teach American History.

What motivates you to teach and how do you keep up your enthusiasm when things get tough in class?

Enthusiasm is something no one can learn nor teach. At its root, enthusiasm is inspiration and the root of that is the Latin word “Spiritus” or breath.  You can see that it is where we got the word for spirit or inspiration.  It is said that it is the spirit from those that came before you that breathe into you the love that they shared for a thing and when you feel their breath, you are filled with their spirit.  I feel that every time that I teach.  I feel the spirit of the old masters telling me to keep passing on the knowledge that has been passed to me and in turn it is my moral obligation to pass it on to my students.  I can’t be any other way than to be full of that spirit and when I am in front of my classes, that spirit is overwhelming and it takes over.

How did you discover you had a talent for art?

This question is the most interesting for me to answer because I am one of the only people that I know that can answer that almost to the exact date.  As stated above I came here at six.  When I discovered through the attention from the other kids that I had a talent for drawing, I looked forward to art time and especially rainy days when we got to stay inside and either read or do art.  I loved not only being able to draw but I have always loved the rain. It was second grade and I had a seat by the window that year. One particularly rainy day, the rain was coming down so hard that the blacktop outside was being pelted by torrents of water.  The tetherball courts seemed to glisten and dance in the wind and rain. It was loud and I was warm and drawing inside.  I felt a wave of joy that I had never felt before, and I remember that October day in 1965 (I always remembered Octobers since it is my birth month).  It was raining and I was drawing and I remember very clearly thinking, “I want to do this for the rest of my life!”

When I bought my home, I looked to see which room would be my studio, it was the big bedroom with the large windows.  I put my drawing table there next to the window and every time that it rains I go there and draw and remember it was that
little boy that decided what I would do the rest of my life.  It’s hard not to be grateful and in love with life when I feel that feeling over and over again starting with that rainy day so long ago.

Where did you train and how did your training influence you?

I taught myself a lot before I went to college.  But at a point I knew that I needed a lot more than what I could do on my own.  So after helping my late wife get through her school and after she got her masters in audiology, it was my turn.  I was accepted to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.  It was there that I had some amazing teachers and one of them in particular was my anatomy teacher, the legendary Burne Hogarth.   I graduated with honors.  I was even elected by the student body to be their speaker at graduation and illustrated and did fine art exhibits for a few years.  I am still an exhibiting artist…but it’s as a teacher that I feel most at home and most fulfilled.

I remember very clearly listening to Mr. Hogarth talk and talk and talk about anatomy.  His knowledge was scary.  I remember listening and thinking to myself, “I want to do that for the rest of my life!”   See a pattern?   Well Mr. Hogarth died in 1995 and he left a big hole at Art Center.  I started teaching the same class in January of 1998 and I made the class my own….but one thing was and has always been the same; the room.  I insisted on teaching the class in the same room as he did.  I will still be there until I die and someone fills my shoes.

How do you convey to students the importance of learning anatomy?

I simply talk.  I am not a salesman but I believe in the knowledge that made the old masters great is still and always will be of vital importance to any art and its culture.  My passion speaks loudly through my teachings.  I always make sure that regardless of the kind of art that you pursue, communication is the key no matter what. An artist is nothing if they can’t speak with knowledge.  The ability to communicate with art and wisdom is the voice of the artist.

What do you consider to be the key factors to having a successful career as an artist?

Belief in oneself!  Not through arrogance but through knowledge of the past, those that came before us, integrity and humility but with an iron will and steadfastness!

VISIT INSTRUCTOR’S WEBSITE | E-mail Instructor

Past Spotlight Artist

Nathan Fowkes

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Opening Night on September 24th, from 7pm to 10pm – RSVP is appreciated.
Closing Night on October 8th, from 7pm to 10pm – RSVP is appreciated.

Exhibiting Artists:

Marina Fridman
Alexandria Douziech
Matthew Durante
Edward Georgian
Jonathan Hart
Stephen James
Amanda Mears
Margaret Ouchida
Aaron Wang

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Mauricio Abril is currently a concept artist at Disney Interactive Media Group. He graduated with honors in Entertainment Design from the Art Center College of Design and has a previous degree from UCLA in Molecular Biology. His work spans the formats of animated video games, live action film, toy design and theme park design for clients such as Hasbro, The Hettema Group, Wideload, Rubicon and Elements Entertainment. In his off-hours his love of story currently has him busy developing a personal project into a children’s book. When not working, he can be found working.

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Rob McKinnon’s career as an artist began at the age of 3 when his parents purchased his first box of crayons just after seeing Star Wars in 1977. Excited by the prospect of designing the sequel to that ground breaking film, Rob turned his bedroom into a Motion Picture Art Department where began a long journey of exploration and creativity. When he wasn’t drawing and model making, he was constructing props and sets for his GI JOES or writing illustrated scripts. At 9 years old this “prolific screenwriter” submitted his scripts to studios like Universal and Warner Brothers. His projects were rejected, but the tenacious boy continued to design and create.

Rob attended Art Center College of Design, where he graduated with honors with a B.A. In Illustration in 2003. Shortly thereafter, Rob began his career as a concept artist in Hollywood. He has worked for the past 9 years on a wide variety of projects ranging from theme park ride concepts and film to animation design and visual effects.

Rob’s creative adventure continues with his growing client list which includes: 20th Century Fox, Busch Gardens, the Cartoon Network, Dreamworks SKG, Paramount Pictures, Michael Bay Films, Patrick Tatopoulos Studios, Ring of Fire VFX Studios, Screen Gems, Sony Playstation, Sony Pictures, Super 78 Films, the Weinstein Company, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, Lakeshore Pictures, Summit Films, Warner Brothers Pictures, Sketch Films, and Marvel Studios.

Rob has worked on over thirty motion pictures. Some of his credits include Live Free or Die Hard, Transformers III, Tron Legacy, I Am Legend, Inception, Twilight:Breaking Dawn, Terminator Salvation, and the upcoming fims Total Recall and Iron Man III.

……………He still uses crayons.

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