Syn Studio Concept Art Diploma: The Student Experience

Syn Studio’s Concept Art Diploma Program was created with the aim of making aspiring concept artists “industry ready” by mastering the fundamentals and learning the advanced techniques.

This process involved a careful study of the world’s top art schools as well as consultations with world’s top educators and concept artists, most notably Scott Robertson. The exclusivity of the program and the small class size ensures that the students receive individual attention from teachers who are top concept artists in the industry.

Registrations for the Fall 2017 intake of Syn Studio’s Concept Art Diploma Program are currently underway. Apply now.

This article features excerpts from interviews with 4 first year students who shared their experience about the Concept Art Diploma Program.

The courses and teachers

The first term, currently in progress, teaches the basics of concept art, sketching, rendering, drawing, photography, cinematography and photo manipulation.

“We have something to learn from each class and it’s difficult to choose a favorite”, according to Nicolas, a student from Montreal. “Intro to Concept Art has helped me with generating ideas for my work, whereas How to Draw with Christian Robert de Massy has improved my fundamentals. Teachers like Jessy Veilleux and Daniel Kvasznicza (both teach different modules of Visual Reference Library/ Digital Image Manipulation) focus on the technical aspects and using the software.”

Student body and Teamwork

The current program is more than half international students from countries such as the US, France, Germany, Singapore, India and Mexico.

Commenting about the varied student body and the experience so far, Lena, from ile de Reunion, France, said: “It creates a really good environment and lets people know how someone from another country will approach a problem or work on a concept”. According to Nicolas: “People want to improve together and work towards the single goal of becoming quality concept artists.There is no competition and it’s more of a community”.

Syn Studio organizes regular student art shows, industry parties and events such as portfolio review sessions, masterclasses with world-famous concept artists, free demos, panel talks, and themed figure drawing workshops which help students build the relationships they require to succeed and foster a sense of community amongst diverse student body.

Improvement in Skills

Over the course of the program the students sharpen their skills and learn how to use them in a workplace environment with the help of their teachers who take the role of art directors.

David, from Sherbrooke, said: “Trying new things has improved my skills greatly and though it has been just one month since the program started, I know that my foundations have become stronger”.

Miguel from Mexico, who is new to concept art felt he has seen a big improvement in his skills due to the approachable nature of the teachers and the constructive criticism they offer: “I have learnt how concept artists work, look for references and have been able to push myself to create art that is not only pretty but also effective.”

If you wish to improve your skills find out more.

How to Register

The last date to register for the General Portfolio Review for the Concept Art Diploma Program is February 8, 2017. Reserve your spot now.

We all hope to see you in 2017! 🙂