Attending the Illustration Academy was the single best thing I have ever done for my illustration career. The things I learned from my interaction with the instructors and other students are valuable beyond measure. I believe that anyone who is interesting in improving their art would love and benefit from the program. I know that the help and guidance I received last summer drastically improved my work and opened doors in my mind that I had been struggling to open for years.

Not only did the instructors at the Illustration Academy show me how to design a successful illustration, they showed me how to present my illustrations successfully. I never realized the importance or networking until I experienced the generosity of these illustrators and witnessed the strength of the community in which they thrive.Lots of artists can draw, but not all can illustrate. Lots of illustrators can produce, but not all can market. The Illustration Academy taught me how to do both.

It's really hard to distill the Academy experience into a few words; because it really is an experience. While I no doubt learned a lot in school, the Academy really taught me how to think. Watching the faculty work along side you is amazing, just seeing their continued passion for art is inspiring. And the faculty isn't the only inspiring part of the Academy. Being surrounded by talented students from around the country and the world is the best motivation.

What an incredible experience! I learned so much at the Academy, from idea generation and color theory, to how to be a professional artist and what that means in today's career market. Being immersed in nothing but art for eight weeks was a truly satisfying experience, and by the end of the program, I felt as though I left a better artist than when I entered. It was surreal to be surrounded by the industry's leading artists, learning not only from their vast artistic skills, but as well from their real life experiences. The program helped me become a better storyteller and artist, and I know that I will be referring to the lessons I learned at the Academy for years to come as I move forward in my career.

My experience at the Illustration Academy was a struggle, but through that struggle I learned how to become a better, more practical image maker. The information I needed to become a professional was no longer shrouded in mystery. I felt like I was beginning my career with an instruction manual.

The Illustration Academy is an experience that you would not be able to find anywhere else. I learned so much about the process of making a good image from working out the initial idea to rendering the finished product. It was amazing to learn from some of the most successful illustrators in the field who are all so willing to share their expertise and experience. The program gave me the knowledge and confidence that i needed to promote my work and start my career as an illustrator. I will value it for the rest of my life.

There are only a few words I can use that can truly embody the experience I had at the Illustration Academy other than, "EXCEPTIONAL". I have never met a more esteemed and dedicated faculty of artists who are so determined in equipping their students with the essential process of effective image making and also to share of their vast experiences in the professional and business world of Illustration. I had the privilege of attending the Academy for two summers and can honestly say that the knowledge I had as an illustration student entering the program, did not compare to the perspective and information I had gained leaving the program. Attending the Illustration Academy places you side by side with the most respected artists of Illustration, and despite their high recognition, they are some of the most generous and humble individuals I had the pleasure of meeting.

As many who attended the Academy will tell you, it will change your life. At first it will completely overwhelm you with so much info on picture making, you become quite scared of how little you know. Then you take a stab at it, and with the guidance of the incredible teachers (who quickly become good friends) work that you never knew you could make begins to appear. But it has a peculiar effect. It has been 8 months since I finished the Academy and I think I'm only now comprehending much of what they taught (they predicted this of course). They plant the seeds, you have to make them grow. I still have much to learn, and at the time of writing this, I look forward to attending the Academy for a second time.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the Illustration Academy changed my life. Not only did it attach rocket boosters to my career by giving me everything I needed to succeed as an illustrator, it taught me how to live the life of an artist. To this day, the lessons I learned echo in my mind and find new expression in my work, while the artists I met and the friends I made are a continuing source of support and inspiration.

I was not surprised by how much was known about picture making by the faculty of The Illustration Academy. I expected that. How much was known about everything else caught me off-guard. Literature, music, history, pop culture, and philosophy are just a handful of topics discussed on a daily basis at the Academy. I was inspired to become a well rounded person that creates art, not just a wrist. The selfless sharing of knowledge at the Academy is truly inspiring. I did not go a day without learning something new and interesting to try. The fact that I learned just as much from the other students was an added bonus.