Take A Class From Me!
Let's learn together with Cuddlefish Academy. Classes, lectures, and coaching available now!
Did you know you can take online classes from me?
After much discussion about helping passionate artists become practicing professionals, a group of my professional peers (and myself) decided we wanted to bring access to professional quality education to the masses. This is how Cuddlefish Academy was born.
We are passionate about you becoming your best YOU with affordable classes and personalized feedback designed to level up your skills and get you published with career traction.
All of our instructors are experienced illustration professors and mentors as well as successful writers and illustrators. We are committed to your growth and success and we know what it takes to make it in today's traditional children's book publishing market.
Classes
All of our courses are intensive four-week classes that include weekly homework assignments with two pacing options: Self-Swimmer and Cuddle Coached. Self-Swimmer is on your own at your own pace. Cuddle Coaching is where you get weekly feedback, reviews, critiques, and drawovers from your Cuddle Coach.
Character and Costume Design
I have not only taught this course at a college level but also through varying workshops and middle/high school levels. This is one of my favorite things to teach!
In this course we go over shape language, anatomy and how to cartoon it, historical and contemporary character design, industry-specific character design and career trajectory preferences, and costume design.
Lectures
If you’re in the market for a shorter time commitment, we also offer Big Bite Workshops and Lectures. We’ve designed these to be easier to fit into your busy schedule, but still full of fascinating information to help launch your professional practice.
Illustration, A Career
A crash course into your illustration career, this lecture is all about how to make your illustration dreams a paying practice. I go over all of the potential industries you can get into, career paths you can take, and how to make those happen with portfolio examples. This lecture is one of my favorites to give. I’ve given it in varying forms at different universities from California College of the Arts, Woodbury University, Montana State University (Bozeman), CU Denver, and more.
The Art Of Critique
Why do we critique and how do you get better at taking feedback? Let’s dive into why the practice of critique is crucial for a healthy sustainable creative practice. From learning why critique is important, to figuring out how to take critique well and get the most out of it, to critique examples (I critique my work and then you critique my work)… this lecture will help you reframe feedback to improve your skills.
Coaching
None of these classes or lectures fit what you’re looking for? That’s okay! We offer coaching. During these great one-on-ones, we sit down with you over a video call and discuss what YOU want to discuss. I’ve gone over portfolios with students, reviewed manuscripts, discussed agents and how to get them, and helped artists chart their career paths. Cuddle coaching is one of the things Cuddlefish Academy prides itself in — tailoring your education to your career goals.
Learn more about our online school at CuddlefishAcademy.com!
The Cuddlefish Academy also has a substack called The Think Tank, which I run. Check it out and learn from me and the other professors over there.