Why Is Max the Mutt Your Best Choice?

Why Max the Mutt? It’s simple: we care. Max the Mutt offers working professionals as instructors, small class size, community, an emphasis on focus, a developmental curriculum following a year of basic skills training. We are in constant contact with the industries we serve to ensure that course content is up to date! Our yearly Industry Event, where graduating students show their work to recruiters and art directors from top companies who are looking to hire young talent, is well attended and our graduates are in demand!!

There is a difference between attending Max the Mutt, with small class size and constant access to individual assistance, and a large school where classes sometimes have 25 to 30 people and even the best instructors simply don’t have the time to get around to everyone!

Max the Mutt was founded by professionals. Our mandate has always been a commitment to teach the skills we value to coming generations. We care about every student. We are a small community where every person matters, and we know what it takes to develop your talent – because we’ve been there.

It isn’t easy. It takes discipline and passion. You, as a student, have to be present, committed, and willing to do the hard work. You need to buy in to our emphasis on professionalism and focus.

train yourself to organize your work, meet deadlines, deal professionally with problems, including asking for help when you need it. You need the desire and the grit to stick with it, and to keep faith in your ability to grow and develop.
For our part, we do our best to assist when you hit difficult patches. We have a vested interest in the success of every student and want to see everyone succeed.

When you graduate, companies will hire you and keep you on if you have both the skills and the professionalism required. Max the Mutt is respected by employers, but simply attending Max the Mutt, or any other school, no matter how “famous,” will not make a career for you! That’s your job – with our help.

Focus is a major part of success.

Our goal is to help you set your imagination free by helping you develop the artistic and computer savvy that will build your confidence and your portfolio, and marrying that to professionalism: polite behaviour, meeting deadlines, being on time, taking criticism well, being a good team player, and following directions. This is a winning recipe for success.

This is why we believe Max the Mutt is your best choice if you are serious about having a career in animation, illustration or concept art!

Zabi Hassan - Alladin-Evil-Genie-Attack — Zabi Hassan – Alladin-Evil-Genie-Attack

Devil's Cake - Angeline Mauri — Devil’s Cake – Angeline Mauri

We are now responding to inquiries for September 2017 admissions! Submit the tour request form, or contact us at admissions@maxthemutt.com, or by phone at 416-703-6877, toll free in North America 1-877-486-MUTT.

Dave Ross’ New Figure Drawing Book!

Dave ‘s new book is fresh off the press! Published by Random House, it teaches how to draw the figure without reference.

Dave writes: “I recently completed work on an instructional book titled FREEHAND FIGURE DRAWING FOR ILLUSTRATORS, due for general release on July 28, 2015. Watson-Guptill Publications, an imprint of Random House, is publishing the how-to book on drawing the human figure from memory. Visit www.randomhouse.com for more details.FREEHAND FIGURE DRAWING FOR ILLUSTRATORS is for anyone who ever dreamed of picking up a pencil and drawing spontaneously from the imagination.

My own experiences in learning the craft of freehand drawing as a student, and then much later in teaching it, convinced me to be proactive. FREEHAND FIGURE DRAWING FOR ILLUSTRATORS introduces you to a methodology that is designed to solve many drawing problems before they arise.”

From Dave’s website:

“I can’t resist the challenge of rendering strange new worlds and fantastic situations on a daily basis — filling stark white panels with scenes rich in depth and intensity!”

Dave’s projects for Marvel and DC Comics include:
• Spiderman • Daredevil • Avengers Westcoast • Batgirl • Catwoman • Punisher • Captain America • Excalibur • Birds of Prey • Aliens • Alpha Flight • Star Trek • Star Wars: Dark Times.

As a Guest Artist, he has participated at numerous national and international comic conventions and book signings including the following:

• New York • San Diego • Chicago • Pittsburgh • Detroit • Ottawa • Toronto • Montreal • Hong Kong • Singapore • Malaysia • Indonesia • Thailand • PR China

He is currently illustrating a special Ironman Series for Marvel, a Star Wars project for Dark Horse Comics/George Lucas; teaching figure drawing and sequential arts at Max the Mutt, and producing commissions for international collectors/clients.

If you live in or close to Toronto, the book launch for “Freehand Figure Drawing for Illustrators,” will be held at the Toronto Reference Library, on Yonge Street just north of Bloor, August 14th at 7 PM!

Dave’s website: http://www.daverossart.com/about.html

#SequentialArtsGraduates Will Publish Before They Graduate!

News Flash:

All graduating Illustration for Sequential Arts students at Max the Mutt will now have their their first professionally published credits by the time they graduate!

Max the Mutt is the only college in Canada offering an in depth program focused on Sequential Arts for Comic Books and Graphic Novels. Now, with the latest addition to this program, all graduating students will enter the industry with their first professionally published work available, kickstarting their careers in a way that no other program we know of offers.

As part of the third year Digital Media for Artists class, not only will students now learn how to use computer technology to produce line work, colours and digital painting illustrations, they will also learn how to use computer technology to layout and design publications for print and web. They will design and self-publish their own print and digital books, and that work will be made available worldwide through print on demand and digital download markets such as Kindle, through Amazon.com.

Self publishing is a vital and important step in the start of any new artist’s career, and something that many people strive for years after graduation. No other art school we know of offers the ability to graduate with professional quality, published work in hand.

Sequential Arts – 2013 – Year3 – Digital Media

For information or to book a tour contact us now at admissions@maxthemutt.com, or call us at 416-703-6877, 1-866-486-MUTT toll free in North America!

We are accepting applications for Sept 2015!

#MaxTheMutt #Illustration for Sequential Arts Graduates Are Making their Mark: Part 3

Dan MacKinnon

Dan graduated in 2011 and sent this email in, 2012.

“This is Dan MacKinnon, recent graduate of the Sequential Arts Program. I wanted to let you all know that I have been doing well as a freelance artist thanks to the instruction and support I received at Max the Mutt…. Thanks to your school I truly believe there is nothing I can’t do as long as I just keep pushing ahead. I would not be able to do the things I’m doing now without the drive and focus I learned at the school.

I wanted to share with you a couple of things that I have been working on. I recently finished almost 20 illustrations that will be published in the new Runequest role playing game handbook that will be coming out this month. This is a big one for me as role playing games and fantasy artwork were a huge inspiration for me as a young artist and the idea that I will be able to inspire others in this way still kind of chokes me up.

I’ve also had some of my digital work used for card game artwork,

Some of my political cartoons have gotten some internet air time as well. I did a lot of work during last summers election with a group in the Yukon and continue to work with political parties as well as First Nations groups. Many of these have been published and can be seen on my website or blog site.

http://bcblue.wordpress.com/2012/07/17/citizens-mcgregor-now-immortalized-in-dumpster-diving-for-stories-cartoon/

I also wanted to share my newest project that I’m doing with a couple of very talented writers I met in Toronto. We are doing a graphic novel and have launched a fund raising campaign in order to put the book together and get some publicity. We have caught the eye of a few names and are hoping to have it published once we finish the first volume.

“My thanks again to everyone at Max who has helped me become the successful and professional artist I have become.”

– Dan MacKinnon

Since we received this email, Dan’s career has continued to thrive. He now lists his specialities on Linkedin as, “Illustration, design, kids, comics, photoshop, monsters,” and he emailed from Vancouver Island that he is in the middle of a graphic novel and not at liberty to share artwork from that project at this time, but did send a few j pegs.

art by Dan MacKinnon

Andrew Sebastian Kwan

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2014 ISA graduate Andrew Kwan, self portrait

Andrew just graduated in May, 2014 and was already getting professional assignments while still in school. His Deviant Art page states that he cannot accept any more commissions at this time- he’s too busy! He is currently working on his original comic series GEL; a sci-fi/fantasy adventure.

art by Andrew Kwan

Art by Andrew Kwan

Visit Andrew’s website to see more of his work! http://andrewkwan.daportfolio.com/

If you haven’t already visited Max the Mutt, call now to arrange a tour and information session with a Sequential Arts instructor! Check out our website: www.maxthemutt.com

Call 416-703-6877,or toll free for North America: 1-877-486-MUTT, or email admissions@maxthemutt.com.

International students, email us at admissions@maxthemutt.com and give us the best time to reach you by phone or Skype! We’re happy to speak with you about the school , the program. and how to apply.