Your art and career guided by George Pratt, Sterling Hundley, Dale Stephanos, and John English.
Enroll NowEach instructor brings their own career, aesthetic, and decades of industry knowledge to your work.
Portfolio-ready work built around your career goals, critiqued weekly by working pros.
Direct feedback on your complete portfolio from your instructors before you leave the program.
You will know exactly who you want to work with, what they need to see, and how to reach them.
Pricing, outreach, personal branding, and freelance fundamentals from illustrators who do it for a living.
Connections with instructors, guest speakers, and fellow students who stay in your corner after the course ends.
You will not leave wondering what to do next. You will have a plan and the portfolio to back it up.
Portfolio Development is heavily focused on reviewing student work and career strategies.
Homeroom:
Saturday Zoom Meeting (3 hours)
Study Hall:
Wednesday Zoom Meeting (1-2 hours)
Topics: Study Hall is an optional weekly resource. Group critique, assistance on homework and general support by VAP mentors from each program.
Discord:
Post progress, ask questions, connect and network with fellow classmates, while gaining insights from VAP mentors throughout the week.
Homeroom:
Saturday Zoom Meeting (3 hours)
Study Hall:
Wednesday Zoom Meeting (1-2 hours)
Topics: Study Hall is an optional weekly resource. Group critique, assistance on homework and general support by VAP mentors from each program.
Discord:
Post progress, ask questions, connect and network with fellow classmates, while gaining insights from VAP mentors throughout the week.
Guest Speakers:
Saturday & Sunday Zoom Meeting
Students meet both Saturday and Sunday for two separate Guest Artist events. Guest artists will present work, share process, and technique via demonstration and on occasion will provide group critiques to select students.
Study Hall:
Wednesday Zoom Meeting (1-2 hours)
Topics: Study Hall is an optional weekly resource. Group critique, assistance on homework and general support by VAP mentors from each program.
Discord:
Post progress, ask questions, connect and network with fellow classmates, while gaining insights from VAP mentors throughout the week.
A real moment from our Portfolio and Career Development course. An instructor guiding a student through improving their work.
Part of every mentorship course
Each semester we bring in working professionals to share their experience, process, and perspective with the school.
George Pratt
Painter & Visual Storyteller
Sara Kipin
Illustrator & Character Designer
Eva Toorenant
Illustrator & Concept Artist
David Palumbo
Fantasy & Editorial Illustrator
Dariusz Kieliszek
Concept Artist & Illustrator
Charlie Griak
Filmmaker & Illustrator
The quality of the teaching here exceeds anything I experienced in my MFA program. This program has made me feel motivated, energized and in love with the business of illustration.
"I had an artwork accepted into the 64th Society of Illustrators annual and started receiving paying job opportunities from real-world clients."
"Dale's class pushed my technique and process. I produced my first digital fantasy painting that I would include in my professional portfolio."
"Dale Stephanos and John English gave me the clarity I needed in moving forward in illustration. I met so many talented individuals during the class that I continue to share my art with."
"The class helped me start to really focus on what I want to do as an artist and how I want to do it. Dale's insight on the craft and the business make for a unique experience."
"I owe all my advancement and improvements in my work to John and to Dale. I have never once felt shoehorned or forced into a box by my instructors."
"I was given very valuable insights on what makes an effective portfolio. The critiques and direction helped me out in the process of making a portfolio that I could be happy with."
Portfolio Development is the third course in the Illustration Program and it's the perfect course for advanced students who have begun to build out a portfolio. The course is a 10-week long workshop to continue building and polishing your portfolio to prepare it for the industry.
We recommend this course for students who have already attended Ideation & Visual Storytelling or for artists who are already working at an advanced level.
We recommend against jumping straight to Portfolio Development, but for some advanced artists, this is feasible. We recommend booking a portfolio review here, but there is no technical requirement to attend a more advanced course.
The Mentorship program is a "get out of it, what you put in" experience. That being said, our courses are structured to accommodate individuals with a busy schedule. We recommend setting aside a minimum of 3 hours for your live course and 2 hours to complete assignments and course work. We highly encourage students to commit more time if their schedule allows.
We encourage students to attend the livestream whenever their schedule permits, however, this is not required nor is it essential to fully benefit from the personalized coaching and mentoring offered by this course. Every class we host is recorded and available on-demand after the broadcast. You will still receive personalized feedback on work submitted before the livestream.
Yes! This course is designed truly as a mentorship course. Your mentor will review work you submit for the course and provide feedback during or after class to help you progress, improve and develop your skills and portfolio.
Yes, all classes are available for download during your enrollment as a mentorship program student.
We recommend students enroll in only one mentorship course per semester. We highly recommend taking mini-courses, such as Color Theory or Figure Drawing in addition to Mentorship courses.