I began my teaching career in 1993, shortly after graduating from Art Center College of Design. Since then, I've taught at several top art schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the Academy of Art, and the California College of Arts & Crafts.

Currently, I am teaching only at San Jose State University. (Excepting the occasional private class.) For detailed info and links relevant to the school, please see the Student FAQ.

At one time or another, I've taught almost every class our department offers, but these days I'm usually teaching one of the following "Boot Camp" courses:

Art 50: Visual Principles

Essentially, this is a supercharged 2D Design class geared specifically towards the making of representational pictures rather than 2D graphic designs.

We delve into the picture-making techniques and visual psychology that different artists have used throughout art history, and along the way cover some of the essential ideas of graphic design that all illustrators and animators should be familiar with.
Art 50 Supply List

Art 112A: Intro to Animation / Illustration

This is one of our programs earliest drawing courses. At this level, students come in with a wide variety of skill levels and experience. This class is designed to be a kind of "Drawing Boot Camp" where students can shed any bad habits, and we can quickly bring them up to a certain level to prepare them for the classes that follow.

This is also the class that generates the "Before and After Drawings."
Art 112A Supply List

The Before and After Drawings

Art 113A: Intermediate Animation / Illustration

This class is where we really begin to teach our students how to handle color, mix pigments effectively, introduce them to rendering with paint, and perspective.

One of the more technical classes in our program, it's intensive, and painful, but very educational.
Art 113A Supply List



One Session Drawing Classes

A few times a year, I conduct single-session classes in the basics of drawing for adults with NO prior drawing experience necessary. If you or your organization would like to make arrangements for such a class, please email me for details.


Me as a Simpsons character, drawn by SJSU alumnus Debbie Bruce, now working as a layout artist for The Simpsons.