Art Academy cultivates all talent

In Sheldon Borenstein’s opinion, the process of learning art is a journey. This is particularly true at his school, Sheldon’s Art Academy in Oak Park.

The students who attended Borenstein’s “Summer Boot Camp” are working towards degrees in animation and illustration at San Jose State University, where Borenstein is an adjunct professor.

Every Friday from August through May, Borenstein flies to the Silicon Valley, teaches for 10 hours straight, then heads back to his home in Agoura Hills. Every other day (and evening), Borenstein may be found guiding the hands of young artists at his own school, which he and wife Robyn opened in November 2003.

Boot Camp offers classes starting at 8 a.m. and continuing until 10 p.m. Attendees praise the long day as an opportunity to get a great deal of individual instruction and personal critique, and cited improvement in their work.

“I simply teach the basic skills: gesture, construction, anatomy, and technique,” said Borenstein. “We call it GCAT, for short but it’s the same group of skills that have been taught for centuries.”

“We accept and encourage all students here,” said Borenstein. “We find out what’s really unique about each student—that genius that lives within each one—then focus on those talents to raise that student’s confidence and self-esteem. As long as they’re willing to adhere to our studio etiquette—to be polite, to wait their turn, and help each other—everyone is welcome here.”

Learning studio etiquette is an important component of the curriculum at Sheldon’s Art Academy. As an alumnus of the studio system (including more than 25 years in the animation, advertising, and art industries, and numerous assignments with other industry leaders) Borenstein knows the system inside and out. In addition to providing instruction on GCAT, he shares with his students his expertise on the finer points of assembling a portfolio, nailing an interview, and surviving studio politics.

Not all of his students are intent on studio careers. A number of them are interested in fashion and interior design.

“We have a lot of middle and high school students who are really into fashion design. They learn the fundamentals of figure drawing just as my college students do, then their designs sit ‘on top of’ the figure. Most have their eye on schools like Parsons and Pratt in the future. They bring in their portfolio requirements, and we help them put together what’s needed to meet those requirements. Then by the time they finish high school, they’ll have a complete, killer portfolio.”

Borenstein also stresses to his students, such as Thomas Suzumoto, an Agoura High senior, the importance of academics. Suzumoto said his “grades weren’t great” but he “really liked to draw” and his art classes with Borenstein have helped him understand “what I do in school right now will make a difference in what I do the rest of my life.” He said he has improved his grades at Agoura High and is working hard to maintain them.

“There are tons of kids—especially kids who want to become artists—who think they don’t need academia. But after coming here, they realize that in order to get the job and work on the next ‘Star Wars,’ they have to go to college. To get into college, they need the grades. So that’s what we emphasize, all of the time.”

Borenstein juggles his commissions for portraits, assignments from studios such as Sony for the design of new animated characters, and mentoring his young charges.

For details on class schedules and fees at Sheldon’s Art Academy, call (818) 706-9444, or visit http:// www.sheldonsartacademy.com/.