A Fine Arts Education Provides A Solid Base

Exhibiting studio artists, illustrators, classical and digital animators, gamers, graphic designers, interior designers and industrial designers don’t just become successes overnight. Many of them require a foundation, which is obtained by seeking a fine arts education before taking a specialized program.

Centennial College in Toronto offers a two-year Fine Arts Studio program, which is designed as a challenging, intimate and immersion-based undertaking that focuses on drawing, painting and sculpting media. The fine arts education received in the program allows students seamless entry into more specialized art-based program such as Digital Animation, Graphic Design, Game Design and more. Students who take this fine arts education program end up: developing advanced skills and working independently both in and out of the studio environment; have a progressive learning experience led by a collaborative team of teachers who share a commitment to the central philosophy of excellence through meaningful skills development; are encouraged to develop personal directions and approaches to build their own unique voice and style in visual storytelling; and more.

Courses in Fine Arts Studio include, among others, Drawing + Composition (introduces students to both observed and imagined approaches to objective drawing using a number of media); Painting Techniques (introduces students to both observed and imagined approaches to objective painting in various media); Digital Art (introduces students to the use of digital programs to create art and maintain files and documentation of art and art-related information); Contemporary Issues in Art (seminar course that focuses on round-table discussions on recent and current developments in art internationally); and more. In addition, as part of their fine arts education, students are exposed to real life experiences such as witnessing and showcasing at exhibitions in professional art galleries on Toronto’s art Mecca, Queen Street.

All classes are held in two large state-of-the-art studios and include aspects such as art-relevant lectures, seminars and excursions that are offered throughout the school year. Small class sizes guarantee one-on-one attention from instructors. Classes are three to six hours in duration. Mural seminars and an illustration class to broaden students’ job skills are also available.

Applicants need to present at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. They also need to have the compulsory English 12C or U or skills assessment or equivalent credit. However, possession of minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the school fine arts. There also artistic requirements that students must meet, such as attending a program admission session and presenting a portfolio of no less than four and no more than 15 pieces. Within the portfolio, students are encouraged to have figure drawings, color work (abstract, figurative or objective), perspective (demonstration of your ability to apply basic principles of linear perspective in free-hand drawing and or painting), and sketchbooks.