Helping Canadians get back to work.

Syn Studio

460 Rue Ste Catherine West, #508, Montreal QC

Possible funding to those who qualify*

  • Quebec Student Financial Assistance
  • Loans
  • Grants
  • Bursaries
  • Scholarships

Programs

Programs offered at each campus may vary, so be sure to check other campus offerings for the course you are most interested in.

Creative Arts, Interactive, Sound Programs

    • Strengthen your fundamentals and improve your art skills
    • Get accepted into the elite diploma programs (such as the Syn Studio Concept Art Diploma Program)
    • Land an industry job and win lucrative art contracts!

      ACCELERATED LEARNING

      As an Art Bootcamp student, taking 5 classes per term, surrounded by the most passionate artists from around the world, you will see fast improvement in your art. This program is designed to give you solid art fundamentals and cutting edge professional skills. Immersed in this creative and productive environment, you will be challenged to push the limits of your skills. To further support your learning, you can rewatch the class videos or consult your instructor and fellow students for help in our exclusive community forums.

      MASTER COACHING

      We'll take you to the next-level and beyond with master coaching and in-depth courses given by top industry artists. The industry is highly competitive. Think of anyone at the top of any highly competitive field; did they have master coaching? You bet they did!

      DEEP PRACTICE

      Not all ways of practising leads to rapid improvement. Deep and focused practice is necessary to strengthen your fundamentals and gain mastery over the essential art skills you need to become a successful artist. The Art Bootcamp is specially designed to ensure that you're practising the right things, the right way and for the right amount of time so you can become a highly skilled artist as quickly as possible.

      OTHER INDUSTRY RELEVANT ACTIVITIES

      Students in the Art Bootcamp will have exclusive access to activities such as coaching sessions and art jams hosted by top concept artists and illustrators. These activities, conducted both online and onsite on a regular basis, will help you improve faster, make connections and learn how the industry works.
  • If you qualify for this elite 18 month training program, you will receive all the tools, techniques, training, skills and strategies required to build a killer concept art portfolio and get hired as a concept artist in the entertainment industry. This is a very intensive training where you will develop your design and illustration skills while working in an industry environment, under the direct supervision of an instructor who will act as your art director.

    1 TERM

    Learn the fundamentals of sketching for production, universal principles of image making, essential concept art pipelines and techniques for digital image manipulation and managing your visual reference library.

    2 TERM

    Become proficient at visually communicating your designs and integrating photographic elements into your work-flow. Understand human and animal anatomy in-depth so you can create convincing creatures and characters.

    3 TERM

    Learn how to represent gesture, expression and personality in your creatures and characters, as well as how to convincingly illustrate characters within their environments. Become proficient at generating creative solutions to a variety of design challenges.

    4 TERM

    Acquire advanced illustration techniques and take your design skills to the next level while working on vehicle, prop and environment concept art under the guidance of your instructor, who will act as your art director.

    5 TERM

    Learn how to design iconic creatures and characters as you gain several powerful, cutting-edge concept design pipelines, incorporating advanced Photoshop techniques and 3D into your work-flow.

    6 TERM

    Assemble a killer concept art portfolio, learn to target it to get the job you want and gain a series of strategies, tactics and skills for breaking into the industry and ensuring your success as a professional concept artist.

  • Patrick J.Jones Workshop- The Anatomy of Style

    Do you have basic skill in figure drawing but wish to draw truly beautiful, stylistic and dynamic anatomically correct figures that will set you apart from other artists? Do you want to master anatomy and gain the capacity to depict the human form in all of its movement, weight and glory? Syn Studio is proud to launch a 3 week Figure Drawing Workshop with Master Artist Patrick J.Jones, an award winning artist, author and teacher. Patrick has worked as an illustrator for book covers by famous authors such as H.G. Wells and as a concept artist for Lucasfilm and Disney Studios on titles such as Peter Pan.
  • Foundations of Drawing

    Learn the fundamentals of drawing: light, shade, line and form, perspective and proportion. Learn the basics of human proportions and anatomy through portrait and nude studies. This class is perfect for beginners and is a pre-requisite for all other classes. Everyone can learn to draw! Our curriculum blends classical drawing instruction (techniques of the masters) with modern teaching methods (e.g.: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain) so that beginners can see rapid improvement in their skills and creativity while developing a unique style.
  • Drawing the Human Form

    In this course, you will learn a step-by-step method for accurately and beautifully representing the human form. Through demonstration and one-on-one instruction you will go from a drawing composed of basic shapes to a fully rendered piece of art. Areas of focus will include the proportions of the human body, points of reference on the body that aid with developing a drawing, drawing a body in motion, and foreshortening.
  • Analytical Sketching

    Do you ever have trouble drawing objects, plants or animals from all angles? When drawing from imagination onto paper, do you ever lose something in translation? In this course you will learn a step-by-step method to break down any object or living being into basic shapes and build up a drawing with proper perspective and shading so you can literally draw anything, from any angle! This method of analytical sketching has been passed down for centuries through the great European academies and is the go-to method for entertainment industry concept artists and illustrators. It's one of the most efficient and effective ways to construct your drawings and is an essential visual communication tool for concept artists, illustrators and animators.
  • Constructive Figure Drawing

    Do you possess basic life drawing skills but struggle when it comes to constructing lifelike and dynamic drawings of the human form from multiple angles? Do you feel you lack the skills necessary to accurately portray human figures from imagination? In this constructive figure drawing course, you will learn the essential strategies involved in breaking down the human body, first into simple shapes then into more complex structures so you can build up an anatomically correct drawing with proper depth and perspective.  
  • Foundations of Painting

    Studio course covering traditional oil painting techniques Have you ever wanted to become good at painting but didn't know where to start? This course is for beginners to oil painting as well as those with some experience but who have not yet mastered the fundamentals.
  • Intro to Digital Painting

    Do you possess some traditional drawing fundamentals but are a novice when it comes to using Photoshop and painting digitally? Do you wish to learn the basics of Photoshop and become proficient in using your Wacom tablet so you can eventually create fantastic digital paintings? Photoshop is a very powerful tool used by concept artists and illustrators in the video game and film industries. Students aspiring to work as professional artists in the industry should become adept at painting digitally with Photoshop.
  • Expressive Painting in Watercolour

    The beauty of water media lies in its calligraphic immediacy, luminous color, and relative speed and spontaneity. This ten week course will introduce artists to the excitement of painting in watercolor. Explore the joy of creating expressive and lively paintings.
  • Digital Sketching for Production

    Do you already have basic fundamentals and some ability to work digitally but have trouble using perspective, value and colour to maximum effect in your illustrations and concept art? Do you wish to have a better understanding of space, lighting and materials so you can create realistic, professional-level artwork? The top illustrators and concept artists all have deep knowledge and skill in these essential fundamentals. In the course, Christian Robert de Massy, veteran concept artist and illustrator, will take you by the hand and guide you on the path to mastery.
  • Digital Painting

    Does your digital painting lack speed, realism, polish and a professional look? Do you wish you could create stunning digital paintings like today's top entertainment industry concept artists, illustrators and matte painters? In this class, you will learn the fundamentals of painting in Photoshop from a top industry artist who will also teach you some tips and tricks that even many advanced digital artists don't know! The beauty of digital painting is its greater speed, control, and ease of experimentation and this is why it is essential for today's industry artists. Through demonstration and one-on-one coaching, our instructor will teach you an efficient step-by-step method to realize your concepts in Photoshop. Emphasis is placed on composition, perspective, value, colour and lighting.
  • Intro to Concept Art

    Do you want to become a concept artist but aren’t sure where to start? Do you wish to become proficient in the process used by concept artists to create breathtaking environments, magnificent creatures and compelling characters for your favourite games and movies? In this introductory course, you will practice your fundamentals, learn the basics of design, draw various iterations and become comfortable with all the steps involved in the concept art process - from initial idea to final concept. Concept artists need to be adept at researching ideas to create their own reference boards during the design process. During this course, you will learn how to effectively use research as a way to gather inspiration while working. You will become proficient in shape design and shape language, enabling you to effectively choose and use the precise shapes that best suit your concept.
  • Concept Sculpting in ZBrush

    ZBrush is an amazing tool for concept artists and illustrators, especially for characters, creatures and other organic concepts. You can use Zbrush to both quickly sketch out concepts and then bring them to a highly developed state. After that, you can render them with Keyshot and export the renders for compositing in Photoshop. You then apply the finishing touches and create a breathtaking ultra-realistic production painting or portfolio piece. This is exactly what you will learn in this class! You don't have to have any prior experience in 3D or be a technical wizard to use Zbrush. If you can use Photoshop and imagine objects in 3D, then you have the necessary technical skills to add this powerful tool to your arsenal and acquire one of the most efficient pipelines in this rapidly evolving industry. Once you have integrated digital sculpting into your workflow, you will never again be limited to working in just 2 dimensions!
  • Intro to Character Design

    Do you feel your characters lack personality? Do you wish to create characters that are distinct and believable? Top concept artists create iconic and convincing characters that enhance the storyline and strike an immediate chord with the audience. In this introductory class, you will learn a step-by-step method for developing top quality character concepts that evoke the desired emotions while integrating seamlessly with the overall art direction. At every step, you will receive feedback from the instructor to help refine your character design process.
  • Character Rendering

    Character Rendering

    Does your character rendering skill need a boost to get to a professional level? Would you like to learn the most effective painting methods for creating beautiful and realistic concept art and character illustrations? In this course, you will learn how to pose and paint your characters to create the illusion of weight and 3-dimensionality and to render the face, skin, hair and clothing like a professional. Through lectures, demonstrations, assignments, personalized feedback and correction, a veteran industry concept artist will guide you through the entire process of creating a beautifully rendered character painting.
  • Intro to Environment Design

    Do you want to be able to create environment designs for the entertainment industry? Strong design fundamentals are essential for creating environments that enhance the visual experience. Expert concept artists are adept at designing environments for games, movies, television and theatre that suit the mood of the scene and enhance the storyline. In this course, you will be introduced to the fantastic process of designing stunning environment concepts for different scenarios. You will understand the design processes that concept artists employ to amplify the story experience and learn how to apply them through a series of case studies, demos and in-class assignments. The class and assignments simulate the industry environment with your teacher acting as your art director, guiding your design decisions and iterations.
  • Composition, Lighting and Illustration

    Do you possess basic perspective, value and digital painting skills but have trouble creating visually compelling illustrations? Do you wish to gain a greater understanding of lighting and composition so you can create professional looking images for your work or portfolio? A thorough understanding of composition and lighting is essential for any digital illustrator or concept artist looking to maximize the visual appeal of their images. In this advanced illustration course, industry veteran Donald Caron will provide you with the skills, tools and techniques to compose stunning and lifelike images.
  • Prop and Vehicle Design

    Do you have an eye for interesting and unique design? Do you still need some additional methods, tools and techniques to properly translate your ideas into unique and iconic concepts? In this 10 week course, you will learn the most powerful methods used by today's top concept artists so you can create professional-level prop and vehicle designs. During the course, you will learn a powerful design process as well as specific techniques so you can create interesting props and powerful vehicle designs that wow the audience, drive the story and perfectly blend with the overall art direction. The in-class work and homework assignments simulate the industry environment with your instructor acting as your art director and guiding your design decisions.
  • Environment Design with Blender

    Do you want to be able to create stunning and immersive environment concept art for the entertainment industry? Advanced art skills and strong design fundamentals are essential for creating environments that enthrall the audience and create a captivating visual experience. In this 10 week course taught by a veteran concept artist, you will gain expertise in the tools and techniques required to design fantastic environment concepts for video games and movies. During the course, you will learn a powerful concept art pipeline used by industry experts to create the desired mood, atmosphere and visual impact in their environments.
  • Making Comics

    This course teaches all the basic aspects of Comics/BD/Manga storytelling. You will learn about character development, dramatic story structure, dialogue, easy-to-follow sequential artwork, eye-catching inking, lettering, and enhancing story through colour. Making comics is one of the most complex art forms that one person can do all on their own, but it doesn't have to be intimidating. By the end of this course, you will have had the opportunity to pick up or refine all the key tools you need to make your comics tick, turn pages, and kick ass! This course is well suited for complete beginners, as well as novices who’ve had limited experience making comics already. It is genre agnostic and all styles are welcome!

Montreal Campus

ABOUT

Syn Studio is an art school in Montreal specializing in teaching concept art and illustration for the entertainment industry. Since 2007, we've been helping amateur and professional artists take their art to the next level through our 10-week drawing, painting, concept art and illustration classes as well as our Full Time Programs.

We are now offering online art classes to help aspiring artists from around the world in their journey towards achieving artistic mastery.

Syn Studio was ranked the number 1 school in North America for Concept Art and Illustration by The Rookies in 2019.

 


Request Info Today!

Contact Syn Studio for information today!

Get more information

  • Please send me more information right away! I consent to electronic communication, and I may opt-out at any time. read terms*
  • Hidden
  • Hidden
*All student funding, whether made available privately or through various government branches, is only approved to those who qualify, by the original source of funding. There are many criteria that each candidate must meet to be approved. Schools can only inform you of what may be available.