Animation Portfolio Workshop Toronto
Welcome to Animation Portfolio Workshop – Toronto
Since its inception in 1991, Animation Portfolio Workshop (APW) has been Toronto’s leading destination for animation portfolio training and high quality animation school portfolio prep. Our educational services are catered to pre-college art, design, and animation students. With a focus on developing the skills of aspiring animators, APW has trained thousands of students who have gone on to contribute to the growth of local animation programs and studios.
Our History and Impact in Toronto
Animation Portfolio Workshop: A Legacy in Toronto Animation
APW has been helping to shape the animation industry in Toronto for over three decades. We have consistently fed top-tier local animation programs like Sheridan College and Seneca Polytechnic with highly skilled students. Our graduates have gone on to work in prominent animation studios across the city, from internship roles to senior managerial positions.
Founders & Industry Ties
Gerard Sternik & Vincent Peets: Founders and Directors
The founders of APW, Gerard Sternik and Vincent Peets, have deep roots in the Toronto animation community. Both have extensive ties to the Sheridan Animation program and Seneca Polytechnic Animation program.
- Gerard and Vince’s Teaching Experience: Both Gerard and Vince taught in the Sheridan Animation Program throughout the 1990s, which allowed them to hone their teaching methods. Their experience teaching hundreds of Sheridan students greatly influenced the creation of the APW curriculum.
- Animation Portfolio Workshop’s Role in Animation Education: Over the years, APW has helped students gain access to prestigious programs like Sheridan and Seneca. A number of APW graduates have also returned to teach at these institutions, contributing to the ongoing success of both programs.
Our Approach to Teaching
Curriculum Excellence & Teacher Training
At APW, we’ve developed a unique and robust curriculum tailored to help students attain spots in top tier animation and design programs and excel in those programs once accepted. To maintain the highest standard of education, APW has also developed its own Teacher Training Program, ensuring that instructors are well-equipped to teach the intricacies of the APW curriculum to our students. This ensures that we are able to consistently deliver our high standard of animation portfolio training.
We focus on cultivating local talent, drawing from the pool of APW graduates who live in and around Toronto. All of our Teaching Assistants (TA’s) and instructors must be APW grads, and many of our teachers have successful careers in the Toronto animation industry.
Our Philosophy: Observational Drawing at the Core
We share the same core philosophy as top animation schools like Sheridan College and Seneca Polytechnic: observational drawing is the foundation of all the drawing systems utilized by animators.
In alignment with this, we regularly host open life drawing sessions throughout the year. These sessions provide APW students, professional animators and artists of all levels the opportunity to draw from live models in our APW Studio in midtown Toronto. Our life drawing sessions are affordable and accessible to the general public, making it easier for artists in Toronto to continue honing their observational drawing skills.
ANIMATION PORTFOLIO WORKSHOP in the Community
Accessible Resources for Toronto Artists
ANIMATION PORTFOLIO WORKSHOP in Toronto High Schools
Over the years, APW has been invited by high school art teachers across the Toronto area to lead specialized workshops and presentations for their art students. Our workshops are designed to provide hands-on experience and expert insights into animation school portfolio development, observational drawing methodology, and drawing for animation systems.
A selection of the schools we’ve worked with include:
- Northview Heights Secondary School – CyberARTS Program
- Northern Secondary School – Art Department
- A.Y. Jackson Secondary School – Art Department
- Runnymede Collegiate Institute – Art Department
ANIMATION PORTFOLIO WORKSHOP Studio Workshops
Animation Programs in the Toronto area
Upon completing APW’s comprehensive program and extensive portfolio review process, many of our students apply to recognized Animation, 3D Animation, Visual Effects and Gaming Programs in the Toronto area.
These Toronto-area animation programs include:.
- Sheridan College – Honours Bachelor of Animation
- Seneca Polytechnic – Creative Arts Animation and Design, 3D Animation, Animation, Game Art and Animation, Visual Effects for Film and Television
- OCAD University – Experimental Animation
- Toronto Film School – Video Game Design and Animation Diploma
- Centennial College – Animation 3D
- Humber Polytechnic – Animation 3D
Toronto’s Thriving Animation Industry
Toronto has long been a hub for world-class animation studios. Over the years, some of these studios have been absorbed into larger companies, while others, like C.O.R.E. Digital have faded from the landscape. Regardless of these changes, Toronto remains a key player in the animation industry, offering a wealth of opportunities for animators.
Graduates of the Animation Portfolio Workshop (APW) have gone on to work at some of the top studios in the city, contributing their skills across a wide range of positions. Here are just a few of the renowned Toronto animation studios where APW graduates have built their careers:
- Nelvana
- C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures
- Starz Animation
- Arc Animation
- House of Cool
- Tangent Animation
- Cuppa Coffee Animation
- 9 Story Media Group
- Jam Filled Entertainment
- Industrial Brothers Entertainment
- Chuck Gammage Studio
- Guru Studio
- Yowza! Animation
- Brown Bag Films
- Corus Entertainment
The Animation Portfolio Workshop (APW) is designed to equip aspiring animators with the essential knowledge, tools, and skills needed to succeed in Toronto’s competitive animation industry.
Our workshop provides personalized guidance and structured animation school portfolio prep reviews to help you create a portfolio that stands out from the crowd—giving you a competitive edge when applying to top animation schools like Sheridan College. This is your first step toward building a successful career in animation an
FAQ
What does an accepted animation portfolio look like?
Will I complete my portfolio after taking an APW course?
Is Animation Portfolio Workshop an animation program?
Does APW assist with the college application process?
I still have questions.
Book a call with APW to discuss your questions. We’re here to help.
Do Toronto animation schools require observational drawings?
Yes. Toronto animation schools that offer courses in 2-D animation require that a component of their entry level portfolio be comprised of observational drawings.
Toronto animation schools offering programs in 3-D animation require observational drawings as part of portfolio submissions, but the amount and variety of observational drawings required is generally less than what is asked for in portfolios for 2-D programs.