Gnomon
As well as offering one of the best ‘bricks and mortar’ schools, this institution is building its online curriculum
Certainly one of the best-known art schools, Gnomon was founded in 1997 by 3D artist Alex Alvarez and is based in Hollywood, California. Gnomon’s online courses are designed for artists seeking visual effects training direct from Hollywood, with the added convenience of learning from home, and they cover a wide variety of subjects from 3D character concept design to compositing, modelling and sculpting both traditionally and in 3D, and pretty much any other avenue of training for the entertainment industry.
The range of professionals teaching at Gnomon is similarly vast, with big names including Pascal Blanche (left), currently a senior art director at Ubisoft Montreal, Madeleine Scott-Spencer, digital sculptor at Weta Digital, and Craig Elliot, illustrator and visual development artist for companies such as Blizzard and Dark Horse.
Gnomon courses are taught live through its slick interface, which features webcam integration and screen sharing. Classes last 10 weeks and tuition costs between $945 and $1,319 (£669 and £933), depending on the course.
It’s worth noting up-front that Gnomon’s online courses are only available to residents of California and those living outside of the United States.