Illustration Intensive 2024

I am excited to write about an upcoming workshop I’m thrilled to be part of! Jeff Miracola and Silvia Acevedo have built a wonderful event with their Fantasy Art Workshop Illustration Intensive.

It is one of the best weeks of my year. I get to spend time with so many friends, old and new, and we paint. A lot! So much work gets done during the week as well as tons of learning.

When: June 10th – 14th 2024
Where: The Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
What: You will choose an assignment before the workshop and come with your sketches. We review them all on the first day in a big group event and then we are all off to the races working on our paintings, shooting and creating references, and generally having a great time!

It is a great facility! Big rooms with plenty of space, a photography room, great ventilation and lighting. I think everyone had plenty of space to spread out and work in the various rooms.

The workshop, as of right now, will be held every other year. Jeff and Silvia work hard to make it affordable but also meaningful. They have a very high return student rate, which to me is one of the best endorsements for the efficacy and appeal of the event!

Each year guests are invited to the event. And the guests are fantastic!

Comic legend Joe Jusko is going to be joining us! What can I say? He is an incredible artist and I can’t wait to get to know him and see him paint!

Carly Milligan, a great friend and fellow Utah resident, will be a guest artist, working throughout the week. You’re going to love getting to know her and her work! One of her paintings was featured on the cover of Infected By Art!

Shawn Russell is the next guest artist. She is amazing. I met her a couple years ago at this workshop! She is a straight up wizard with the pencil and has a beautiful, unique style that is unmistakably hers.In addition to guest artists, Jeff and Silvia also invite guest Art Directors. This is such an important part of the workshop. You’ll get feedback and hear advice from professionals working in the industry, hiring for jobs you may be after. I always get new insights when hear the Art Directors talk about how they hire, what they look for and share other advice for artists looking to break in or expand their options.

Sarah Wassell from Wizards of the Coast is going to be a brilliant addition to the week!While WotC looms large in the industry, there are tons of other great companies to work with out there. Jeff wanted to bring in another big director and he hit the mark with Brian Scott Walters! Working at Hit Point Press, a great company with some beautiful titles, Brian will bring a different perspective and valuable insights from a different sector of our industry.

We also have the returning faculty, which I am honored to be part of!

Steve Prescott, Aaron Miller, Jeff Miracola and myself are coming back to work along with the Guests to help the students work through their projects that week!

Steve is amazing with the pencil. Seriously. I can’t believe how effortless he makes drawing look. I love it! The first original work I bought from another fantasy artist was from Steve back in 2006.

Aaron and I have a similar background and approach but we have different styles and sensibilities. I love hearing Aaron talk about his thoughts when we review the sketches at the beginning of the week. He always has great insights!Jeff, along with Silvia, put all this together. But Jeff is of course a brilliant artist and has an incredible range of experience and clients. If you don’t know Jeff, after a week of working with him you’re going treasure the experience. He is passionate about teaching, and making sure your experience is the best it can be!