Academy Archives - Page 7 of 11

Digital Art and Animation Program This Fall

Our Digital Art & Animation Classes this semester will focus on illustrating, designing and of course animation! We’ll create original characters for video games, abstract illustrations, intricate designs of products, vehicles and buildings, fantasy backgrounds, and simple animations. You’ll learn how to create sprite sheets, colour and shadow rendering, and the difference between frames and layers when animating multiple moving objects. By the end of the semester, you’ll have created so much amazing digital artwork, you’ll have a portfolio to be proud of and a few animations to share with family and friends. Creating Characters for Video Games A popular and growing industry for digital artists is designing and illustrating characters for video games. The Centauri Digital Art and Animation classes will provide kids and [...]

September 16th, 2022|Academy, Digital Art, Fine Art|

Fine Art Classes for Kids and Teens

Our Fine Art class this semester will focus on sketching, illustrating, cartoons and comic books! We’ll explore ways to draw original characters, facial expressions, dynamic poses, perspectives, and exciting backgrounds. You’ll learn how to ink and colour your art, using pens, markers and even watercolour. By the end of the semester, you’ll have created your own original comic book. You’ll also have a portfolio of artwork to be proud of and to share with family and friends. Illustration As a visual artist, one of the most quintessential skills you are continually honing is illustration. From simple shapes to extreme detailed renderings, an artist can always build this skill through continual practice. Our fine art classes give artist exactly that chance through a series of exercises [...]

September 12th, 2022|Fine Art|

How to Write an Essay – and Why it Matters!

Essay writing skills are a key component of our English Tutoring program at Centauri Arts. Here are some of the ‘tips and tricks’ we offer our English tutoring students, to help them improve their writing skills: Planning before you begin to write is key to essay writing success Planning an essay carefully helps you organize your thoughts.. It also ensures you spot gaps in your research, and weaknesses in your argument, before you begin to write. Learn how to write a successful thesis statement For students in high school and beyond, a well crafted thesis statement is essential to success. Your thesis statement should be sufficiently ‘weighty’ to enable you to develop arguments sufficiently complex to ensure a good mark! Learn to craft successful topic [...]

August 10th, 2022|Academy, English Tutoring, Writing Classes for Teens|

6 Benefits of Creative Writing Classes and Creative Writing Camps!

Centauri Arts offers creative virtual and in-person creative writing classes for teenagers, and creative writing camps for children and teens – plus, occasional creative writing workshops for adults. But what are the benefits of creative writing classes? Creative Writing Classes Help Improve Writing Skills Our parents tell us that when their children and teens take creative writing classes with us, their academic grades improve. The more you write, the better at it you become – creative writing classes are a terrific way to improve writing skills! Creative Writing Classes and Camps Create Enthusiastic Readers Young people who write more, read more, too! Whether young writers are interested in writing poetry, writing short fiction, writing novels, writing plays or exploring genre fiction such as fantasy, science [...]

July 5th, 2022|Academy, Writing Classes for Teens|

Creative Writing Camps Summer 2022

Check out the following terrific opportunities – in our Toronto studio and virtual – for young people who love to write. But don’t delay – time is running out! Vikki VanSickle. photo by Connie Tsang Creative Writing Courses with Vikki VanSickle Celebrated novelist Vikki VanSickle is running lively and inspiring creartive writing camps with us this summer! Plot, character and description – learn these creative writing skills and more as you explore fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, poetry, screenwriting, playwriting, journaling – the sky’s the limit! Get tips on where to submit your work: creative writing competitions, literary agents, publishers and more. Virtual Podcasting Camp Get your ideas and stories out there through the medium of podcasts! Bonnie Warburton will teach you how [...]

June 14th, 2022|Academy|

Summer Intensives for Teens: Creative Writing Camps, Fine Art Camps, Acting Camps and More!

Summer is a special time at Centauri Arts – young writers, artists, actors and filmmakers from all over the city come together to build community around a shared interest, as they take part in Acting Camps, Creative Writing Camps, Fine Art Camps, Film Camps and more. If you have a child aged 11-18 who loves creative writing, painting, drawing, cartoon creation, acting, podcasting or film, there is something for them at our Toronto studio – or virtually – this summer Our Creative Writing Camps in Bloor West Village, Toronto – and Virtually Our creative writing campers explore poetry, short stories, plays, podcasts… whether they are experienced writers, or complete beginners! In the summer, there’s time to sink into plot, to play with character, learn new [...]

May 25th, 2022|Academy|

Summer Day Camp for TEENAGERS!

Our day camps are pretty unique. Firstly, we offer film camps, fine art camps, acting camps, animation camps… everything to do with the arts! Secondly, we offer the choice of day camps in Bloor West Village (close to Jane Subway, near Swansea and Etobicoke) or virtual arts camps. Finally our summer day camps are geared specifically for older children and teenagers – ages 11-18 to be precise. Day Camps for Teens? Our summer arts camps are designed with the older crowd in mind. We know parents don’t need day care, and teens prefer to get up later in the summer, so our arts camps in Bloor West Village run for 4 hours each day, with a choice of afternoon or evening blocks. Teens work with [...]

March 31st, 2022|Academy|

Young Writers: 5 Places to Submit Your Work!

If you are a young writer working on a manuscript, then you are probably wondering which markets exist for your work. There are many literary magazines and publishing houses that accept work from young writers – and there are creative writing competitions for young writers, too! Here are some opportunities for young writers, to start you on your way. Remember a strong cover letter is always important when you are submitting your manuscript for consideration: Young Voices Magazine The Toronto Public Library publishes an annual magazine - Young Voices - which publishes the work of young writers and artists. You can check it out here: https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/teens/young-voices.jsp The Walrus Magazine & Amazon Awards for Youth The magazine’s Youth Short Story Category invites authors between the ages [...]

March 31st, 2022|Academy, Writing Classes for Teens|

Creative Writing Classes at Centauri Arts: a Place for Young Writers to Grow

If you love creative writing – poetry, short fiction, writing novels, screenplays and more – then Centauri is the place for you. For 27 years, we’ve brought together young writers, and talented creative writing teachers to inspire them… and we continue to do so with creative writing classes AND creative writing summer camps, all starting in the next few weeks. Creative Writing Classes this Spring (starting April 2022). Julie Hartley is our instructor for the next Saturday creative writing class, which begins in our Bloor West studio on Saturday 23rd April. If you live in Bloor West Village, Swansea or anywhere else in Etobicoke and Mississauga, join us for a creative writing class that focusses on fantasy and science fiction. VIRTUAL Creative Writing Classes and [...]

March 30th, 2022|Academy, Writing Classes for Teens|

Top 10 Tips: How to Take Terrific Photographs

While understanding aperture, shutter speed, ASA and the manual workings of your camera can help, anyone can take a great photo if you cultivate a great eye, and learn a little about aesthetics! Here are 10 tips to help you take amazing photographs. 1) Focal Point Your first step is deciding what to photograph! This is a photo’s focal point or main point of interest. Ask yourself, “will my viewers find this interesting?”. If the answer is no, but you still want to take a photo of the subject, the next few tips will help change your response to a yes. Photography tip, rule of thirds 2) The Rule of Thirds When taking any photograph, try to imagine two horizontal and two vertical [...]

March 7th, 2022|Academy, photography|