Hello! My name is Kain Hunter, or as my friends call me, "KJ." I was a first-time applicant for Sheridan's Bachelor of Animation this year and got accepted with a score of 93 percent! For some background information, I graduated high school in June of 2023 and pursued a gap year to give this portfolio my all. I began my portfolio a few months later, at the start of October (while working a job), and worked closely with my fantastic tutor Jade (@Runnyfawno on IG!). It wasn't until the final month that I decided to quit all my additional commitments and completely lock in. This may not be the route everyone chooses, but I can safely say it was the perfect choice for me! I am very proud of myself for this accomplishment, and I can't wait to begin studying my lifelong passion in the fall!
Below are my scoresheet and portfolio pieces; I have also included some notes on where I think I might have lost marks, my thinking process, and some tips that I came to learn. For any future applicants reading this, I hope this helps! Remember: You got this and I wish you good luck!
Below are my scoresheet and portfolio pieces; I have also included some notes on where I think I might have lost marks, my thinking process, and some tips that I came to learn. For any future applicants reading this, I hope this helps! Remember: You got this and I wish you good luck!
My Scoresheet:
Section 1 - Figure Drawings (8/10)
I unfortunately saw this score coming from a mile away! This is the section that I needed to be more confident with. I am entirely new to figure drawing, and I began learning the basics when admissions started in October. Initially, I focused on improving my technique, handling conte properly, understanding anatomy and the human form, and, of course, my observation/simplification skills. As the months passed, I got significantly better at making figures... but there simply was not enough time to make any showstoppers before the deadline (if I wanted to finish everything else that is!). I attended 3-hour drop-in sessions on Monday nights at the Cotton Factory in Hamilton and tried my best to balance my time with my other more time-consuming pieces. As the deadline approached, I bought an easel and an ungodly amount of newsprint and began to increase time in figure studies at home. For those looking to apply, I beg you not to overlook figures, especially if you are a perfectionist like me! They deceive you because they are done in 1-15 minutes, but it can take hours to make a good one, even if you know the ropes. (Three of my figures above were done the day before the deadline...)
I know exactly where I lost marks and how I plan to improve with my future figures. I can already tell my most significant issues are insufficient gestural motion in my shorts, insufficient construction in my longs, and inconsistent/messy line quality overall! I struggle so badly with making confident lines and capturing gestural movement. I did manage to get a few very clean figures, but they did not convey movements/construction as well as the ones I chose, so I could not use them. I also wanted to showcase my ability to draw both genders and a figure from the front, side, and back, so that further limited my pool of options. I am currently still attending the drop-in life drawing sessions and practicing/honing these skills. There is always room to improve!
I know exactly where I lost marks and how I plan to improve with my future figures. I can already tell my most significant issues are insufficient gestural motion in my shorts, insufficient construction in my longs, and inconsistent/messy line quality overall! I struggle so badly with making confident lines and capturing gestural movement. I did manage to get a few very clean figures, but they did not convey movements/construction as well as the ones I chose, so I could not use them. I also wanted to showcase my ability to draw both genders and a figure from the front, side, and back, so that further limited my pool of options. I am currently still attending the drop-in life drawing sessions and practicing/honing these skills. There is always room to improve!
Section 2 - Hand Drawings (9/10)
The amount of time I spent on these hands is actually insane. This year, the hand section became traditional only, which means I must have used at least 100 pieces of paper. The first thing I learned through research is that making your drawings look like keyframes is the key to success. Ideally, you want to show the palm and back of the hand and have a very recognizable arc of motion, so make sure you take good pictures! You want your poses to look realistic and gestural, like they're easy to recreate, try your best to avoid them looking stiff. Remember that reference is only reference; if something looks right, it is correct (and that you are the only one who will see your reference!). Foreshortening is a very dangerous choice in this section, and I would not advise attempting that unless you really understand the anatomical construction of the hand. Line quality is another very important thing to pay attention to. If you are struggling to draw something, switch it up! Take new pictures or even a break. Sometimes, taking time away from a drawing will give us the eyes to see where it needs to be fixed.
For my piece, I tried to keep it simple and clean. I hoped to convey my understanding of bone and fat with my straight and curved lines so the judge would know I understood how the hand anatomically. I am still determining where I lost a mark here, but my best guess is that my poses could have been even more loose/gestural and animated.
For my piece, I tried to keep it simple and clean. I hoped to convey my understanding of bone and fat with my straight and curved lines so the judge would know I understood how the hand anatomically. I am still determining where I lost a mark here, but my best guess is that my poses could have been even more loose/gestural and animated.
This is my favourite section of my portfolio, the one I started the earliest and one of the areas I scored perfectly! My recorded canvas time in this section had 50+ hours (without including the first few months of process work!). During the process, I designed and scrapped tons of characters to ensure that my final was three-dimensional, communicated strong shape language/personality, and rotated as accurately as possible. My process helped me determine what to carry into my final design and what to scrap. My most significant advice in this section is that if you find yourself struggling with rotating a specific detail- just simplify or remove it. Many people make the mistake of designing incredibly intricate characters without considering the commitment that consistent rotation comes with! Remember that this is a character for animation, so it should be simple enough to imagine it being drawn multiple times. Refrain from overdoing it with overcomplicated details or posing. Consistency is key!
Section 4 - Short Animation (15/15)
This is the other section I scored perfectly on! I am pretty proud of how this turned out. For this section, I recommend pulling up a copy of "The Animator's Survival Kit" by Richard Williams and learning the basics of the principles of animation. I got a copy in December for my studies, and it provided many very helpful visuals for what I was attempting to incorporate in my work. I believe I scored perfectly here because I demonstrated my capability of many of the principles, including the classic squash-and-stretch, staging (the setup of the scene), arcs (my jumps), timing, follow-through/overlapping action (diving board), pose-to-pose (my model), straight ahead (my water), etc. Remember to be expressive but also realistic. You are getting marked on your use of the principals, clarity, and realistic/believable motion, so bring the energy, but try to stay accurate to the provided model + give the viewer time to process what they are looking at!
Now for the storyboard, the section famous for tanking marks- thankfully, I did pretty well! This is one of the sections that I felt very confused upon seeing I lost marks; perhaps it will become more evident to me when I begin my formal education in animation (and if so, I will update my findings here!). I kept the provided character on model, set up a consistent stage/scene for my character to interact with, had a straightforward story, honoured the 180-degree rule, and showed four different story beats, facial expressions and camera angles! After portfolio season, I reviewed many other people's portfolios, and it seemed that some people had scored perfectly even without keeping the character 100% on model. My closest guess for what I could have done better is maybe going off-model to exaggerate my camera angles and expressions further. Unfortunately, the judges decision was entirely subjective, so I cannot give much accurate insight; I can only guess! The instructions and rubric only emphasized the things I listed - so that was what I followed. To any future applicants: I did not want to take any risky chances, but if you do, try to get some second opinions to ensure it works successfully!
Section 6a - Interior Layout (14/15)
Section 6b - Exterior Layout (14/15)
I am very proud of my exterior layout, but I know my interior layout ruined my chance of a 15/15 here, and it is likely because of the inconsistency in the technical aspect of my stairs. The main thing I tried to show with these pieces were understanding of depth, perspective, realistic scaling, and line weight. I feel I did a very good job creating an organic outdoor environment! I wish I could have brought the same energy to my interior. For my interior, I think I did an excellent job of creating a sense of vastness and space; the contrast between the huge dinosaur bones, average-sized security guard and tiny mice really sold that. I tried to incorporate a clear story with both pieces so that the judges could envision my work in the industry.
Sadly, I was running out of time doing interior design because I suddenly changed my idea from a garage band in the final month, but I do not regret switching as my museum idea ended up being much more effective. Overall, I think I did pretty well here and am proud of myself! Layout is not my area of expertise, but I am confident that formal training will help me create some really cool stuff in the future!
Sadly, I was running out of time doing interior design because I suddenly changed my idea from a garage band in the final month, but I do not regret switching as my museum idea ended up being much more effective. Overall, I think I did pretty well here and am proud of myself! Layout is not my area of expertise, but I am confident that formal training will help me create some really cool stuff in the future!
Personal Artwork Section, Woohoo! (14/15)
To any future applicants reading: Start your personal work first! Do not put it off!
Your personal work should all be somewhat related to animation and it is your one chance to show your passion and identity as an artist. Show the judges why you are fit to be an animator! I used the application process to weed out what I was enjoying and succeeding with and then expanded my plans from there. I focused more on my storytelling and characters because that is my expertise; find what works best for you and show it off! Remember to include some observational work/drawings and studies from life, too; variety in this section is vital. Although you want to be diverse, DO NOT INCLUDE WORK YOU DO NOT FEEL GOOD ABOUT! You are showcasing your strongest work here; that is why I chose to submit only 5 pieces instead of the optional 7. If you are someone who has 7 super skillful pieces, go ahead! For everyone else, do not panic! Remember that sometimes less is more, and 5 very strong pieces are worth more than 7 weak ones.
P.S. When you really enjoy working on something, that energy can be sensed in your artwork! Tune in to your passion!
Your personal work should all be somewhat related to animation and it is your one chance to show your passion and identity as an artist. Show the judges why you are fit to be an animator! I used the application process to weed out what I was enjoying and succeeding with and then expanded my plans from there. I focused more on my storytelling and characters because that is my expertise; find what works best for you and show it off! Remember to include some observational work/drawings and studies from life, too; variety in this section is vital. Although you want to be diverse, DO NOT INCLUDE WORK YOU DO NOT FEEL GOOD ABOUT! You are showcasing your strongest work here; that is why I chose to submit only 5 pieces instead of the optional 7. If you are someone who has 7 super skillful pieces, go ahead! For everyone else, do not panic! Remember that sometimes less is more, and 5 very strong pieces are worth more than 7 weak ones.
P.S. When you really enjoy working on something, that energy can be sensed in your artwork! Tune in to your passion!
With this piece, I wanted to demonstrate my process and show that I can successfully work from roughs to renders. I wanted to show the judge that I enjoy developing original and creative stories, and characters, and am willing to put in the time and work that comes with developing designs. I had a character interaction sheet, props, and location design that I almost finished but sadly I could not polish them before the deadline so this was all I could give.
With these boards, I wanted to show my passion for expressive storytelling and my general interest in storyboarding! I wanted to impress the judge by showing I know how to make my camera flow effectively with my story + use camera angles purposefully (and list them!). I also used this as an opportunity to give a glimpse at my sense of humour (see board 4) so I could imply the genre of content I wish to create in the industry. I absolutely loved making this piece!
With this illustration, I wanted to show my capability to digitally paint/render a full painting (as well as my understanding of texture). Unfortunately, I did not have as much time as I wanted to with this piece (specifically with the snow and background), but I feel my skill was demonstrated effectively with my characters and focal points.
With this sketchbook, I wanted to show that I love drawing! Sheridan likes to see traditional artwork, so I did my best to organize and compile my doodles into sections that I felt were best grouped. There's a chance my one missing mark was from my lack of traditional observational drawings here, but I am unsure. It could also be because I never designed female characters in my work! My personal character work tends to imitate me (and I am a 19-year-old boy...oops).
Personal Artwork 5 - Pup Run Cycle
Finally, my run cycle! I felt this would be good to include, as this is an animation program, after all! I mirrored this rough animation in the same style as the first-year projects so that the judge could envision me succeeding in the program. I also tried to show that I have some basic understanding of the "S" and "C" curves in the tail and ears!
Thank you to everyone who took the time to see my work! Have a
great rest of your day!
To any applicants reading this who would like some help/suggestions on your work, feel free to message me at any time and I will do my best to provide helpful advice/resources/tips! My Instagram is @Korrowbot and my email is [email protected]
Additionally, if reaching out isn't your thing, I also have a blog page with good resources to help kickstart your process!
If you wish to see my early portfolio process- I have documented everything throughout this website and you can click the button below to get started!
Additionally, if reaching out isn't your thing, I also have a blog page with good resources to help kickstart your process!
If you wish to see my early portfolio process- I have documented everything throughout this website and you can click the button below to get started!