Doyle Trankina

Initially I will establish a base line of the student's ability and interests to determine the instruction to follow. Outlining goals, styles, disciplines, media and markets/industries that the student wishes to peruse will identify the criteria needed for an individualized lesson plan. For example, preparing a portfolio for college entrance differs greatly from one intended for a specific trade, some others will focus on fine art intended for galleries and some will be starting from scratch or with a new discipline unfamiliar to them.

1. Introductions, assessment and identify interests of study. Goal setting and practice rutine and workload commitment.

2. Sketchbook and quick idealization assignments. Material/tool aquisition depending on field of study: pens, pencils, paper, canvas, armature wire, clay and so on.

3 Gather reference material and research related to goals. Build a collection of artists, artworks, styles/movements, techniques, mediums to guide their studies and project plans. For instance, when drawing, what kind of drawing and for what ends does the student wish to apply this skill?  The material may be pen and ink on board, realistic (Franklin Booth) or comic style (Frank Miller). This should help goal setting and finding artistic direction.

3. Media explorations based on student research, simply gain experience commanding different materials of interest. Quick studies, tests, swatches, and low investment work to gain familiarity that will lead to more involved studio practice through sketchbook work and projects.

4. Sight measuring/observational study is the foundation for perceiving and translating the world around us. This will involve demos and class-time work but once the basics are understood it can be applied to sketchbook work and projects in catagories like: architectural, industrial, figure, portrait, animal or still life. For sculptors this may be a combination of analytical drawing and quick rough-outs in clay.

5. Concept development with view port angles, composition, visual story-telling devices, allegory, formal and intellectual points of interest when constructing artwork. Dependent on student specific interest of study, but most of these elements relate to any field of study.

6. Core skills in proportion, anatomy, gesture, blocking-in and refinement processes with material of choice. Basic to advance principles in media, technique and process. 

Lastly, I encourage students to explore or learn from many diciplines to compliment their art practice, technical prowess, creative thinking and stylistic innovation. Drawing is fundamental to most other art forms as the most accessible means by which to translate ideas into a visual format. This being the case, a sketckbook is a required suppliment to the instruction no matter the area of focus. 

MFA Sculpture; MA Illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design, 2022.

BFA from the University of Southern California, 2004.

My portfolio: www.doyletrankina.com

I am flexible with pricing, I prefere 2 hr sessions once per week. 

I began teaching sculpture at summer camps through the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles where I tought 6-8 grade students to sculpt prehistoric animals. I later became a T.A. in a life sculpting class while persuing my MFA in sculpture at SCAD Atlanta. While at SCAD I tought and advised informally for students especially in bronze and figuration.

6-8th grade in summer camps, some in or near high school and most have been undergraduate college level.

I had a young man find me over the internet who I talked to years ago when he was in high school looking for advice. We recently spoke on the phone and he wanted to thank me for what I was able to teach him then as it dictated much of his considerations for college and training. He wanted to get in to museum exhibits and science illustration or exhibit sculpture more and so I shared my contacts and gave him pointers on what to do with his submission materials. We both use Zbrush (computer sculpting program) and I was able to help him with some procedures and workflow. By all accounts he has taken up a project with a museum and also talking to exhibit builders for opportunities as a sculptor. 

I also tutored two young girls approaching high school with the hopes of joining an art academy and through out my sessions I offered them assignments and one on one training in watercolor, pencil, pen and ink and shared some of what I do and how its done. I recently wrote them both letters of recommendations and curated some of their submission materials and they got in! Hopefully they are on their way to getting in deeper to their passions by now.

Be eager to learn and hard working, spend time drawing, and develop a studio practice or routine that works for you.  Research independently for a direction in what you want to pursue and be prepared to discuss what kind of art you want to make.

Technical art training is not inherently creative thinking, so a student should be aware ideation is their responsibility. A teacher can help of course but only if the student is willing to do their research and define their own creative vision.

What artists do I like? What is my art for (industry, galleries, Instagram, clothing, tattoo, games)? What media and subject matter do I enjoy or want to learn more about? When do I prefer to work -morning, day, night, and can I make it routine? Are there milestones or achievements I am looking for.