2D traditional animator, teaching digital animation for all levels. Styles of drawing/animation can range from cartoony, Disney, anime, etc. (online or in person in London) - individually tailored lea

Find out more about Vlad

• 1) When did you start practicing? How did this passion find you?

  I started doing animation when I was 16 years old, in 2015. Despite the fact that I have been drawing all my life, I never imagined I'd make a career out of it initially, but while meticulously revisiting the animated works that had a lasting impression on me as a child, I quickly became aware of the immense power of expression that this form of art is capable of. The overwhelming range of styles and different routes you can take to achieve a result greatly appealed to me, and I felt very resolute in my decision to pursue this medium for the rest of my life.

• 2) Which artists or works affect you the most?

  I am much too captivated by an ever increasing number of artists to give an answer I'd be truly satisfied with, but the ones that seem most recurring include Bob Clampett, famed co-creator of the "Looney Tunes" cast and amazing puppeteer, Art Babbit, one of the greatest animators that worked for Disney and later Richard Williams, John Kricfalusi, creator of "The Ren & Stimpy Show" and cartoon visionary, and John Hubley, a key figure at the often imitated U.P.A studio that shook the animation industry in the 1950s. Outside of animation, I am inspired by Stanley Kubrick, Michael Jackson, The Marx Brothers, Ronald Searle, Mihai Eminescu, Antonio Vivaldi, Anton Walbrook, Salvador Dali, Andy Kaufman, The Beatles, and many others.

• 3) Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  The way in which I teach animation is concerned first and foremost with having a solid grasp of the drawing principles necessary to be able to convincingly create movement. Drawing for animation is quite different than other types, as it prioritizes functionality and appeal. I then go on through the most useful techniques and notions of animation required to start understanding how your characters have their own weight, how their emotions are expressed through the subtleties of their face, how the imaginary space they inhabit affects them, and so on.

• 4) Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject.

  When known animation director Ralph Bakshi was a young artist working as a cel inker at the Terrytoons studio in the late '50s, he was feeling frustrated with how much he felt he could bring to the table but couldn't. So one day he picked up his desk and went downstairs with the animators. He put it down in a corner, and simply asked a director to give him some scenes to animate. He effectively promoted himself. Although this is not necessarily something entirely applicable to animation, I love this story and I use it to remind myself that sometimes you really have to take the initiative and do what you feel instead of waiting for opportunities.

• 5) What creative achievements are you particularly proud of?

  So far my collection of creative achievements is far from extensive, but I am proud of having completed two six-minute short animated films on my own before going to University, and I am proud to have opened my own business before finishing it.

• 6) Have you ever been surprised by a student; by their ability or quick progression?

  Yes, a few times. I have had the pleasure of seeing someone, with no prior experience in drawing, come up with some really nice looking first attempts at construction and an attention to closely follow the instruction sheets I give out to the students before animating.

• 7) Being a Superprof is an art! What is your secret?

  Whether the intention is to use animation as an abstract method of representing deep-seated thoughts or perhaps as a more literal tool meant to mindlessly entertain and please the jewels of vision, I always make sure to listen to the students and repeatedly ask them if they're comfortable with the pacing or direction of our lessons. I think it's important to remember how easy it is to turn to our own biases and not realize that you're making it no longer about the students when it happens. So, I believe this to be my particular defining attribute on this platform.