Tomorrow morning, I leave for the Illustration Academy, held at the Ringling School of Art & Design. I’ll be one of two guest alumni instructors for the week, teaching alongside my good friend and former student Robin Eley. We’ll be giving an assignment for the students to complete in a week, doing demos of our respective techniques, and giving slideshow talks on our work and how to get started as an illustrator. The Academy is where I received my most valued training, so it’s a privilege to get to go back and share what I’ve learned. And a week spent with the amazing full time faculty of the Academy—John English, Brent Watkinson, George Pratt, Sterling Hundley, and Doug Chayka—promises to be a week filled with a lot of laughs. These are a great group of guys who are not only talented artists, but also love practical jokes, so I’m prepared for a little hazing.

Assuming my demo goes well, I’ll post photos of it upon my return.