Welcome to Des Moines Art Academy; a school for artists from all backgrounds and skill levels. We hope to cultivate a supportive community for professionals and hobbyists alike by offering intensive classes at affordable prices taught by working artists in the Des Moines area. We also offer a variety of drop-in style classes for those looking for like-minded spaces to practice and grow skills.
Meet Breanne
Breanne Butters is a storyboard artist who has previously worked for Dreamworks Animation. She received her Masters of Fine Arts from The Ohio State University for Digital Animation and Interactive Media. Since then, she has also taken a number of classes primarily on the subject of drawing, and storyboarding.
In the past, she has also worked as character designer, motion graphics artist, and caricature artist. Currently she has been interested in learning more about traditional painting, especially plain air painting, and continues to enjoy learning to draw the human figure.
Breanne believes that all types of art inform one another and there is great value in learning a medium different from what you have previously specialized in. She also believes that anyone can learn to draw, paint, or animate with enough practice. She is excited to spend more time in the realm of teaching and partner with fellow students in the never-ending journey of artist education.
Meet Annie
Annie Pool is a Des Moines-based architectural and children’s book illustrator who works primarily in watercolor and soft pastels. She graduated from Drake University with degrees in Painting and Music, and has since completed illustration work for the Iowa State Capitol gift shop, and illustrated her first children’s book.
When illustrating architecture, Annie likes to focus on accuracy and structure with a strong sense of realism. For children’s illustration, Annie likes to capture a feeling of whimsy with a soft, earthy color palette.
Through her work, Annie hopes to create feelings of nostalgia and whimsy with imaginative spaces that invite the viewer to look closely and explore.
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