StudioTechnique MTL – Animation and Figure Drawing Blog

It’s a Tuesday night in Mile End, and the pencils are already moving. A dozen artists are crowded around a model holding a dramatic twist, and somewhere across town, a Ubisoft animator is polishing a parkour cycle for the next Assassin’s Creed. Meanwhile, a student at Concordia’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema is rendering their first short film. This is Montreal’s animation community in a nutshell — restless, collaborative, and quietly world-class. We started StudioTechnique MTL because we kept meeting animators who wanted practical, local knowledge: where to draw, which programs are worth it, and how to break into the industry. This blog is our answer.

Why Montreal Is a Global Animation Hub

Montreal punches far above its weight in animation. The city combines a major game industry, a legendary public film producer, and some of Canada’s best art schools — all within a few metro stops of each other. That density matters. When you can attend a life drawing session on Tuesday, a festival screening on Thursday, and a studio networking night on Friday, your growth as an artist accelerates. We’ve seen it happen to friends and colleagues over and over.

Ubisoft Montreal and AAA Game Animation

Ubisoft Montreal is one of the largest game studios in the world and a major employer of animators, and its presence shapes the entire local scene. The studio’s work on franchises like Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six has created a steady demand for character animators, technical artists, and motion capture specialists. For aspiring animators, this means real jobs exist locally — not just in California or Tokyo. We’ve watched junior artists go from student reels to AAA credits in under three years, often without leaving the island.

NFB’s Legacy in Independent Animation

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is headquartered in Montreal and has won numerous animation awards, including Oscars and Palmarès honours at Cannes and Annecy. Its animation studio has produced landmark works for decades, and its influence trickles down to local schools, festivals, and independent creators. If you care about animation as an art form — not just a commercial product — the NFB is part of your cultural inheritance as a Montreal animator.

Concordia and Sheridan College Pipelines

Concordia University’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema offers a renowned animation program, and its graduates populate studios across the city. Sheridan College in Ontario is often cited as a top animation school in Canada, attracting Montreal students who want intensive classical training before returning home to work. Together, these institutions feed a pipeline that keeps local studios staffed with strong, well-trained artists.

Figure Drawing: The Foundation of Character Animation

Every animator we respect draws from life. Not because it’s traditional, but because it works. Life drawing teaches you to see weight, rhythm, and intention in a body — the exact skills you need when you’re posing a CG character or blocking a 2D sequence. At our own figure drawing sessions at StudioTechnique MTL, we emphasize gesture first, anatomy second, and personal style last.

Gesture Drawing for Animators

Gesture is the animator’s secret weapon. A good gesture captures the story of a pose in three lines: line of action, weight distribution, and directional flow. We run short poses — 30 seconds to two minutes — because that’s how animation actually feels. You don’t get time to noodle; you get time to commit.

Anatomy for Character Design

Anatomy isn’t about memorizing muscle names. It’s about understanding why a shoulder rotates a certain way, or how a hip leads a walk cycle. We recommend studying construction before detail: rib cage, pelvis, limbs, then refinement. This approach translates directly into believable character design, whether you’re building a stylized hero or a realistic NPC.

Montreal Life Drawing Sessions We Recommend

Montreal has a rich open-studio culture. Some of our favourites:

• StudioTechnique MTL sessions — our own weekly gesture-focused draws, open to all levels.
• Atelier de Brébeuf — long-standing classical training with strong anatomical instruction.
• Concordia open studios — affordable sessions that mix students and professionals.
• Various Mile End and Plateau drop-ins — casual, cheap, and great for volume practice.

Animation Courses in Canada: What to Look For

Choosing an animation program is one of the biggest decisions a young artist makes. We’ve seen students thrive in universities, private workshops, and online courses — and we’ve seen others waste years. The key is matching the program to your goal: AAA games, indie film, TV series, or freelance illustration.

Concordia vs. UQAM Animation Programs

Concordia’s Mel Hoppenheim School leans toward film, experimental animation, and auteur-driven work. UQAM’s programme (in French) emphasizes design, media arts, and Quebec’s strong 2D tradition. Both are excellent — the right choice depends on whether you want a cinematic or a design-forward path. We suggest visiting end-of-year screenings before deciding.

Private Workshops and Online Courses

Private workshops in Montreal offer intensive, portfolio-focused training that universities sometimes can’t match. Online courses from platforms like Animation Mentor, CG Spectrum, and Schoolism fill gaps in rigging, acting, and VFX. Our advice: combine one structured program with ongoing life drawing and short personal projects.

Building an Art Portfolio That Stands Out

Portfolios win jobs, not diplomas. A strong animation portfolio usually includes:

1. Life drawing — gesture, not just rendered figures.
2. Character design sheets with expressions and turnarounds.
3. Short animated clips (even 5–10 seconds) showing weight and timing.
4. Personal work that reveals your taste and storytelling instincts.

We review portfolios regularly, and the ones that stand out are never the most polished — they’re the most honest.

Our Team’s Take on the Montreal Animation Scene

We’ve been in this scene for years, and it still surprises us. One of us landed a freelance gig after a chance conversation at a Fantasia after-party. Another met a future collaborator at a figure drawing session in the Plateau. Montreal’s animation world is small enough that relationships matter, and big enough that opportunities keep appearing.

Festivals and Networking in Montreal

Montreal hosts the Fantasia International Film Festival, which features animation screenings and draws artists, directors, and studio recruiters. The city also hosts an Annecy showcase and various NFB-linked events throughout the year. If you’re serious about animation, festivals are where you learn what’s current — and who’s hiring.

Studio Collaborations and Freelance Tips

Freelancing in Montreal works best when you treat it like a community, not a marketplace. Show up to events, share work openly, and deliver on time. Studios like Ubisoft, Moment Factory, and a growing list of indie shops regularly pull from the same local talent pool.

What We’re Excited About Next

We’re watching the rise of real-time animation, AI-assisted pipelines, and a new wave of Quebec indie studios. We’re also excited to expand our own figure drawing sessions and workshop offerings. If you’re in Montreal and want to grow as an animator, there’s never been a better moment.

FAQ

Do I need formal art school to work as an animator in Montreal?

No, but it helps. Studios care most about your reel and portfolio. A strong program like Concordia or Sheridan accelerates your growth, but self-taught artists with disciplined practice and life drawing habits do get hired.

How often should I practice figure drawing?

We recommend at least twice a week, mixing short gestures with longer studies. Consistency matters more than marathon sessions.

Is Montreal a good city for animation careers compared to Toronto or Vancouver?

Absolutely. Between Ubisoft Montreal, the NFB, and a dense indie scene, Montreal offers more animation jobs per capita than almost any city in North America.

What should be in a beginner animation portfolio?

Start with life drawing, a few character designs, and one or two short animated clips. Quality and clarity beat quantity every time.

Do you offer classes or sessions for beginners?

Yes. Our figure drawing sessions at StudioTechnique MTL welcome all levels, and we regularly publish beginner-friendly guides on this blog.

We’re committed to fostering Montreal’s animation community — one drawing, one portfolio, one collaboration at a time. Explore our blog for practical advice, local session listings, and honest insights from artists working in the city right now. And if you’re nearby, come draw with us.