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Digital Art Instructor with emphasis in 2D and 3D animation
Jason H.

5.0 (671 ratings)

2,548 hours tutoring

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Hourly Rate: $80
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Response time: 1 hour

About Jason

Bio

Jason Hopkins helps students, independent filmmakers, and online content creators turn animated ideas into finished, professional-quality projects for college prep extracurriculars, grad programs, and professional clients alike. He specializes in guiding artists through the entire animation production pipeline—from concept, story, and visual development through modeling, rigging, lighting, rendering, compositing, and final delivery—using workflows tailored for solo creators and small...

Jason Hopkins helps students, independent filmmakers, and online content creators turn animated ideas into finished, professional-quality projects for college prep extracurriculars, grad programs, and professional clients alike. He specializes in guiding artists through the entire animation production pipeline—from concept, story, and visual development through modeling, rigging, lighting, rendering, compositing, and final delivery—using workflows tailored for solo creators and small teams.

With over 25 years of teaching and mentorship experience, Jason has helped students place work into film festivals, undergraduate and graduate programs, and professional production environments. His instruction blends strong foundational principles with practical, real-world methods, empowering creators to work efficiently without sacrificing craft or originality.

Jason integrates industry-standard tools such as Photoshop, After Effects, and Autodesk Maya with emerging production technologies, including AI-assisted short-form filmmaking using Pika, ElevenLabs, Suno, and ChatGPT, as well as Formlabs resin 3D printing for jewelry and product prototyping in PreForm. His approach combines classical animation sensibility with modern, flexible pipelines designed for today’s digital platforms.

His professional background includes award-winning independent films, medical and scientific animation, and commercial work for major brands including McDonald’s, Hotels.com, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Hershey’s, and Gillette. He has worked at Anzovin Animation, Noodlesoup Productions on The Venture Bros., and Calabash Animation, serving as lead rigger and animator at Studio One in Chicago on the Effie Award–winning Hotels.com “Smart” campaign.

Jason holds a BA in Fine Arts from Amherst College and a BFA and MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He offers instruction, mentorship, and production consulting for creators who want to master animation workflows and bring meaningful projects to life.

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Education

Amherst College (Amherst, MA)
Fine Arts Premed
BFA, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Other
MFA: The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Masters

Policies

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Approved Subjects

Animation

Animation

I have taught many collegiate level digital art classes in both 2D and 3D animation at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia College, DePaul University, The Illinois Institute of Art, and Tribeca Flashpoint College.
Autodesk Maya

Autodesk Maya

I have been using Maya for over fifteen years in both professional studio environments as well as in the classroom. I am fluent in all aspects of the program including modeling, rigging, animation, materials, lighting, VFX, and rendering.
Ballroom Dancing

Ballroom Dancing

My wife and I met teaching ballroom dance at Fred Astaire in downtown Chicago while I was in grad school and are also familiar with the Arthur Murray curriculum. I am fluent in Foxtrot, Waltz, American Tango, Salsa, Merengue, Cha Cha, Rumba, and East Coast Swing (and some Lindy Hop).
Computer Gaming

Computer Gaming

Having been raised on video games, from the Atari 2600 to the PS4, I always dreamed of moving from consumer to creator. My study of animation lead me to numerous opportunities to work on video games with designers and programmers alike. While I do not directly code or work in engines, I am thoroughly versed in the aesthetic and technical artistry of the gaming industry and teach modeling, rigging, and non-linear animation for video games. I am currently working as an animator for Little Genius Games on a spelling game for children.
Drawing

Drawing

I have taught many collegiate level art classes at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia College, DePaul University, The Illinois Institute of Art, and Tribeca Flashpoint College. I paint and draw regularly and enjoy fashion, scientific, and natural history illustration.
Film

Film

I have taken a variety of film classes, written about many films in graduate school, and teach acting and animation history which inescapably intersects the world of film theory and practice. Additionally, as a 3D compositor, I deal with issues of color-correction, lighting, staging, and editing as I attempt to blur the distinction between the "real" of what is shot, and the "virtual" of what is created. The best work, since the dawn of cinema history, makes these disparate worlds indistinguishable--and that fantastic illusion compels me to be the avid cinemaphile that I am.
Graphic Design

Graphic Design

I have taught many digital art classes and enjoy the intricate and communicative components of good graphic design. Helping students understand aesthetic, perspective, color, typography, visual hierarchy, and balance is my greatest pleasure.
Painting

Painting

I have taught many collegiate level art classes at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia College, DePaul University, The Illinois Institute of Art, and Tribeca Flashpoint College. I paint and draw regularly and enjoy fashion, scientific, and natural history illustration.
Salsa Dancing

Salsa Dancing

My wife and I met teaching ballroom dance at Fred Astaire in downtown Chicago while I was in grad school and are also familiar with the Arthur Murray curriculum. I am fluent in Foxtrot, Waltz, American Tango, Salsa, Merengue, Cha Cha, Rumba, and East Coast Swing (and some Lindy Hop).
Adobe Photoshop
Art History
Jason H.'s Photo

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Response time: 1 hour

Ratings and Reviews

Rating

5.0 (671 ratings)
5 star
(666)
4 star
(4)
3 star
(0)
2 star
(0)
1 star
(1)

Reviews

Our highest recommendation!!

Jason has earned our highest recommendation. Our daughter needed help learning Maya so she could create a demo reel for an internship application; she faced a very steep learning curve and tight timeframe. Jason was the perfect tutor to help her with this project -- professional, patient, kind, easy to schedule, and extremely talented. With Jason's help, she not only made her deadline but also emerged from the experience with confidence, skills and portfolio assets she could leverage going forward. She could not have accomplished this without his guidance and we are extremely grateful to have found his expert tutoring services. Thank you Jason!

Julie, 12 lessons with Jason

Knowledgeable and helpful

The basics and a sense of where to look. I wish I had more time to be taught by him as his definitely worth every penny. I hope to receive more of his expertise in writing and all things related to film/animation.

Busi, 1 lesson with Jason

Remarkable instructor!

Jason helped me create a book trailer and I couldn't be happier with the results. I had no experience in After Effects and after 6 sessions, I've learned so much. Throughout my time with him, instructions were always clear, steps were carefully broken down and he stayed focused on exactly what I wanted to accomplish. Jason is kind, thoughtful, patient, highly knowledgeable and professional. This is my first time working with a Wyzant tutor and he made the experience invaluable. I will definitely reach out again!

Amy, 6 lessons with Jason

Awesome and Patient Tutor

Great Tutor, Great human. Someone you want children to learn from. He is non-Judgemental and a very patient tutor. He is someone you would like to work with long-term.

DIVYA, 33 lessons with Jason

Well organized, knowledgeable and patient.

Jason is a very organized and knowledgeable in his field. He helps the student set a path and a step by step approach to help the student achieve his goals. He is very patient and works with his student's preferences.

Meyer , 1 lesson with Jason

Great teacher!

Jason is a great teacher and really good at breaking the material down in a way that’s easy to conceptualize! We’ve already made significant progress with Maya in just 4 sessions.

Erica, 7 lessons with Jason

Awesome instructor!!

He’s very educated about art. He has work experience in animation He teaches animation. Photoshop, digital drawing and arts at Universities. He is very knowledgeable and patient. He’s just a great teacher

Abigail, 148 lessons with Jason

Fun and patient tutor!

Jason helped my 10-year-old get started with Adobe Photoshop and Google Docs, as well as setup his Wacom tablet--even with all that, and getting used to the Wyzant platform, they managed to make some beautiful art, too! Thank you Jason for a positive, energizing experience. My son is looking forward to more lessons with you!

Gretchen , 1 lesson with Jason

Amazing

Jason was so helpful and insightful, this was my first time using this website and I could not be any more pleased with my experience. He was very patient with me as I’m new to using adobe after effects but he is extremely knowledgeable and the way he teaches is very pleasant. Thank you!

Mauricio, 3 lessons with Jason

Great tutor

So good at connecting to the student and such a great expert at 2D and 3D art. His recording of the session is great to review afterwards. Jason also tells us a lot about the industry and how to build a portfolio. Thank you.

Ethan, 18 lessons with Jason
Hourly Rate: $80
Response time: 1 hour
Contact Jason