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Vandruff told the class he would see incredible monsters in his dreams, but couldn’t put them on paper when he awakened. He lacked the skills to translate what is in the mind.
Kovacs said the experience was like popcorn. “Marshall showed us a table of contents we needed for a good art education.”
The advice worked as it would for many of Vandruff’s students.
“You can draw anything you want if you know how to draw a ball and a block,” Vandruff said last week. “Just think in terms of simplified forms.”
Kovacs, 31, would ultimately develop concepts for video games, freelance for Wizards of the Coast card games and work for Wiz Kids in Seattle.
Another student, Tina Leah-Schmidt, teaches animal anatomy at CSF. She uses her predecessor’s nuts-and-bolts curriculum including the art of motion and bio-mechanics.
“Marshall is one of the most important professors with classical draftsmanship,” Schmidt said. “He could talk about Jell-O for seven hours and no one would get bored.”
It’s apparent Vandruff’s confidence reaches aspiring artists.
To further spike his morale, he is the only art teacher at Fullerton College and Cal State Fullerton who doesn’t hold a master’s degree.
His experience has surpassed credentials.
Born in Anaheim, Vandruff read and stashed away as many Mad Magazines as possible. He earned an associate of arts degree at Fullerton College, then went directly into the field. He worked as a professional illustrator, but soon learned advertising agencies were more lucrative.
“I was doing cut-aways of medical and computer products, all the while learning perspective,” Vandruff said. “If there was one benefit, it was learning to draw anything and slice away at any angle.”
Through the years, Vandruff has focused on teaching animal anatomy with muscle coordination and simplified shapes.
He has taught the art of feeling – to have passion for a project.
Yorba Linda resident Phil Dimitriadis wasn’t sure what art path he wanted to follow.
“When I hit Marshall’s composition and perspective classes at Fullerton College, it was a renaissance,” Dimitriadis said. “He looks at everything: composition, movies, music, math, science, nature.”
Dimitriadis prepared a portfolio for the animation industry, but it wasn’t accepted.
He found an animation school in Sherman Oaks, sought Vandruff’s advice and eventually launched a career that has led to top-notch corporations.
He worked for Sony Children’s Division, MGM, Sunbo and Big Idea before tackling the Disney DVD, “Heffalump.”
These days, Dimitriadis is the production designer for the upcoming Bratz DVD series, which is based on a popular line of dolls.
“There are really two important things I learned from Marshall,” Dimitriadis, 35, said. “I was so insecure and he nurtured me into recognizing I was a hard worker and would go the extra mile.
“He also taught me to be passionate, love what I do and not worry about the money. He said if I look at money first, it will change my passion.” «»
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| MARSHALL VANDRUFF STRESSES the importance of an artist being able to draw simple forms, the rest builds from there. Knowing anatomy can help artists then distort or alter their character. |
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