Brandon Gonzales

  • Associate Professor of Art & Design
  • Art and Design Program Coordinator

Education

  • M.F.A. in Painting, Laguna College of Art + Design, 2018
  • B.S. in Entertainment Design, Art Center College of Design, 2011
  • Illustration, Academy of Art University, 2008
  • Illustration, Utah Valley University, 2004, 2007

The pursuit of excellence is a never-ending journey and an impossible one on our own. Surround yourself with others that have that goal. They will strengthen you and push you to become better than what you thought possible. There is deep joy in creative expression and the development of any skill that expands our soul. The world needs people who value beauty and share it with others.


Education

  • M.F.A. in Painting, Laguna College of Art + Design, 2018
  • B.S. in Entertainment Design, Art Center College of Design, 2011
  • Illustration, Academy of Art University, 2008
  • Illustration, Utah Valley University, 2004, 2007

Courses

  • Viscom I
  • Viscom II
  • Viscom III
  • Digital Painting I
  • Digital Painting II
  • Visual Storytelling
  • Character & Creature Design
  • Digital Matte Painting
  • Senior Show
  • 4th Semester Portfolio Review
  • Quick Sketches
  • Color & Composition
  • Applieds Art I
  • Applieds Art II
  • Applieds Art III
  • Design Principles

Teaching Positions & Professional Experience

  • Joined the Southern Virginia University faculty in 2019
  • Matte Painter and Concept Artist in the entertainment industry, 2011-present
  • Taught Plein Air to Concept, Digital Matte Painting, Fundamentals of Figure Drawing, Fundamentals of Drawing, Design Drawing, Portrait Drawing Figure Painting and Intermediate Figure Painting at Laguna College of Art + Design, 2018–2019
  • Taught Intro to Photoshop and Intro to Drawing at Mt Sierra College, 2018–2019
  • Taught Advanced Digital Painting and Digital Matte Painting at Gnomon School of VFX, 2016
  • Supervised Matte Painter and Concept Design at Stargate Studios, 2014 –2016

Scholarship & Creative Work

  • Matte painter for various films and tv shows including Grey’s Anatomy, The Walking Dead, Prometheus, and more. View the full list on his IMDB page and a demo reel here
  • Participated in over 30 exhibitions including OPA Eastern Regional Exhibition (2019), AIS Impressions Small Works Showcase (2019), CAC 108th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition(2019), OPA Western Regional Exhibition of Traditional Oils (2018), OPA 2018 National Exhibition (2018)
  • View selections of his artwork

Awards, Leadership & Service

  • Art Program Coordinator, Southern Virginia University, 2019-present
  • Best of Show in the LPAPA Next Generation Invitational, 2017
  • Master Class Winner in the Art Muse Contest, 2017
  • 2nd place in the CAC Small on the Wall for Fall (2018) and in the LPAPA Town & Country Competition (2018)

Memberships

  • Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Signature Member
  • Oil Painters of America, Associate Member
  • American Impressionist Society, Associate Member
  • California Art Club, Artist Member