Digital Monkey School

Excellent digital art and computer game making classes! My kids have been taking classes here for the past 5+ years. The teachers, Greg & Ola are wonderful with kids of all ages and they are experienced in a wide variety of software programs. Greg used to (or still) teach at the Academy of Art. They teach in individual it small groups and have flexible schedules. They have taught my kids Photo Shop, Voxotron, and many skills ranging from creating designs digitally to creating and building computer games. My kids LOVE it here! They offer classes after school, on weekends and summer camps as well. They also do art exhibits sometimes at some of the local Peet’s coffee shops of the kids artwork. They offer free workshops at the San Mateo County Fair which is how we first encountered the school. I think the classes are reasonably priced. Digital Monkey is a great way to have your kids learn fun and valuable computer skills!

If you have a real passion for creating digital art, and especially video games, Digital Monkey is the ONLY place you need to know. With very personalized classes in everything from programming to painting, you’re always getting exactly what you want and need. I took classes here with Kurt to improve my portfolio, and within a few months I was getting called for interviews at major studios. They all know their stuff here and Greg especially has a wealth of experience to share, both in art execution and the mindset behind the industry as a whole. I still call him up from time to time to get advice on industry issues, and he’s always a great help.
As a an artist working in games, the field is incredibly competitive. Newcomers and veterans are frequently vying for the same positions and it’s a very daunting challenge, but Greg and the team at Digital Monkey really have been through it all and can help out in all aspects of the process. They are also fantastic with kids, helping to inspire creativity and spark imagination for newer generations. They offer a complementary first class as well, so you get to try it out and see if it’s a good fit for you, and I’m willing to bet it will be.

My younger son, now 9 has been a piano student for 5 years with Elena. My older son (12) has been taking classes from Armando in digital music for 2 years, learning ProTools, Sibelius, Reason; all professional recording studio software. He’s having a blast while absorbing music theory and composition — WAHOO!
I looked at a lot of programs (and still do!) because I want to have them have fun while learning — unlike my piano lessons as a child. Elena has a unique program which really works for young wanna-​be pianists, and brings in theory as well as performance from the get go. She’s able to work with a range of personalities and temperaments, and customizes music to fit the student’s interests (we were hooked when a fellow preschooler could play the theme from Star Wars)…

Digital Monkey saved my boyfriend’s sanity! He’s in the middle of a MFA program for games design (3D modeling focus) and needed help with programming in Unity for an iPhone game we’re developing. At the school, Kurt worked with him for maybe an hour or two and SAVED US WEEKS OF WORK. Having someone who really knows the program look at what you’ve tried to do so far made all the difference in the world and we’re coming back for more.
There aren’t many resources for 3D modeling and Unity programming and this is the best we’ve found in the Bay Area. It’s been worth 3x as much as some of his graduate classes and its not even a tenth of the price.
If you want to learn the latest software, you can only get so far with books and tutorials. At some point you’re going to have something that has errors you can’t figure out. A Digital Monkey expert who can point those mistakes out to you will make all the difference in getting your projects done and keeping motivated.
I can’t recommend Digital Monkey school enough!

As another artist trying to get into animation and games, Greg, Richard and the other staff at Digital Monkey School are top notch. They are able to teach you on the lastest versions of Max, Maya, Photoshop, Mudbox and Zbrush. They like to push you to your creative limits as well, which makes me a better artist.
They’re also great with kids. I’ve seen a few younger students come in and Greg is wonderful with them, teaching them painting, drawing and other art skills. If you’re looking for a place to take your kids to learn digital arts or a older student trying to gain and edge, this is the place to go.

I was really excited to find a place that teaches digital art, in addition to teaching traditional painting and drawing. They have classes for people of all ages and for all levels. I think it’s amazing to see these really young kids creating impressive artwork with programs like Photoshop and 3d Studio Max.
I have been learning programs including GameMaker, AfterEffects, and Studio Max through the instructors, who are all extremely talented, very knowledgeable, great teachers, and fun people. They also teach programs like Flash, Unity, and Unreal. They also have more advanced classes for people who are working on their portfolio to get hired.
Class sizes are small, so we get a lot of individual attention and help. Being in a class also is helpful because we learn from others and get inspired by what others are doing. I am always wowed to see what other students have been able to achieve through these classes.