First year student, Ethan Woronko’s (IDEA Grad 2024), grasp on composition, colour theory, design elements and principles, and art as a whole has grown immensely
Meet first-year student, Ethan Woronko (IDEA Grad 2024)! His self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught by Jay Bassan is shown above.
“My style evolved more in the first few months at IDEA School of Design than in the year and a half leading up to it! My grasp on composition, colour theory, design elements and principles, and art as a whole has grown immensely.”
Read Ethan’s story and check out some of his other work for a glimpse into first-year student life at IDEA School of Design at Capilano University.
Self Portrait by Ethan Woronko (IDEA Grad 2024)
With my self-portrait for Jay’s class, I wanted to replicate the style of my art and the music that influences me. My art is sometimes abrasive, dark, gritty and my love for imperfections often shines through and that was my big focus going into the project. I spent a long time in my room taking photo after photo trying to get the lighting and focus right till I took one that made my skin take on a slightly yellow and purple complexion in places and knew it was the one. I then messed around in Photoshop and gave myself a second set of eyes (eyes being a reoccurring element in my art) and then edited in the old film effect to add to the atmosphere. I had a ton of fun with this project and Jay’s class as a whole!
“Ethan’s skills in photography and his desire to experiment always resulted in some very compelling work. His self-portrait is an ideal example.”
“The Assignment” by Jay Bassan, Instructor
Create a mood board visualizing your Passion, Super Power, Values, Purpose and differentiation (students can use any medium for this).
“The Goal” by Jay Bassan, Instructor
To have students think clearly about how to imagine themselves as a brand and use their final self-portrait as an expression of that. This becomes one of the more interesting projects since it happens near the end of class and students are now comfortable enough with the camera.
I remind students that similar to sketching, where you decide where to put the pencil, pen, or mouse to compose your drawing, where do you put the camera to capture a moment or tell a story?
I get some interesting work.
Experience so far in first term at IDEA School of Design
Going into the IDEA Bachelor of Design program I didn’t quite know what to expect other than all the great things I had heard from others. Within the first few weeks, I knew it was the place for me! The professors all have a passion for their work that comes through in their classes, making my learning experience so far my best school experience to date. I have really enjoyed how diverse the classes and mediums are and how much I am getting pushed out of my comfort zone as I have learnt so much in such a short amount of time. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Featured Work
“Crown Royal splash” by Ethan Woronko (IDEA Grad 2024)
In Jay’s photography course we were tasked with taking a product shot. After a lot of thinking I decided to go with Crown Royal as I loved the look that whiskey ads had. After taking countless photos of the still bottle and glass I felt like spicing it up and dropped some ice cubes. As soon as I looked at this shot I knew it was the one!
“Self Portrait in Oil Paints” by Ethan Woronko (IDEA Grad 2024)
This project is one of my favourite art pieces I have ever done and got me hooked on oil paints. I went into this project never having used oil paints and came out feeling like a pro! Countless hours were spent mixing just the right colour and fixating on tiny details till they were perfect. I based the style off that of Caravaggio and his bold chiaroscuro that captivated me during our art history classes.
“Rembrandt Master Copy” by Ethan Woronko (IDEA Grad 2024)
Tasked with reproducing a master’s sketch to the best of our ability, this project was a tricky one that tested my focus. I learnt a lot through studying Rembrandt’s pencil lines and shading style. After finishing the project I had great respect for his work and style as well as all the knowledge I picked up along the way.
Why did you choose IDEA School of Design over other schools?
I chose IDEA because of its glowing reputation. Talking to designers working in the field while I was thinking of where to go after high school, IDEA was the name I kept hearing and when I looked into it it seemed like the perfect fit for me! IDEA talked about everything I was interested in and just seemed like the right fit.
“The Bachelor of Design program at IDEA School of Design is a 4-year degree program with an enduring reputation for industry-prepared graduates. We are a career-oriented program for the next generation of creative professionals, with concentrations in branding, illustration and interactive design.”
What advice would you give to those considering applying?
Go for it! If you enjoy design and/or illustration and want to pursue a career in it then I can’t recommend IDEA School of Design enough. I recommend having a diverse portfolio, whether that be different mediums, subject matter, or styles, and being happy with all the work you submit. Do your best and give it your all because that’s what IDEA is all about!
“The purpose of your portfolio is to demonstrate your creative potential. We assess portfolios on drawing skill, design and creativity.”
"Breakthrough Moments" at IDEA School of Design
The amount of breakthroughs has been countless already! My style evolved more in the first few months at IDEA School of Design than in the year and a half leading up to it! My grasp on composition, colour theory, design elements and principles, and art as a whole has grown immensely.
What’s one of your favourite music videos?
Oh that’s hard! I am constantly seeking out new music and my taste shifts daily but currently my favourite song has been “Jesus, Etc.“ by Wilco.
For more on Ethan follow him on Instagram @epworonko_art and @epworonko_photo.
