Animex Festival

28/10/2026

Many artists learn to draw through line long before exploring colour or value, making it a fundamental part of how we think about images. In this session, concept artist Thomas takes a deep dive into the role of line in visual storytelling, examining how we interpret it, why it works, and how it can be used more effectively. Through practical examples and discussion, you'll discover ways to move beyond rigid approaches and develop a more versatile, expressive use of line in your artwork. If there's still time in this packed session then there will be a live demonstration, showing these ideas in action.

Join us at Animex, 16-20 November, where Thomas will be presenting his talk Line if Life on 18 November. For tickets and full programme details, visit animex.tees.ac.uk.

28/10/2026

Let's Sketch Creatures!

Ever wondered how creature designs for games begin? Join Nicholas Patrick, Concept Artist at Brainbug Ltd, for a live sketching session exploring the early stages of creature design. Using a simple brief, Nicholas will demonstrate how to quickly develop ideas, shape appealing designs, and balance creativity with client requirements. Perfect for aspiring artists and game developers, this practical session offers a behind-the-scenes look at the concept art process from rough sketches to a presentable creature ready for a video game world.

Nichlas joins our line up for the Concept Art track of talks at Animex 16 - 20 November in Teesside. All out Concept Art talks take place on 18 November! Don't have your pass yet? Head over to animex.tees.ac.uk

28/10/2026

Let's Sketch Creatures!

Ever wondered how creature designs for games begin? Join Nicholas Patrick, Concept Artist at Brainbug Ltd, for a live sketching session exploring the early stages of creature design. Using a simple brief, Nicholas will demonstrate how to quickly develop ideas, shape appealing designs, and balance creativity with client requirements. Perfect for aspiring artists and game developers, this practical session offers a behind-the-scenes look at the concept art process from rough sketches to a presentable creature ready for a video game world.

Nichlas joins out line up for the Concept Art track of talks at Animex 16 - 20 November in Teesside. All out Concept Art talks take place on 18 November! Don't have your pass yet? Head over to animex.tees.ac.uk

27/10/2026

Join us at the Animex Research & Innovation Conference on 18 November for a keynote from digital artist and computational pioneer Andy Lomas.

Alongside his keynote, Andy will present Chrysalis, a striking new collaboration with electronic musician Max Cooper, created for Max's Royal Albert Hall concert earlier this year. The work builds on a creative partnership that has evolved over more than a decade, exploring the intersection of art, science and technology.

Inspired by the remarkable behaviour of social amoebae, Chrysalis investigates how simple chemical signalling can give rise to highly complex structures and dynamic forms. Using simulation systems driven by straightforward mathematical rules, Andy's work pushes the boundaries of emergence, revealing unexpected beauty and complexity from simple underlying processes.

This keynote offers a fascinating insight into computational art, generative systems, and the creative potential of emergence. Delegates will have the opportunity to visit the special exhibition of the work in the university's immersive suite.

Get your ticket for the full conference here https://www.tickettailor.com/events/teessideuniversity/2423968

📅 18 November 2026
📍 Animex Research & Innovation Conference

09/10/2026

We're always keen to share opportunities that connect creative talent with industry, and Game Republic - New Horizons is a fantastic place to do exactly that.

Bringing together developers, studios, educators and future talent, this networking event offers a chance to exchange ideas, build connections and explore what's next for the games industry.

14 - 16 October, Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough

The Animex team will be there! Come and say hi!

Follow the latest updates here: 🔗 https://grnewhorizons.gamerepublic.net/

09/10/2026

09/10/2026

🎬 Speaker Announcement: Emilie Bach, Cartoon Saloon

We're delighted to welcome Emilie Bach, Art Director on Julián, to Animex. Since joining Cartoon Saloon in 2019, Emilie has contributed to some of the studio's most celebrated productions, including the Oscar-nominated Wolfwalkers as Final Line Artist and My Father's Dragon as Location Designer, Scene Illustrator and Assistant Art Director.
At Animex, Emilie will share insights into the making of Julián, Cartoon Saloon's beautifully crafted new feature film that premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in 2026. The film follows a young boy discovering his identity, heritage and imagination during a transformative summer in Brooklyn, told through Cartoon Saloon's signature hand-crafted 2D animation style.
This is a fantastic opportunity to hear directly from the creative team behind the film and learn more about the visual development, art direction and storytelling that bring Julián to life.

Photo credit - Andrzej Radka.

06/10/2026

Registration now open for Animex Research and Innovation Conference! Teesside University 18 November 2026. ARIC is a space where research meets industry. Spaces are limited, so be sure to register.

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/teessideuniversity/2423968
(Tickets include refreshments and lunch).

ARIC is part of the wider Animex Festival, a week-long event that brings industry speakers from across the world to talk about all things animation, games and VFX. For more information, go to:
https://animex.tees.ac.uk/index.cfm

Animex Research and Innovation Conference & Animex Special Forum: Impact of AI – The Curve, Teesside University Campus, Wed 18 Nov 2026 -

28/09/2026

Really excited to announce our first of many speakers!!

🎬 Speaker Announcement: Ben Anderson (DNEG)

We're delighted to welcome Ben Anderson, Animation Supervisor at DNEG London, to Animex.

Ben's impressive credits include Coyote vs. Acme, F9: The Fast Saga, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Thor: Ragnarok and the Academy Award-winning Life of Pi. He is currently supervising animation on the upcoming feature film Ramayana.

Behind the Character Animation of Coyote vs. Acme

Ever wondered how iconic Looney Tunes characters were brought into a live-action world?

Join Ben for a behind-the-scenes look at the character animation of Coyote vs. Acme, exploring how Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner, Foghorn Leghorn and other beloved characters were translated from classic cartoons to the big screen. From on-set puppetry and performance reference to expressive keyframe animation, Ben will reveal how the team combined modern VFX techniques with the timeless principles of Looney Tunes comedy.

A must-see session for animators, VFX artists and anyone interested in the craft of character performance.

28/09/2026

Big News for Animex 2026!

We're delighted to announce Wacom as the Headline Sponsor of Animex 2026.

This partnership is particularly special as Teesside University, home of Animex, is also a Wacom Experience School, with Wacom technology already playing an important role in the creative work of our animation, games, VFX and concept art students.

For those attending Animex, this means plenty of opportunities to get hands-on with the latest Wacom technology throughout the festival, including demonstrations, product trials, a dedicated exhibition space in the new Digital Life building, live concept art activities, and sponsored masterclasses.

We're excited to be working together to inspire the next generation of creative talent and can't wait to welcome back the Wacom team to Animex this November.

.conceptart

Animex International Festival of Animation, VFX and Games, 16 - 20 November, tickets on sale at animex.tees.ac.uk