Tucson Art Community

Tucson Art Community Over the years, Tucson has developed into a thriving hub for artists, creators, and art lovers from all backgrounds and disciplines.

Our goal is to promote Tucson's artist's and the city's unique blend of indigenous, Mexican, and Southwestern influences.

I made this image for my Montessori students this evening because they’re all about Pokémon. I’ve gotten pretty fast at...
01/10/2026

I made this image for my Montessori students this evening because they’re all about Pokémon. I’ve gotten pretty fast at digital art this was about four hours of work! Can’t wait to see the kids light up when I show them how to draw the characters. ✨

Finlee the champion with his teacher Jake
01/07/2026

Finlee the champion with his teacher Jake

Had a beautiful trip in California visited family saw a old neighbor that was always so kind and inspiring he is also a ...
01/06/2026

Had a beautiful trip in California visited family saw a old neighbor that was always so kind and inspiring he is also a grand master at the flute and he had an amazing career. I wanted to thank him for always mirroring happiness, kindness and positivity . One of the most amazing gifts you can give to the world around you. I painted a image of him in watercolor. The only thing that made it difficult is my reference material was from way different camera angles and I had to piece it together using an invented character sheet i made of him using pictures off the Internet. The stuff I teach my students. Art by Jake Amigliore 5 hours start to finish.

Bravissimo art center student Francisco today we played with action gesture sketches notice how Francisco simplified the...
01/06/2026

Bravissimo art center student Francisco today we played with action gesture sketches notice how Francisco simplified the anatomy mainly focusing on the storytelling movements! Pen and ink ✍️  so proud of you ☀️

Here is some bargaining chips! Your art teacher impersonating Santa!!
12/23/2025

Here is some bargaining chips! Your art teacher impersonating Santa!!

A major concept I teach is style recipes—breaking any art style down into percentages and plotting it like a pie chart. ...
12/03/2025

A major concept I teach is style recipes—breaking any art style down into percentages and plotting it like a pie chart. Once students learn to analyze a style as a recipe, they can swap styles and stay on model with control and confidence.

For new learners, I start them with a recipe high in movement, lighting, and shape, and low in color and texture. Why? Because strong movement builds acting and motion thinking. Big shape simplifies proportions and prevents detail overwhelm. Early lighting forces artists to confront form-defining shadows and real 3D structure. Skipping texture keeps their focus sharp—on the structure, the light, and the purpose of the acting. Starting with low color trains the eye on tonal values instead of fighting thick paint layers and frustration.

This formula has been undefeated. Over time, we explore new recipes and invent new styles. The result? Artists who can master any style, work in it consistently, and stay on model—no matter the challenge. Student art by Alexandra 13 year old her first project with bravissimo art center of Tucson.

Bravissimo Art Center — Where Young Artists Become Legends!In just four months, our students here — ages 5 to 9 — draw l...
12/02/2025

Bravissimo Art Center — Where Young Artists Become Legends!

In just four months, our students here — ages 5 to 9 — draw like a professional animation studio. They act out characters, switch camera angles, and keep their designs spot-on consistent, all while having so much fun it doesn’t feel like school.

This isn’t your typical art class. At Bravissimo, we share the secrets only grand masters know, giving kids tools that last a lifetime. The result? Art that’s bold, precise, and full of energy — and kids who surprise even the most experienced artists.

Don’t just watch — join the revolution. Tucson’s Bravissimo Art Center is changing the way kids and adults learn art, one masterpiece at a time. Come see us in person or we also provide after school programs to your school in the Tucson AZ area.

See us in action 💥 — here’s Francisco tracing an action analysis study on Mylar like classic animation, learning how the...
12/02/2025

See us in action 💥 — here’s Francisco tracing an action analysis study on Mylar like classic animation, learning how the character squashes, stretches, overlaps, and foreshortens in movement. Then he redrew every pose from scratch to build visual vocabulary and better compare proportions between characters (starting with Superman).

That’s the breakthrough: with the right character sheets and organized references for body language and acting, drawing at a pro level suddenly makes sense and feels achievable.

Francisco has turned these skills into a career, selling art in galleries and at comic conventions—earning enough that he can now sell a few times a year while spending the rest of his time creating, traveling, and living the artist life. What warms my heart is that he still comes to class, but these days he teaches me half the time as we both continue studying at the cutting edge of technology and art training.

And here’s the secret: if you want to truly improve, we go old-school and reverse engineer the artists who did it the best—those who didn’t cut corners. Come to Bravissimo to learn how to breathe life into your work. I promise, no skills are required. If you're willing to play along, follow our steps, and explore with trial and error, your art will jump off the page.

Here’s one of my lessons—(I really should post more).I’ve written 37 books on advanced techniques for art creation. With...
12/02/2025

Here’s one of my lessons—(I really should post more).

I’ve written 37 books on advanced techniques for art creation. With this page, I have my students trace in a few layers using a lightbox or Mylar/celluloid. First, they trace a simplified version to understand how they’d draw the gesture on their own. Then, using detailed anatomy sheets and shortcut references from my own anatomy and biomechanics books, they overlay the muscles as if they’re sprouting from the bone—stitching behind and over other muscles the way the body really works.

After that, they redraw the entire pose from scratch. In doing this, they’re learning anatomy, lighting, character acting, biomechanics, facial expressions, body language, squash and stretch, dynamic foreshortening—all while staying on-model from a character sheet and working in correct proportion.

Projects like this are exactly why kids at Bravissimo draw at incredibly high levels, and why our adult students are working professionally or selling their art.

And honestly? I live for the positive interactions and those “WOW—that was not only attainable, but fun, easy, and seriously rewarding” moments. 🚀🎨✨

📍 Teaching proudly in local art school, Jake Amigliore – Founder & Instructor, Bravissimo Art Center in beautiful Tucson, Arizona, United States

Francisco Valra with Jake at the Tucson Air and Space Museum—practicing technical illustration and functional design. An...
11/13/2025

Francisco Valra with Jake at the Tucson Air and Space Museum—practicing technical illustration and functional design. An amazing friend and an incredible artist and now sells his artwork for a living.

I’m always so impressed when I think back to when he first came into the studio with little to no knowledge of art—just pure passion—and a hand tremor that made it difficult for him to hold his hand steady. He trained his dexterity by drawing shapes in 3D space and practicing perfectly straight lines. Today he doesn’t need a ruler or an oval template for anything; he lays down lines like the handwriting of God.

I even asked him to come help correct the perspective on the back wing of a jet I was drawing. I’m so, so honored to have played a part in what has now become his profession.

Eight years old Saidveka fully original image. First project seven sessions. This young girls willingness to play along ...
11/13/2025

Eight years old Saidveka fully original image. First project seven sessions. This young girls willingness to play along with the techniques that I show her allows her to quantum leap hurdles as if they don’t exist. If trial and error and using forgivable mediums is your foundation. Primed with a organized logical approach through which we stay in each stage until we’ve reached its hight before moving onto the next. Then I ensure the students have all the techniques at their disposal. We don’t have to memorize them just know of them where to source them when needed how to utilize them and when to implore the techniques for the effects they provide.

Well, then what you have is what you see here students achieving technical precision. Limitless potential and most importantly a place of immeasurable peace, freedom an expression that belongs to the student. The ability to invent and create something positive. It’s a meditation and expression of love. It cost nothing to sit down and do art & come out with something that you’re proud of. My greatest achievement it’s not my ability to draw and paint in a any style it’s not the books that I’ve written it is being able to speak to my students understanding. Being able to give the right instructions the right process and extract the confidence in my students to give it a try just to learn that they can do it themselves.

I have to tell you about this image and, more importantly, this wonderful student named Alexandra. We are currently work...
11/13/2025

I have to tell you about this image and, more importantly, this wonderful student named Alexandra. We are currently working on our second image; this is one character still in progress in a guaranteed upcoming masterpiece. In the image, there will be a family of deer 🦌 racing through the water from a forest fire. There are no words to describe how powerful each element in the scene is and how we're bringing it to its height. We may be refining it on the iPad, but don't be confused - we started this completely traditional with nothing more than an anatomy chart of a deer, research, and development. What you're seeing now is the creation process in an old-world craftsman style and precision, with sculptural mood lighting reminiscent of Michelangelo, but from a 14-year-old girl. Alexandra is very passionate about learning, and she allows herself to be coached, which is reflective of how amazing her parents are raising her, for which I have so much respect. This is part of her second project at Tucson Bravissimo Art Center. I am so proud to be a part of your artistic development.

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