Shytoons Ink - Testimonials



	Testimonials "Jonathan! Wow! I love it brother! Do you mind if I use it as my cover photo?" ~Tony Horton Fitness Guru & Creator of P90X ---------------------------- "My 10 year old loves Jonathan's classes! Each class has a different theme -one day kids draw cartoons, another day they try their hands in drawing to make characters move. They also create characters and backgrounds and later learn to combine both using celluloid films - just like they used to do in real animation studios. I personally like the fact that the classes are not only doodling (which I'm sure the kids enjoy), but also include basic drawing skills, development and character study. Jonathan introduces kids to different drawing techniques and keeps them up to date about the current Animated Films. I would definitely recommend these classes to anybody who`s child is interested in learning how to draw cartoons." ~Assia Roudaya www.assiadesign.com ---------------------------- "I saw someone who looked exactly like a younger Mr. Loupey walking the streets of Toronto." ~Rob Neill Web Developer & Mr. Loupey Enthusiast ---------------------------- "Thank you, Jonathan, for the wonderful logo -- it is powerful yet playful, serious yet whimsical, representative yet so very imaginative. How can it not bring a smile to my heart every time I see it? You understood what I needed-- you created a work of art that captures the essence of what I do. You are a magician!" ~Lorraine Ouimet Personal Trainer ---------------------------- "Jonathan Shykofsky of Shytoons visited the grade 5's and 6's of Silver Stream Public School in Richmond Hill in the spring of 2010. We had been working on an arts/literacy integration on comics and cartooning and had invited him to share his skills with our three classrooms. From the start, Jonathan's enthusiasm and excitement for the world of cartooning came through and was very contagious for our students. His lessons focused on skills, which built upon each other from week to week. Jonathan provided examples of his own work, and shared copy sheets from which the students could copy and improvise their own cartoons. Our students have had invaluable experiences with comics and cartooning and Jonathan's passionate and caring manner was very encouraging". Mark Neugebauer Grade 5/6 Teacher Silver Stream Public School ---------------------------- "Have you ever been in, seen, or encountered one of those scenes where you're trying to draw a picture over and over again? Ever feel flummoxed trying to spin your paper into a living scene with all sorts of unique paraphernalia? Do you feel that no matter how hard you try or how diligently you focus, you just seem to get worse and worse at drawing?! Ever felt like giving up? Well, if those questions or situations sound similar to you, let me relieve you by introducing our school's cartoonist: Jonathan Shykofsky! Who is Jonathan, you may ask? He's a cartoonist who's temporarily been at Silver Stream for the past few weeks teaching several classrooms (including ours), how to create animation. With his brilliant and life-like drawings at his disposal, it's no wonder that he's been hired here as an 'occasional teacher'. I for one will frankly admit that his teaching skills take a HUGE step over the line. For some teachers, teaching their students to draw a sketch like the Easter Bunny could probably take days. However, with Jonathan, a few minutes was all that was needed. This is because we don't directly jump into it and start drawing. When we practiced drawing simple shapes first, it was like we suddenly had the power of cartoons (at least in my view). We learned how to draw different sizes of various shapes, eye-leveling, 3-dimensional art (after all, who would want to look at a picture which seemed 'flat'?), and detail application, and depth. I don't think I've ever drawn or sketched something of this chronicle for years! The past few weeks we've been learning about graphic illustrations, pro's and con's of drawing seemingly unreal characters, more advanced cartoon characters (e.g. SpongeBob), and the internal structure. Nonetheless, we still had some difficulties, but doubtfully our drawing skills improved over the course. We could identify body shapes and use perspective to balance our images. Even our homework was great! It wasn't loads of paperwork, but drawing our own rooms! It was an exciting, fun, and challenging form of teaching, ideal for everyone. So, what do you think of the cartoonist? I think our class is very lucky to have such a person in our school. I mean, think about it! During four classes, we could already do our own characters. Do the math! A few more years of this and we could be hired by a cartoon studio! Homer Simpson, SpongeBob Squarepants... all from Jonathan! And his moving pictures have truly inspired us and taught us the spirit of art. He isn't too strict, too boring, too frank, or too conspicuously wary of our mistakes. Mistakes is how we learn! You can't possibly go through everything without making mistakes! That's exactly what Jonathan has taught us. Unlike some teachers, he gives out prizes as well! Some of which are his made up character of Mr. Loupey, his own brand of t-shirt, manufactured from Jonathan's own artwork and unique promo bookmarks (not available in stores), from some of the newest animation films! I strongly think there's absolutely no reason not to like him. Jonathan even has his own website: www.shytoons.ca! You can email him, take a browse of his enchanted creations, and hear his real life stories working in cartoon studios, and get some of his personal data! I hope that someday, he'll come back to visit our school again!" ~Journal Entry from a grade 5/6 student taught by Jonathan ---------------------------- "The Students at Bancroft School were very lucky to have Mr. Jonathan Shykofsky teach them Cartooning during their lunch break. They thoroughly enjoyed learning to draw and to make their own creative cartoons. Mr. Shykofsky's fun-loving ways constantly showed through and the children kept asking him to come back for more sessions. He is a professional, very patient and helpful. My own daughter, who was part of his class, would come home every Tuesday very excited to show me what she made with Jonathan. Her drawings are proudly displayed on our refrigerator. We hope to see Mr. Shykofsky again next year as part of our fall session of lunch time activities and we would highly recommend him to teach Cartooning at any school." ~Barbara Hasiotis Coordinator Extra-Curricular Activities Bancroft School ---------------------------- "Jonathan Shykofsky taught after school classes at Nesbitt Elementary School. These classes were a huge success and immensely enjoyed by all the children who attended." ~Mary Theophilopoulos Principal Nesbitt School ---------------------------- "As a kid, I loved to draw, I always had a pencil in my hand. Then, life happened, I "grew up". I see in my 5 year old a similar love for drawing, and when Jonathan's class was offered at his school, we jumped at the opportunity to have my son taught by a professional. He loved the first class so much, I asked Jonathan if I could also join and draw alongside my boy. Jonathan's patience and foundation allow him to turn young and old "fiddler's" into proper artists. My son and I now use the techniques learned and spend hours drawing together. We're not just creating drawings, we're creating memories....and I get to be a kid again." ~Shyam Solanki ---------------------------- "These are great, I love it! Have you got copies for me? I promise to show these to Sting" ~Stewart Copeland (drummer for The Police) ---------------------------- "My good Mate, Jonathan who I had the pleasure of working with in the movie Death Race, totally took me by surprise with such a wonderful humorous cartoon depiction of me and Julio, in the style of The Flintstones! I absolutely love it, and can't wait to have it up on my wall! Thanks Mate it's killer! See you soon...." ~Max Ryan (actor from Death Race, Kiss of the Dragon, & League of Extraordinary Gentleman) ---------------------------- "I was referred to Shytoons Ink by a client, who recommended Jonathan Shykofsky, to create a cartoon for me from a photograph. He listened to my ideas of exactly what I wanted in the cartoon picture and soon sent me a rough sketch by e-mail, to show me how he was doing on it so far. He was very easy to deal with. Eventually he sent the finished product and I was absolutely speechless and overwhelmed! He did an amazing job on the the artwork just from the ideas that I had presented to him over the phone. 'Jonathan, you have a special gift from God!' I would strongly recommend Shytoons Ink to all my friends, family, clients and even strangers... What an extraordinary masterpiece you created for me. You made me a very happy costumer! Thank-you very much..." ~Chris Strickert ---------------------------- "What a wonderful surprise gift for our wedding... Jonathan really did something out of the ordinary for our special day, and we absolutely love it...!!" ~Sandra Palermo and Derek Shinton ---------------------------- �Jonathan is an amazing artist and incredibly detailed. His professional attitude and patience with our process was a pleasure to work with and the final outcome was exceptional. I would recommend Jonathan in a heartbeat!" ~Matt & Lori Dratva ---------------------------- "I truly enjoy Jonathan's ability to transform a human personality into a personalized cartoon character. When I expressed my liking towards the characters in the cartoon film, "Flushed Away", I never imagined he would draw me, and create such an energetic lifelike cartoon. His personalized additions like the Captain Caveman, was the icing on the cake. Once he presented the drawing he made for us, I was truly overwhelmed and admit it is a gift that is irreplaceable. His drawings are fun, unique, personalized and complete with absolute energy and laughter." ~Tanya Kostic ---------------------------- "Jonathan just did a cartoon of me... I completely love it and have had a barrage of comments about it... A cartoon can often say much more than a real life photo can... It mocks and supports and emphasizes what we love about ourselves and pokes fun too. Jonathan has a great way of taking a small idea and making it into something extraordinary... His one of a kind pieces of art I will display for many many years to come. Each time I look at them they still make me laugh!" ~Kimberly Carlson ---------------------------- "Besides being a joy to work with, Jonathan is a take-charge person who is able to present creative ideas and communicate the benefits. He has helped me successfully develop several feature film projects and has worked on countless productions. During my time at Dreamworks Animation (DWA), Jonathan was instrumental in the successful release of one of my biggest projects, helping out as a Storyboard consultant on "First Flight"... Though he was an asset to me as reference actor while at DWA , Jonathan was also extraordinarily helpful in other areas of the company. In addition to pose editing he mentored young artists and assumed a leadership role inspiring and motivating other employees. I highly recommend Jonathan for employment. He is a team player and would make a great asset to any organization" ~Kyle Jefferson "Jonathan really caught, in our cartoon, the essence of who we are. Everyone that sees the cartoon he did for us, is amazed at how the characters look just like us, and how they also feel like us. Jonathan is a passionate artist that goes to the heart of what he is creating, to end up with more than a drawing, but have a piece of yourself in the characters. I am a huge Family Guy fan and when I see the show now, it seems our characters are more refined in their detail than the ones on the show. Jonathan, thank You, thank You. This is better than any portrait..., it's a conversation starter, a head turner, and most importantly, a huge family heirloom for my two sons." ~Stefan Jacob