
About
I've been teaching since 2014, and my students have had a wide range of achievements -- from simply improving their skills to getting accepted into their desired schools through portfolio preparation and auditions. I've also helped students succeed in art contests, including a student who won her category at a film festival. I've assisted students with portfolio and audition prep for magnet art schools at the middle and high school levels, college and graduate school levels.
I graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a Bachelor's in Fine Arts, and worked for Disney Research for over a year as an artist. I now work as an online freelance artist and online art tutor. I specialize in drawing, illustration, 2D animation and video game graphics.
For testimonials written by past students/their parents, along with sample student work, please visit:
https://emilyso.com/hire-me/teaching-testimonials/
For samples of my artwork, please visit:
https://emilyso.com/quick-portfolio/
Students mostly enjoy drawing lessons where I go over whatever they want -- whether it's a character design that they'd like to see realized in a professional drawing, or simply copying their favorite cartoon or comic character. I've also been helping students with their short animated films, from story and character development all the way to putting in the frames of the animations and timing of the movements. I can also teach students how to make 2D graphics for video games and any other basic general image editing.
I truly believe in the ability of every student to improve and to push their boundaries to where they never thought possible. I am always amazed by how much students can improve over any period of time, whether within an hour or within a year or more.
If you're interested in learning how to make art, I'd be happy to hear what your goals are, and I'd look forward to accomplishing those goals together!
I'm always interested in what students want to learn. Sometimes I get excited over other artists or TV shows, movies or video game graphics that we end up referencing. I enjoy seeing improvement in the student's work, and I'm always happy to witness their milestones.
Everybody, including artists and art students, has their ups and downs. I find many art students have anxiety, which then often lead to their creative blocks. What we don't consider enough is that what goes on inside our heads is a huge influence on our performance as artists, and I usually address that with students who may need more moral support or some pep talk. Portfolio prep can be hard, and so can simply trying to improve on a drawing. For example, I always remind students that putting the hours into the work invariably leads to improvement, even if their progress may seem like it's going downhill sometimes. But over long periods of time, after putting time into honing the craft, skill levels are always higher than before, and that's what I want students to focus on more as they create more artwork.
Highlights
Photos and videos

Reviews
Blu
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I usually ask new students to show me any sample work they've completed so we can see what level we're working with. If the student doesn't have any work to show or they don't want to show any work, that's totally fine. I usually end up keeping whatever body of work is completed during class and whatever work the student shows to me. I also ask the student what their interests are so we know what we like to focus on during each class.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I'm a freelance artist and I've been an online art teacher since 2014. I worked at Disney Research for over a year as an artist, and I have a Bachelor's in Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon Univeresity.
How did you get started teaching?
I just put my profile up on a tutoring website, then started teaching that way. One of my very first students was a 13-year-old looking to get into Frank Sinatra School of the Arts and LaGuardia High School, and only had a week before his audition. He and his mom had no idea what the requirements were nor how to put together a portfolio. Luckily he did have a body of work, he just needed to learn how to handle the actual audition itself and make a few additional pieces in the week. I taught him for about 3 hours that week, his audition went well and he got admitted to both his desired schools.
What types of students have you worked with?
I've worked with many students who only want to do art as a hobby, and many who want to do art as a career. Most of my students are children, being that they are usually under the age of 18. My longest time students are ones who want to learn to draw better, other students want to learn animation or how to use software such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Animate.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
90% of your improvement comes from you working hard to sharpen your skills, whether inside or outside our classes together. I am here to give you shortcuts, moral support and to make your journey easier and more enjoyable. I am here to remind you to not be so hard on yourself and to remain excited about any project endeavors you want to pursue.