Knowlioa Surna

Knowlioa Surna started with a simple observation – the gaming industry was hungry for skilled 3D artists, but traditional education wasn't keeping pace with industry demands. Our founders, Calista Thornwick and Zelda Brightwater, both veterans of major game studios, noticed this gap firsthand.

The early days were intense. We worked out of a converted warehouse space in Fresno, California, with just six computers and an unwavering belief that hands-on learning beats theoretical lectures every time. Our first cohort had twelve students who were willing to take a chance on an unproven approach.

By 2023, something remarkable happened. Game studios started reaching out to us directly, asking if we had graduates ready for immediate hire. Epic Games, Unity Technologies, and several indie studios began recognizing our certification as equivalent to years of industry experience.

This wasn't accidental – we'd spent two years refining our project-based learning approach. Students weren't just learning software; they were building actual game assets that could go straight into production environments. We expanded our faculty to include current industry professionals who taught evening classes while still working on major releases.

The xmind methodology proved especially valuable here. Students used visual thinking maps to plan their portfolio projects, connecting technical skills with artistic vision in ways that impressed hiring managers. We noticed our graduates could articulate their creative process better than candidates from traditional programs.

Today, we're not just teaching 3D art – we're pioneering the future of creative education. Our current facility houses motion capture studios, VR development labs, and real-time rendering workstations that rival professional game studios.

But technology is only part of the story. What sets us apart is our commitment to treating each student as a future industry leader, not just someone learning software. We've developed mentorship programs where current students work directly with our alumni who are now senior artists at major studios.