Premium Art & Design Atelier · Est. La Mirada, CA

Conquer
Your Own Style

Every masterpiece begins with a single stroke. SAMART Design Studio guides young artists from their first line to acceptance letters from the world's top art schools and Ivy League universities.

Explore Student Works
0Years of Expertise
0Single-Student Scholarships
01:1 Mentoring
Tap & drag to splash paint ✦
RISDParsons · The New SchoolArtCenter (ACCD) Pratt InstituteCalArtsColumbia University SVA New YorkOTIS CollegeFIT · SUNY Carnegie MellonSAIC ChicagoCCA San Francisco SCADMICATufts · SMFA

The Atelier

Consulting that goes beyond ordinary lectures

SAMART Design Studio is located in California, USA and we provide consulting services for art and design education — counseling for college admission, application preparation, art portfolio development, and essay writing. With our guidance that goes beyond the ordinary lectures, students create innovative and creative portfolios based on their diverse experiences, maximizing their individuality and potential. SAMART Design Studio always supports your dreams.

Our Program

Ten paths, one destination — your admission

IVY LEAGUE
College consulting session with sketchbook

Art Supplementary Portfolio

We support students to prepare Art & Design Supplement Portfolio to receive additional points for showing artistic abilities when applying to top-ranked Ivy League schools.

PORTFOLIO
Student receiving portfolio mentoring

Art School Portfolio

We guide students to create a highly qualified portfolio for those who want to pursue an Art & Design related major in art college.

FOUNDATION
Foundation class

Foundation · OCSA / LACHSA

We discover creativity and talents from junior-level students, developing Art Foundation skills including preparation for admission to Art High School.

ADULT
Adult art class

Adult Art

Art foundation classes learning the basic principles of art and various materials, tailored to the level of adults who want to experience Art & Design.

ONLINE
Digital art class work

Online Digital Class

An online digital art class where anyone can easily learn how to use a digital painting app with a tablet pen to create unique digital works.

SIGNATURE
Original character design artwork

My Own Character Design

Original characters, from sketch to story — build a character IP that is entirely yours.

SIGNATURE
Student proudly holding her own picture book

My Own Picture Book

Write, illustrate and publish your own book — a complete creative journey from idea to print.

SIGNATURE
Online virtual art exhibition on a laptop

Online Art Exhibition

Share your work with the world — curated online exhibitions of student works.

SIGNATURE
Art history lecture

Art History Lectures

The fascinating stories behind masterpieces — art history that feeds your own creativity.

SIGNATURE
AI animation production scene

AI Animation Production

Bring your characters to life with AI — from still artwork to moving stories.

Special Offer

A five-step system that carries you to the finish line

Consulting

Sincere consulting toward desired results with the most recent college admission trends & information.

Plan

Strategic planning that suits each student, shared with the student in real time.

One-to-One Lesson

Customized 1:1 mentoring that develops strengths and complements weaknesses.

Management

Continuous monitoring of work status based on short-term and long-term plans.

Support

Follow-up support with continuously updated admission status information.

Inside the Studio

Where every age finds its own canvas

From a four-year-old's first finger painting to a senior's final portfolio critique — the atelier breathes with makers of every age.

Portfolio class
Portfolio Studio · High School
Palette close-up
Materials · Oil Palette
Group critique
Group Critique
Youth art
Youth Art · Ages 4–7
1:1 critique
1:1 Critique with Director
Finished work smile
The Finished-Work Smile
Portfolio sorting
Curating the Portfolio
Charcoal drawing
Charcoal Foundation
Youth art class
Young Painters at Work
Youth art class
Youth Art Studio
Color wheel lesson
Color Theory Q&A
Plaster drawing
Observational Drawing
Digital drawing
Digital Art Lab
Plein air sketch
Plein-Air Sketch
Adult oil painting
Adult Oil Painting
Acrylic self portrait
Acrylic Self-Portrait

Student Works

Portfolios that speak before the interview

Original student works, shown in their true proportions — never cropped, never decorated. The work is the argument.

Self portrait
Self-Portrait
Car design sketch
Car Design Sketch
Portrait painting
Living Up to My Name
Student artwork
Mixed Media
Pink bird
Pink Bird
Brain pasta
Brain Pasta
Figure drawing
Figure Drawing
Global warming
Global Warming
Car side view design
Vehicle Side View
EVEN
EVEN
My eye drawing
My Eye
Landscape study
Landscape Study
Character design
Character Design
Bamboo floating city
Bamboo, Floating City
Constants in life
Constants in Life
Automotive rendering
Automotive Rendering
Figure painting
Figure Painting
Blindness, butterflies and mushrooms
Blindness, Butterflies & Mushrooms
Lemon
Lemon
Design board
Nomadic Living · Design Board
Hope and unity
Hope and Unity
Fantasy painting
Medusa's Garden
Car design rendering
Concept Car Rendering
Mars underground city
Mars Underground City
Leeched and lost
Leeched and Lost
Figure drawing collage
Figure Studies
Paw haven
Paw Haven
Immersion
Immersion
Angel statue
Angel Statue
Unconscious operation
Unconscious Operation
Design board
Design Research Board
Nature's resilience
Nature's Resilience
The empress seeks freedom
The Empress Seeks Freedom

Acceptances

This season's letters have arrived

Congratulations to our newest admits — Columbia, ArtCenter, OTIS, Parsons, CalArts, Pratt and more, with merit scholarships up to $163,000.

Accepted — Columbia University
Accepted — ArtCenter
Accepted — OTIS
Accepted — Parsons
Accepted — CalArts
Accepted — Pratt
Accepted — ArtCenter
Accepted — Parsons
Accepted — MICA
Accepted — Tufts
Ryan KimColumbia University

"Sam is a great mentor and helps his students create beautiful and meaningful art. Without his help my portfolio would be lacking — Sam helped me fix all of those problems."

Kate SongPratt · OTIS · CCA

"Sam teacher has taught me new techniques as well as showing new perspectives on art! His guidance has not only improved my skills but also deepened my passion for the arts!"

TOTAL $163,000 SCHOLARSHIP
Joon Woo KimArtCenter (ACCD)

"Sam teacher was a great mentor and really helped decide the career path I wanted to pursue. I was able to get accepted to my dream school."

$80,000 SCHOLARSHIP
Esther LeeSAIC · OTIS · ACCD · UIUC

"Other academies told me it was too late to begin a portfolio, but Sam teacher gave me hope. Because of SAMART's constant support, I finished in time while growing as an artist."

TOTAL $75,000 SCHOLARSHIP
Soo Mi YoonOTIS · ArtCenter (ACCD)

"I had never studied art before. During the admissions consultation I could clearly see how Sam had guided students toward real growth — I decided to enroll without hesitation."

$80,000 SCHOLARSHIP
Jinang ChoiSAIC · OTIS · CalArts · LCAD

"Beyond simply teaching skills, they helped make what I aspired to achieve possible. My experience here had a profound and positive impact on my artistic values."

TOTAL $64,000 SCHOLARSHIP
Jacob MillerACCD · OTIS

"SAMART Studio helped make the application process worry-free and easy. Sam has been a great mentor to me over the years."

$24,000 SCHOLARSHIP
Shia KimPortfolio Program

"Sam teacher helped me build my portfolio in less than a year. His fast-paced approach challenged me to push my boundaries, while his fun personality made every session enjoyable."

Ellah KimNew York University (NYU)

"My experience with SAMART Studio has been so good! He helped me develop my portfolio, introducing new ideas and concepts, and I definitely improved my drawing and painting techniques."

SAMART on Air

Watch the director's hand at work

Step-by-step demo lessons — portrait painting, anatomy, digital art, anime, art history and car design — streaming on our YouTube channel and Facebook.

CREATIVITY

— conquer your own style —

The Director

Sam Lee — artist first, mentor always

Sam Lee, President of SAMART Design Studio

A working fine artist and designer with over 20 years across Eastern and Western painting, Sam Lee has guided hundreds of students from their first foundation drawing to acceptance at the world's leading art schools.

  • Seoul National University — Fine Art
  • Art Center College of Design — Industrial Design
  • MBA · Sunhwa Art High School
  • Former Vice President of KFAANA · Executive at KAASC
  • Founder, SAMART Design Group, Inc.