Since 1984, École Émile Cohl has been training artists in animation, video games, illustration, comics, and 3D graphics. With campuses in Lyon and Angoulême, it offers world-class facilities and produces graduates who thrive in creative industries worldwide.
Overview
École Émile Cohl was established in 1984 in Lyon, the second-largest city in France. The school prepares students for careers in drawing, including animated films, video games, illustration, comics, and 2D/3D computer graphics.
It is one of the very few private schools in France to hold an official « visa, » granted by the French Ministry of Higher Education, for its two bachelor’s degrees. The school hosts 850 students in a facility spanning 8,000 m², which includes workshops, computer rooms, offices, and exhibition spaces. It is located within France’s largest vocational training campus. In 2021, a new campus was launched in Angoulême, in western France, home to 40 animation studios established over the last 30 years and the renowned « Festival International de la Bande Dessinée » (International Comics Festival) held annually.
Since its founding, the school has trained over 3,000 students who now work across all fields of the creative industries in France, Europe, and beyond. The school’s teaching philosophy is based on simple yet consistent principles: fostering a sense of effort, rigorous evaluation of results and progress, the social integration of artists, and a logical approach to the visual arts. Its ambition is to prepare graduates to enter the job market equipped with high-quality technical skills and a refined artistic sensibility.
Our History
The school was founded in Lyon in September 1984 by writer and documentary filmmaker Philippe Rivière, with support from visual artist Roland Andrieu, to train talented artists capable of earning a living from their craft.
Unlike traditional fine arts schools where he had taught humanities, Philippe Rivière emphasized the importance of mastering drawing and techniques for representing reality in an art curriculum. He also championed the legitimacy of new media arts (comics, cartoons, illustration, video games), which were considered minor genres at the time. This perspective was outlined in La Métamorphose des médias, sens et non-sens de l’art contemporain (La Manufacture, 1990), a book he co-authored with art critic Laurent Danchin (1946–2017). Reconciling classical art education with new media became the core vision of the school and its faculty.
The school’s teaching principles are straightforward and cohesive: promoting a sense of effort, rigorous evaluation of results and progress, the social integration of artists, and a logical approach to visual arts.
Students are taught that the search for meaning is essential to any creative process. As Philippe Rivière put it: “You have to know how to speak to both the many and the few,” emphasizing that talent can be developed. To counter the trap of artistic narcissism, he advocated humility in the service of drawing and storytelling.
Passing on Knowledge
At École Émile Cohl, teachers lead by example, both through their commitment to sharing knowledge and their artistic reputations. Foundational skills in drawing, painting, and sculpture are taught in the tradition of Danielle Blot-Ducreux, Jean Claverie, François Crozat (1928–2006), Pascale Perrier, Philippe Pauzin, Gilbert Houbre, and Maurice Garnier (1938–2020), who named the school and designed its logo.
Media arts are taught by professionals who publish their own work, exhibit in galleries, or collaborate with design studios producing widely distributed animated films or video games. Many of the school’s new faculty members are alumni, ensuring continuity of expertise.
The reference to Émile Cohl, the inventor of animated cartoons and a pioneer known for constantly reinventing himself, continues to inspire generations of students. Nearly 40 years after its founding, the school’s mission remains as relevant as ever.
A Message from Maurice Garnier
“Open your eyes and your mind, sharpen your curiosity, and become fully aware of the world around you. Observe the skies, people, animals, objects, and landscapes—in a word, be ‘optical gluttons’.”
Maurice Garnier, introducing his illustration workshop
Key Milestones in the School’s History
1984: The school relocates to 11 rue de la Madeleine (Lyon 7th district) in refurbished industrial workshops. In its first year, it welcomed 53 students.
1994: The school moves to 232 rue Paul Bert (Lyon 3rd district), in a former factory in the Part-Dieu area, where it remained for 22 years.
2009: Emmanuel Perrier joins as Deputy Director.
2012: The school’s Design Draughtsman diploma (bac+4) receives official approval from the French Ministry of Higher Education.
2016: The school expands and relocates to the former Renault Véhicules Industriels site on Avenue Lacassagne (Lyon 3rd district). This professional campus for 6,500 students provides triple the space, with 8,000 m² across two floors.
2017: Antoine Rivière succeeds Philippe Rivière as CEO, with Emmanuel Perrier as Deputy CEO.
2017: The Graphein Foundation is established to support students facing financial difficulties by awarding grants based on social criteria and merit.
2020: The 3D Draughtsman course (bac+3) is registered with the RNCP by France Compétences as a level 6 professional qualification.
2020: A training program in layout and storyboarding for animated films opens in Angoulême in partnership with the Magelis economic development cluster.
2021: The Artistic Designer – Video Game Producer course is registered with the RNCP as a level 7 professional qualification.
2023: The 3D Draughtsman course is officially recognized as a level 6 bachelor’s degree by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research.
2023: The animation film specialization earns a level 7 RNCP qualification.
