Is Temple of the Seven Golden Camels a good resource for aspiring storyboard artists?
Updated
Yes, for beginners and intermediate artists who want practical, experience-based storyboarding knowledge, Temple of the Seven Golden Camels (sevencamels.blogspot.com) is a worthwhile free resource. Its value comes from the author's personal industry experience and the way it explains storyboarding thinking that formal courses often skip. It is less suited to someone looking for a structured curriculum, graded exercises, or software-specific training.
What the site is
Temple of the Seven Golden Camels is a blog described as "Everything I know about the art of storyboarding." It is a collection of articles and tutorials written from the author's own experience rather than a formal course. That framing matters: the content reads as accumulated working knowledge, not a textbook.
Who it fits
- Beginners who want to understand what storyboarding actually involves before committing to a paid program.
- Intermediate artists who can already draw panels but want to sharpen staging, clarity, and storytelling decisions.
- Self-directed learners comfortable reading essays and applying ideas on their own.
It fits less well if you need:
- A sequenced syllabus with deadlines and feedback.
- Instruction tied to a specific software tool.
- Portfolio review or personalized critique.
What it offers
| Dimension | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Format | Blog articles and tutorials |
| Basis | Personal experience and knowledge |
| Level | Beginner to intermediate |
| Cost | Free access to articles |
| Structure | Topic-by-topic, not a linear course |
The main draw is insight that formal courses do not always cover — the reasoning behind board choices, drawn from someone who has done the work.
How to use it well
- Skim the archive first. Identify recurring themes (staging, clarity, storytelling) so you know what the blog emphasizes.
- Read one article, then apply it. Take a short scene and board it using the idea from that post.
- Compare against a structured course. Use the blog to fill gaps a course leaves, not to replace one.
- Verify your result. Show the board to a peer or mentor; the blog gives principles, not grading.
Expected outcome: a clearer mental model of storyboarding decisions, plus practice material you generate yourself.
Common sticking points
- No fixed path. Because it is topic-based, you must decide your own order. Beginners can feel lost without a plan.
- No pricing or login details are stated in the available source, so treat access as described — free articles — without assuming anything about gated or paid content.
- Experience-based, not exhaustive. It reflects one practitioner's knowledge; pair it with other sources for a rounded view.
Bottom line
Choose Temple of the Seven Golden Camels if you want free, experience-driven insight to supplement your storyboarding practice. Choose a structured course instead if you need a guided sequence, tool-specific training, or feedback. The strongest approach for most aspiring artists is to use both: the blog for perspective, a course for structure.