Building Characters with Nyx Birkhead

How do you convey a character’s whole life story before they even say a word?

Join artist Nyx Birkhead for a hands-on, highly creative workshop exploring the fundamentals of character design and visual storytelling. Developed as part of the Southern Forest Arts Outreach Program following his debut solo exhibition Redraw at the Painted Tree Gallery, this session breaks down what Nyx learned studying university concept art and transforms it into practical, fun design tools for everyone.

Rather than focusing on technical perfection or realism, this workshop prioritizes visual inference, storytelling, and individual style. You will learn how shape, posture, clothing, and small visual clues can instantly communicate a character’s background, job, and personality.

Whether you are an absolute beginner, a hobbyist, or an experienced illustrator, you'll leave with a unique character that speaks volumes from the page alone.