Youth Character Design Academy
Description
Build up your foundational skills and bring your ideas to life through the complete 8-week Youth Character Design Academy!
Students will learn how artists use shape language, form, structure, style, and composition to create original characters. From there, they’ll build on those foundations through posing, figure consistency, props, and environments. By the end of the academy, students will place their character into a sequential layout that shows what they’ve learned while also introducing clear visual storytelling through believable pacing.
Across Course A and Course B, students will strengthen their drawing and design skills, develop characters with clear visual identities, and learn how to show those characters in action and interaction within a story. The goal is not to copy the instructor’s style, but to make stronger artistic choices and build greater confidence in their own. Course A students will focus on foundational character-design skills, while Course B students will build on those foundations with more advanced techniques. Full Course students will receive the complete curriculum, designed to guide them through creating and developing a character from start to finish.
Drop-ins are welcome! If your student wants to brush up on a specific skill being taught that week, they may register for that individual class. Curated take-home art kits are provided only to recurring students enrolled in Course A, Course B, or the Full Course. Drop-in students will use shared classroom materials.
Week # | Class Date |
|---|---|
(a) ONE - Shape Language | October 27th, 2026 |
(a) TWO - Faces & Expressions | November 3rd, 2026 |
(a) THREE - Bodies & Posing | November 10th, 2026 |
(a) FOUR - Character Illustration | November 17th, 2026 [Showcase @ 5:50pm; Parents Welcome!] |
(b) FIVE - Dynamic Gesture & Movement | December 1st, 2026 |
(b) SIX - Reference Sheets | December 8th, 2026 |
(b) SEVEN - Items & Backgrounds | December 15th, 2026 |
(b) EIGHT - 4 Panel Sequential Comic | December 22nd, 2026 [Showcase @ 5:50pm; Parents Welcome!] |
Space is limited to just 12 recurring students, so early registration is encouraged!
NO CLASS ON NOVEMBER 24!!
Agenda
Week One - Oct. 27th
Shape Language: Turn simple shapes into characters with totally different personalities. Studying: shape language + form
Week Two - Nov. 3rd
Faces & Expressions: Make a character look happy, furious, nervous, smug, or anything in between. Studying: facial anatomy + expression
Week Three - Nov. 10th
Bodies & Posing: Build a character from head to toe and make the pose actually feel alive. Studying: proportion + gesture
Week Four - Nov. 17th
Character Illustration: Pull everything together into a polished character piece worth showing off. Studying: composition + rendering Showcase starts @ 5:50pm; Parents welcome!
Week Five - Dec. 1st
Dynamic Gesture & Movement: Push poses further with action, flow, balance, and dramatic movement. Studying: gesture + line of action
Week Six - Dec. 8th
Reference Sheets: Learn how to draw the same character consistently from multiple angles. Studying: construction + consistency
Week Seven - Dec. 15th
Props, Costume & World: Design the things your character wears, carries, and lives around so their story reads instantly. Studying: visual storytelling + design language
Week Eight - Dec. 22nd
4 Panel Sequential Comic & Showcase: Put your character into a short comic and make the action, expressions, and pacing tell the story. Studying: sequential art + pacing Showcase starts @ 5:50pm; Parents welcome!
FAQs
- Does my student need prior drawing experience?
No. The academy is designed for a range of skill levels. Students are taught foundational character-design concepts and encouraged to develop their own style.
- Can my student join only one class instead of the full course?
Yes, if there is drop-in space is available. Drop-ins are better for students who want to practice the specific skill being taught that week. Recurring students receive the full curriculum that builds up and their own take-home kit.
- What happens if my student misses a week?
Since the course builds from week to week, missed classes are not made up. The instructor will help the student rejoin the curriculum as reasonably as possible when they return, but no refund or credit will be issued for missed classes.
- What is the difference between Course A, Course B, and Full Course?
Course A covers foundational character-design skills. Course B builds on those foundations with movement, consistency, environments, and sequential art. Full Course includes all eight weeks from start to finish, helping students bring their character to life.
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