In Adapting To Styles: Becoming A Chameleon workshop at The Art Club, you’ll learn proven techniques for mastering new art styles quickly and confidently. Through guided analysis, you’ll break down the visual building blocks that make a style unique. This workshop will cover shape, line quality, color language, staging, and character appeal, so you can understand not only what defines a look, but why it works. From there, you’ll practice replicating a wide range of animation aesthetics and learn how to push their boundaries through experimentation, iteration, and creative problem-solving. Bring drawing equipment and work alongside the instructor in real time. By the end, you’ll have a toolkit for approaching any style with clarity, speed, and artistic insight.
These skills are especially vital in the world of television animation. A fast-paced corner of the industry where budgets are tight, timelines are short, and artists often rotate to new shows every 10 months. Producers rely on adaptable artists who can slip seamlessly into a show’s visual identity while still delivering fresh, high-quality work. Becoming a true STYLE CHAMELEON will not only make you more competitive, but will also help you maintain a stable, thriving career in an environment that rewards versatility, efficiency, and creative agility.
ADAPTING TO STYLES: BECOMING A CHAMELEON
In Adapting To Styles: Becoming A Chameleon workshop at The Art Club, you’ll learn proven techniques for mastering new art styles quickly and confidently. Through guided analysis, you’ll break down the visual building blocks that make a style unique. This workshop will cover shape, line quality, color language, staging, and character appeal, so you can understand not only what defines a look, but why it works. From there, you’ll practice replicating a wide range of animation aesthetics and learn how to push their boundaries through experimentation, iteration, and creative problem-solving. Bring drawing equipment and work alongside the instructor in real time. By the end, you’ll have a toolkit for approaching any style with clarity, speed, and artistic insight.
These skills are especially vital in the world of television animation. A fast-paced corner of the industry where budgets are tight, timelines are short, and artists often rotate to new shows every 10 months. Producers rely on adaptable artists who can slip seamlessly into a show’s visual identity while still delivering fresh, high-quality work. Becoming a true STYLE CHAMELEON will not only make you more competitive, but will also help you maintain a stable, thriving career in an environment that rewards versatility, efficiency, and creative agility.
By the end of this workshop, students will be able to:
Analyze and break down the key visual traits of any animation style
Match and replicate multiple major styles, including Realism, Primetime, and Big-Shape/Children’s Cartoon
Develop a repeatable process for studying and adopting new styles quickly
Switch between styles efficiently under production timelines
Make informed visual decisions based on why a style works
Experiment, iterate, and push boundaries to meet professional stylistic expectations
What You’ll Make: Draw along with Max as he shows you how to adapt a character across multiple styles.
Dates
Saturday Mar 28
Time
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM PST
Location
The Art Club - Discord: <https://discord.gg/TZb8wK292j> Green Classroom
FORMAT
Class meets on Discord
The class enrollment is limited to a maximum of 100 seats.
Viewers will be able to participate via text chat and ask questions directly to the instructor.
THE FACULTY
Maximus Julius Pauson (aka Max Pauson) is a Los Angeles–based character designer whose career in the animation industry spans over 14 years. Known for his adaptability and wide stylistic range, Max specializes in character design, turnarounds, and mouth charts, bringing clarity, personality, and appeal to every production he joins.
He is the co-creator of Bam Animation, a popular educational YouTube channel focused on drawing techniques, industry insights, and artistic growth. Through Bam Animation, Max has helped thousands of aspiring artists sharpen their craft and better understand the world of professional animation.
Max’s notable credits include work on Harley Quinn, Rick and Morty, and Disenchantment, where his ability to quickly learn and emulate distinct art styles has made him a valuable asset in fast-paced studio environments.
Beyond his professional work, Max is passionate about figure drawing, museum sketching, and continually learning new skills to broaden his artistic abilities. Whether developing characters for major animated series or sharing knowledge with the art community, he is driven by a love for visual storytelling and lifelong artistic growth.
You can see more of his work at: https://artofmaximus.com/
Max’s Credits
Prerequisites
This is an all-level class. In order to have a productive learning experience for all, prospective students need to fulfill the following requirements:
Drawing/Painting software (Adobe Photoshop preferred)
Computer with microphone (camera optional)
Access to Google Drive
Access to Discord
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In this session, we’ll explore how to adapt your existing character design skills to a range of animation styles, including adult primetime, kids’ television, and action-adventure animation. Through a lecture followed by a live demo, we’ll break down how visual language, shape design, proportion, expression, and clarity shift depending on genre and audience. Students will learn practical strategies for analyzing a show’s character style, identifying what to exaggerate or simplify, and adjusting their designs to match tone, appeal, and production expectations. Whether the goal is comedy, playfulness, or cinematic action.
Assignment: In class follow along assignment.
Who is this Workshop for?
The Adult Animation: Adapting To Styles workshop is designed for all-levels of artists who want to become faster, more flexible, and more confident at adapting to a wide range of animation styles, especially within the fast-moving world of television animation. Whether you're aiming to break into the industry or strengthen your production readiness, this workshop will help you develop the stylistic agility needed to work efficiently, think critically, and contribute meaningfully to any show’s visual identity.
Current College Students – who want to build style versatility, sharpen their analytical eye, and gain practical experience adapting to different aesthetic demands.
Professionals – in animation, illustration, comics, or adjacent fields who are looking to expand their stylistic range, work more confidently across multiple shows or productions, and meet fast-paced industry expectations.
Hobbyists – who are excited to explore a variety of animation styles, improve their artistic adaptability, and gain structured guidance that supports growth through experimentation and iteration.
People Who Want to Work in Adult Animation – including newcomers and emerging artists interested in understanding the specific demands of the genre, developing production-ready skills, and becoming the kind of adaptable “style chameleon” studios actively seek.
Outcomes
Learn how to analyze and break down the key visual traits of any animation style.
Build the ability to match three major styles:
Realism
Primetime
Big-Shape / Children’s Cartoon Style
Develop a simple, repeatable process for studying and replicating new styles quickly.
Strengthen your ability to switch between styles under real production timelines.
Improve your understanding of why a style works and how to make effective visual decisions.
Practice experimenting and iterating to meet professional stylistic expectations.
Create a personal toolkit for approaching any style with speed, clarity, and confidence.
In Adapting To Styles: Becoming A Chameleon workshop at The Art Club, you’ll learn proven techniques for mastering new art styles quickly and confidently. Through guided analysis, you’ll break down the visual building blocks that make a style unique. This workshop will cover shape, line quality, color language, staging, and character appeal, so you can understand not only what defines a look, but why it works. From there, you’ll practice replicating a wide range of animation aesthetics and learn how to push their boundaries through experimentation, iteration, and creative problem-solving. Bring drawing equipment and work alongside the instructor in real time. By the end, you’ll have a toolkit for approaching any style with clarity, speed, and artistic insight.
These skills are especially vital in the world of television animation. A fast-paced corner of the industry where budgets are tight, timelines are short, and artists often rotate to new shows every 10 months. Producers rely on adaptable artists who can slip seamlessly into a show’s visual identity while still delivering fresh, high-quality work. Becoming a true STYLE CHAMELEON will not only make you more competitive, but will also help you maintain a stable, thriving career in an environment that rewards versatility, efficiency, and creative agility.
