CHARACTER DESIGN: SIMPLE RULES FOR ANY STYLE - PART 1

If you’ve studied character design fundamentals before, Character Design: Simple Rules for Any Style - Part 1 focuses on how to actually apply them. Instead of looking at individual aspects of character design, the lecture breaks down complete character designs and analyzes how the different pieces work together.

You’ll see what makes a design appealing and learn what works, what doesn’t, and why. You’ll also see how small adjustments can dramatically improve a character.

Worksheets are included so you can follow along and apply the same ideas to your own designs.

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LECTURE FORMAT

  • Pre-Recorded learn at your own pace instruction

    • 3 Hours of Video Instruction (1080p)

  • Practice Sheets (Printable or Digital) to complete after each lesson

  • Compatible with PC, Tablet, and Mobile Devices

  • Language: English

DAVID PEREZ

Sketch of a man wearing a baseball cap backwards, glasses, and sporting a beard and mustache, with a smile. The image has a label with the name David Perez.
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David Perez is a husband, father, and artist with over a decade of experience in the animation industry. He has had the privilege of working at some of the most renowned studios, including Disney, DreamWorks, Warner Bros, Nickelodeon, Sony, and Netflix.

Teaching and giving back has been one of the most rewarding aspects of his career. David occasionally offers online workshops, and he also shares free insights on his YouTube channel (@dzine555) to help aspiring artists on their creative journey.

Character design isn’t about being “advanced.” It’s about mastering the basics at a deeper level. Over the years, He has learned that great design always comes back to simplicity and that’s the foundation of my teaching philosophy.

You’ll not only learn how things work but also why they work. More importantly, you’ll gain the tools to deconstruct and rebuild characters in your own unique way. His goal is to make learning accessible, easy to understand at any age, and use his courses as a resource you can return to no matter where you are in your artistic journey.

David has a 100-page how-to book designed to teach anyone the fundamentals of character design. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your skills.

If you would like to see more of his work you can check out. www.davidperezdzine.com

A collection of cartoon and sketched characters, including a large man with curly hair, a girl with a star on her forehead, a witch holding a broom, an old woman holding a book titled 'Little Women,' and various other whimsical figures and creatures.
Black and white illustration of multiple cartoon female characters with various facial expressions, some happy, sad, angry, or surprised. The characters have long, curly hair and are arranged in a pattern. There is a colorful logo in the middle that
Black and white cartoon characters of a fish with human features, dressed in casual clothes, with various facial expressions and poses, from the animated movie Teenage Kraken.
A black-and-white illustration of multiple cartoon crabs with expressive faces, showing a variety of emotions and poses, scattered across the image.
Black and white illustration of various monstrous creatures, including a large fish with sharp teeth, a flying snake-like creature, and a giant sea monster with numerous legs and a horn on its head. The image features a logo for Ruby Gillman's Teenag
A split image with Wonder Woman on the left side and a white dog on the right side. Wonder Woman is in her superhero costume with a red top, blue bottoms, and a gold tiara, with long dark hair and a stern expression. The dog is standing on a gray sur
Color illustration of a female superhero with short, asymmetrical hair, wearing a purple and green costume with a green lantern symbol on her chest. The image includes character design sketches and expressions.
Concept sketches of various cartoon fish and aquatic characters in a fantasy setting, some wearing armor or accessories with a title 'Dragon Palace' written in green at the top.
Group of animated female superheroes on the left and female and male characters fighting on the right, from DC Super Hero Girls series.
Black and white sketch of characters from DC Super Hero Girls, including Wonder Woman, Batgirl, and others in dynamic poses.
Coloring page of characters from Disney's 'The Gummy Bears' and other animated characters, with various expressions and actions, some outlined in purple and pink lines, and partially colored or with coloring details.
Sketches of characters from Disney's 'The Proud Family Louder and Prouder' including humans, animals, and a spider with purple eyes, along with the show's logo.
Colorful cartoon characters inspired by animals and food items, with some characters resembling cats and others appearing as a type of fried food, alongside black-and-white sketches of similar characters in various poses and expressions.
A collage of various animation sheets from the cartoon 'Animaniacs' including character sketches, expressions, and pose studies.
A collection of black and white sketches of characters from the Tinkletoon universe, including various anthropomorphic animals, human characters in military outfits, and a colorful logo for Tinkletoons Looniversity.
Character model sheets from Disney's 'Primos' animated film, including front, side, and back views of various characters like elderly men, women with pigtails, children, unicorns, and dogs, used for animation and design reference.
Sketches of characters and creatures from 'Merry Little Batman,' including various witches, detectives, and animals, with a logo of the title in the bottom left corner.

Helpful Resources

  • The Art Club Discord is a supportive space for students to connect, share their work, and grow together as artists. Along with accessing course materials, you can post your lecture exercises and get helpful feedback from both instructors and fellow students.

    It’s a great place to see how others approach the same assignments, pick up new ideas, and learn from different perspectives. Whether you’re asking questions, sharing progress, or joining in discussions, the Discord is there to support you throughout your character design journey.

    DISCORD LINK

  • For this course, you can use whatever drawing tools you feel most comfortable with, whether that’s traditional or digital. Pencils, pens, markers, and sketchbooks are great for exploring form, gesture, and expression. If you prefer working digitally, tools like drawing tablets and software such as Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, or Procreate can give you the flexibility to work with layers and easily revise your drawings.

    You don’t need every tool to succeed, just something that lets you draw and explore ideas. Feel free to experiment with both traditional and digital approaches to discover what works best for your style and workflow as you bring your characters to life.

David’s Books

Character Design Essentials - Book Character Design Essentials - Book
Character Design Essentials - Book
$40.00

  • Character Design Essentials is designed around one goal:
    helping you create characters that actually feel alive, clear, and appealing.

    By the end of this book, you’ll be able to:
    • Design characters that read clearly from any angle
    • Make confident design choices instead of guessing
    • Build characters that communicate story and personality at a glance
    • Turn loose ideas into structured, professional-looking designs
    • Create work that feels intentional, expressive, and memorable

    This isn’t about memorizing rules, it’s about understanding why designs work, so you can apply the fundamentals to any style and any project.

    Whether you’re just starting out or refining your portfolio, this 100-page guide gives you a repeatable process you can come back to again and again as you grow.

  • Testimonials...

  • "I had the pleasure of mentoring David early in his beginning journey as a character designer. He's a creative talent that has a solid knack for crafting characters with personality and depth. I'm happy to endorse David as a skilled character designer who can bring creativity to any project.

  • Joe Moshier (Character Designer - The Emperors New Groove, The Boss Baby, Vivo)

  • "David taught me everything i know. I know very little, but i owe it all to him. You need this book!!"

  • Peace and Love  

  • Craig Kellman (Character Designer - Hotel Transylvania, Madagascar, Samurai Jack)

  • "David has that design insight that will get you to the next level in your work. "

  • Tony Siruno (Character Designer - Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse, Kung Fu Panda, How to train your dragon)

Character Design Essentials - PDF
Character Design Essentials - PDF
$25.00

  • Character Design Essentials is designed around one goal:
    helping you create characters that actually feel alive, clear, and appealing.

    By the end of this book, you’ll be able to:
    • Design characters that read clearly from any angle
    • Make confident design choices instead of guessing
    • Build characters that communicate story and personality at a glance
    • Turn loose ideas into structured, professional-looking designs
    • Create work that feels intentional, expressive, and memorable

    This isn’t about memorizing rules, it’s about understanding why designs work, so you can apply the fundamentals to any style and any project.

    Whether you’re just starting out or refining your portfolio, this 100-page guide gives you a repeatable process you can come back to again and again as you grow.

  • Testimonials...

  • "I had the pleasure of mentoring David early in his beginning journey as a character designer. He's a creative talent that has a solid knack for crafting characters with personality and depth. I'm happy to endorse David as a skilled character designer who can bring creativity to any project.

  • Joe Moshier (Character Designer - The Emperors New Groove, The Boss Baby, Vivo)

  • "David taught me everything i know. I know very little, but i owe it all to him. You need this book!!"

  • Peace and Love  

  • Craig Kellman (Character Designer - Hotel Transylvania, Madagascar, Samurai Jack)

  • "David has that design insight that will get you to the next level in your work. "

  • Tony Siruno (Character Designer - Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse, Kung Fu Panda, How to train your dragon)