PROP DESIGN: FROM SKETCH TO SCREEN
Prop Design: From Sketch To Screen at The Art Club will guide students through what it takes to create effective, production-ready prop designs for animated shows. The workshop explores core concepts such as understanding basic structure, matching established design styles, and developing new visual styles for your own art.
Students will learn how to design directly from storyboard panels. Where students will translating rough visual cues into clear, functional, and appealing props that support the needs of the scene. Through demos, breakdowns, and practical assignments, the class will provide a solid overview of the prop designer’s role within an animated production.
By the end of the workshop, students will be able to:
Design props that support story, character interaction, and the scene
Create functional, readable, and visually appealing props for animation
Translate storyboard panels into production-ready prop designs
Match and adapt to established visual styles
Make design choices that are intentional, clear, and consistent with a show’s aesthetic
What You’ll Make: Production ready Props for animation, including objects, vehicles, and FX.
Dates
Wednesday - Feb 25
Time
6:00pm - 9:00pm 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.
Students will be able to participate via text chat and ask questions directly to the instructor.
THE FACULTY
Erik Elizarrez is a Prop Designer, Cleanup Artist, and Comic Book Cover Artist with 23yrs of experience in the Animation Industry. He has been extremely fortunate to work for some amazing show runners and studios, including Disney, Warner Bros, Nickelodeon, Dreamworks, Netflix, Bento Box, and Titmouse. Some of his most recent shows have been the Animaniacs, Proud Family, Tiny Toons Looniversity, and Krapopolis. In his spare time he has started doing variant comic covers for Image, TopshelfComic, and Skybound.
Erik has done lectures for the Nickelodeon outreach school programs both at Nickelodeon and in the classroom.
Erik’s Credits
Prerequisites
This is an Intermediate to Advanced-level class. In order to have a productive learning experience for all, prospective students need to fulfill the following requirements:
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator (reccomended but not necessary)
Access to Google Drive
Access to Discord
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In this one-day workshop, participants will dive into the foundations of prop design in animation, learning how props function within a scene and across a production pipeline. Through a combination of lecture and live demonstration, the instructor will show how to translate storyboard panels into clear, functional, and appealing prop designs. Key topics include understanding basic structure and form, matching established design styles, and developing a visual language consistent with a show’s aesthetic.
The workshop will also focus on refining and strengthening prop designs to better support storytelling and reinforce world building while staying true to the show’s visual style. Participants will follow along with the instructor as they demonstrate the design process in real time, applying each step to their own prop designs.
Who is this Workshop for?
The Prop Design: From Sketch To Screen workshop is designed for anyone interested in strengthening their prop design skills for animation, whether they’re aiming to enter the industry, expand their existing visual development toolkit, or simply deepen their understanding of how props support story and style. The workshop welcomes artists at various stages in their creative journey and provides guidance that is adaptable to different skill levels and artistic backgrounds.
Current College Students – looking to build a stronger portfolio and gain a clearer understanding of production-focused prop design.
Professionals – who want to refine their design versatility, expand into prop or vis-dev roles, or strengthen their storytelling through props.
Hobbyists – who want structured guidance, practical assignments, and a deeper insight into how animated shows develop and use props.
Outcomes
By the end of this workshop, students will be able to:
Develop the ability to break down storyboard roughs and extract key design information.
Turn storyboard panels into clear, appealing props.
Match or develop styles that fit a show.
Design props that enhance story and world building.
Gain insight into the full workflow of designing props for an animated show, from concept to final design.
What You’ll Make: Production ready Props for animation, including objects, vehicles, and FX.
