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Story Driven Character Design Story Driven Character Design Story Driven Character Design
Sold out
Story Driven Character Design
from $100.00

Story Driven Character Design at The Art Club is open to all Intermediate to Advanced level students and focuses on the importance of story as it pertains to Character Design. students will develop character explorations, create a character lineup, build pose and expression sheets, and produce a story-beat drawing based on a story. Throughout the course, the focus will be on using story as the foundation for all design and acting decisions.  

The Story Driven Character Design workshop at The Art Club teaches artists how to create characters that are not only visually appealing but also tell compelling stories.

Participants may join as Active students, receiving drawovers and feedback, or as Viewers, with access to the live sessions and text chat interaction with other viewers.

STORY DRIVEN CHARACTER DESIGN

The Story Driven Character Design workshop at The Art Club is open to all Intermediate to Advanced level students and focuses on how to design characters with clear personality, emotion, and narrative purpose. 

By grounding every design choice in the story, you will develop the ability to create characters that feel intentional, expressive, and believable. You will learn how professional artists use narrative to guide shape language, acting choices, and visual clarity so characters do more than look appealing. They communicate who they are.

By the end of the workshop, you will have strengthened your ability to:

  • Design characters based on story, not surface aesthetics

  • Build cohesive character lineups with clear cohesive relationships

  • Create pose and expression sheets that show acting and intent

  • Translate story moments into readable, emotionally grounded drawings

What You’ll Make: Active students will leave with a portfolio including character research and design explorations, a refined character lineup, pose and expression sheets, and a fully realized story-moment illustration suitable for professional or personal use.

The Story Driven Character Design workshop at The Art Club teaches artists how to create characters that are not only visually appealing but also tell compelling stories.

Participants may join as Active students, receiving drawovers and feedback, or as Viewers, with access to the live sessions and text chat interaction with other viewers.

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Dates
Mondays - Jan 5 - Feb 2

Time
7:00pm - 10:00pm PST

Location
The Art Club - Discord: <https://discord.gg/TZb8wK292j> Green Classroom

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FORMAT

  • Class meets once a week on Discord.

  • Recorded Access: Class recordings are provided after the course, viewable for one year for Active & Viewer Pass students.

  • Active student’s must upload homework to Google Drive folder before the next class begins.

  • Active student spots are limited to 10 participants, and Viewer access is limited to 20 seats.

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Black and white cartoon sketch of a man with glasses, a beard, and styled hair, labeled as Scott Epstein.

THE FACULTY

Scott Epstein is a Los Angeles based Visual Development Artist & Character Designer with 8+ years of experience in the animation industry. Scott has worked for such studios as: Sony Pictures Animation, Warner Animation Group, Warner Brothers Animation, Dreamworks TV, Netflix, Titmouse, Disney Jr., Oddbot, Wild Canary, Blue Zoo & more.

Scott is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama, with a BFA in Scenic & Costume Design for Theatre, Film, & Television. Scott’s greatest achievement is being in the top .01% of Barbra Streisand listeners on Spotify.

You can see more of his work at: www.scottepsteindesign.com

Animated scene of a wedding in the rain with a bride holding a dog, surrounded by wedding guests with umbrellas and a church in the background.
Illustration of a king with a large beard and crown, surrounded by guards, featuring a banner with the text 'The King'.
Illustration of a princess looking at herself in a mirror with a worried expression, surrounded by sketches and different emotional expressions, with a title that reads 'The Princess'.
Animated scene of a queen with dark hair in a purple dress and a crown, holding a red gemstone, with four women dressed in dark robes and pointy hoods bowing before her, one woman pouring purple liquid from a pitcher into a cup.
Four animated monks in brown robes, each with different facial expressions and gestures, standing against a plain background.
Animated character of a man wearing a yellow sports jersey with the number 23, purple hat, beige shorts, and purple shoes, depicted in three different poses with a basketball.
Illustration of multiple cats in various humorous poses and expressions, some lying on furniture or on the floor, one sitting on an ornate chair, and one swimming in a fishbowl on a table.
Three animated women enjoying a celebration at a table with drinks, wearing colorful and stylish outfits, with one woman raising a glass and smiling broadly, another making a unimpressed face, and the third resting her chin on her hand.
Cartoon illustration of two women in a glamorous setting. One woman is standing with blonde hair, wearing a teal dress, next to a black cat. The other woman, with big curly hair, is sitting on a sofa, applying makeup, wearing a purple dress and a whi
A cartoon spider character wearing a witch hat and cloak, standing on a web with a spooky background of hanging lanterns.
A collection of animated characters dressed as scouts, including boys and an older man, engaging in various cheerful and expressive poses around a small table with a feather quill on a stand.
Two animated girls standing side by side, each holding a pink flip phone. One girl has dark skin, long white hair, purple lipstick, and a purple outfit with a purple bag and high heels. The other girl has light skin, black hair with pink streaks, and
A cartoon elderly woman with glasses, gray hair, and a yellow shirt holding a tray with a milkshake topped with whipped cream and a cherry, a burger, and fries. She wears beige pants, purple socks, and pink sneakers.
A cartoon depiction of a winged monkey with curly orange hair, purple skin, and a cigar in its mouth, sitting with legs crossed and holding a smartphone, with a cigar smoke rising and a small shadow beneath.
An illustrated scene from the fairy tale Snow Queen featuring two characters, one dressed as a queen with a crown and a yellow gown, and the other as an older man with a pink hat, a gray beard, and a white beard, standing on snow with a faint pink ci
A cartoon illustration of a large white tiger with black stripes, wearing a spiked collar and chains, standing next to a woman with blue hair, a black dress, and a red feather in her hair, against a plain background.
A cartoon witch with a blue hat and a black dress sitting on a broomstick, holding a broom, with a white brick wall background.
Six grayscale cartoon portraits of elderly men with long hair and beards, each with a different facial expression.
Sketch of two characters resembling fantasy wizards or elders with long hair and beards, holding staffs, wearing robes, and smiling.
Comparison of a black-and-white sketch of a wizard with a colorful, finished illustration of the same wizard, showing a cheerful wizard holding a spellbook.
Cartoon wizard with long hair and beard holding a staff, talking to a scroll with a face and wings.

Scott’s Credits

Animated characters from 'Action Pack' flying through a sky with lightning, with the title 'Action Pack' at the bottom.
Three animated dogs, each with black fur, red noses, and expressive faces, are smiling, winking, and wearing colorful clothing. They are holding up a platform with two animated mice, one tall and thin with big ears, and the other smaller with glasses
Poster for the Netflix animated series 'Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight,' featuring characters from the movie, with martial arts poses against an orange and yellow background with mountain and pagoda images. Release date July 14.
Promotional poster for the animated movie "Tom & Jerry" featuring Tom the cat and Jerry the mouse in the middle of a city street, with tall buildings and traffic, and the tagline "Best of enemies. Worst of friends." at the top.
Poster for the animated movie "Merry Little Batman" featuring Batman and Batgirl inside a snow globe, with a cityscape background, and a black mountain with a bat symbol at the top. The poster includes the Amazon Prime logo, the release date December
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Prerequisites

This is an Intermediate to Advanced-level class. To participate as an Active student and get the most out of the class, Active students need to fulfill the following requirements:

  • A solid understanding of draftsmanship 

  • A base understanding of shape design, rhythm, and appeal

  • Drawing/Painting software (Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, etc.) 

  • Computer with microphone (camera optional) 

  • Access to Google Drive 

  • Access to Discord

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  • You’ll be tasked with creating a new take on a classic story. We’ll begin by analyzing the story and deciding what elements of the plot and characters are important and how they will influence your design choices. From there, we’ll explore how shape language and posing can help you begin to “find” each character’s design.

    Assignment: Active students create research boards for their main characters and begin rough design explorations. 

  • We’ll explore how to create pose and expression sheets for your characters. Focusing on how each character can express the same emotions but in a way that’s unique to them and the story.

    Assignment: Active students tie down their designs, creating final versions for both characters. Then, choose one character and draw 3–4 rough poses and 3–4 rough expressions that emphasize storytelling rather than “catalog poses.”

  • We’ll discuss the importance of using story to inform design and posing. Exploring how character interaction and staging can be used as tools to communicate story.

    Assignment: Active students choose a moment from the story that they want to explore. Create a rough pass, focusing on character interaction and incorporating hints of props/set pieces. If you have time, draw 3-4 rough poses and expressions for your second character. 

  • We’ll explore how to elevate your story moment drawings with minimal prop and set design elements. You’ll learn how to give hints of the world you’re creating to further support character and story.

    Assignment: Active students refine their character moment by adding selective props and set pieces, then tie down the drawing and add polish.

  • In the final class we’ll review everything we’ve learned about using story as the basis for design and acting decisions. By the end of the workshop, Active students will have portfolio-ready character explorations, pose and expression sheets, and a fully realized story moment illustration.

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Who is this Workshop for?

The Story Driven Character Design workshop is designed for Intermediate to Advanced artists who want to deepen their understanding of storytelling in character design. While some foundational drawing and design principles will be reviewed, the class focuses primarily on using story to guide design choices, posing, and acting. A solid grasp of draftsmanship is required.

  • Current College Students – looking to strengthen their character design skills, refine their storytelling abilities, and receive practical exercises to support coursework or personal projects.

  • Professionals – in animation, illustration, or related fields aiming to sharpen core principles, improve storytelling in their characters, and elevate audience engagement.

  • Hobbyists – who want to explore character design in a structured, practical, and creative way.

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Outcomes

By the end of this workshop, students will be able to:

  • Analyze stories effectively to identify key narrative elements that inform character design decisions

  • Design characters that are visually appealing while clearly communicating story, personality, and intent

  • Integrate storytelling into every stage of character development, creating more engaging and memorable designs

  • Use acting, posing, and expression to push design choices and reflect character psychology and emotion

  • Create expressive character poses and interactions that connect with an audience and communicate story moments

  • Active Students will receive feedback and drawovers to refine clarity, performance, and storytelling in their work

What You’ll Make: Active students will leave with a portfolio including character research and design explorations, a refined character lineup, pose and expression sheets, and a fully realized story-moment illustration suitable for professional or personal use.

A pink banner with the text 'REGISTER NOW' in white, bold letters.
Story Driven Character Design Story Driven Character Design Story Driven Character Design
Sold out
Story Driven Character Design
from $100.00

Story Driven Character Design at The Art Club is open to all Intermediate to Advanced level students and focuses on the importance of story as it pertains to Character Design. students will develop character explorations, create a character lineup, build pose and expression sheets, and produce a story-beat drawing based on a story. Throughout the course, the focus will be on using story as the foundation for all design and acting decisions.  

The Story Driven Character Design workshop at The Art Club teaches artists how to create characters that are not only visually appealing but also tell compelling stories.

Participants may join as Active students, receiving drawovers and feedback, or as Viewers, with access to the live sessions and text chat interaction with other viewers.

Pink banner with the word 'WORKSHOPS' in white text, black top border, and pink bottom border.

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