STORY DRIVEN CHARACTER DESIGN
Story Driven Character Design at The Art Club is open to all levels and focuses on the core principles of character design. Students will develop their skills in storytelling, appeal, and shape language to create expressive, memorable characters.
What you’ll learn:
The core fundamentals of character design
How to use shape, rhythm, and appeal to strengthen your work
Ways to add storytelling into your characters
Practical exercises that make concepts clear and actionable
How to create expressive, memorable characters that connect with audiences
A solid foundation for both beginners and aspiring professionals
Through clear lessons and guided practice, this course builds confidence for beginners while helping experienced artists sharpen their skills and prepare for advanced studies.
Dates
Thursdays - Jan 9 - Jan 30
Time
7:00pm - 10:00pm PST
Location
Creative Lab Workshops - Discord: <https://discord.gg/TZb8wK292j> Green Classroom
FORMAT
Class meets once a week on Discord
Recorded Access: Class recordings are provided after the course, viewable for one year.
Homework must be uploaded to Google Drive folder before the next class begins
The class enrollment is limited to a maximum of 10 students.
THE FACULTY
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
Prerequisites
This is an all-level design class. In order to have a productive learning experience for all, prospective students need to fulfill the following requirements:
Drawing/Painting software (Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, ect…)
Computer with microphone (camera optional)
Access to Google Drive
Access to Discord
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We’ll begin by focusing on the essentials of design: shape, proportion, variation, and story. You’ll learn how to approach character design with clarity and intent while exploring the story prompt that will guide the course.
Assignment: Gather a page of visual reference material based on the story to establish tone, mood, and direction.
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We’ll review the story prompt, analyze the gathered reference, and start developing rough drawings. The focus will be on visual storytelling and using gesture and proportion to bring early ideas to life.
Assignment: Refine and expand your rough drawings based on feedback and story clarity.
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This session focuses on strengthening design choices, enhancing variety, and creating cohesion across your cast. We’ll refine proportions, shapes, and storytelling details to build a strong and consistent lineup.
Assignment: Take another pass on your lineup, refining and pushing the designs toward a finished presentation.
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In the final class, you’ll bring everything together by finalizing your lineup based on the story and the fundamentals covered in previous sessions. The result will be a complete, polished character lineup ready for portfolio presentation.
Who is this Workshop for?
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. Through lessons on shape, rhythm, appeal, and practical exercises, students will learn to design expressive, memorable characters that connect with audiences.
Pre-College Students – seeking a foundational understanding of character design and storytelling to prepare for further art education.
Current College Students – looking to strengthen their character design skills, refine their storytelling abilities, and gain 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 enhance audience appeal.
Hobbyists – of any skill level who want to explore character design in a structured, practical, and creative way.
Outcomes
Mastery of core character design fundamentals, including shape, rhythm, and appeal.
Ability to integrate storytelling into character development for more engaging and memorable designs.
Enhanced skills in creating expressive characters that connect with audiences.
Practical experience through exercises that make concepts clear, actionable, and applicable to professional work.
A solid foundation for further study in advanced character design or related artistic fields.
