Visual Development: Rooms That Speak at The Art Club is a two-day workshop open to artists of all skill levels, focused on building narrative-driven interiors through props, layout, and visual storytelling. Working from a provided isometric room layout (optional to use), students will design and decorate an interior space that communicates story, character, and mood through thoughtful design. The workshops includes a demo covering how to design storytelling props and integrate them effectively into an interior environment. Active students will be able to submit their work for drawovers, receiving direct feedback and guidance from the insturctor on strengthening narrative clarity, visual development choices, and overall presentation. The workshop emphasizes background visual development techniques commonly used in animation and illustration, with a strong focus on environmental storytelling.
Participants may join as Active students, receiving drawovers and feedback, or as Viewers, with access to the live sessions and text chat interaction with the instructor.
VISUAL DEVELOPMENT: ROOMS THAT SPEAK
Visual Development: Rooms That Speak at The Art Club is a two-day workshop open to artists of all skill levels, focused on building narrative-driven interiors through props, layout, and visual storytelling. Working from a provided isometric room layout (optional to use), students will design and decorate an interior space that communicates story, character, and mood through thoughtful design. The workshops includes a demo covering how to design storytelling props and integrate them effectively into an interior environment. Active students will be able to submit their work for drawovers, receiving direct feedback and guidance from the insturctor on strengthening narrative clarity, visual development choices, and overall presentation. The workshop emphasizes background visual development techniques commonly used in animation and illustration, with a strong focus on environmental storytelling.
What you will walk away with:
• A clearer understanding of how environments communicate story and mood
• Stronger decision making when designing props and interior spaces
• Increased confidence creating narrative driven backgrounds
• A more intentional visual development process you can reuse on future projects
What You’ll Make:
• A fully designed narrative-driven isometric room interior ready for portfolio or personal projects.
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.
Dates
Sundays - April 26 & May 3
Time
2:00pm - 5:00pm PST
Location
The Art Club - Discord: <https://discord.gg/TZb8wK292j> Blue Classroom
FORMAT
Class meets on Discord
Homework must be uploaded to Google Drive folder before the next class begins
Active Student spots are limited to 15 participants, and Viewer access is limited to 50 seats.
THE FACULTY
Derek Ortega is a visual development artist and illustrator based in Los Angeles, California. With over eight years of experience in animation, he has contributed to a wide range of projects as a visual development artist and character designer. His work includes collaborations with major studios such as Laika, Netflix, Disney, Sony, Warner Brothers, Cartoon Network, and others.
You can see more of his work at: https://www.derekortega.com/
Derek’s Credits
Prerequisites
This workshop is open to all skill levels. To participate as an Active Student and get the most out of the class, students should have the following:
Drawing/Painting software (Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, etc.)
Computer with microphone (camera optional)
Access to Google Drive
Access to Discord
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The workshop begins with a demo lecture focused on designing interiors that communicate story, character, and mood. The instructor will demonstrate how to develop and place storytelling elements within an isometric interior layout, covering visual clarity, hierarchy, and narrative intent.
Assignment: Use the provided (or your own) isometric layout to fill the space with props and details that tell a story. Submit your design before the next class for feedback and drawovers on Day 2.
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The second day focuses on reviewing submitted work through a live demo lecture and drawovers. Students will receive direct feedback on prop design, layout choices, and overall storytelling, with guidance on pushing readability, mood, and visual development polish.
Who is this Workshop for?
Visual Development: Rooms That Speak is designed for artists of all skill levels who want to strengthen their ability to tell stories through interior spaces, props, and environmental details. The workshop emphasizes applying visual development techniques with clarity, purpose, and narrative impact.
Current College Students – looking to improve their visual storytelling, practice designing environments that communicate character and story, and build portfolio-ready work.
Professionals – in animation, illustration, or related fields who want to refine environmental storytelling skills, enhance prop and layout design, and strengthen production-ready visual development techniques.
Hobbyists – who want a hands-on, structured approach to designing narrative-driven interiors and are eager to practice storytelling through thoughtful space and prop design.
Outcomes
By the end of this workshop, students will be able to:
Design interiors that tell a story using props and layout
Apply visual development techniques to improve clarity and mood
Make strong, intentional choices in prop and environment design
Receive and use feedback to refine their work
What You’ll Make: A fully designed narrative-driven isometric room interior ready for portfolio or personal projects.
Visual Development: Rooms That Speak at The Art Club is a two-day workshop open to artists of all skill levels, focused on building narrative-driven interiors through props, layout, and visual storytelling. Working from a provided isometric room layout (optional to use), students will design and decorate an interior space that communicates story, character, and mood through thoughtful design. The workshops includes a demo covering how to design storytelling props and integrate them effectively into an interior environment. Active students will be able to submit their work for drawovers, receiving direct feedback and guidance from the insturctor on strengthening narrative clarity, visual development choices, and overall presentation. The workshop emphasizes background visual development techniques commonly used in animation and illustration, with a strong focus on environmental storytelling.
Participants may join as Active students, receiving drawovers and feedback, or as Viewers, with access to the live sessions and text chat interaction with the instructor.
