Youth Character Design Academy

Build up your foundational skills and bring your ideas to life through the complete 8-week Youth Character Design Academy! Students will learn how artists use shape language, form, structure, style, and composition to create original characters. From there, they’ll build on those foundations through posing, figure consistency, props, and environments. By the end of the academy, students will place their character into a sequential layout that shows what they’ve learned while also introducing clear visual storytelling through believable pacing. Across Course A and Course B, students will strengthen their drawing and design skills, develop characters with clear visual identities, and learn how to show those characters in action and interaction within a story. The goal is not to copy the instructor’s style, but to make stronger artistic choices and build greater confidence in their own. Course A students will focus on foundational character-design skills, while Course B students will build on those foundations with more advanced techniques. Full Course students will receive the complete curriculum, designed to guide them through creating and developing a character from start to finish. Drop-ins are welcome! If your student wants to brush up on a specific skill being taught that week, they may register for that individual class. Curated take-home art kits are provided only to recurring students enrolled in Course A, Course B, or the Full Course. Drop-in students will use shared classroom materials. Week # Class Date (a) ONE - Shape Language October 27th, 2026 (a) TWO - Faces & Expressions November 3rd, 2026 (a) THREE - Bodies & Posing November 10th, 2026 (a) FOUR - Character Illustration November 17th, 2026 [Showcase @ 5:50pm; Parents Welcome!] (b) FIVE - Dynamic Gesture & Movement December 1st, 2026 (b) SIX - Reference Sheets December 8th, 2026 (b) SEVEN - Items & Backgrounds December 15th, 2026 (b) EIGHT - 4 Panel Sequential Comic December 22nd, 2026 [Showcase @ 5:50pm; Parents Welcome!] Space is limited to just 12 recurring students, so early registration is encouraged! NO CLASS ON NOVEMBER 24!!