Ember Art Guild students drawing together

Character Design: Heroes & Rivals

January 2027 · Four-week studio

Design characters with personality, purpose, and unforgettable visual appeal. Also get a 30-minute 1:1 call with a professional artist mentor to discuss your goals and how to get the most out of the studio.

Tuition covers all four sessions. Studios are non-refundable.

Learn the professional approach to making memorable characters.

 

 

Great character design is more than drawing a cool outfit. In this four-week studio, students learn how professional artists use shape language, silhouette, proportion, pose, expression, costume, props, and color to communicate who a character is before they ever speak. Students design a hero and rival who feel visually distinct while still belonging to the same world. Each week builds toward a polished presentation sheet through thumbnails, development, critique, and revision.

 

What Students will Learn:

Shape language and silhouette; proportion and visual hierarchy; gesture and posing; facial expression; costume and prop storytelling; color design; iteration and critique; presentation.

 

4-Week Project Arc:

Week 1: Explore hero/rival concepts through shape language, silhouette, proportion, and personality thumbnails.
Week 2: Develop the strongest designs through gesture, anatomy, facial expression, and distinctive poses.
Week 3: Design costumes, props, and palettes that reveal role and personality while creating contrast.
Week 4: Refine through critique and produce a polished Hero & Rival presentation sheet.

 

Final Project:

Polished Hero & Rival character presentation sheet.

 

Recommended Student / Fit:

Students ages 13-18 who already enjoy drawing characters and want to learn why professional designs feel distinctive, readable, and intentional.

 

Outcome:

Students leave with a complete character-design project demonstrating both creative ideas and measurable design skills.