Crash Course in Character Designs with Amy Rhree

Course Description:
This course is designed for students at the intermediate level of art who want to continue developing their skills in character design. The objective of this course is to equip students with a solid understanding of character design and to give them confidence in finding their own taste and voice. Through lectures, demos, and feedback, the class will go over fundamental design theories, discuss and dissect the idea of style, and explore different ways of injecting story and life into one's design.
The instructor's goal is to provide students with tangible design resources, a design process that they can rely on when feeling stuck, and a space for them to find their own voice and perspective. A basic understanding of human anatomy and perspective is required as a prerequisite.
● The instructor’s goal is to provide students three things:
- ○ Tangible design resources (Lecture & Demo)
- ○ A design process that one can rely on when they feel stuck
- ○ A space for you to find your voice/perspective
● Basic understanding of human anatomy & perspective.

Notify Me!

Additionally, we will share updates on our social media platforms.

Apply Now

Class starts in late summer 2023 (Pacific Time Zone/California).

For more details, please see the FAQ page.

Gold Tier: (Price TBA) Maximum of 8 students will receive critique and feedback from Amy.

Note: The first class is free (for non-workshop classes), but availability is limited on a first-come, first-served basis. Please visit the following link for details: Link

Classes will be hosted on Zoom. Please download the app before the first day of class. A microphone is required for critiques, while a webcam is encouraged but not mandatory (nobody wants to speak to a blank screen).

Students will have access to a shared Google Drive folder for feedback.

Demos will be conducted in Adobe Photoshop. Students are free to choose their own media, such as Procreate or traditional media.

This class is for intermediate level art students who want to continue developing their skills. Students are expected the know basics human anatomy

Expect 3-5 hours of homework per week with this class.

Live feedback

Course Overview

Prerequisite / Materials:

Before Week 1, students are required to provide a brief description or pitch for their character idea. Required materials include a choice of medium (traditional or digital canvas), Google Drive, and Zoom.

Important Note:

This syllabus, course assignments, and due dates are subject to change. It is the student's responsibility to check the course announcements for any changes.

Part 2: Topic Outline/Schedule:

Week 1: Overview of the course + Research

Summary of the course
Lecture: How to set up research for your project
- Style Inspo
- Story/Form
- Mood
Homework: Collecting reference

Week 2: Crash Course on Design & Stylization

Lecture: Rules of thumb for design
- Rhythm/Fast or Slow
- Proportions/Big Medium Small
- Graphic Design in Values and Shapes
Lecture 2: What is Style?
- Line vs. Mass
- Realism vs. Exaggeration of Proportion
- Laws of Physics
- Others: Color, Lighting, Texture, etc.
Lecture 3: Importance of Emotion-driven design
- Despite all this structure, you need to be in touch with your natural instincts.
- How to train it: collecting art, consuming a lot of art, and collecting experiences
Homework: Dissect/Research on your favorite artists

Week 3: Initial Sketches - Visual Communication

Lecture: How to set the big ideas in the sketching phase
- Job/Career
- Personality/Mood
- Movement
- World
Demo: Sketching big ideas out based on a prompt
Homework: Initial Sketches for the character

Week 4: Concept Refinement

Lecture: Bringing your initial sketches to the next level
- How to pick and choose your reference
- Bringing back the story elements into detail
- Revisiting Style
Feedback for the Sketches
Demo: Bringing rough sketches to the next phase
Homework: Refined sketches for the character

Week 5: Presentation & Final Execution

Lecture: Key components for the final illustration
- Design + Personality
- Gesture
- Graphic Design
- Story Element
- Revisiting Style
Demo: Setting up gesture/pose for character
Homework: Start the finished Illustration

Week 6: Supplements to your Portfolio / Feedback session

Lecture: What is a good portfolio package for a character designer?
- Turnaround
- Facial Expression Sheet
- Material Call-outs
- Prop Call-outs
Feedback for WIP Final Illustration
Homework: Finished Illustration

Week 7: Final Feedback / Q&A

Feedback for the final illustration
Q&A Session for the remaining time

Important Note: This syllabus, along with course assignments and due dates, are subject to change. It is the student’s responsibility to check our course.. Any changes will be clearly noted in course announcements.

Instructor: Amy Rhee

Amy Rhee is a Concept Artist specializing in character design and visual development. She attended Art Center College of Design majoring in Entertainment Design, and has been involved in both education and the industry for 5 years. Amy has worked in both animation and the video game industry as a concept designer and illustrator. Her clients include: NetEase Games, Warner Brothers Animation, and Probably Monsters.