Character Design and Development

Proportion, anatomy, costume design, action, and character interaction are the focus of this class, taught by professional illustrators. Both instructor and student artwork are combined in this Gallery.

PLEASE NOTE: Instructors Mick Kaufer and Lilliah campagna head our Character Design and Development Classes. They have also been Art Academy students since they were teenagers. When you view their work you see how skills develop through our programs. The same is true of guest instructor Eliza Baker. When other students are showcased in this Gallery, their ages are always listed.

Pencil Starts

First lessons in Character Design are done in pencil, non-photo blue pencil, brown pencil, or red pencil. Some of the samples show the use of digital tablets.

Matt Wendt, Guest Instructor, Astrosaur Cybear, Pencil Study

Matt Wendt, Guest Instructor, Pet Triceratops, Pencil Study

Matt Wendt, Guest Instructor, Spaceasaurus, Pencil Study

Matt Wendt, Guest Instructor, Two Bunnies, Pencil Study

Matt Wendt, Guest Instructor, Terra the Teen Timetraveler, Pencil Study

Matt Wendt, Guest Instructor, Space Elf, Pencil Study

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Archmaster Drelethyn Character Design, Digital Drawing

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Bringer of Light, Digital Blueline Drawing

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Female Warrior Character Design, Digital Brownline Drawing

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Female Archer, Digital Redline Drawing

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Female Swordmaster, Digital Redline Drawing

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Instructor, Half Length Portrait Study of a Male Elf, Digital Drawing

Pen & Ink Character Studies

Developing Pen & Ink skills is essential to create dynamic characters. Our examples include traditional and digital inking methods.

David Witt, Instructor, Famous Last Words – Salvador Dali, Pen & Ink Drawing

Matt Wendt, Guest Instructor, Mutant Bunny, Pen & Ink Character Study

Matt Wendt, Guest Instructor, Batman, Pen & Ink Character Study

David Witt, Instructor, Famous Last Words – Josephine Baker, Pen & Ink Drawing

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Goddess 1, Digital Black and White Illustration

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Creature Character Design, Digital Drawing

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Blackmoon, Digital Black and White Illustration

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Goddess 2, Digital Black and White Illustration

Alex Pedersen, Age 14, Pen & Ink on Paper

Alex Carroll, Age 14, Pen & Ink on Paper

Stephanie Bai, Age 13, Pen & Ink on Paper

Mason Seller, Age 13, Pen & Ink on Paper

DWitt's Inktober

Throughout October, 2014, instructor David Witt created a Halloween tribute and spoofed many popular cartoon, comic, and film characters. We publish this homage as a celebration of David's commitment to perfect his inking skills, which he demonstrates to our students.

David Witt, Instructor, DWitt's Inktober – 2014, Pen & Ink Book Cover

David Witt, Instructor, DWitt's Inktober – 2014, Book Illustration, Pen & Ink Drawing

David Witt, Instructor, You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch!, Pen & Ink Drawing. This was not a part of David's 2014 Inktober series, but what a fun portrait of Dr. Suess' antagonist

Color Character Studies

After students learn how to create characters in black & white they are encouraged to explore designs in color.

Becky Grutzik, Guest Instructor, Me!, Digital Self-Portrait

Becky Grutzik, Guest Instructor, Peep Light!, Digital Character Study

Becky Grutzik, Guest Instructor, Batty, Digital Character Study

Becky Grutzik, Guest Instructor, Blond Boy Hipster, Digital Character Study

Becky Grutzik, Guest Instructor, Magic Reika, Digital Character Study

Becky Grutzik, Guest Instructor, Happy Girl, Digital Character Study

Becky Grutzik, Guest Instructor, Mallet Girl, Digital Character Study

Becky Grutzik, Guest Instructor, Lazerboy, Digital Character Study

Matt Wendt, Guest Instructor, Kid Anarchy, Digital Character Study

Matt Wendt, Guest Instructor, Robot 1, Digital Character Study

Matt Wendt, Guest Instructor, Robot 2, Digital Character Study

Matt Wendt, Guest Instructor, Big Brute, Digital Character Study

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Female Warrior, Digital Character Study

Eliza Baker, Guest Instructor, Blue Mage, Age 20, Digital Character Design

Eliza Baker, Guest Instructor, Zouch, Digital Character Study

Eliza Baker, Guest Instructor, Rockasaurus, Age 20, Digital Character Study

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Roan, Digital Character Study

David Witt, Instructor, Beanbug – Bikes!, Screenprint

David Witt, Instructor, Beanbug – Books!, Screenprint

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Tindlewick, Age 18, Digital Costume and Character Study

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, The Boxer, Digital Painting

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Kerosene Eyes, Digital Painting

Becky Grutzik, Guest Instructor, Girl With Flowing Hair, Painting

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Redemption, Digital Painting

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Color Costume Design, Digital Character Study Painting

Bill Hauser, Instructor, Four Chiaroscuro Character Studies 1, Ink and Acrylic on Chipboard

Bill Hauser, Instructor, Four Chiaroscuro Character Studies 2, Ink and Acrylic on Chipboard

Bill Hauser, Instructor, Electric Raven, Digital Painting

Character Design – Portraits

First we teach students to draw the rudimentary features of the human head; then they learn to manipulate those shapes to produce a variety of characters.

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Elfen Portrait Study, Digital Black and White Illustration

Sam Petersen, Guest Instructor, Goatee Portrait Side, Pen & Ink Study

Sam Petersen, Guest Instructor, Goatee Portrait Front, Pen & Ink Study

Sam Petersen, Guest Instructor, Portrait of a Skateboarder, Pen & Ink Study

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Pain and Pyre, Digital Preparatory Drawing

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Pain and Pyre, Final Digital Painting

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Digital Sketchbook Page, Digital Redline Portrait Drawing

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Mychen Zel, Digital Portrait

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, All Hail the Queen, Digital Portrait

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Ghost Eyes 1, Digital Portrait

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Ghost Eyes 2, Digital Portrait

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Portrait Studies, Digital Facial Expression Sheet

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Drelethyn, Digital Portrait

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Velsi, Digital Portrait

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Asher-Ren, Digital Portrait

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, S'en, Digital Portrait

Creative Anatomy

Character Design demands that artists have fun with anatomic forms. Then new and exciting creatures develop.

David Witt, Instructor, Skeksis, Pencil Portrait

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Flying Raven, Digital Drawing

Mick Kaufer, Dragon Skeleton, Digital Drawing

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Standing Raven, Digital Drawing

David Witt, Instructor, Funskull, Screenprint

David Witt, Instructor, Roboskull, Screenprint

David Witt, Instructor, Scribbleskull, Screenprint

David Witt, Instructor, Trippple-Eyeskull, Pencil Drawing

Character Design Sheets

Characterization all comes together when students create Character Design Sheets.

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Reven Serthi, Digital Character Design Sheet

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, D & D Character Design Sheet With Height Comparisons, Digital Character Design Sheet

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, 18th Century Dandy, Digital Character Design Sheet

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Enchantress, Digital Character Design Sheet

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Kivrin, Age 21, Digital Character Design Sheet

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, The Central Republic of Rota, Digital Character Design Sheet

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, The Uruk, Digital Character Design Sheet

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Sendaya Neru, Age 21, Digital Character Design Sheet

Costume Design and Costume Variations

After students create a Character Design Sheet they also learn how to use reference material to model costume and clothing pattern changes.

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Winged Warrior, Digital Costume Design

Sam Petersen, Guest Instructor, Dark Age Warrior Costume Design, Pen & Ink Study

Eliza Baker, Guest Instructor, Renfest Costume Design, Age 20, Digital Self-Portrait

Eliza Baker, Guest Instructor, Gidget, Age 20, Digital Costume Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, DA Character, Digital Costume Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Dress Design Stage 1, Digital Costume Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Dress Design Stage 2, Digital Costume Drawing

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Dress Design Final, Digital Costume Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Dress Design Variation 1, Digital Costume and Character Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Dress Design Variation 2, Digital Costume and Character Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Dress Design Variation 3, Digital Costume and Character Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Dress Design Variation 4, Digital Costume and Character Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, 1920's Flapper, Digital Clothing Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, 1920s Singer, Digital Clothing Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, 1920s Gentleman, Digital Clothing Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, 1920s Gangster, Digital Clothing Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Spiderverse, Digital Character Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Outfit Design Lineup 1, Digital Clothing Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Outfit Design Lineup 2, Digital Clothing Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Nastia, Digital Clothing Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, The Dishonorable Captain Vane, Digital Costume Design Closeup

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, 18th Century Dandy, Digital Costume Design Variations

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Medusa, Digital Costume Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Witchhunter, Digital Costume Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Pant Design Variation 1, Digital Costume Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Pant Design Variation 2, Digital Costume Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Pant Design Variation 3, Digital Costume Design

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Pant Design Variation 4, Digital Costume Design

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Fashion Variations, Digital Costume Design

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Color Costume Design 1, Age 20, Digital Costume and Character Design

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Color Character Design 2, Closeup

Lilliah Campagna, Instructor, Armor Design, Digital Costume Design

Emotion and Expression Studies

It is one thing to create a character. It is another to give LIFE to that creation. That's where emotion and expression comes into play.

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Smile Studies, Digital Expression Studies

David Witt, Instructor, Brooding Batman, Pen & Ink Character Study

David Witt, Instructor, Cackling Joker, Pen & Ink Character Study

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Anger Studies, Digital Expression Studies

David Witt, Instructor, Grumpy Ape, Screen Print

David Witt, Instructor, Shrieking Black Cat, Screenprint

David Witt, Instructor, Screaming Were-Elf, Pen & Ink Character Study

David Witt, Instructor, Angry Mummy, Screenprint

Action

A personality is not filled with life merely through facial expression. Rather, It flows through every movement of a characters body.

David Witt, Instructor, Guitar Solos, Screenprint

Becky Grutzik, Guest Instructor, Power Girl, Digital Painting

David Witt, Instructor, Universe Cruiser, Screenprint

Becky Grutzik, Guest Instructor, Girl Pointing Left, Digital Painting

Becky Grutzik, Guest Instructor, Martial Arts Girl, Digital Painting

Bill Hauser, Instructor, Grim Reaper, Pen & Ink Character Study

Mick Kaufer, Instructor, Buccaneer Action Poses, Digital Warfare Study

Becky Grutzik, Guest Instructor, Forest Defender, Digital Painting

Character Interaction

Finally, there is the challenge to create multiple characters and weave scenarios so they interact in convincing ways. Then it becomes easy for students to compose captivating pictures. View examples of those compositions in our Visual Storytelling through Comics and Graphic Novels and Digital Art and Composition Galleries.

Rick Bernal, Illustrator, Dino and Bird. This Ballpoint ink drawing was done by our dear friend Rick Bernal to illustrate key pricipals of character interaction, composition, and lighting for our school