I've been privileged to have such an amazing career in Feature Animation of over 20 years and growing, and in that time I've also shared many years as an educator, helping the next wave of artists level up their skills.  It was time for me to think of a way to broaden this reach and offer the many things I've learned back to this amazing community.  So The Character Studio was born with that exact intent.  My goal here at the Character Studio is to provide my workflow, my guidance, and my shared love for this craft. 

For anyone who has a passion for 3D character art and is looking to level up their skills.  Whether you are a beginner, a bit more seasoned and on the cusp of breaking into the industry, or a working professional, I will be your usher on your path as we work closely together to strengthen your eye, build your artistic confidence, and fire up your creativity and skill.

The Character Studio hosts 2 main ways to learn and develop your skills as a 3D Character Artists.  The first option is to enroll in the 10 Week Mentorship.  This one is a limited seat offering and ideal for those who thrive in a classroom setting with weekly lessons, critiques and goals. The second option is aimed at those who are most self-motivated and want to work at their pace with On-Demand lessons.  With the On-Demand route, you get the same instruction, but without the close interaction and guidance with your instructor.

The Mentorship is a way to work closely together through a 10 week program as you create a polished character from beginning to end.  It's meant to be an intimate setting of just 10 students max, to ensure quality time for each student for critiques and a supportive format where you will feel the reward of staying on a schedule and hitting your goals.  Some might join the mentorship with more experience than others, but that only presents great learning opportunities as we work through all the various challenges that come up organically when creating characters.  We meet twice a week - One session for a live demo, and a second session dedicated to critique. 

Yes, the mentorship is open enrollment. In my years of teaching, I’ve always valued being a resource to help anyone of any skill level. That said, for those are more fresh to the 3D character space, you will learn a very solid process and workflow, that you can take with you as you continue to grow as an artist. For those that are more seasoned, I will challenge you to push yourself as we discover ways to enhance your skill.

I treat the feedback as I would in a professional setting.  I've been both a Modeling Supervisor for DreamWorks Animation, overseeing many characters for various productions over the years, to now serving as a Character Designer for Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, working on many upcoming projects.  Taking that knowledge, I will guide you as I would any artist I would help in a studio environment.  Utilizing sculpt-overs, draw-overs and verbal guidance, we walk through the challenges together to find the right solutions and make sure you are clear for your next steps.

10 weeks is a good amount of time to create a polished portfolio piece, assuming you are putting in the work and keeping up with your weekly tasks.  Keeping yourself accountable, and learning to time manage, is essential to preparing yourself for a studio environment, or just building discipline.  Like with anything, if you put in the time, the results will follow.  By the end of the 10 weeks, you will have a beautifully polished 3D character that is posed and presented professionally.  

To ensure a rewarding experience and to respect everyone's valuable time, limiting the amount of mentee's is essential.  I want to ensure that each student receives the time that they need to keep them moving in the right direction.  I also find, that the group setting of just a few, creates a very organic opportunity to learn from other's challenges.  As you see other mentee's working towards their goal, you learn more through their challenges and also find encouragement and inspiration as you get to your own finish line.

Well, your instructor is me, Charles :).  And I can tell you that despite being a very busy working professional, I also balance being a father of 2, which is my most important job.  But I always make it a point to be as available as I can via email and our discord throughout the week if you need the additional support.  But our class time is where we hope to cover as much ground as we can.

1 on 1 dedicated time is offered and can be scheduled if needed.  This unique offer is also not exclusive to students enrolled in the Mentorship, but available as an option to anyone that is working through the the On-Demand courses as well, and is just looking for some guidance and feedback.  The 1 on 1 time is a 1 hour time slot that provides a way to receive highly dedicated direction.  Scheduling is flexible, but also dependent on availability.