2025 | SUMMER REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

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Character Design Portfolio Mentorship

Character Design Portfolio Mentorship

An 8-week mentorship course where students will strengthen their character design portfolios based on career goals and artistic direction/pursuits 
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Build a stronger portfolio

Build a stronger portfolio
This mentorship will mimic the building blocks used in a feature film and game production environment to develop professional and appealing character designs using Aesop's Fables, fairy tales, novels, and video games.


Please Note: This course You must have taken Analytical Figure Drawing, Fundamentals of Character Design, and Digital Painting or have equivalent skills prior to enrolling, if you would like further guidance please contact us for a portfolio review or email us at registration@cgmasteracademy.com and we will be glad to help.

Registration Now Open
Registration Period
Apr 23, 2025 - Jul 14, 2025
Course Start
Jul 07, 2025

Course Format

Live group sessions (sessions are recorded and available afterwards)

Skills Level

Intermediate- Advanced

Duration

8 weeks

Q&A

Live (sessions are recorded and available afterwards)

Feedback

Individual recordings

Lecture Type

Live group sessions (sessions are recorded and available afterwards)
Assignment
Ongoing work each week (Expect to spend 8-10 hrs/wk)
PREREQUISITES
A basic understanding of design principles, a sharp eye towards observation and detail, and a willingness to jump out of your comfort zone
MATERIALS
Photoshop and a drawing tablet are preferred but pencil, pen and markers on paper are ok as well.

The more you know, the better.

Gaining observational skills in your reference gathering and taking your main characters for a test drive utilizing principles of design to push for appeal.
Interactive moments between characters allows the audience to find the relatability of the person we are following in the story. When we showcase the harmony and conflict of a relationship we are capturing interest in those characters.
A hero pose serves multiple purposes. Clarity in forms for a modeler, beauty for pitching, and confidence in direction.
Placing your main characters around secondary characters shows a level of confidence in world building that an Art Director or Production Designer will appreciate.
Pushing for a strong line of action in forms and composition is a crucial step in appeal. Finding rhythm in your characters strengthens the principles of design in your work.
We find the humanity of the characters we design by focusing on clear and playful expressions. Finding unique emotions can give variety and interest to your characters.
Creating a style guide for production places each team at ease. Your confident answers in a style guide allow the visual development, modeling and animation departments to have a clear artistic vision. As an artist, you have that opportunity to aid the director, production designer, and art director by proposing a set of artistic rules that the team can live by.
Your technique in how you draw details, add texture and how you lay down lines on a page is a vital step in allowing audiences to find your work appealing and engaging. Challenging the limits of your draftsmenship can open up new ways of how you work. Your creative toolbelt expands as you exercise patience in looking over the details of your designs.

STUDENT GALLERY

Prepare to meet your master.

Ivan Mendoza
Character Designer
LECTURES BY Ivan Mendoza
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Course Start: Jul 07, 2025
Ivan Mendoza is a seasoned Character Designer in the animation industry. His latest work is with Disney TV. Prior to his time at Disney, he worked for a number of studios, including Netflix, Dreamworks, Warner Brothers, Titmouse, Atomic Cartoons, and Starburns Industries. His design approach is unique in that it focuses on the life and performance of the character. Ivan has an inherent ability to want to share his knowledge and motivate aspiring artists. He has been a guest speaker at various colleges and mentorship groups for students interested in animation. He has also helped CTN and Center Stage Gallery hold portfolio reviews.
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Concept Art
Concept Art
Concept Art

GET ONE YEAR ACCESS AND TRANSFORM YOUR ARTISTIC JOURNEY

Take your CGMA learning further with CGMA+, a companion add-on featuring over 70 new, stand-alone workshops—more than 250 hours of content you won’t find in your core CGMA program. You’ll learn from multiple instructors, each with a unique style, so you can see how different artists approach the same subject in various ways. This additional material builds on what you’re already studying, broadening your perspective and helping you look at topics from fresh angles. It’s a straightforward way to strengthen your studies and boost your skills.

View all CGMA+ Workshops

PRICING SCHEDULE

Even though our courses are the most affordable for the quality of education, these finance options allow you to focus on your goals instead of the barriers that keep you from reaching them.

3x Payments

$249.67

2x Payments

$374.50

Full payment

$749

View all CGMA+ Workshops
Summer TERM REGISTRATION Now Open
Apr 23, 2025 - Jul 14, 2025
COURSE BEGINS on Jul 07, 2025
Character Design Portfolio Mentorship

What makes this learning experience unique?

PERSONALIZED FEEDBACK

Receive personalized feedback on all assignments from the industry’s top professionals.

LIFETIME ACCESS

Enjoy lifetime access to the spectrum of course content, including lectures, live Q&As, and feedback sessions.

CERTIFICATION

Show off your Certification of Completion when you turn in 80% of course assignments.

FLEXIBLE LEARNING

Learn anywhere, anytime, and at your own pace with flexible, online course scheduling.

Testimonials

He’s been very informative and was accommodating. Easy to follow, solid feedback and lectures made me think outside of the box.

Ellie

He was always very encouraging but also offered great draw-overs showing potential for growth.

Brendan

I was very happy how my work came out with the guidance I received!

Rosana

This course helped me THINK differently as a designer, and I know my work has improved tremendously because of it.

Amber

Bill was a really great mentor with a lot of experience at his disposal. Watching him draw was really incredible too. Seeing the way another artist works and how they choose to tackle a design is seriously so helpful.

Ivy

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