Live online learning

Please note that our evening courses will be running live online in 2021 as access to our campus is limited in line with government guidance. For more information, please visit our live online learning page or contact our Admissions team.

2D Character Design (Evening - 8 weeks)

Whilst our campus is currently closed following government measures, we will be running the October intake of this course online. Please see below for details and contact our Admissions team for further information.

Do you want to make your characters come to life?

2D Character Design is one of the most rewarding parts of our industry and also one of the most competitive. As with everything we do here at Escape, the class will build up to a live industry brief.

Students will attend an online evening class one night a week, and will be set simple projects to do, and more complex ones to complete by the following week. Following the course, there will also be an 8 week period of online mentoring, in which students can polish their skills and receive ongoing feedback and support. See below for the online course requirements.

The course has been designed after consultation with industry, with individual classes being delivered by character designers working in the animation industry, such as the very talented Andrea Torrejón.

Location: Live online
Start dates: 10 May 2021
Tuition fees: £796
Mode of study: Part time (Monday Evening: 7pm - 10pm)
Programme duration: 8 weeks, plus 8 weeks of online mentoring
Entry requirements: Aged 18 or over, a good understanding of written and spoken English

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Online course requirements

Access to the internet
Hardware to install DISCORD, the software we will be using for our class
A laptop, a tablet, or a smartphone
A microphone
Webcam (not compulsory)
Facebook account
Materials to take notes such as notebook and pen/pencil
Personally preferred material and/or software to work on character design
Access to a scanner or camera to share homework

Contact admissions for any further enquiries.

Why choose this course

You'll study in an environment that mirrors a standard industry animation studio to get a taste of true life in the workplace.
You’ll get hands on experience and the chance to work on a live industry brief.
Online mentoring will continue for a further 8 weeks. Students will be set a series of projects for delivery, using a Facebook Group as an online virtual classroom. Tutors will provide online mentoring and individual feedback.
Learn from award-winning industry professionals and experienced industry-focused tutors; our tutors have not only been behind some of the best new talent in their field, but have an impressive array of achievements from their time practicing what they preach.
Our small class sizes ensure that we deliver a personalised, student-led approach to learning.
On completion of the course you will achieve an Escape Studios Certificate of Achievement, a well-respected qualification within the industry.

Module information

Part one - Introduction to Character Design

Week 1: General Introduction to Design
Introductory Exercises. Creativity, ideas and inspiration for stories. Gesture drawing, fast sketches, and research.
Week 2: Creating designs which have character.
Single images that illustrate personality and character. Design drawings. Situations and character-driven scenarios.
Week 3: Industry character design process
A close look at the work of some leading character designers and how they work.
Week 4: Art Direction
Introduction to the principles of design and visual development.

Part two - Character Design Technique

Week 5: Designing animal characters.
How to base designs on real life. Animal anatomy, Staging and character
Week 6: Designing human characters.
Life drawing, human anatomy, gesture drawing and character poses.
Week 7: Character Situations
The interaction of character with story. How do our characters fit into the overall story?
Week 8: Model Packs, Turnarounds, Blend Shapes and Rigging Studies for CG

Part three - Online Mentoring

Online mentoring will continue for a further 8 weeks. Students will be set a series of projects for delivery, using a Facebook group as an online virtual classroom. Tutors will provide online mentoring and individual feedback.

How to apply

Entry requirements

We welcome and encourage applications from students with a variety of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

To study an Escape Studios short course, you must:

Be over 18
Have a good understanding of written and spoken English
Feel comfortable using a computer

Apply

Evening (part-time) courses can be purchased directly via our online shop - just click the Buy Now button at the top of the page.

Alternatively, you can:

Call our Admissions Advisors on +44 (0)203 441 1303
Email us at admissions@escapestudios.com
Reach us on LiveChat Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Following your application, you will need to agree to our terms and conditions before your place on the course can be secured.

Where will this get me?

Our students go on to work in many areas of the industry as highly creative professionals. You'll find our alumni, dubbed Escapees, in many of the world's top VFX studios, behind many Oscar and BAFTA-nominated films, 100s of award-winning films and television shows and 1,000s of award-winning commercials. See some of our Escape Studios success stories.

In addition to the soft skills that you will learn and enhance, working in a professional studio environment will give you the edge when applying for jobs in a highly competitive industry.

Related job roles include:

Animator and Illustrator
Concept Artist
Designer

Fees and funding

Fees: £796

Funding for UK students

You may be able to get funding to help cover the cost of the course. For independent advice, and to find out more about your options, visit gov.uk or call the National Careers Service on 0800 100 900.

Funding for international students

We recommend you visit the UK Council for International Student Affairs website. The Council doesn’t provide funding directly, but it will give you all the information you need about studying and living in the UK, including visas and funding.

We do our best to find funding solutions for overseas students. For example:

If you’re from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Burma, you may be able to get funding from the Charles Wallace Trust, to help towards your living costs and educational development in the UK. Find out more at wallace-trusts.org.uk.

Get in touch

We can help with any problems or questions you have with course fees and funding. Speak to one of our Applicant Advisors via phone or email today! Call us on +44 (0)203 441 1303 or email admissions@escapestudios.com.

Next steps

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For a one-to-one chat or a personal tour of our industry-like studios, contact our Admissions team.

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Meet our tutors

Our tutors have all sculpted their own careers in successful studios in the industry and are now sharing their expertise in the classroom. Packed with everything from Thor: Ragnarok, Black Mirror and Black Panther to the original Lion King and multiple PlayStation titles, their CVs don't get much cooler! They know exactly what skills you need – teaching you real-world tips and tricks, as well as the latest industry software and techniques to kick-start your career.

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Industry partners

Industry partners and advisors influence everything we do, from the curriculum we teach and how it's delivered to our webinars and events.

We work alongside an impressive list of VFX, Games and Animation studios including Industrial Light & Magic, Framestore, Blue Zoo, MPC, Jellyfish Pictures, PlayStation London Studio and Creative Assembly and many more across all our courses at Escape Studios.

With exclusive professional feedback, intensive software training and much more, our industry-led courses give you up-to-the-minute, inspirational knowledge and experience, tailored to the work you’re passionate about. Our Escape Studios Alumni (Escapees) can be found working at a variety of studios including Pixar, MPC, Industrial Light & Magic, DNEG, Rockstar Games and Electric Theatre Collective.

Find out more about our industry partners

Why Escape Studios?

Learn industry-relevant techniques from the experts, in a studio-like environment.

Industry-experienced tutors. Our tutors have worked at studios including DNEG, Walt Disney Animation, EA, Rebellion and Framestore and their credits include Captain America, Black Mirror and Bond: Spectre. They speak at international conferences, like B’Ars (Spain) and VIEW Conference (Italy), write for industry-recognised blog Befores&Afters, and are authorised trainers for software like Unreal Engine, Autodesk or Houdini.
State-of-the-art facilities. Our central London campus is surrounded by world-leading studios and fully equipped with high-end hardware and the latest software.
Industry partners. Our studio partners, including DNEG, Framestore and PlayStation London Studio, help design and develop our courses to make sure that what we teach is relevant to the current industry practices. You’ll also have access to events and webinars ran by our Student Experience team with industry speakers.

Live online learning

2D Character Design (Evening - 8 weeks)

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Why Escape Studios?

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