Innovative Character Visdev with Jeff Simpson

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In this course, Jeff will be using his 15+ years of Triple A gaming and Hollywood Film Vis-dev experience to help students push their character designs to the next level. Instruction will encourage outside the box thinking, harnessing the chaos of happy accidents as well as tried and tested methods of good design that help characters feel more nuanced and believable.

Lectures will cover a broad general variety of aspects involved in character design, from theoretical to practical, conscious and subconscious, to assist in making your characters stand out from the crowd and tap into each student’s personal styles. Jeff will be looking at individual portfolios, giving personalized feedback and critique as well on homework assignments.

Time & Date: Sundays at 6PM ET starting Feb 1, 2026
Skill Level: Spectator: All skill levels welcome. Critique tier: Intermediate level and up preferred
Tiers: 12 Critique spots – Receive feedback or unlimited spectator spots without homework feedback
Format: 4-5 hour live class with combination of lectures, demos, and feedback. Recordings are typically provided within a couple days of each live session.
Materials: Any digital or traditional mediums. Paintovers will be done digitally. No generative AI accepted.

Week1: Introduction of myself, Introduction of students. Lecture: Influence and Reference
Week2: Relationships and Creating Drama
Week3: Chaos and Flow
Week4: Posing
Week5: Faces/PortraitWeek6
Week 6: History and Culture
Week7: Live demo – process, general overview
Week8: General Feedback / Demo / Question