Course Dates
Aug. 3 – Oct. 5

Persona to Props: Character Design in Action

Take your passion for storytelling, character design, prop design, and creating production art for film and television to the next level.

Course Instructed by Dustin d’Arnault

This course is for artists driven by visual storytelling and the craft of production art. Dive into the worlds of film, animation, and comics by learning how to design characters and the props that define them. You’ll explore how shape, silhouette, and story work together to create iconic designs that serve the narrative.

Perfect for fans of film and comics, this course introduces the core skills used in animation and production pipelines—storyboarding, character design, and the integration of props to support personality and plot. It’s a hands-on introduction to designing for the screen, with a strong emphasis on purpose-driven art.

Outcomes:
By the end, you’ll walk away with a set of portfolio-ready pieces that showcase your ability to design compelling characters and meaningful props for visual storytelling.

Topics Covered:

  • Designing original characters
  • Purpose driven design
  • Prop design in relation to characters
  • Storytelling with characters and props
  • Composition and film language
  • Understanding the role of production art within a film pipeline
  • Introductory developments with storyboard art
  • Translate static 2D art into dynamic visuals that support storytelling on screen

Live Class Meetings
Sundays, 10am-1pm PT (1-3pm ET)

Course Length
10 weeks (23+ Live Classes)

Mediums
Digital or Traditional

Delivery
Live & Online

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Personalized Mentorship

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Your Instructor & Mentor: Dustin d’Arnault

Dustin d’Arnault is a Character Designer and Visual Development Artist based out of Los Angeles, California. He has worked on various projects that span a variety of media, including print, television, and film. The most notable of these projects include “The Book of Life”, the final season of “Samurai Jack”, “Maya & the Three” and  Nickelodeon’s upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles feature film.

Studio List: Netflix Animation / Disney TV / Warner Bros. Animation /  Cartoon Network Studio /  Nickelodeon Animation Studio / Sony Pictures Animation / Reel FX Creative Studio / Six Point Harness / Framestore / Carbon VFX

Publications: Spectrum 22 / A Hero’s Journey (The Book of Life)

Learn from Top-tier Guest Artists

World-renowned artists and directors visit this class every semester. Gain access to their craft, process, and industry wisdom. Upcoming artists include:

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Student Testimonials

They manage the rare feat of challenging you to grow as an artist while also building up your confidence. Plus, they are a wealth of experience, knowledge and insight which they presents with the lovely nonchalance of a trusted friend.
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Student Success

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Nate Sweitzer
Illustration Student — Editorial & Publishing

VAP alum Nate Sweitzer set The Folio Society as his dream client—and landed it. With instructor mentorship, he built the portfolio that led to illustrating To Kill a Mockingbird, plus exhibitions at the Society of Illustrators and a feature in Communication Arts.

Recognized by

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