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Teen Drawing – Character Design & OC’s


  • Swinton's Art Supplies 7610 Fisher Street Southeast Calgary, AB, T2H 0L9 Canada (map)

TBA - 4 × ½ day workshops

Ages 10 - 18

Bring your original characters to life! This workshop focuses on developing unique characters and exploring the creative process behind original character (OC) design. Whether you’re inspired by fantasy, comics, anime, or tabletop role-playing games like D&D, this class will guide you in building characters from concept to finished illustration.

With a strong emphasis on marker, ink, and expressive line work, students will explore how to create confident lines, dynamic silhouettes, and bold, readable designs. Using graphite, artist-quality coloured pencils, and markers, students will also develop their understanding of anatomy, proportion, and gesture to support strong character construction.

We will explore character design fundamentals such as personality, costume, and worldbuilding, while encouraging experimentation with line weight, texture, and rendering techniques to bring depth and individuality to each piece.

Ashley Gaboury provides guided lessons that evolve from session to session, along with one-on-one instruction tailored to each student’s skill level. This class offers a supportive and encouraging environment where students can strengthen their technical skills, develop their artistic voice, and build a dynamic, creative portfolio.

Registration Opening Soon

Supply List:

  • 9 x 12 Sketchbook 60lb or more

  • Sketching pencils – HB, 2B

  • .01 or .03 Permanent pen black - Faber-Castell or Copic

  • Brush nib pen – black - Faber-Castell or Copic

  • White soft colored pencil - Prismacolor Premier

  • White eraser

  • Small click eraser – Factus or Staedtler preferred

  • Sharpener

  • Ruler 12"

  • White gel pen 08 or 10

  • 12 – 24 Soft colored pencils

  • Brick White or Warm Gray 1 Copic marker

Optional:

*10 – 12 Artist’s quality markers - Copic or Tombow preferred

*Marker paper – Strathmore suggested

Note: If using Tombow or other water-based markers please bring Bristol Board/Mixed Media paper instead of Marker Paper

Recommended Marker Colours Copic or Tombow

Lt/Md Warm Grey W2 or W3 #N89 Warm Gray 1 or #N79 Warm Gray 2

Light Peach E000 or E00 #850 Flesh

Light Brown E11 or E33 #942 Tan

Brown E15 or E37 #977 Saddle Brown

Light Blue B00 #451 Lt Blue or #491 Glacier Blue

Lt/Md Blue B02 or B14 #452 Process Blue

Yellow Y13 or Y06 #062 Pale Yellow or # 055 Process Yellow

Orange YR04 #993 Chrome Orange

Red R29 or R46 #835 Persimmon

Red Violet or Violet RV69 or V17 #757 Port Red or #676 Royal Purple

Please bring any other colours you have or would like to use. Alcohol – markers will be available for class use but will be shared between students and may not always be available on demand.

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July 20

Line & Layer: Acrylic & Collage Workshop

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August 4

Manga, Dragons & More