The complete
character pipeline.
Nine modules. Fifty plus hours of the same production workflow used across Apex Legends, Titanfall 2, Back 4 Blood, and Evolve. Taught by J Hill.
Every stage of the pipeline. One class.
The Curriculum
Nine modules. One finished character.
Nine in-depth modules guiding you from foundational principles to production-ready character creation.
Build Solid Foundations
- Professional software setup
- Clean, efficient modeling
- Building and customizing basemeshes
Key Takeaway
Start with the right setup and confidence to create efficiently from day one.
Plan With Purpose
- Picking the right concept
- Building reference libraries
- Blocking out early shapes
Key Takeaway
You’ll leave with a clear creative roadmap that makes production smoother and faster.
Sculpt With Confidence
- Sculpting believable materials
- Balancing detail and form
- ZBrush and Maya workflows
Key Takeaway
Build a complete, professional-quality sculpt ready for the next stage.
Craft Realistic Faces
- Facial structure and anatomy
- Reference-based sculpting
- Adding life and emotion
Key Takeaway
Create faces that connect emotionally and elevate your entire character.
Optimize for Games
- Retopology workflows
- Quad Draw tools
- UV mapping best practices
Key Takeaway
Finish with a game-ready mesh that’s light, clean, and optimized.
Texture With Story
- Baking high-poly details
- Texturing skin and fabric
- Adding realism and wear
Key Takeaway
Learn how to make your materials tell the story of your character.
Create Game-Ready Hair
- Hair-card creation and layering
- Grooming and cleanup
- Rendering hair in Unreal
Key Takeaway
Master a proven workflow for believable, production-ready hair.
Render in Unreal
- Exporting and importing assets
- Lighting and materials setup
- Eye and reflection rendering
Key Takeaway
Render your character like a pro using real-time, cinematic techniques.
Present Your Work
- Dynamic posing techniques
- Path-traced rendering
- Publishing to ArtStation
Key Takeaway
Finish with a portfolio-ready presentation that captures attention instantly.
Meet Your Instructor
Character Artist @ AAA Studios
Fifteen years of characters
that shipped.
I built characters at Respawn on Apex Legends and Titanfall 2. I built enemies at Turtle Rock on Back 4 Blood and creatures on Evolve. This class is the workflow I use every day at a AAA studio, distilled into ten modules you can move through at your own pace.
The class covers every stage of the pipeline. Concept, blockout, high poly, retopology, UVs, texturing, and rendering in Unreal. There is no gap between the class and how the work actually gets made.
From Renaud's Portfolio
The work behind the career.
Seventeen years of AAA character art. Overwatch, Overwatch 2, SUPERVIVE, and now Riot Games. Click any piece to see it bigger.
Character 1
Character 2
Character 3
Character 4
Character 5
Everything you need to finish.
Here's what the nine-week class covers, end to end.
Nine weekly live sessions
90-minute group sessions with Renaud. Recorded same-day and transcribed for search.
Direct feedback from Renaud in Discord
Written critique on work you post through the week. Threads stay open.
Private cohort channel
A dedicated Discord channel for your cohort to share work and connect.
Class community access
Full access to the wider Character Class student Discord.
Lifetime library
Recordings, transcripts, and session resources are yours for life. Pick up the class anytime.
One portfolio-ready character
A finished piece by week nine, at the bar studios hire from.
Class Structure
Nine modules. One finished character.
Foundational principles to production-ready character creation. Each week builds on the last.
Build Solid Foundations
- Professional software setup
- Clean, efficient modeling
- Building and customizing basemeshes
Key Takeaway
Start with the right setup and the confidence to create efficiently from day one.
Plan With Purpose
- Picking the right concept
- Building reference libraries
- Blocking out early shapes
Key Takeaway
Leave with a clear creative roadmap that makes production smoother and faster.
Sculpt With Confidence
- Sculpting believable materials
- Balancing detail and form
- ZBrush and Maya workflows
Key Takeaway
Build a complete, professional-quality sculpt ready for the next stage.
Craft Realistic Faces
- Facial structure and anatomy
- Reference-based sculpting
- Adding life and emotion
Key Takeaway
Create faces that connect emotionally and elevate the entire character.
Optimize for Games
- Retopology workflows
- Quad Draw tools
- UV mapping best practices
Key Takeaway
Finish with a game-ready mesh that is light, clean, and optimized.
Texture With Story
- Baking high-poly details
- Texturing skin and fabric
- Adding realism and wear
Key Takeaway
Learn how to make your materials tell the story of your character.
Create Game-Ready Hair
- Hair-card creation and layering
- Grooming and cleanup
- Rendering hair in Unreal
Key Takeaway
Master a proven workflow for believable, production-ready hair.
Render in Unreal
- Exporting and importing assets
- Lighting and materials setup
- Eye and reflection rendering
Key Takeaway
Render your character using real-time, cinematic techniques.
Present Your Work
- Dynamic posing techniques
- Path-traced rendering
- Publishing to ArtStation
Key Takeaway
Finish with a portfolio-ready presentation that captures attention instantly.
Choose how you want to learn.
Same nine-week class with Renaud. Three different ways to take it. Pick the level of access that fits how you work.
Essential
Class recordings, self-paced. Learn on your own time.
- Full 9-week class recordings
- Project files and resources
- Private Discord community access
- Lifetime access
Pro
Live group lessons. Weekly feedback from Renaud.
- Everything in Essential, plus
- Weekly live group lessons with Renaud
- Weekly live feedback sessions
- Real-time critiques and Q&A
Elite
Private 1-on-1 with Renaud. Limited to 10 seats per cohort.
- Everything in Pro, plus
- Private 1-on-1 meetings with Renaud
- Personalized portfolio direction
- Direct industry guidance
30-day money-back guarantee on all tiers. Pro and Elite live sessions run through the active cohort window.
Honestly, answered.
If a question isn't covered here, drop us a line. We'd rather talk than write more copy.
Essential is the class on your own schedule. Pick Pro if you want live group lessons and weekly feedback sessions with Renaud. Pick Elite if you want private 1-on-1 time on top of that. Most students choose Pro.
Three tiers. Essential is $395 for the class recordings and lifetime access. Pro is $595 and adds weekly live group lessons plus weekly feedback sessions. Elite is $1,995 and adds private 1-on-1 meetings with Renaud โ limited to 10 seats per cohort.
Tutorials show you what to do. They do not help you finish. This class adds structure, a timeline, and a community working through the same material. Pro and Elite tiers add live sessions where Renaud answers questions about your specific project. The video alone is one thing. The structure to actually finish a portfolio piece is another.
Only at the Elite tier. Pro tier includes live group sessions and weekly group feedback. Elite adds private 1-on-1 meetings with Renaud. Elite is limited to 10 seats per cohort.
For Pro and Elite tiers, Renaud is active in the cohort Discord throughout the week and most posts get a written response within a few days, often faster. There is no daily-response guarantee. Essential tier is more peer-driven โ the wider community is there for questions and shared progress.
Sessions are recorded and transcripts are posted alongside, so you can catch up. You'll keep lifetime access to the recordings and the Character Class community page. So even if a week or two gets busy, the material is there when you come back to it.
No. Anyone guaranteeing creative output is lying. Finishing is on you. What the class gives you is the structure, the feedback (in the live tiers), and the room to do the work. Most students who show up consistently and post their work do finish. Most students who don't, don't.
Live sessions for the Pro and Elite tiers run as cohorts. The next start date is posted on the enrollment page. Essential tier (class recordings) is available immediately on purchase โ no cohort required.
Watch three lessons.
Before you enroll.
Sample the pipeline before you commit. Three lessons pulled from Modules 1, 3, and 6 โ no signup required to preview.
Enroll Now
Make the character
you've been waiting to make.
Ten modules. Sixty six lessons. Fifty plus hours of the full AAA character pipeline. Lifetime access. Learn at your own pace.
Lifetime access. Learn at your own pace. Free updates as the class grows.
