Character Class 2.0 · Just Launched

The complete
character pipeline.

Ten modules. Sixty six lessons. Fifty plus hours of the same production workflow used across Apex Legends, Titanfall 2, Back 4 Blood, and Evolve. Taught by J Hill.

Enroll Now See the class

Scroll to explore

Taught by J Hill
Character Artist on Apex Legends, Titanfall 2, Back 4 Blood, Evolve

What makes this different

Not a tutorial. A real class. With real structure, real feedback, and the room to finish.

AAA Production Pipeline

The same workflow used at Blizzard, Theorycraft, and now Riot. Concept to final render.

Direct From Industry

Character Art Director at Riot. Lead Character Artist on Overwatch. Seventeen years in AAA.

Finish Your Best Work

Build a complete, portfolio-ready character you will be proud to share.

Built-In Community

Private Discord with peers and pros. Get unstuck, share progress, keep moving.

Real Growth, Guaranteed

If you do the work, this will be the best 3D art you have ever 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

Overwatch · Blizzard

Character 2

Overwatch · Blizzard

Character 3

Overwatch 2 · Blizzard

Character 4

Overwatch 2 · Blizzard

Character 5

SUPERVIVE · Theorycraft

Full portfolio on ArtStation

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.

Module 01

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.

Module 02

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.

Module 03

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.

Module 04

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.

Module 05

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.

Module 06

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.

Module 07

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.

Module 08

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.

Module 09

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.

$395 one-time

Full 9-week class recordings
Project files and resources
Private Discord community access
Lifetime access

Choose Essential

Pro

Live group lessons. Weekly feedback from Renaud.

$595 one-time

Everything in Essential, plus
Weekly live group lessons with Renaud
Weekly live feedback sessions
Real-time critiques and Q&A

Choose Pro

Only 10 Seats

Elite

Private 1-on-1 with Renaud. Limited to 10 seats per cohort.

$1,995 one-time

Everything in Pro, plus
Private 1-on-1 meetings with Renaud
Personalized portfolio direction
Direct industry guidance

Choose Elite

30-day money-back guarantee on all tiers. Pro and Elite live sessions run through the active cohort window.

Meet your instructor

Hi, I'm Renaud.

Renaud Galand

Character Art Director @ Riot Games

Seventeen years building characters at the studios that defined a generation of games.

It started in Belgium, where I co-founded Skymonkey Studio in 2008. From there, I worked at 10tacle Studios and on freelance contracts with Liquid Development.

In 2009, I joined Blizzard Entertainment on a project called Titan that would eventually become Overwatch. Twelve years on that team, helping build the character pipeline from scratch, eventually leading the character art group. Ashe, Doomfist, Mercy, Mei, Tracer, Zarya, JunketQueen. The last one was my goodbye.

After Blizzard, four years at Theorycraft Games as Lead Artist on SUPERVIVE. In August 2025, I joined Riot Games as Character Art Director.

This is the class I wish I had when I was starting out. The actual production pipeline. The decisions at each stage. The shortcuts and the deal-breakers. Nine weeks, end-to-end, with the structure and feedback to finish your best portfolio piece yet.

Riot Games · Director Overwatch · Lead SUPERVIVE · Lead 17+ years AAA

FAQ

Honestly, answered.

If a question isn't covered here, drop us a line. We'd rather talk than write more copy.

Which tier should I pick? +

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.

What does the class cost? +

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 — limited to 10 seats per cohort.

Why not just watch a tutorial? +

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.

Do I get 1-on-1 calls with Renaud? +

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.

How quickly does Renaud reply in Discord? +

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 — the wider community is there for questions and shared progress.

What if I fall behind during the 9 weeks? +

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.

Are you guaranteeing my character will be finished? +

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.

When does the next cohort start? +

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 — no cohort required.

Enrollment Open

Nine weeks. One finish.

If you've been carrying the same project for too long and the gap is structure, feedback, and a room to do it in. Pick the level of access that fits how you work.

Choose Your Tier

The Story

Three phases.
One complete character.

Every character starts as an idea and ends on a portfolio. The class walks you through every stage in between — from the first reference photo to the final ArtStation post.