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Lynn Chen Character Illustration Mentorship

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Program Overview
Lynn Chen's 4 week mentorship teaches participants how to design stylized animal characters, focusing on simplification, lighting, exaggeration, and composition to create compelling, story-driven illustrations.

This program is for aspiring character designers, illustrators, and anyone wanting to improve their skills in creating stylized, expressive characters. It’s great for beginners or those with some experience who want to learn how to simplify designs, use lighting to tell a story, and bring characters to life through painting. If you're looking to improve your digital painting techniques, this workshop will help you grow your skills in a supportive environment.
Mentorship Program Design
Interactive Learning
16 hours of class time spread over four Saturdays

Personalized Feedback
Receive critiques on class assignments

Complete the Program
Enroll at the beginning of the program, and enjoy the companionship of a steady group of peers who complete the program by your side. 
Preview Demo Lesson

Participate in weekly live classes hosted via zoom. Classes will target a specific principle each class, and will follow a rotation of assignment driven lessons and demos with personalized critiques and feedback.

Write your awesome label here.

Write your awesome label here.

Write your awesome label here.

Write your awesome label here.

Write your awesome label here.

Program Details

In this 16 hour Character Illustration mentorship, led by Lynn Chen, participants will learn how to design and bring a stylized animal character to life through a finished painting. The workshop covers key techniques such as simplifying characters for stylization, breaking down lighting to evoke emotions, and using exaggeration to enhance character design. Over the course of the program, attendees will explore anatomy, gestures, 3D volume in 2D design, lighting breakdowns for different times of day, and composition for storytelling. The final day will focus on a critique of the participants' work, providing helpful paint overs, and answering questions to refine their skills.

Character design serves as the foundation for storytelling, visual identity, and audience engagement. A well-designed character conveys personality, emotions, and key traits that connect with the audience, making the character memorable and relatable. In animation, the design shapes how the character moves, interacts with the environment, and evolves throughout the story. It also helps create a consistent visual language across different media platforms, ensuring the character remains recognizable and impactful. Strong character design can elevate the narrative, strengthen branding, and contribute to the overall success of a project, whether it's a film, game, or animated series.

Each live session will be recorded for unlimited HD replay which you can access for your duration in the program.

Format: This is a 4 week program. Each class will be approximately 4 hours long, a total of 16 hours of class time.
Weekly Live Group Sessions / Critiques / Class recordings / Bonus Demos / Private Community Discussion

Tuition: $650.00 
Time and Day: Saturdays 9 AM - 1 PM PST/10 AM - 2PM MST 
Class Begins May 3rd 2025. Final Class May 24th 2025.

Applications are open! Enrollment begins April 18th.
Applicants will be notified by email when enrollment opens.


What if I can't make it to live sessions?

Each live session will be recorded and uploaded to the course for you to rewatch. At the end of the four week program, students will enjoy a second month free where they can rewatch all of the lectures and critiques from the live classes, plus any additional lectures and demos Lynn provides throughout the session.

If you submit your homework by the due date, your mentor will provide a critique during class as usual, and the recording of that critique will be made available for you to view. If you reside in a different time zone and anticipate being unable to attend classes live, please inform your mentor in advance about your situation. Sentient works with artists globally, so this is a common occurrence. Both the Sentient team and your mentor are more than happy to assist you.

What if I decide to leave the program early?

This program requires both a financial and time commitment from you and your mentor. We expect mentees to demonstrate the same level of dedication and priority that they expect from their mentor. Please note that no refunds will be issued for completed payments. If you wish to terminate your payment plan and exit the program, a mandatory early exit fee of $100.00 will apply.

By accepting a seat in this program, you are committing to it fully. Choosing to leave, for any reason, not only disrupts your mentor's time but also takes away an opportunity from other applicants who were denied participation in favor of your placement.

How long will I have access to mentorship recordings?

Students will have access to mentorship recordings for the duration of the program plus one month after the program ends. At the conclusion of that time period students will no longer have access to the mentorship recordings as Sentient will be preparing for a new term and a new student group. This practice is consistent with optimal learning. Sentient Mentors do not advise students to become overly focused on the same lectures and critiques for a long period of time as this ultimately hinders growth and confidence. 

If a student quits the program early they will lose access to the recordings at the end of their pay period. Please email the sentient team if you are uncertain as to when that will take place for you.
Getting to Know Your Characters
  • Anatomy
  • Gestures
  • Exaggeration
  • 3-D Volume in 2-D Design
Painting with Color and Light
  • Lighting Breakdown
  • Neutral Light
  • Day and Night
  • Photoshop Setup
Design for the Story Moment
  • Finding Inspirations
  • Ref Image Use
  • Composition
  • Value Grouping and Contrast Control
  • Final Assignment
Final Assignment Critique and Paint-over
  • Questions
  • Painting tips
Past student

Artist Name

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Meet your instructor

Lynn Chen

Lynn Chen is a visual development artist who is originally from Chengdu, China. With an MFA degree in Illustration
as well as BFA degree in Animation, Lynn finds her passion in designing and painting for both game and animation
projects. Currently Lynn is based in LA and working at Moon Active Studio as an Art Lead. Her other clients include Warner Brothers Animation, Illumination, Dreamworks TV, WACOM, Nickelodeon Jr. Funplus Games,IELLO games, and
more.

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