CREATING APPEALING CHARACTERS IN 3D WITH DYLAN EKREN
Want to learn how to capture the magic of an appealing 2D design or concept, and transfer it into your 3D work? We'll show you how in our new class taught by animation professional, Dylan Ekren.
By combining 2D character design fundamentals and principles with 3D tools, you will learn to think like a designer while you sculpt, and build up a set of mental tools to help you create appealing characters with confidence. With weekly lessons and private, personalized critiques, you will improve your ability to create characters with lasting appeal.
The self-paced version of this class is Now Available! To learn more, click here: LINK
By combining 2D character design fundamentals and principles with 3D tools, you will learn to think like a designer while you sculpt, and build up a set of mental tools to help you create appealing characters with confidence. With weekly lessons and private, personalized critiques, you will improve your ability to create characters with lasting appeal.
The self-paced version of this class is Now Available! To learn more, click here: LINK
ONLINE CLASS DETAILS
Price: $799.00*
*Payment Plans are available.
Please sign up for class news and updates for upcoming classes and announcements. Thank you!
*Payment Plans are available.
Please sign up for class news and updates for upcoming classes and announcements. Thank you!
Live Q&A time: To Be Announced
* Please note that attendance is not mandatory. Sessions will be recorded for later viewing.
Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced ZBrush knowledge.
What you need:
* Please note that attendance is not mandatory. Sessions will be recorded for later viewing.
Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced ZBrush knowledge.
What you need:
- ZBrush Software
- High speed internet connection
CLASS OVERVIEW
What You'll Learn:
What to expect upon completing this class:
Who should take this class?
Class Outline
Week 1: Intro and Fundamentals of 2D design
Week 2: Blocking a character efficiently
Week 3: Refinement and secondary form
Week 4: Head and face
Week 5: Hands and Feet
Week 6: Accessories and Misc
Week 7: Posing
Week 8: Paint and presentation
- 2D Design principals and how they translate to 3D using ZBrush.
- Modeling large to small, focusing on broad strokes before details.
- Project based assignments geared towards developing your eye.
- Finding and improving appeal in your sculpt.
- Posing and presenting your character.
- How to keep the appeal of a 2D concept design in your 3D sculpture.
- How to perfectly pan-sear a steak.
What to expect upon completing this class:
- The skills to move onto more advanced 3D modeling and 3D Printing classes.
- A Certificate of Completion, available upon request. Must have completed 6 out of the 8 assignments to qualify.
Who should take this class?
- Character Artists who have some experience in ZBrush and want to take their skills to the next level.
- Experienced traditional sculptors who need to improve their ZBrush skills to increase their productivity.
- Students wanting personalized feedback and mentoring from a professional instructor.
- People who want to develop characters for toy design, figurines and maquettes.
- 3D modelers who want to develop a portfolio geared towards the Animation industry.
Class Outline
Week 1: Intro and Fundamentals of 2D design
Week 2: Blocking a character efficiently
Week 3: Refinement and secondary form
Week 4: Head and face
Week 5: Hands and Feet
Week 6: Accessories and Misc
Week 7: Posing
Week 8: Paint and presentation
WHAT YOU GET
- Personal feedback from the instructor. Each student receives personalized recorded video critiques on their homework assignment every week.
- Live weekly "Question and Answer" sessions with the instructor. This is your chance to ask the teacher questions and watch live demos.
- 8 Weekly video training classes in 1080HD. Watch the lessons at your convenience.
- Project based homework.
- A Certificate of Completion, available upon request.
- 1 year access to the instructional videos. Once class is over, you can watch and review the video lessons.
- Lifetime VIP access to our Mold3D Academy Facebook class group. Learn, network and share with your peers.
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Dylan Ekren is currently working as a character modeling supervisor at Walt Disney Feature Animation. He has been a core member of the team since 2010 working on animated feature classics like Wreck it Ralph, Frozen, Big Hero 6 and most recently Zootopia.
Dylan started his career in CG as an illustrator, storyboard artist, and 3D generalist before landing at Disney Feature Animation. Drawing on exceptional skills with high end CG software such as Maya and Zbrush, Dylan is known for his ability to bridge design and modeling to bring life to his characters. Dylan is a serious artist and a respected adult. One time he stayed up all night and wasn’t even tired.
To see more of Dylan's work, please visit his website dylanekren.com
Dylan started his career in CG as an illustrator, storyboard artist, and 3D generalist before landing at Disney Feature Animation. Drawing on exceptional skills with high end CG software such as Maya and Zbrush, Dylan is known for his ability to bridge design and modeling to bring life to his characters. Dylan is a serious artist and a respected adult. One time he stayed up all night and wasn’t even tired.
To see more of Dylan's work, please visit his website dylanekren.com
TESTIMONIALS
...I was looking for direction and found it on this course. Everything I learned here I'll take for life. Dylan is a great artist and instructor. I'm thankful he took his time and effort to provide us with this valuable material and share his experience. And thankful for Mold3D to make it available for us. Confidence restored, off to new projects!
- Rayza Alvarez
His thorough knowledge and presentation of good design processes made this class excellent. |
The drawovers really helped/the feedback in general was fantastic. |
Lectures, Q&A's and feedback were all very informative and I learned alot of information from them all. I enjoyed the class experience and really want to continue to learn more and take more classes that this school offers.
- Bill Meunier
..it was a great class. Highly recommended.
- Christopher Dean