Arab warrior, a finished plate by Faraz Shanyar
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Live class · Character design · 1 Nov – 13 Dec 2026

Drawing
believable
characters

Seven Sundays live with Faraz Shanyar, 1 November to 13 December 2026: you start with lines and skeletons and you finish with one character illustration for your portfolio.

Seven Sundays live with Faraz Shanyar, 1 November to 13 December 2026: you start with lines and skeletons and you finish with one character illustration for your portfolio.

Faraz Shanyar · Character concept artist · Indiana Jones and the Great Circle · Outlast 2
Faraz Shanyar · Character concept artist · Indiana Jones and the Great Circle · Outlast 2
100+students in earlier ConceptCore classes
7Sundays
19:00Paris, 18:00 UTC
3 hlive on Discord
Replaysfor life
2Donly
English
Beginnerto intermediate
Faraz has drawn characters for
ForticheMachineGamesRemedyRockstar GamesRed BarrelsMPCKarakter StudiosAnd 10 more
Your mentor

Faraz Shanyar

Character concept artist in Sweden. Production work on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Outlast 2, and for Fortiche, MachineGames, Remedy, Rockstar Games, Red Barrels, MPC and Karakter Studios.

My goal with this class is to share the approach I use every day in professional production. Character design is not just about drawing pretty figures; it is about understanding how the body works, how it moves, and how to use that knowledge to tell a story through your designs.

Faraz Shanyar

ArtStationInstagram
Personal work · 19 plates
Click to open · ← → to browse
Students say

After a ConceptCore class

Work made by students during the class, and what they said about the weeks that produced it.

My mentors pointed out things in my work I'd completely missed on my own.

Konrad MagieraPathfinder mentorship · 2026

This class helped me focus on shapes and silhouettes much earlier in the process.

Abraham GarciaRicardo Padierne masterclass · 2026

I had already studied character design at school for several years, and Ricardo gives advice I had never heard anywhere else, on casting and acting for example.

Marius PavardRicardo Padierne masterclass · 2026
Seven Sundays · 1 Nov – 13 Dec

Week by week

Each week adds one layer to the same character. Nothing is hidden behind a click: read the whole plan before you decide. Each plate is a piece by Faraz, chosen for what that week is about.

What a session looks like

Three hours of Faraz drawing live, the way he works in production

This timelapse is one of his pieces from blank canvas to finish. On Sundays you see the same process at real speed, with every decision explained.

19:00Homework reviews, Feedback seats on screen
20:15Live demo: Faraz draws and explains
21:45Questions from the chat
22:00End · replay within the week
Where you are: 19:00 Europe/Paris
Timelapse · Faraz drawing
01
Sun 1 Nov

Lines & shapesFundamentals

Everything starts with fundamentals. We dive into the building blocks of character drawing: lines, shapes, and basic anatomy. You will learn to construct figures from simple geometric forms, study skeletal structure from multiple angles, and begin exploring gesture through classic animation studies.

You draw
  • Skeletons from 4 different angles
  • Hand studies: structure, gesture, and proportion
  • A skeleton reference library for yourself
Plate 01 · Lines & shapesStructure and gesture
02
Sun 8 Nov

Movement & weightGesture

Gesture, balance and weight. How a pose shows what a body is doing and what it is about to do. Line of action, where the weight sits, and the difference between a figure that stands and a figure that is alive.

You draw
  • 30 two-minute gesture studies from film stills
  • The same figure in 3 poses carrying a heavy object
Plate 02 · Movement & weightTwo lines of action
03
Sun 15 Nov

Character design & silhouetteYour character starts

What a character reads as from across the room. Silhouette, proportion and shape language. Faraz shows his own process from brief to thumbnails. You start your final character: thumbnails and one chosen direction.

You draw
  • 20 silhouette thumbnails for your character brief
  • Pick 3, take them to clean line
Plate 03 · Character design & silhouetteRead from across the room
04
Sun 22 Nov

Blocking shapeLine to form

From line to form. Blocking the big masses of your design in value: head, torso, limbs, costume. Light direction decided early. Costume and props that make sense for the body underneath.

You draw
  • Value block-in of your character
  • Two lighting options on the same block-in
Plate 04 · Blocking shapeBig masses first, in value
05
Sun 29 Nov

Details & lightingRendering

Rendering with intent. Where detail earns its place and where it is noise. Cloth, leather, metal, skin. Edges, and how light explains form.

You draw
  • Rendered pass on your character
  • Three material studies
Plate 05 · Details & lightingLight explains the form
06
Sun 6 Dec

Review & backgroundComposition

A group review of every character in progress. Then the background: placing the figure in a space without losing it. Value grouping, atmosphere, and a composition that serves the character.

You draw
  • Background pass
  • Final composition locked
Plate 06 · Review & backgroundFigures placed in a space
07
Sun 13 Dec

Final presentationPortfolio

Finishing. Colour, final polish, and presenting the piece for a portfolio. Each Feedback student presents their finished character. Faraz closes with what each of you should work on next.

You deliver
  • The finished character illustration
Plate 07 · Arab warriorCharacter, costume, light, background
This is for you if
  • You can hold a pencil and want to draw people, from the skeleton up.
  • You already draw figures and want the design and rendering weeks to move you forward.
  • You want one finished portfolio piece at the end, not a folder of exercises.
  • You can be on Discord on Sundays at 19:00 Paris, or watch the edited replay during the week.
Skip it if
  • ✕You want to learn 3D or Blender. This class is 2D only.
  • ✕You are after software tutorials. Faraz works in Photoshop, but the class is about drawing, not tools.
  • ✕You want a self-paced course without a schedule. The sessions are live; the replays follow.
What you leave with

One finished character, and the method behind it

01A finished character illustration with a backgroundYour own design, started in week 3 and built up every week after. Portfolio ready.
02A study librarySkeletons from four angles, hands, and gesture pages from weeks 1 and 2. The base you keep drawing from.
03Seven edited session replaysEvery lecture, demo and review, cut and organised, on your account for life.
04Seven weeks of reviews, with a Feedback seatFaraz looks at your work on screen every Sunday and tells you what to fix before the next one.
05The groupA private Discord channel with Faraz and the other students for the length of the class.
Two tickets

Watch every Sunday, or be reviewed every Sunday

Both tickets get the full class live and every replay. The Feedback seat adds the part that changes your drawing: your homework on screen, critiqued by Faraz, seven weeks in a row.

Feedback seat
599€

Your homework on screen every Sunday, critiqued by Faraz in front of the group. You present your finished piece in week 7. Eight seats, so each review has time.

  • Seven live Sundays, 3 h each, and the text chat
  • Private student Discord channel
  • Edited replays, permanent access
  • Certificate of completion at the end of the class
  • Your homework reviewed live by Faraz, every week
  • Your finished piece presented and critiqued in week 7
Reserve a feedback seat · 599 €
Spectator ticket
220€

Watch every session live, ask questions in the chat, watch every critique, keep the replays. No seat limit.

  • Seven live Sundays, 3 h each, and the text chat
  • Private student Discord channel
  • Edited replays, permanent access
  • Weekly homework briefs, for your own practice
  • You watch the reviews. Your own work is not reviewed.
  • Certificate of completion at the end of the class
Spectator ticket · 220 €

Starts Sunday 1 November 2026. Enrolment closes Saturday 31 October. Card payment through Stripe. Invoice by email. Discord invitation by email after payment.

Questions

Before you buy

Anything else, write to info@conceptcore.co or ask in the Discord.

Is this for beginners?

Yes, if you can hold a pencil and want to draw people. Week 1 starts with lines, shapes and skeletons. If you already draw figures, the design and rendering weeks are where you will grow. No 3D, no Blender.

What software do I need?

Photoshop, Procreate, Clip Studio, Krita, or paper and a scanner. Faraz works in Photoshop. Nothing in the class depends on a specific tool.

What if I cannot attend a Sunday?

Every session is recorded and edited. The replay is on your account within the week, for both tickets. Feedback students can still send their homework; Faraz reviews it in the next session.

What is the difference between Spectator and Feedback?

Spectator: watch live, chat, replays, Discord channel. Feedback: all of that, plus your homework goes on screen every week and Faraz critiques it in front of the group, and you present your finished piece in week 7. Feedback is limited to 8 people so each review has time.

What time is it where I live?

Sessions start at 18:00 UTC every Sunday. That is 19:00 in Paris, 18:00 in London, 13:00 in New York, 10:00 in Los Angeles, 15:00 in São Paulo, 23:30 in Mumbai. The schedule section above shows your local time.

How do I get in after paying?

You get an email with an invitation to the private ConceptCore Discord server and a role that opens the class channels. The live stream and the chat happen there.

Can I get a refund?

Full refund up to 7 days before the first session, on request by email. After that, no refund: the replays are already being produced and the seat cannot be resold.

Do I get a certificate?

Yes. Both tickets include a certificate of completion at the end of the class.

Will the 8 Feedback seats really be limited?

Yes. Eight is the number that leaves enough review time per person in a three-hour session. When they are gone, the Spectator ticket stays open.

Seven Sundays. One character.

…days to the first session
8feedback seats
7replays for life
Reserve a feedback seat · 599 € Get a spectator ticket · 220 €

Enrolment closes 31 October. Card payment through Stripe.

Contact us if you have any questions: info@conceptcore.co

Building believable charactersStarts Sun 1 Nov · 19:00 Paris · 8 feedback seats
599 €Feedback seatSpectator · 220 €
Your mentor

Faraz Shanyar

Character concept artist in Sweden. Production work on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Outlast 2, and for Fortiche, MachineGames, Remedy, Rockstar Games and more.

My goal with this class is to share the approach I use every day in professional production. Character design is not just about drawing pretty figures; it is about understanding how the body works, how it moves, and how to use that knowledge to tell a story through your designs.

Faraz Shanyar

ArtStationInstagram
Personal work · 19 plates
Tap to open
Students say

After a ConceptCore class

Work made by students during the class, and what they said about the weeks that produced it.

My mentors pointed out things in my work I'd completely missed on my own.

Konrad MagieraPathfinder mentorship · 2026

This class helped me focus on shapes and silhouettes much earlier in the process.

Abraham GarciaRicardo Padierne masterclass · 2026

I had already studied character design at school for several years, and Ricardo gives advice I had never heard anywhere else, on casting and acting for example.

Marius PavardRicardo Padierne masterclass · 2026
Seven Sundays · 1 Nov – 13 Dec

Week by week

Each week adds one layer to the same character. Read the whole plan before you decide. Each plate is a piece by Faraz, chosen for what that week is about.

Timelapse · Faraz drawing

Three hours of Faraz drawing live, every Sunday

19:00Homework reviews, Feedback seats on screen
20:15Live demo: Faraz draws and explains
21:45Questions from the chat
22:00End · replay within the week
Where you are: 19:00 Europe/Paris
01
Sun 1 Nov · Fundamentals

Lines & shapes

Everything starts with fundamentals. We dive into the building blocks of character drawing: lines, shapes, and basic anatomy. You will learn to construct figures from simple geometric forms, study skeletal structure from multiple angles, and begin exploring gesture through classic animation studies.

You draw
  • Skeletons from 4 different angles
  • Hand studies: structure, gesture, and proportion
  • A skeleton reference library for yourself
02
Sun 8 Nov · Gesture

Movement & weight

Gesture, balance and weight. How a pose shows what a body is doing and what it is about to do. Line of action, where the weight sits, and the difference between a figure that stands and a figure that is alive.

You draw
  • 30 two-minute gesture studies from film stills
  • The same figure in 3 poses carrying a heavy object
03
Sun 15 Nov · Your character starts

Character design & silhouette

What a character reads as from across the room. Silhouette, proportion and shape language. Faraz shows his own process from brief to thumbnails. You start your final character: thumbnails and one chosen direction.

You draw
  • 20 silhouette thumbnails for your character brief
  • Pick 3, take them to clean line
04
Sun 22 Nov · Line to form

Blocking shape

From line to form. Blocking the big masses of your design in value: head, torso, limbs, costume. Light direction decided early. Costume and props that make sense for the body underneath.

You draw
  • Value block-in of your character
  • Two lighting options on the same block-in
05
Sun 29 Nov · Rendering

Details & lighting

Rendering with intent. Where detail earns its place and where it is noise. Cloth, leather, metal, skin. Edges, and how light explains form.

You draw
  • Rendered pass on your character
  • Three material studies
06
Sun 6 Dec · Composition

Review & background

A group review of every character in progress. Then the background: placing the figure in a space without losing it. Value grouping, atmosphere, and a composition that serves the character.

You draw
  • Background pass
  • Final composition locked
07
Sun 13 Dec · Portfolio

Final presentation

Finishing. Colour, final polish, and presenting the piece for a portfolio. Each Feedback student presents their finished character. Faraz closes with what each of you should work on next.

You deliver
  • The finished character illustration
This is for you if
  • You can hold a pencil and want to draw people, from the skeleton up.
  • You already draw figures and want the design and rendering weeks to move you forward.
  • You want one finished portfolio piece at the end, not a folder of exercises.
  • You can be on Discord on Sundays at 19:00 Paris, or watch the edited replay during the week.
Skip it if
  • ✕You want to learn 3D or Blender. This class is 2D only.
  • ✕You are after software tutorials. Faraz works in Photoshop, but the class is about drawing, not tools.
  • ✕You want a self-paced course without a schedule. The sessions are live; the replays follow.
What you leave with

One finished character, and the method behind it

01A finished character illustration with a backgroundYour own design, started in week 3 and built up every week after. Portfolio ready.
02A study librarySkeletons from four angles, hands, and gesture pages from weeks 1 and 2.
03Seven edited session replaysEvery lecture, demo and review, cut and organised, on your account for life.
04Seven weeks of reviews, with a Feedback seatFaraz looks at your work on screen every Sunday and tells you what to fix.
05The groupA private Discord channel with Faraz and the other students for the length of the class.
Two tickets

Watch every Sunday, or be reviewed every Sunday

Both tickets get the full class live and every replay. The Feedback seat adds your homework on screen, critiqued by Faraz, seven weeks in a row.

Feedback seat
599€

Your homework on screen every Sunday, critiqued by Faraz in front of the group. You present your finished piece in week 7. Eight seats, so each review has time.

  • Seven live Sundays, 3 h each, and the text chat
  • Private student Discord channel
  • Edited replays, permanent access
  • Certificate of completion at the end of the class
  • Your homework reviewed live by Faraz, every week
  • Your finished piece presented and critiqued in week 7
Reserve a feedback seat · 599 €
Spectator ticket
220€

Watch every session live, ask questions in the chat, watch every critique, keep the replays. No seat limit.

  • Seven live Sundays, 3 h each, and the text chat
  • Private student Discord channel
  • Edited replays, permanent access
  • Weekly homework briefs, for your own practice
  • You watch the reviews. Your own work is not reviewed.
  • Certificate of completion at the end of the class
Spectator ticket · 220 €

Starts Sunday 1 November 2026. Enrolment closes Saturday 31 October. Card payment through Stripe. Invoice and Discord invitation by email after payment.

Questions

Before you buy

Anything else, write to info@conceptcore.co or ask in the Discord.

Is this for beginners?

Yes, if you can hold a pencil and want to draw people. Week 1 starts with lines, shapes and skeletons. If you already draw figures, the design and rendering weeks are where you will grow. No 3D.

What software do I need?

Photoshop, Procreate, Clip Studio, Krita, or paper and a scanner. Faraz works in Photoshop. Nothing in the class depends on a specific tool.

What if I cannot attend a Sunday?

Every session is recorded and edited. The replay is on your account within the week, for both tickets.

Spectator or Feedback?

Spectator: watch live, chat, replays, Discord channel. Feedback: all of that, plus your homework goes on screen every week and Faraz critiques it in front of the group, and you present your finished piece in week 7. Feedback is limited to 8 people so each review has time.

What time is it where I live?

Sessions start at 18:00 UTC every Sunday. That is 19:00 in Paris, 18:00 in London, 13:00 in New York, 10:00 in Los Angeles. The schedule above shows your local time.

How do I get in after paying?

You get an email with your invoice and an invitation to the private ConceptCore Discord server. The live stream and the chat happen there.

Can I get a refund?

Full refund up to 7 days before the first session, on request by email. After that, no refund: the replays are already being produced and the seat cannot be resold.

Do I get a certificate?

Yes. Both tickets include a certificate of completion at the end of the class.

Seven Sundays. One character.

…days to the first session
8feedback seats
7replays for life
Reserve a feedback seat · 599 € Spectator ticket · 220 €

Starts Sunday 1 November, 19:00 Paris. Card payment through Stripe.

Contact us if you have any questions: info@conceptcore.co

Building believable charactersStarts Sun 1 Nov · 19:00 Paris · 8 feedback seats
599 €Feedback seat · 599 €Spectator · 220 €