Character Class - AAA 3D Character Art for Games Course by J Hill
- Publisher
- Character Class
- Product Type
- Video Course
- Product URL
- https://www.characterclass.com/
- Author
- J Hill
- Language
- English
- Duration
- 54:40
- Release date
- Feb 1, 2024
- Skill level
- Project Files
- Yes
- Product Price
- $395
Make Your Best Character Art
Course Description
Make Your Best Character Art is a complete 9-module course designed to help artists create professional, game-ready characters using workflows built from over a decade of AAA production experience.
The course guides students through the full character creation pipeline, from choosing a concept and planning references to sculpting, retopology, UVs, texturing, hair creation, Unreal Engine rendering, posing, and final portfolio presentation.
Students follow a structured roadmap that focuses not only on technical skills, but also on creating a polished portfolio piece that can stand out to studios, recruiters, and other artists. The course is designed for beginner-to-intermediate character artists who want to improve their workflow, build confidence, and create a complete character from start to finish.
With over 70 lessons, 100+ hours of content, downloadable project files, Unreal Engine scenes, community support, and feedback opportunities, this course gives students the tools and structure needed to create a high-quality character art portfolio piece.
What You’ll Learn
- How to create a complete game-ready character from start to finish
- How to choose the right concept and build a strong reference library
- How to block out early shapes and plan your production workflow
- How to sculpt believable characters, faces, clothing, and materials
- How to create clean, efficient models and customised basemeshes
- How to retopologise characters for games
- How to create UVs using production-friendly workflows
- How to bake high-poly detail into game-ready assets
- How to texture skin, fabric, wear, and material storytelling
- How to create believable game-ready hair using hair cards
- How to set up materials, lighting, eyes, reflections, and renders in Unreal Engine
- How to pose and present your character for ArtStation and portfolio use
Course Curriculum
Module 1 - Build Solid Foundations
Students begin by setting up professional software workflows, learning clean and efficient modelling practices, and building or customising basemeshes. This module helps students start production with confidence and a strong technical foundation.Module 2 - Plan With Purpose
This module focuses on choosing the right concept, building reference libraries, and blocking out early shapes. Students learn how to create a clear creative roadmap before moving deeper into production.Module 3 - Sculpt With Confidence
Students learn how to sculpt believable forms and materials using ZBrush and Maya workflows. The focus is on balancing detail, structure, and readability to create a professional-quality sculpt.Module 4 - Craft Realistic Faces
This module covers facial structure, anatomy, reference-based sculpting, and adding emotion to a character. Students learn how to create faces that feel believable and help the character connect with the viewer.Module 5 - Optimise for Games
Students move into game production workflows, including retopology, Quad Draw tools, and UV mapping best practices. The goal is to create a clean, lightweight, game-ready mesh.Module 6 - Texture With Story
This module focuses on baking high-poly details and texturing different materials such as skin and fabric. Students learn how to add realism, wear, and storytelling through texture work.Module 7 - Create Game-Ready Hair
Students learn a proven workflow for creating production-ready hair using hair cards. Topics include layering, grooming, cleanup, and rendering hair in Unreal Engine.Module 8 - Render in Unreal
This module covers exporting and importing assets into Unreal Engine, setting up lighting and materials, rendering eyes and reflections, and creating cinematic real-time renders.Module 9 - Present Your Work
The final module focuses on dynamic posing, path-traced rendering, final presentation, and publishing work to ArtStation. Students learn how to present their character in a way that immediately captures attention.Course Features
- 70+ lesson videos with 4K commentary
- 100+ hours of course content
- Downloadable project files
- ZBrush tools, low-poly models, Substance Painter files, references, and Unreal Engine projects
- Unreal Engine project with master materials and a ready-to-use scene
- Private community access
- Community feedback and support
- English closed captions
- On-demand access with no deadlines
- Bonus Q&A videos and guest speaker recordings
- Optional livestreams and additional feedback in the Pro version
Requirements
This course is best suited for beginner-to-intermediate character artists who already have some familiarity with 3D art and want to develop a stronger, more professional character pipeline.Students will benefit from basic knowledge of sculpting, modelling, texturing, and digital art tools, but the course is structured to guide them step by step through the full production process.
Who This Course Is For
This course is ideal for aspiring character artists, game artists, 3D artists, students, and self-taught creators who want to build a polished, job-ready portfolio piece.It is especially useful for artists who want to work in games, improve their Unreal Engine presentation skills, understand AAA character workflows, or create a complete character that can be shown on ArtStation or in a professional portfolio.
About the Instructor
The course is taught by J Hill, a professional character artist with more than 15 years of industry experience.J has worked on major game projects including Apex Legends, Titanfall 2, Evolve, and Back 4 Blood. His career began with building a strong portfolio, which opened the door to game studios, collaborations, and teaching opportunities.
Through this course, J shares the character creation workflows, portfolio strategies, and production techniques he has developed throughout his professional career.
Final Result
By the end of the course, students will have created a complete game-ready character with a polished sculpt, clean topology, UVs, textures, hair, Unreal Engine materials, lighting, posing, and final presentation renders.The final project is designed to become a professional-quality portfolio piece that can help students demonstrate their skills, attract attention, and move closer to working in the game industry.
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