characterillustrator,cjjoaquin Details
Intro
Class Intro
Character Illustrator, CJ Joaquin
"Finally, we'll break down group composition, so your character interactions flow naturally and create a truly immersive scene."
Bring Your Characters to Life: Dynamic Poses and Expressive Gestures for Beginners
I’m CJ, a character and comic illustrator who has spent years studying human anatomy and expressive visual storytelling.
Now I’m here to share the valuable techniques that have shaped my artistic approach!
Learn to bring characters to life with strong anatomy, dynamic poses, and expressive gestures. You’ll also explore how color, silhouettes, and simple composition can set mood without full backgrounds and how to convey relationships and storytelling moments between characters or groups. Along the way, guided sketches and observation-based practice will help strengthen your artistic intuition.
This course keeps things simple, using approachable tools and fundamentals that support your personal style. With consistent practice, you’ll rely less on references and more on your visual understanding, improving both skill and confidence while bringing your scenes to life. Expressive, dynamic, and vibrant illustrations just as you imagined them.
This course keeps things simple, using approachable tools and fundamentals that support your personal style. With consistent practice, you’ll rely less on references and more on your visual understanding, improving both skill and confidence while bringing your scenes to life. Expressive, dynamic, and vibrant illustrations just as you imagined them.
Class Preview
Still Not Sure?
Check Out CJ Joaquin's Class Preview!
Chapter 03: Basic Figures
1. Start by drawing basic figures
Class Perks
Special Gift from CJ Joaquin
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Artist Study Handouts -
In-Class Work Files -
Exercise Files
Class Material Details
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Artist Study Handouts- Clear notes and slides you can revisit anytime for continued study
- Helpful breakdown annotations
- Summaries from the chapters highlighting all key points covered
- Character and Poses sheets -
In-Class Work Files- Downloadable PSD Files (for applicability on various software) used in our class, featuring organized layers for easy image breakdown and study -
Exercise Files- All exercise files included—yours to keep, study, and practice with long after the class ends
- Bonus exercises to help you maintain and enjoy your practice even after class
Recommendation
Who should take this class?
Beginner Artists who are eager to understand the fundamental concepts of anatomy drawing.
Beginner Character Illustrators seeking a deeper understanding of character drawing, with a focus on expression, emotional impact, and dynamic direction.
Beginner Comic/Webcomic Artists who want to learn the basics of comic drawing, including sequencing, panel layout, flow, and dialogue.
Expert Character Illustrator CJ Joaquin's Portfolio
* This Portfolio includes fanart.
Why Take This Class?
This class is designed for artists who want to take character drawing beyond the basics. It focuses on what makes characters feel alive, including acting, movement, rhythm, and emotional expression. Students will strengthen their understanding of sequencing, direction, and narrative flow, enabling them to create clear panels and scenes that convey intention and emotion.
CJ's course is ideal for newbie artists who want to move beyond copying references and develop true observational skills. Through 19 guided exercises, students will learn to break down shapes and forms while understanding the “why” behind their drawings. In this course, CJ emphasizes the fundamentals over shortcuts or complex tools. Through this focus, you'll build both technical skill and confidence, helping beginner artists develop their own unique style and draw with intuition and purpose.
Get Ready for the Real-World
19 Class Exercises
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Sketching Basic Figures -
Sketching Various Objects -
Sketching Basic Anatomy Figures
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Drawing Timed Silhouettes -
Sketching Anatomy with Perspective -
Sketching the General Body
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Sketching Heads -
Sketching Hands -
Sketching Various Areas of the Body
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Draw Along Using Personal Style: Sketching the Hair -
Draw Along Using Personal Style: Sketching Practice with Skins -
Draw Along Using Personal Style: Practice Sketching Clothes
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Experiment by Drawing Your Original Character with a Desired Prop -
Practice Sketching Facial Expressions/Express with Own Style -
Personal Sketching of Poses/Express with Personal Style by Filling up a Page
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Create a Simple Character Drawing and Fill It with Color and Basic Shading -
Experiment with 3 Different Atmospheres -
Create a Full Scene in Thumbnails -
Create a Full Comic Applied with All the Studies We’ve Gathered
Final Products
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Character Sheet 1 -
Character Sheet 2 -
Character Illustration 1 -
Character Illustration 2 -
Character Illustration 3
Highlights
Class Highlights
Master Human Figures from Basics to Complex Anatomy
Practice drawing anatomy with a focus on understanding the why and how behind every form. Start your journey by learning the fundamentals—from basic shapes and proportions to angles, muscles, skin, and textures—placed accurately and thoughtfully in every figure.
Expressive Characters: Poses, Silhouettes, and Acting
Bring your characters to life by giving them heart and personality, as we apply the principles learned from basic figures to create expressive, dynamic character scenes.
Interacting Characters: Dialogue, Movement, and Group Flow
Delve into character acting by exploring how characters physically interact—whether with or without dialogue—while learning proper spacing, group composition, and how to keep every character connected to the flow of the scene without losing essential details.
