What You Will Learn
- How to choose and personalize a concept that resonates with your creative voice
- ZBrush techniques for rapid blocking, kitbashing, and early material exploration
- Best practices for dynamic posing, paintovers, and iteration
- Layering methods for refining key features while saving time
- UV mapping and texturing workflows in Substance Painter
- How to prep your model for rendering, 2D illustrations, and final presentation
- Tips to make your final work visually powerful and industry-ready
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8 Week Course
The 8-week course structure, with 2-hour sessions each week, provides a focused and immersive learning experience. This workshop takes you from initial idea to polished 3D concept
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Industry Professional Instructors
With over 20 years in the industry, instructor Raphael Phillips has built a powerhouse career, blending fine art, 3D design, and storytelling for film, games, and beyond.
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Lifetime Access to Course Videos
With lifetime access to all instructional videos and resources, you'll be able to revisit and refine your skills at your own pace, long after the course ends
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Private Discord Server
The private Discord server allows you to engage directly with instructors and fellow students, fostering a supportive learning community with real-time interaction and personalized feedback
Curriculum
Starts May 11th, 2025 @ 12:00 PM EST
Week 1: Concept Selection and Making Yours
- Making it personal and why it is important!
- Go over a day in the life of a Concept Artist for Film and Games
- Talk about some of my favorite personal works and why they are special to me
Week 2: Blocking out your Character and Best practices for incorporating SPEED!
- Blocking out in Zbrush
- Kit bashing parts from other models for the sake of the idea first
- Poly painting in ZBrush to start fleshing out materials and textures early
Week 3: Character Concept Design Process
- Using Photoshop to get your for varieties of material overlays
- Breaking the model for quick dynamic pose creation
- Preparing the paintovers and new poses for directional feedback
Week 4: Modeling techniques for iterations
- Using layers for the iterative process
- How to identify the most important areas of your model and ONLY work on that
- Saving out multiple iterations and the naming conventions/folder structures that work best
Week 5: Finalizing Sculpting and Pose
- Making decisions on what's the best to leave as overlays in Photoshop and what's best to actually be on the model
- Making the pose feel as natural as possible
Week 6: UV and Texturing
- When to use dirty UVs and when to take your time creating good UVs
- Using Substance Painter to give you a lot of bang for your buck, fast
Week 7: Prepare for 2D illustration and 3D Turn Around
- Choosing the right HDRI in Substance to get the mood you need for your piece
- Model setup for export into Marmoset Toolbag
Week 8: Finalizing your 3D Concept for Presentation
- Tips to make your 2D Illustration feel grounded right away
- Making sure your final images have a lot to say
Raphael Phillips
From his early days, Raphael always knew that art would be a part of his life story, the ‘how’, would be an interesting road, however. Drawing was the genesis of it all. The pencil carried him from Montessori, thru multiple public-school system art classes in Baltimore
and Virginia, to SCAD in Savannah, Georgia. While drawing was the root, 3d, by way of video games and movie visual fx, began to open his mind to what was possible with the arts and technology.
Soon after graduating from SCAD with a Bachelor’s degree in 3d animation, he relocated to San Diego, CA to start working as a character artist at Rockstar.
Over 20 years, Raphael’s roots in fine arts have come to expand and intertwine with virtual production. He specializes in 3d character and concept Illustration, with deep experience spanning costume design, video games, VFX, film/TV, merch and collectibles, and live performances.
Some of his clients include J. Balvin, Meg Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Ciara, Katy Perry, United Talent Agency, UFC, and Sideshow Collectibles. And His work is featured in: Creed III, Marvel’s Black Panther, Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok, Red Dead Redemption, Disney’s Descendants: The Rise of Red, X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Walking Dead, Destiny 2, and Christopher Nolan’s: The Odyssey.
In addition, Raphael is a mentor for students and early-career artists through the Los Angeles-based non-profit, Concept Art Association.
When Does the Course Begin
This is an 8 week workshop with the next session begining on May 11th, 2025 @ 12:00 PM EST
How Long Are the Live Sessions?
Each Session is 2 hours long
Do I have to Make it to Every Live Session?
No, although its always best for you to join a live session, all live sessions will be recorded and shared with the class within 48 hours of the recording.
How Long Will I Have Access to the Class Recordings?
You will have lifetime access to all of the class recordings and reference materials.
How Much is the Workshop?
On-Demand $299.99
Get lifetime, on-demand access to Raphael Phillips' recorded workshops, plus exclusive supplemental sessions from 3D Character Artist Bradley Collor. Learn at your own pace with expert-led content at your fingertips.
Up-Level $599.99
Everything in the On-Demand tier, plus the opportunity to join live workshops taught by Raphael Phillips. You’ll also have the option to submit your work each week for personalized feedback, helping you refine your skills in real-time.
Personalized $999.99
Limited to just 5–7 students, this exclusive tier includes all Up-Level benefits along with private, one-hour weekly mentorship sessions with Raphael. Get dedicated guidance tailored to your artistic growth.
When Do I Get Access to the Discord?
Access to the workshop's private discord server will be provided 1 week prior to the start of the workshop.
Workshop Tiers
The Course on Your Time
On Demand - $299.99
Get lifetime, on-demand access to Raphael Phillips' recorded workshops, plus exclusive supplemental sessions from 3D Character Artist Bradley Collor. Learn at your own pace with expert-led content at your fingertips.
Refine Your Skills
Level Up - $599.99
Everything in the On-Demand tier, plus the opportunity to join live workshops taught by Raphael Phillips. You’ll also have the option to submit your work each week for personalized feedback, helping you refine your skills in real-time.
Private Sessions
Mentoring - $999.99
Limited students, this exclusive tier includes all Up-Level benefits along with private, one-hour weekly mentorship sessions with Raphael. Get dedicated guidance tailored to your artistic growth.
SLU Student Projects
