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Learn How to Make 3D Characters

Become a Character Artist with a Personalised Mentorship

Achieve your goals as a 3D Character Artist with intensive learning and expert feedback from a dedicated senior industry artist and teacher.

Your Mentor

Become a 3D character artist with FlippedNormals Co-Founder Henning Sanden, former senior artist for films such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Alien Covenant, Batman v Superman and Pacific Rim Uprising. Tap into his industry experience and expertise with personalized feedback on your character art.

Having created nearly 30 FlippedNormals Exclusive courses, taught countless students from across the world and having made hundreds of YouTube videos, you couldn't be in safer hands.

EXPERTISE

  • Concept Sculpting
  • Figure Sculpting
  • 3D Modeling
  • Topology
  • UVs
3D SOFTWARE

  • ZBrush
  • Maya
  • Blender
  • Substance Painter
  • Mari

Student Work

All art created during the mentorship

 
 
 
 
 
 
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What They Are Saying

“

Henning's mentorship was exactly what I needed and helped me improve my skills! I saw huge improvements in my work after just one week. Henning's experience in the film industry was very helpful and he was great to work with. I highly recommend the mentorship.

Kevin RossStudent
“

Henning's advice and feedback gave me control over my own learning process and taught me ways to break down my goals. I went from being a big fish in a little pond, to a small fish in an ocean. Thanks to Henning, my skills no longer have a celling as long as I put in the work!

Ernest Ziegenfelder3D Character Artist
“

Seeing my first and last sculpture side by side after finishing Henning's Mentorship Program makes me immensely proud of the progress I have made. My sculpture skills have improved, from anatomy to shape language and overall workflow.

Jonathan Amador3D Artist
“

Before starting the mentorship with Henning, I struggled with applying my theoretical sculpting knowledge to actual sculpts. Henning's clear explanations and weekly assignments helped me understand the process. The assignments were challenging, interesting, and very insightful. I'm excited for my second mentorship and work on a portfolio piece!

Andreas NiederhoferStudent

Onboarding

To sign up for the mentorship, please contact me through the contact page and let me know your goals for the mentorship. We’ll then schedule a live call or text chat to discuss your goals and make a plan for the mentorship. Once we have agreed on a plan, you’ll pay for the mentorship using either bank transfer or a credit card. After payment is received, you’ll get your first assignment and I’ll set up a shared folder where you can upload your work.

My Approach

After having helped countless students become better at making character, I’ve developed my own unique and highly effective approach for teaching character art.

Instead of weekly lectures, you’ll receive weekly exercises and personalized feedback from me. I provide in-depth feedback, including explanations of anatomy and sculpt-overs to show you how to improve your work.

The feedback is provided in the form of a video each week, instead of through live calls. This means there are no issues with time zones, missed meetings, or internet connection problems. Plus, any software crashes or computer issues can be edited out, so you can enjoy a smooth and seamless review experience.

Each week, you’ll get a new assignment that’s tailored to your skill level. After you finish it, I’ll give you feedback that focuses on the underlying issues and provides clear guidance on how to improve your 3D art. My goal is to help you create better art with each new piece you make.

What You Can Learn

The mentorship program is focused on character creation and the various skills involved. Here are some examples of what you can learn:

PORTFOLIO BUILDING
Learn how to create a standout character portfolio with expert guidance. We will cover which pieces to include, how to present your work, and provide feedback on existing pieces. I am also available for one-on-one calls to ensure that you are on the right track.

FULL CHARACTER WORKFLOW
Gain a deep understanding of the full character creation workflow, from sculpting and retopology to UVs, texturing, shading, and rendering.

CONCEPT SCULPTING
Create incredible character from scratch by learning to concept sculpt. Combine human and animal anatomy and learn how to design characters and creatures from scratch.

ANATOMY
One of the most common challenges for 3D artists is understanding anatomy. With powerful and simple concepts, I’ll demystify anatomy and give you tools to help you create incredible characters.

FIGURE SCULPTING
A strong foundation in figure sculpting is essential for creating great characters. Learn the core principles of figure sculpting and how it can improve all your character work.

UV MAPPING & RETOPOLOGY
If you are having difficulty with UV mapping and retopology, we can dig into how to create production-ready UVs and topology. You will learn about correct edge flow, professional retopology techniques, optimized UVs, and much more.

The Mentorship in Short

  • FORMAT: Personalised feedback by recorded videos by Henning Sanden
  • DELIVERY: Upload your files once a week
  • LENGTH: 45 minutes of feedback a week
  • SKILL LEVEL: Suitable for intermediate artists and up
  • ASSIGNMENTS: Weekly goals based on your needs
  • LIVE CHATS: Live written chat during the week for questions
  • FREE CONSULTATION: Video call before starting to discuss your goals

Pricing

1 Hour Single Call

$300
  • Perfect for a one-time review
  • Choose between live call or recorded video
  • Customized to your specific needs
  • Ideal for career guidance or overcoming creative blocks
Sign Up!

4 Weeks

$1,250
  • Four weeks of intense learning
  • Highly focused on a few specific skills
  • Ideal for quickly improving your abilities
  • See serious improvement in a short amount of time
Sign Up!

8 Weeks

$2,000
  • Eight weeks of intense learning
  • Cover a huge range of topics
  • Focus on mastering a new skill
  • Ideal for building a portfolio piece
Sign Up!

FAQ

Why is the feedback pre-recorded instead of a live call?

Pre-recorded video has a few benefits over live calls. For one, it gives both the mentor and mentee more flexibility and accessibility. With pre-recorded video, the mentor can take their time reviewing the material and can pause the video if they need to investigate something. This can be really helpful for complex or technical subjects.

Plus, pre-recorded video means the mentorship is available to a wider range of people, no matter where they live or what time zone they’re in. This can be especially useful for artists who might not have access to mentorship opportunities in their area.

Overall, pre-recorded video is a convenient and effective way for mentors to provide guidance and support to their mentees.

Do I need to provide my own software?

Yes, you will need to have the necessary software to complete the mentorship. The specific software you use is up to you, as long as we can exchange files.

Can I keep the recordings after the 8 weeks are over?

Absolutely!

If I like the mentorship, can I extend it?

Absolutely! Just make sure to talk about it early on, because spots can fill up quickly.

How many students do you have at the same time?

I only accept 3 students at the same time, so spots are limited. This is to make sure that I can dedicate enough time for each student.

Can I join with a group or a friend?

Definitely! This is a good way to share the cost and having a clear structure for your studies. Each week you can decide how to use the feedback time: evenly among everyone or focused on one person’s work.