Arts on Fire

Who It’s For

Designed for ages 9–12, this class is perfect for young artists who love cartoons, animation, comics, and imaginative worlds, with curiosity and a love of creating characters they can relate to and get excited about. No prior drawing experience is require.

What They’ll Learn

In this fun and skill-building course, students will:

• Learn how to design characters using simple shapes to build bodies, faces, and poses
• Explore different character styles, from cute/cartoony to more stylized designs
• Practice drawing facial expressions, emotions, and body language
• Learn how clothing, accessories, and silhouettes help define a character’s personality
• Begin creating original characters based on their own ideas and interests

By focusing on shapes and structure, students can design strong characters without needing formal anatomy knowledge.

Why It Matters

Character design teaches foundational drawing skills in an engaging, accessible way. Using simple shapes helps students understand form, proportion, and visual storytelling — skills that support future learning in drawing, animation, digital art, and illustration. Because students are creating characters they care about, the class naturally boosts motivation, creativity, and confidence while keeping them deeply engaged in the art-making process.

Class Format & Schedule

📅 Mondays 5-6pm: Jan 12, 19, 26. Feb 2, 9, 23
📍 Arts on Fire Studio, Ajax
(Each class includes guided drawing, creative exploration, and time to develop personal ideas.)

Instructor Bio

Led by Mira Armstrong, an OCAD graduate and professional artist with many years of experience teaching all age groups. Mira is technically gifted and skilled at translating her knowledge into lessons students can easily grasp — balancing professional techniques with an encouraging approach.

End Experience

By the end of the course, students will have created a collection of character drawings, including at least one fully developed original character complete with expressions, poses, and design details. These pieces form a strong foundation for future art and design classes.

What’s Included

✔ All drawing materials provided (paper, pencils, markers, erasers, colored pencils)
✔ Makeup lessons available for missed classes

Spaces are limited — register today and let your young artist bring their characters to life!