Creature Design and Sculpture for Film
A course by Jordu SchellSculptor
A course by Jordu Schell, Sculptor
A professional approach to creating fantasy and horror characters out of Sculpty clay
Jordu Schell has always had a passion for monsters. From a young age, he obsessed over fantasy films of the 70s and 80s, and woke up wide-eyed on Saturday mornings, excited to spend his free time brainstorming all sorts of creatures. Since Schell got his big Hollywood break at the ripe age of 20 on a budget film in Los Angeles, he’s worked on some of the most recognizable fantasy films of his time, from Edward Scissorhands, Men in Black, to the X-Files. He also was a key sculptor in James Cameron’s Oscar-winning movie, Avatar. In his work, he endeavors to imbue as much personality as possible, combining aspects of the human species with different earth creatures.
In this online course, learn how to design, sculpt and color a hyperrealistic fantasy character of your own, guided by one of the best in business. Schell takes you through the steps used by the pros, from early conceptualization to the final product, using accessible methods and materials, such as polymer clays.
What will you learn in this online course?
28 lessons & 20 downloads
Tools and Materials
5 minutes, 58 seconds
Sketching and Designing 1
16 minutes, 34 seconds
Preparing the Sculpey
11 minutes, 24 seconds
Creating the Armature 1
13 minutes, 26 seconds
Blocking the Sculpture 1
18 minutes, 7 seconds
Secondary Forms 1
19 minutes, 57 seconds
What's included in this course?
To start, meet master monster maker and fantasy artist —Jordu Schell. He guides you through his decades of experience making all sorts of creatures, aliens, and creepy characters for film, video games, and television.
Then, get brainstorming. Discover how all animals share extraordinarily common anatomical links. Look for references and sketch your monster before preparing the clay and adding a base color.
Afterward, build the armature with aluminum wire and block in the character’s main shapes. Next, bring your creature to life with important features —eyes, teeth, and other anatomical details. Each element of your creation convince the viewer of its reality, so carefully sculpt the flesh to look lifelike, as well as the patterns and textures.
It will then be time to refine, bake and choose the best colors for your monster. Wrap up with the hand painting and airbrushing processes.
By the end of the lessons, you will be able to develop a compelling character, from early conceptualization to the final details.
What is this course's project?
Create a hand-painted creature sculpture based on a drawing.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone wanting to make fantasy or horror characters. A background in animal and human anatomy is helpful.
Requirements and materials
You’ll need an armature wire, Sculpey, sculpture tools, loop tools, kidney, various rakes, a detail tool, ball tool, castor oil, isopropyl alcohol, heat gun, glass eyes, 18”X18” board (1” thick), galvanized flange and short 2” pipe (1” diameter of the pipe), screws, air brush gun and compressor, and F&W Acrylic or Liquitex Acrylic Inks.
Reviews
- 5688r7df7kPLUS2 months ago
Absolutely wonderful course. Jordu Schell not only shares his techniques but his keen observation of the world. Which I found very inspiring.
- 2 months ago
Amazing lector, amazing course. The man is inspirative and knows his craft, he is living legend btw working on amazing movies.
- 6 months ago
Excelente curso
- 6 months ago
Incrível!
- 1 year ago
EXCELENTE CURSO!
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
Creating Your Workspace
- Tools and Materials
- Comparative Anatomy
- Getting Inspired
- U3
Making a Monster
- Sketching and Designing 1
- Sketching and Designing 2
- Preparing the Sculpey
- Creating the Armature 1
- Creating de Armature 2
- U4
The Sculpture
- Blocking the Sculpture 1
- Blocking the Sculpture 2
- Secondary Forms 1
- Secondary Forms 2
- Secondary Forms 3
- Adding Details 1
- Adding Details 2
- Creating the Head 1
- Creating the Head 2
- Creating the Head 3
- Refining and Baking
- U5
Bringing the Character to Life with Paint
- Hand Painting 1
- Hand Painting 2
- Airbrushing 1
- Airbrushing 2
- Airbrushing 3
- Finishing Touches 1
- Finishing Touches 2
- FP
Final project
- Creature Design and Sculpture for Film
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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FAQs
This course is best suited for intermediate artists with some prior experience in sculpture or drawing, especially those interested in creature and character design for film, illustration, or collectibles.
You will need polymer clay (like Sculpey), wire for armatures, epoxy putty, aluminum foil, sculpting tools, a pasta machine for conditioning clay, acrylic inks, airbrush, brushes, beads for eyes, and a wooden base.
You’ll learn to design, sculpt, and paint hyper-realistic and fantasy creatures, build armatures, apply advanced anatomy, combine animal and human features, use color and texture techniques, and finish work for film-quality presentation.
The course focuses on creating maquettes and miniature sculptures for film and illustration, with an emphasis on polymer clay techniques, not latex mask-making.
The course teaches detailed anatomy study, comparative analysis of animal and human structures, and advanced sculpting and painting methods to boost believability and realism in your creations.
Yes, you’ll learn the full cinematic creature design workflow, including concept sketching, anatomy blending, armature building, and painting, to create original fantasy and alien characters for film or illustration.
Basic drawing skills are helpful but not strictly required. The course covers foundational sketching techniques to help you design and visualize your creatures before sculpting.