Create Two Portfolio Pieces in 8 Weeks With Live Feedback
The last 10-20 percent of quality is what separates good artists from working professionals and mastering it is more attainable than you think.
Week 1 starts October 5 | 8 Weeks | Weekly Feedback | 2 Portfolio Pieces
8-Week Live Cohort
What is the Line & Color Intensive?
The Line & Color Intensive is an 8-week live cohort where you'll create two complete portfolio pieces, from initial thumbnails to final polish, with expert feedback at every stage.
You'll master the professional 4-step illustration process (thumbnailing, construction, line work, color) by applying it twice: first on a manageable character piece, then on a complex multi-character scene.
Each week includes focused exercises, asynchronous feedback with draw-overs and paint-overs, live Q&A sessions, and real-time process demos showing exactly how to turn your ideas into professional illustrations.
The Next Intensive Starts in October
Week 0 opens Monday September 28, and Week 1 starts Monday October 5.
The eight core weeks run through to Saturday December 6, with a one week break in the middle from November 2, and a bonus ninth week to December 13 for final feedback and polish. The full week by week schedule is further down this page.
Enrolment opens in late September.
The Intensive
Getting the last 10-20 Percent Right
Figuring out how to create images with depth, dimension, and a high level of polish is what unlocks many doors as a professional artist.
The line and color style has a huge range of uses. From comic books and graphic novels to concept art and keyframe illustrations, from book covers to trading cards, from animation to game art.
What makes this style so powerful is its versatility.
You can create living, breathing worlds with simple flat color and clean lines.
Or... you can combine lines with painted backgrounds. Creating hybrid line styles. Echoing the classic animation styles of Ghibli or Classic Disney.
You can work fast for production or slow for cover-quality pieces.
One of the biggest challenges though, is creating illustrations with a high level of detail and polish. Making sure you can take your image from an idea to an image with depth and dimension and a sense of finish and polish.
Most intermediate artists who are trying to get to a professional level with their art struggle to get the last 20 percent of detail working properly.
Keyframe Illustrations
Creating Keyframe style illustrations is one of the most exciting art jobs out there. This kind of polished work opens many doors.
The Process
Master the Professional 4-Step Workflow
The same process professional illustrators use for comic covers, keyframe illustrations, and concept art. Simple to understand, challenging to master.
Idea & Thumbnail
Plan and perfect images that move your audience and communicate effectively.
Construction
Solve all technical problems before the visible stages. This is where real improvement happens.
Line Work
Focus on motion, expression, texture, emotion. Getting your story into the line work.
Color & Rendering
Define the style and mood. Flat color or full rendering. You decide.
The 8-Week Structure
Two Portfolio Pieces. Simple First, Then Complex.
Master the 4-step process on a character illustration (Weeks 1-4), take a 1-week break to finish and rest, then apply it to a complex scene (Weeks 5-8), with bonus Week 9 for final polish.
The mid-course break prevents burnout and gives you time to finish your first piece without pressure.
Every lesson is now recorded and waiting inside the course space, so the live sessions and the feedback are all about your work.
The 8-Week Structure
Watch how the cohort is structured
Course Schedule
Week 0
Early Bird Access
Sep 28 - Oct 4, 2026
Jump in early and get oriented before the intensive officially begins. Meet your cohort, explore the community platform, and get personalized feedback on where to focus your growth.
Early Bird Access
Jump in early and get oriented before the intensive officially begins. Meet your cohort, explore the community platform, and get personalized feedback on where to focus your growth.
What You'll Get
- Special work review: Submit your current best work for feedback
- Personalized guidance on your #1 focus area for the intensive
- Early community introductions and platform orientation
- Strategic planning for how you'll use the 8 weeks
Outcomes
Start Week 1 with a clear understanding of what to prioritize, community connections already forming, and confidence in the platform. Use the work review to build a better plan for your intensive journey.
Week 1
Thumbnailing
Oct 5-11, 2026
Plan composition and explore ideas before committing. Sketch 10+ variations before selecting direction.
Thumbnailing
Plan composition and explore ideas before committing. Sketch 10+ variations before selecting direction.
Focus Areas
- Explore composition through multiple thumbnail sketches
- Find what works before investing time in details
- Plan character placement, environment, focal points
Outcomes
Create 15+ thumbnail variations of your character concept and select your strongest direction.
Week 2
Construction & Drawing
Oct 12-18, 2026
Build solid forms and structure. Find groundplane and establish space.
Construction & Drawing
Build solid forms and structure. Find groundplane and establish space.
Focus Areas
- Construct character with proper anatomy
- Build forms for background elements
- Sort out perspective and environment
- Create solid underdrawing
Outcomes
Complete structural drawing ready for final linework.
Week 3
Linework & Inking
Oct 19-25, 2026
Create emotion, texture, and character through lines.
Linework & Inking
Create emotion, texture, and character through lines.
Focus Areas
- Choose linework approach (painted BG vs line/color BG)
- Create texture through line effects
- Use thick/thin variation for depth
- Organize layers for color separation
Outcomes
Professional linework ready for color application.
Week 4
Color & Finishing
Oct 26 - Nov 1, 2026
Professional polish and final grading for your first piece.
Color & Finishing
Professional polish and final grading for your first piece.
Focus Areas
- Choose finish: flat color OR rendering
- Paint backgrounds (if using painted approach)
- Add shading and lighting effects
- Professional color grading techniques
Outcomes
Complete first portfolio piece - Character illustration with background.
Mid-Course Break
📅 Nov 2-8, 2026
One week to finish your first piece, get final feedback, and recharge before tackling your second illustration. Community stays open.
Week 5
Thumbnailing
Nov 9-15, 2026
Apply thumbnailing to a more complex scene with multiple characters and detailed environment.
Thumbnailing
Apply thumbnailing to a more complex scene with multiple characters and detailed environment.
Focus Areas
- Plan composition for multiple figures and elements
- Establish depth and dimension
- Create visual hierarchy across complex scene
- Explore 15+ variations before committing
Outcomes
Complete thumbnail plan for complex multi-character scene ready for construction phase.
Week 6
Construction & Drawing
Nov 16-22, 2026
Build solid structure for multiple characters interacting with detailed environment.
Construction & Drawing
Build solid structure for multiple characters interacting with detailed environment.
Focus Areas
- Construct multiple figures with correct anatomy
- Build background with depth and overlap
- Establish perspective across entire scene
- Create relationships between characters and environment
Outcomes
Complete structural underdrawing for complex scene ready for linework.
Week 7
Linework & Inking
Nov 23-29, 2026
Create your finished linework! Emotion, texture, and character through lines.
Linework & Inking
Create your finished linework! Emotion, texture, and character through lines.
Focus Areas
- Differentiate materials and textures through line quality
- Use line weight to create depth hierarchy
- Organize layers for efficient color workflow
- Maintain consistency across complex composition
Outcomes
Professional linework for complex scene ready for final color application.
Week 8
Color & Finishing
Nov 30 - Dec 6, 2026
Bring your scene to finish with color and refinement.
Color & Finishing
Bring your scene to finish with color and refinement.
Focus Areas
- Color multiple characters maintaining visual unity
- Paint or render background elements
- Apply lighting and atmosphere effects
- Final color grading
Outcomes
Complete second piece - Complex multi-character scene ready for portfolio.
Week 9
Bonus Feedback Week
Dec 7-13, 2026
The course is complete, but Week 9 gives you one last opportunity to get feedback and finalize your portfolio pieces.
Bonus Feedback Week
The course is complete, but Week 9 gives you one last opportunity to get feedback and finalize your portfolio pieces.
What's Included
- Final feedback on your second portfolio piece (complex scene)
- Catch-up time to complete any unfinished work
Outcomes
A final week to wrap up any loose ends from the second image and get one last round of feedback. No new lessons or exercises this week. Just time and space to finish strong.
8 core weeks + bonus week 9 • 1-week mid-course break • Weekly feedback & Q&A • 2 complete portfolio pieces • Lifetime tutorial access
Weeks 1-4: Character Focus
Build Your Foundation With Manageable Complexity
Your first portfolio piece focuses on a single character with environment so you learn the process without overwhelming complexity. Explore compositions through thumbnailing, build solid construction, create expressive linework, and choose your finishing approach.
Character with Environment
Single character with environment. The foundation for character-focused illustration.
Depth & Atmosphere
Focus on foreground, middle ground, and background to turn a simple character illustration into something special.
Effects & Texture
Special effects and tonal patterns. You can play around with a lot of advanced effects, textures, ideas just through using a simple image.
Weeks 5-8: Complex Scene
Level Up With Multi-Character Narrative
Apply the same 4-step process to a complex multi-character scene with detailed environment, atmosphere, and narrative. This is where you prove you can handle high-level illustration challenges.
Multi-Character Action
Even just adding a couple of characters and having them interact can make a huge difference.
Story & Atmosphere
Focus on telling a story or a scene with atmosphere to take your work to the next level.
Strong Color & Narrative
Combining illustrative quality with a complicated composition and narrative.
What You Get Each Week
Assignments, Feedback, Q&A, and Community
Weekly Exercise Videos
Short, focused 1-2 hour sessions explaining the assignment, key concepts, and what to focus on at each stage.
You Create
Work on your assignment at your own pace throughout the week, posting progress and asking questions as you go.
Asynchronous Feedback
Submit your work and receive detailed draw-overs and paint-overs with specific guidance on what to refine and why.
Live Q&A Sessions
Weekly livestream where you can jump on and ask questions live. Recordings available if you can't attend.
Real-Time Demos
Watch Tim work through the same assignment in real-time, fully narrated, showing mistakes, problem-solving, everything.
Community Arena
Post your work, get feedback from peers, share inspiration, ask questions in dedicated chat area for real-time help.
Professional Results
Strong composition and clean execution create professional-quality portfolio work.
Your Instructor: Tim McBurnie
Tim McBurnie
Professional Artist & Instructor
Professional Experience: I've worked as a professional artist for almost twenty-five years, as a comicbook artist, illustrator & concept artist. I've helped launch several successful Kickstarter campaigns My client experience includes:
- Editions Delcourt
- Gunfire Games
- Animal Logic
- Blur Studios
- Blizzard Entertainment
- Wizards of the Coast
Teaching & Community: Over the past thirteen years, I've taught hundreds of 8-week and 12-week intensive classes through Concept Design Workshop and CG Society. My tutorials have been published on multiple platforms since 2009. I'm the founder of the Drawing Codex and the host of the Visual Scholar Podcast. I run the Drawing Codex community which helps people find their creative rhythm and make more art as well as build sustainable artistic careers.
Current Work: I'm currently working on developing the Drawing Codex into the best place to hang out and learn art, as well as developing a series of new graphic novel pitches.
Portfolio Highlights
