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Drawing Characters,
the Laura Way
Learn how to turn your drawings into characters people feel something for in 9+ hours of lessons across 6 in-depth modules.
✏️ Drawing Isn’t About Copying.
It’s About Translating.
Drawing Characters, the Laura Way is a process-focused course where you learn how to use references as a starting point, and turn them into original characters with personality, emotion, and story.
This course shows you how illustrators work with references: how to observe, simplify, exaggerate, and make choices instead of copying what you see.
If you’ve ever used a reference and thought
“Why does this still look stiff or unoriginal?”
this course will change the way you draw.
Inside, I guide you through my full character-building process, step by step, so you can confidently move from reference to idea, and create characters that feel intentional, expressive, and truly yours.
✨ In this course, you’ll learn how to
• Use references as a creative tool so your characters feel original instead of copied
• Follow a complete character building process from first idea to finished character
• Think like an illustrator and make intentional choices instead of guessing
• Develop your own drawing process rather than relying on fixed formulas
• Sketch loosely and keep moving forward even when things feel messy or unsure
• Turn simple ideas into expressive characters with personality and emotion
• Build confidence through draw with me lessons by creating alongside me, not just watching
Each lesson is designed to show the thinking behind the drawing, not just the final result, helping you build a process you can reuse again and again.
Learning to Trust Your Process
Have you ever had ideas and references ready, but still felt unsure about what to keep, what to change, or how to move forward?
Your sketches might look fine, yet the character feels flat or unfinished.
Learning to trust your process changes everything.
In Drawing Characters, the Laura Way, you learn how to make confident decisions, use references without copying, and turn loose sketches into original characters with personality and story.
Inside the course, I guide you step by step so your characters do not just exist on the page. They feel alive.
Hi, I’m Laura Dumitriu
A children’s book illustrator, digital artist, and educator specializing in character design.
Originally from Romania, I’ve been passionate about art since high school and university. In 2019, I fully transitioned into illustration, a path that gave my work deeper meaning and a strong sense of purpose.
My art focuses on creating inclusive, expressive characters inspired by the world around us. I love exploring different cultures, observing real people, and translating those influences into vibrant, relatable designs. Representation and storytelling sit at the heart of everything I create.
In my courses, Creative Characters Made Easy and Drawing Characters, the Laura Way, I share the experience, decisions, and lessons I’ve gathered over years of drawing and working as an illustrator. Rather than just showing steps, I guide you through how to see and think like an illustrator.
By drawing alongside me, you’ll train your eye, strengthen your instincts, and start making confident choices in your own work. These courses are designed to help you move past overthinking, stop feeling stuck, and develop a clear, repeatable process for creating original characters you truly enjoy drawing.
What This Course Actually Teaches You
Drawing Characters, the Laura Way is a process focused course built around one core skill: learning how to use references and turn them into original characters with personality and intention.
Inside the course, you will follow my complete character creation process from start to finish, multiple times, so you can understand not just what to draw, but how to think while drawing.
You will learn how to:
• approach references without copying
• decide what to keep, what to change, and what to exaggerate
• move from loose sketches to clear character ideas
• make confident choices when a drawing is not working
• develop a personal process you can repeat on your own
The course includes a strong selection of draw with me lessons, where you draw alongside me in real time and see every decision as it happens. These lessons are designed to help you build confidence, develop your own workflow, and stop relying on guesswork.
This is not about quick tricks or perfect results.
It is about building a solid process you can trust, so creating characters stops feeling confusing and starts feeling intentional.
WHAT STUDENTS SAY ABOUT MY PREVIOUS COURSE
MY STUDENTS WORK
AT THE END OF THE COURSE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:
Use References to Create Original Characters
Learn how to work with references without copying them, so you can turn inspiration into characters with personality, intention, and your own voice.
Think like an Illustrator
Understand how to make decisions while drawing, from simplifying shapes to exaggerating details, so your characters feel expressive and alive.
Build a Process You Can Trust
Follow a clear, repeatable character building workflow that takes you from idea to finished character with confidence.
COURSE CONTENT
The course has 6 modules for 7+ hours of learning and practicing. It also includes 30+ video tutorials! You can pause and replay the videos as much as you want.
IN MY COURSE YOU WILL LEARN
Module 1 · One Reference, Two Styles
We start from a single reference and explore two very different approaches. First, we draw closer to the reference to understand structure, proportions, and key details. Then we redraw the same character while pushing shapes, exaggeration, and stylisation.
Module 2 · Anchor Words
In this module, we use simple words as creative anchors to guide character design. These words influence shapes, mood, and color decisions from the very first sketch. You’ll see how working with clear intentions helps you create characters that feel cohesive, expressive, and purposeful instead of random.
Module 3 · Portraits with Props
We create a character portrait while introducing simple props to add meaning and context. Props become storytelling tools that hint at personality, habits, or emotions. This module focuses on combining character and objects in a way that feels natural and visually balanced.
Module 4 · The Art of an Interesting Face
This module is all about faces that feel alive. We explore how small changes in features, proportions, and expressions can completely change a character’s personality. You’ll learn how to make faces expressive, memorable, and full of subtle emotion.
Module 5 · Personality in a Pose
We dive into what makes a pose feel interesting and expressive. Through body language, weight, and movement, we explore how poses can communicate mood, attitude, and story. This module helps turn static figures into characters that feel dynamic and intentional.
Module 6 · Character Sheets
In the final module, we take one character and develop a complete character sheet. We explore poses and expressions to create a clear, consistent overview of the character. The result is a polished, portfolio ready piece that shows both design and storytelling skills.
INCLUDED IN MY COURSE
Fundamentals & Materials
We will look together at the materials, basic techniques, and knowledge needed to begin this journey. Approaching a new technique means first learning how best to use the tools at your disposal.
Practical Exercises
Theory is important, but what makes you a true artist is practice! You'll find lots of exercises to get started with and from which to get inspiration. I will show you some tricks that will make your drawings truly unique and masterpieces.
Lifetime Access
Once you register for the course, you will have lifetime access and you can watch it whenever you want! This will enable you to better learn even the most difficult notions. You don't have a deadline, you can take the course even for 5 minutes a day!
Flexibility
This is one of the course's strengths: being able to watch the videos wherever you want, whenever you want, and as many times as you want. The course is available from any device so you can watch the course from the comfort of your home or take a single lesson on the train!
Community of Artists
As soon as you sign up for the course, you will join a group of people who, like you, share this passion and are following the same course as you. This means you'll be able to exchange ideas, tips or ask questions because you'll be surrounded by people who love art the same way you do!
My Support
On this journey, you will never be alone! You can write to me and you will receive my feedback as soon as possible, so you will always feel supported. Sometimes, approaching drawing is not easy. You may feel that you are not enough, but don't worry: I will be there to help you, step by step!
Find out more about what you'll get with the course!
This isn’t just another art course, it’s an adventure that will level up your creativity while keeping things fun and stress-free! You don’t need fancy skills or years of experience, just a curious mind and a willingness to play. And the best part? You’ll be creating awesome characters in no time!
What to Expect?
🎥 HD Video Lessons – Watch in crystal-clear quality, with adjustable speed, audio, and resolution.
👀 Visual Learning – I pack my lessons with easy-to-follow steps, references, and tons of inspiration.
💬 Community Support – Ask questions, share your work, and learn new tricks from fellow doodlers!
🎨 Practical & Hands-On – We’ll cover color basics, tools, and techniques, making sure you can apply what you learn immediately.
You can replay lessons anytime, anywhere, at your own pace, so there’s no pressure, just pure creative exploration.
BONUSES
Extra contents that you will get for free with the course
REGISTRATIONS CLOSING SOON!
🎨 Learn how to bring your ideas from Sketch to Story, once and for all! 🎨
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Drawing Characters, the Laura Way
TWO OPTIONS TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS ✨
SPECIAL WAITING LIST DISCOUNT: $50 OFF
The perfect time to refocus on yourself and your ambitions!
Here you can find two options that only differ in how you want to pay. The first option is a one-time fee, and the second is a monthly option with three installments. The price displayed below is in dollars (USD), but you can pay with ANY currency.
Let's start learning character design together in 2026!
My Guarantee to Every Student
If you are not satisfied with the course for any reason, you have the right to obtain a full refund within the first 14 days. This is my guarantee to you, I want all my students to be satisfied. Also, this means that there is no risk as well! Give it a try and experience the course first-hand!
