Portfolio requirements for Character Animation - Admissions 2026

Your portfolio should represent you as an artist and include your best work.

General notes on creating a CA portfolio for admission at the The Animation Workshop:

The portfolio is your chance to show your skills and creative abilities.

We are looking for applicants who are able to showcase a broad understanding of the relevant skills and who have a mindset for learning new ways of expressing themselves throughout their years of study.

When working with the categories, remember, that individuality and originality is something to strive for.  

Please specify whether the design is an original creation or an adaptation of someone else’s work. If the character design is not your own, you must provide the name of the original artist and the TV series, film or comic from which the character originates.

Please refrain from having any gratuitous violent or sexual material in your portfolio.

We do not expect finished and polished drawings; we want to see movement, life and dynamic poses. It is better to have loose and dynamic sketches, than over-constructed and stiff coloured drawings.

Think about how you construct your characters – make sure to ‘draw through’ your characters, so we can see that you understand the connections of the forms and shapes that your characters consist of.
Be careful however, not to ‘over-construct’ – ‘drawing through’ means connecting the shapes, so that it is visible where a leg attaches on the hip for example, and that you are aware of these connecting shapes. 
It does not mean that you need to put circles everywhere – it is important to understand the construction you are doing, if not, the construction is pointless.
Show us that you are aware of the different shapes that the characters consist of, by ‘drawing through’ the characters. We need to see how you construct and build the characters.

It is mandatory to add thumbnails and sketches as well as the final drawings.
The thumbnails and sketches are not counted in the number of final drawings. Example: You should have 14 ‘final’ drawings (rough is okay) for the Character Design category PLUS the connected thumbnails/sketches.

Pay attention to how you present your portfolio; more does not equal better. Presentation is important regarding how the pages in the portfolio are visually presented, sizes of the drawings in each category and your range as an artist.


Portfolio Requirements, Character Animation

1. Video introduction (max 3 minutes)

As a professional animator, you will be working as part of a team communicating stories and emotions to an audience. In order to do that, it is essential that you are able to articulate intentions and to give and receive feedback in a constructive and professional manner.

In this category, we are asking you to record a video introduction of yourself – an application letter in video form. Here are some suggestions for topics to cover (please do not feel obligated to include all of them, or to limit yourself to these):

  • Why are you applying, what made you choose this specific programme, and how does that choice tie in with your ambitions for the future?
  • How do you see your own strengths and weaknesses as a creative artist in terms of craft, vision, drive etc.? What are you especially hoping to improve in by studying at TAW?
  • What or who inspire(s) you as a creative person? Consider naming some favourite creators or works (comics, films, games, books …) and talking about how and why they inspire you.
  • Tell us about any relevant experience you may have in the form of work, study, or other. Anything from paid work to passion projects applies.
  • Formative experiences: Things you have done or that have happened to you, good or bad, that you think shaped you in terms of who you are now.

When reviewing the video, we will look at your ability to communicate succinctly and clearly about who you are and how you see yourself profiting from the course.

We will not be judging the video based on image or sound quality, editing or other technical aspects – as long as you are in the frame, and we can hear what you are saying. Feel free to record the video with your phone, a web camera or whatever else is easily accessible to you.

Please upload your video to YouTube or Vimeo. If you wish to restrict access, you may set the video to “hidden,” “unlisted,” or password-protected. Before submitting your application, ensure that the link and video function correctly. It is essential that we can view the video without being required to sign in to YouTube or Vimeo.

Tip: On YouTube, select “Unlisted” when setting the visibility of your video. On Vimeo, you can choose “Hide from Vimeo” or use a password, as long as anyone with the link and password can view the video without logging in.

Important: Avoid settings such as “Private,” as these require the viewer to have an account and log in to access the video.


2. Life Drawing

Should include:

  • 10-15 croquis (nude, human body) drawings, max. 2-minute poses (focus on understanding and conveying correct proportions and anatomy, constructing the human form and gesture and weight of the poses – a mix of poses that range from 30 seconds to 2 minutes is ideal). These should be drawn from life, if possible, not photos or video. A maximum of 1 of these may be a pose of up to 5 minutes. You may add further long studies to the Optional category.
  • 10-15 observational sketches (clothed people you observe on the street, at cafés etc. and animals) - max. 5 of these can be animals, the rest should be of people (focus on capturing the gesture, proportions and what your studied subjects are doing). These must be drawn from life, not photos or video.

We want to see sketches with a focus on movement, proportions and gesture. 

Try out different materials that will show your range as an artist.


3. Character Design

Create a character design based on the short story provided. The character design should be of ONE character only. 14 drawings.

Short story to be used: The Emperor’s New Suit by H.C. Andersen: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/27200/pg27200-images.html#emperor

The Character Design category must include:

  • 5 different examples of facial expressions
  • 5 different full-body poses showing the character’s range of motion
  • 1 Turn-around with front view, ¾ front view, side view and back view (4 drawings in total)

We encourage you to be original with your drawings and ideas, and we are interested in seeing your process. It is mandatory adding thumbnails and sketches as well as the final drawings.

 

4. Movement and action

Depiction of full-body character(s) in active movement. You can use your own character design, existing character designs or a mix. The characters should be shown full body. 6-8 drawings.

When depicting characters that are in movement, you must think of proportions and dynamics, as well as how the characters would move if you put them in a specific situation. 

1-2 of the total number of drawings must be of the characters in perspective.

There are two ways to count drawings:

  • Example A - Separate movement: 1 or 2 character(s) doing one specific movement counts as one drawing.
  • Example B - Connected movement: One single character shown in multiple poses (3-6 poses) within a continuous movement (sequence) counts as one drawing in total.

You can choose one or mix the two ways, however, make sure that the total number of drawings is between 6–8 drawings.

If you draw two characters interacting in one specific movement, such as dancing, it counts as one drawing (Example A). 

The characters can either be of your own design or existing characters.

You can use the same character in different poses or use multiple different characters. 

We encourage you to be original with your drawings and ideas, and we are interested in seeing your process. It is mandatory to add thumbnails and sketches as well.


5. Interaction

Depiction of minimum 2 characters interacting with each other, with a focus on depicting communication and clear acting between the characters. The characters should be shown full body. You can use your own character designs, existing character designs or a mix. 8-10 drawings.

Drawings in this category should depict characters expressing a specific emotion or feeling. From reading the character’s body language, the viewer should be able to determine the character’s mood and feelings clearly.

Think about putting them in dynamic situations where you can explore interesting compositions and have varied poses for all characters. There should be an interesting connection/tension between the characters – do not just draw poses, but stories and emotions – evoke feeling with the viewer – we need to believe it.
1-2 of the drawings should be of the characters in perspective.

We encourage you to be original with your drawings and ideas, and we are interested in seeing your process. It is mandatory to add thumbnails and sketches as well.


6. Storytelling

Create a connected visual sequence which tells a story. 10-12 panels/images.

Choose one of the following three mediums.

  • Storyboard - Use diverse cinematic compositions - different kinds of shots, angles, points of view, composition etc. We are interested in seeing your process, so please add all thumbnails and sketches as well. This must be drawn.
  • Graphic narrative - An illustrated story with a focus on composition and strong visual storytelling. The graphic narrative must be wordless. This must be drawn.
  • Photography - Focus on telling a compelling visual story, for example with inanimate objects. It can be your own set up story featuring whatever object(s) you prefer (a stone, a shoe, a toy etc.) OR a story that you see unfold in the actual world (for example a bin bag being left and then what happens…)

7. Perspective

Drawings in this category should consist of environments, buildings, constructed perspective of urban landscapes or landscapes that demonstrate an understanding of the principles of perspective. 2-3 drawings.

We are interested in seeing both organic (natural landscapes) and non-organic (architecture/city) perspectives.

Minimum two of the drawings must be done without the use of 3D work as a tool (meaning not using 3D models to define the perspective).

Keep the construction lines in as many drawings as possible, including horizon lines, vanishing points and orthogonal lines.

We encourage you to be original with your drawings and ideas, and we are interested in seeing your process. It is mandatory to add thumbnails and sketches as well.


8. Optional

This is your chance to show more of your personal work outside the categories. Show us what you enjoy drawing when you have no restrictions or guidelines. It could be illustrations, story ideas, sketchbook pieces or more stylised or graphical work. You may also include longer life drawing studies in this category. You are welcome to include references and links to animations that you have made.

Max. 5 pages, excluding references.

FAQ and tips

Words marked with * are explained in more detail, under ‘Animation Dictionary’.

  • No. You do not need to know how to animate to be accepted to the Character Animation programme at The Animation Workshop. All Character Animation students start from the beginning with learning the basics of animation together.

  • No. You are welcome to add some animation in the ‘Optional’ section, but it is not a requirement and will not get you any extra points in the overall assessment of the portfolio.

  • We recommend that you do the drawings for the ‘Life Drawing’ section from real life croquis* sessions with naked models, and not from photographs.

    A lot of information is lost in photographs, and it is easier to analyse the human form and draw the shapes correctly from a live, naked model where you can see bone structure, overlapping forms and how shadows are wrapping around the forms of the body. Life drawing is also an essential part of understanding and practicing gesture*.

    Life drawing sessions will give you a much better understanding and practice of construction* and drawing humans, and therefore also a better understanding of how to draw animated characters. 

  • Copying is a great way of practising construction, gesture and acting, but it is best to come up with your own poses for the portfolio, to show that you have an understanding of the process, and that you are able to do this during animation assignments. We very much advice against copying poses in your final drawings.

    If you are not yet comfortable with creating your own poses, consider if you need more time to practise, before applying with a portfolio.

    Be aware that plagiarism is reason for disqualification. Our admission board is well acquainted with art- and animation books, animated films and the work of illustrators, and is able to recognise plagiarised drawings.

  • No. There are no specific kind of drawings that will get you accepted.We look for a solid understanding of gesture, construction and storytelling. This can be done with any character.

  • No. All the categories serve a purpose. The categories are there for you as an applicant to demonstrate a certain skill level and understanding of the visual medium, which are all relevant to the education as a Character Animator at The Animation Workshop.

  • Yes. Please demonstrate your creative process by including sketches and thumbnails. It is up to your judgement on how many per design. Not too few or too many. The important part is to give the admission board enough insight into the creative process and the approach to each design you made. 

  • It is okay to keep the perspective category simple for some of the drawings, but if a category is especially difficult for you, it might be worth spending some extra time doing research and practising it more.

    The categories are chosen for their relevance to the courses in the Character Animation programme. You should feel comfortable in all of them to be ready to be a student in this programme.

  • No, not all. We are very happy to see rough* and sketchy drawings, if

    the drawings are well constructed, read clearly, and that the applicant shows an understanding of the design, volumes and shapes.

    It is good to have a mix of both rough and finished (clean lines and coloured) drawings, but a portfolio with only very finished and clean drawings, where there are no construction lines visible, is not advised.

    Please also refer to the requirements of each category, where sketches of drawings are an important part of the content to hand in.

  • No. Please respect the requirements and restrictions. When assessing a portfolio, we do not only look at the drawings in each category, but also how well the applicant can follow directions and adhere to the specific requirements.

  • It is okay to mostly have traditional drawings (drawn on paper) in your portfolio, however we do recommend having some digital drawings to show that you are able to work digitally or at least are open and able to learn it.

    As a student on the Character Animation programme, you will be working with digital drawing and animation software already within the first couple of weeks of your studies, so it is imperative that you are open to learning how to use them. 

  • No. The professional bachelor’s degree programmes at The Animation Workshop are not art school programmes.

    The Animation Workshop is a university college and is a part of VIA University College. There is an emphasis on both theory and practice in the studies at university colleges, as students are prepared to work in professions.

    Furthermore, there is a mandatory internship of 30 ECTS credits as a part of the education.

    The courses in the Character Animation programme at The Animation Workshop focus on character animation, and students are expected to use their understanding of real life and movements of both humans and animals to create their assignments.

    It is not subjective how the spacing in an animation assignment at TAW is done, as we expect students to be able to analyse movements from real life and transfer that understanding to the characters that they are animating.

    Students will practise their skills and learn a craft, and with that craft they can choose to make art, such as abstract animation, after their studies - but they need to first learn the rules in order to be able to break away from them later.

    If you want to focus on experimental art animation during your studies, then The Animation Workshop is not the right choice for you.

    Learn more about university colleges in Denmark

  • Some tips to think about, when creating a portfolio for the Character Animation programme at The Animation Workshop

    • Elements that will make drawings read more clearly:
      • Gesture and movement of your drawings
      • Silhouette*
      • Intention of the story in the drawings
      • When drawing existing characters, make sure to do your best to draw them on model*
    • Inspiration – go to the source: Study real life rather than only getting inspiration and information from animated films and drawings
    • Think about the presentation of your portfolio, and not only the content. Make sure that all drawings are clear and well presented on the pages in the portfolio. This, for example, means no pixelated drawings, decent sizes of the drawings on the pages and not too many drawings on one page.
    • Curate your portfolio - More is not better. Make sure to present your best and most recent work - quality over quantity (still fulfilling the requirements, of course)
    • Draw from life - sketching people in your town, at the train station etc. Analyse and find the simple shapes and be sure to capture the movement.
    • Storyboard - Storyboard is a specific part of the animation pipeline, and there are terms that are connected to this discipline. Do research to understand cinematography and camera movements, so you are sure to be able to create a storyboard and not just a storytelling sequence of drawings. You need to think about cinematography in this category.
    • Set deadlines for yourself and make sure to not make the portfolio last minute.
    • Have fun making your portfolio! Choose characters you like to draw but of course make challenges for yourself. Have fun with the poses and coming up with small stories and interactions for your characters.

  • On model: This means that a character is drawn, so that all the specific character traits are there. The proportions, volumes and design are correctly drawn, and the character is easily recognisable.

    Rough: Characters drawn loosely, with less details, with sketchy lines that are not cleaned up. The proportions of the character will still be correct.

    Gesture: The movement of a character, that supports the acting or the action that the character is doing.

    Construction: A character is created from different shapes, and together they are a part of the construction of the whole character. Make sure you understand how your characters are made; where are the legs connected to the hip? How are the different volumes of the character drawn compared to other parts of the character?

    Silhouette: The overall shape of a character. Think about how the limbs are placed in your poses - is the silhouette clear? Meaning; do you have a clear and easy to understand pose? Exaggerated shapes will create strong and dynamic poses with clarity, making sure that your drawing is easy to read for an audience – this applies not only to singular drawings, but also to animated movement.

    Croquis: Life drawing - usually with a naked model.

    ‘Drawing through’: This means understanding, and showing, the construction, thinking about where the limbs are attached, so that nothing is ‘floating around’ or seems as if it is ‘added’ on top or is disconnected from the rest of the body – this also applies to facials. Do not add the ‘construction lines’ just because that is what you think the admission board wants to see - you have to understand what is going on beneath the surface of your character, and what the construction lines are actually representing.