The characters he drew in his work look like they are about to come to life.
この場合、次のような言い方ができますよ。
ーThe characters he drew in his work look like they are about to come to life.
「彼の作品に描かれる人物たちは、今にも動き出しそうに生き生きして見える」
to come to life で「生き返る・活気付く」という意味です。
ご参考まで!