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Hardy Fowler

I’m calling on all artists out there with a passion for creating cool looking characters - if you’ve ever dreamed of making a career out of this, I’m here to tell you that the dream is real. You can make a living doing this.

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I’m calling on all artists out there with a passion for creating cool looking characters - if you’ve ever dreamed of making a career out of this, I’m here to tell you that the dream is real. You can make a living doing this.

All you need is a killer portfolio to launch you into a fun and rewarding career.

This course can get you there. I’ll show you all of my professional level techniques and tricks that will demystify the entire process of creating character art with Adobe Photoshop. In an easy to grasp, step by step process, you’ll learn digital painting techniques that will have you amazed at how beautiful, realistic and full of personality your character art has become. But this course is so much more than just a painting demonstration. We’ll teach you everything you need to know to start thinking like a character concept designer. To tie it all together, we offer responsive support and loads of other course resources to make sure that every student can take their work to new heights.

You can do this. Don’t miss out on the chance to turn your character art into a professional level product. It just might lead to a dream career. Enroll today, grab your stylus and let’s paint cool stuff.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objective

Design and paint amazing characters like a professional concept artist

Syllabus

Introduction
Here we will discuss all of the principles and techniques that professional character artists use
Character Art Overview
Shape Language
Read more
Character Archetypes
Rendering Clothing
Character Art Best Practices
Here we will take a look at our project assignments through detailed character briefs. This is a great simulation of a real-world assignment!
Project Briefs
We'll start our first character project! A super cool classic steampunk character
Sketch & Ink
Face & Leather
Uniform
Artfully Adding Photo Textures
Final Polish
For our second project, we'll tackle an awesome science fiction genre mainstay - the female space hero!
Face & Hair
Armor
Color, Detail & Final Polish
For our third project, we'll do a really cool viking type warrior
Skin & Hair
Leather & Metal
We will recap everything that we've learned and we will discuss strategies for continued learning!
Course Recap
Splash Backgrounds
BONUS! Keep Learning with Hardy

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Develops drawing and painting skills, which are core skills for creating character art
Taught by Hardy Fowler, who is recognized for their work in character art
Explores industry standard principles and techniques used by professional character artists
Course instructions are in English
Requires Adobe Photoshop, which is paid software
Students may need a drawing tablet for best results

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Reviews summary

Good tips and techniques for digital painting

According to students, this course about digital painting is well-received, providing good tips and techniques from an experienced instructor. However, learners should note that the course is not suitable for absolute beginners.
Instructor offers helpful tips and techniques.
"Good course, instructor gives us some good tips and nice techniques about digital painting."
Course is targeted at experienced learners.
"But don't expect a full class about drawing and painting, this course isn't for beginners."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Character Painting: Design and Render Like a Pro with these activities:
Review digital painting techniques
Brush up on your proficiency with digital painting before starting the course. This will help you hit the ground running.
Browse courses on Digital Painting
Show steps
  • Review the basics of color theory, blending, and brushwork
  • Practice painting simple objects and shapes to build hand-eye coordination
  • Experiment with different digital brushes and textures
Practice character sketching
Drawing character sketches will help improve your understanding of character design principles and anatomy.
Show steps
  • Choose a character reference from a movie, video game, or anime.
  • Sketch the character's basic shapes and proportions.
  • Add details to the sketch, such as facial features, clothing, and accessories.
Show all two activities

Career center

Learners who complete Character Painting: Design and Render Like a Pro will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Character Designer
Character Designers create and develop the visual appearance of characters for films, television shows, video games, and other forms of media. This course can help you build a foundation in the principles and techniques used by professional character artists. You'll learn how to design and paint amazing characters like a pro, and you'll get hands-on experience with industry-standard software. With this training, you'll be well-prepared to launch a successful career as a Character Designer.
Concept Artist
Concept Artists create visual concepts for a variety of projects, including films, television shows, video games, and advertising campaigns. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as a Concept Artist. You'll learn how to design and paint characters, environments, and props, and you'll get hands-on experience with industry-standard software. With this training, you'll be well-prepared to launch a successful career as a Concept Artist.
Video Game Artist
Video Game Artists create the visual elements of video games, including characters, environments, and props. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as a Video Game Artist. You'll learn how to design and paint characters, and you'll get hands-on experience with industry-standard software. With this training, you'll be well-prepared to launch a successful career as a Video Game Artist.
Character Animator
Character Animators bring characters to life on screen. They use a variety of techniques to create realistic and engaging animations. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as a Character Animator. You'll learn how to design and paint characters, and you'll get hands-on experience with industry-standard software. With this training, you'll be well-prepared to launch a successful career as a Character Animator.
Art Director
Art Directors oversee the visual aspects of a variety of projects, including films, television shows, video games, and advertising campaigns. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as an Art Director. You'll learn how to design and paint characters, and you'll get hands-on experience with industry-standard software. With this training, you'll be well-prepared to launch a successful career as an Art Director.
Illustrator
Illustrators create visual images to communicate ideas and stories. They work in a variety of fields, including publishing, advertising, and education. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as an Illustrator. You'll learn how to design and paint characters, and you'll get hands-on experience with industry-standard software. With this training, you'll be well-prepared to launch a successful career as an Illustrator.
Graphic designer
Graphic Designers create visual concepts for a variety of projects, including logos, brochures, and websites. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as a Graphic Designer. You'll learn how to design and paint characters, and you'll get hands-on experience with industry-standard software. With this training, you'll be well-prepared to launch a successful career as a Graphic Designer.
Digital Artist
Digital Artists create visual images using digital tools. They work in a variety of fields, including film, television, and video games. This course can help you develop the skills you need to succeed as a Digital Artist. You'll learn how to design and paint characters, and you'll get hands-on experience with industry-standard software. With this training, you'll be well-prepared to launch a successful career as a Digital Artist.
Fine Artist
Fine Artists create visual art for its own sake. They work in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, and photography. This course may be useful for Fine Artists who want to develop their skills in character design and painting. The course will help you learn how to create realistic and engaging characters, and you'll get hands-on experience with industry-standard software.
Teacher
Teachers educate students in a variety of subjects. This course may be useful for Teachers who want to develop their skills in character design and painting. The course will help you learn how to create realistic and engaging characters, and you'll get hands-on experience with industry-standard software.
Librarian
Librarians help people find and use information. This course may be useful for Librarians who want to develop their skills in character design and painting. The course will help you learn how to create realistic and engaging characters, and you'll get hands-on experience with industry-standard software.
Social Worker
Social Workers help people overcome challenges and live healthier, more fulfilling lives. This course may be useful for Social Workers who want to develop their skills in character design and painting. The course will help you learn how to create realistic and engaging characters, and you'll get hands-on experience with industry-standard software.
Salesperson
Salespeople sell products and services to customers. This course may be useful for Salespeople who want to develop their skills in character design and painting. The course will help you learn how to create realistic and engaging characters, and you'll get hands-on experience with industry-standard software.
Customer Service Representative
Customer Service Representatives help customers with their questions and concerns. This course may be useful for Customer Service Representatives who want to develop their skills in character design and painting. The course will help you learn how to create realistic and engaging characters, and you'll get hands-on experience with industry-standard software.
Accountant
Accountants prepare and maintain financial records. This course is not relevant to the field of accounting.

Reading list

We've selected ten books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Character Painting: Design and Render Like a Pro.
Collection of essays by some of the world's leading character designers. It offers insights into the creative process behind some of the most iconic characters in film, animation, and games. This book great resource for aspiring character designers who want to learn from the best in the industry.
Comprehensive guide to figure drawing, covering everything from basic anatomy to advanced posing techniques. It is an excellent resource for character painters who want to improve their understanding of the human form.
Classic guide to color and light in painting. It is an essential resource for any artist who wants to learn how to create realistic and atmospheric paintings.
Comprehensive guide to drawing animals. It helpful resource for character painters who want to learn how to draw realistic and expressive animals.
Detailed guide to color correction in digital photography. It helpful resource for character painters who want to learn how to correct the colors in their digital paintings.
Guide to composition and design in photography. It helpful resource for character painters who want to learn how to compose their paintings in a visually appealing way.
Comprehensive guide to storytelling. It helpful resource for character painters who want to learn how to create compelling stories through their paintings.
Guide to writing for animation, comics, and games. It helpful resource for character painters who want to learn how to write stories and scripts for their own creative projects.

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