How to Draw Cartoon Characters In Procreate from Udemy

What's inside

Learning objectives

The basics of drawing in procreate on the ipad
The basics of cartooning from sketching to inking to coloring

How to use shapes to make your characters look different from each other and develop your own style
How to use faces and body launguage to convey emotion and personality

The basics of drawing in procreate on the ipad
The basics of cartooning from sketching to inking to coloring
How to use shapes to make your characters look different from each other and develop your own style
How to use faces and body launguage to convey emotion and personality

Syllabus

To set up the course and introduce the tools we will be using throughout the class.

In this lecture I introduce the course and talk about what students can expect over the next several lessons.

Procreate's interface is pretty simple and streamlined but there are a lot of handy shortcuts that will help you out throughout this course.

We start super basics by talking about what makes a basic head and how we can start to add variety using only a very limited amount of elements.

Your assignment is to draw some heads. The goal is to get as many head variations with as few shapes as possible.

Now that we have experimented with with faces we're going to do the same with the shapes of the heads themselves.

Now we're going to draw different head shapes around the faces we created in the last assignment.

Now we start adding details to our faces. More variation to what we have created up to this point.

Lets apply what we learned about face details in this assignment.

We've done a lot of basic things up to this point now it's time to start pulling it all together and creating our first character.

Now it's your turn. Take what we learned in the last lesson and unleash your creativity on a new character.

One of the keys to creating a character is becoming familiar with him or her. Redrawing your character teaches you a lot about its personality and how to streamline the drawing process.

Now it's your turn, try redrawing your character and become more familiar with how you have created them.

In this section we take a step back and learn about facial expressions. It doesn't take many shapes or lines to make a really emotive face.

In this assignment your job is to practice different facial expressions on your character.

We could stop here but you are probably going to need to draw your character from different angles so in this lesson we talk about how to go about that.

Now it's your turn to practice drawing your character from different angles.

You're going to want to do more with your character than just looks straight on at them so here we talk about drawing poses.

There is a lot to practice here. It's your turn to practice drawing and seeing poses.

Now we take what we learned from poses and we practice drawing our character in them.

Now it's time to adding the gritty details to your character and differentiate them from other characters.

It's your turn to add the details and accessories to your character.

A quick pitstop before we start polishing up our characters I want to walk you through the process of installing brushes.

Inking is an opportunity to clean up your character and make them look more professional as well.

It's your turn. Practive inking your character. This is a step that takes practice so don't feel bad if your first stab at it isn't great, it takes time. Feel free to try inking more than once.

How do artist choose the right colors? it's and age old question. In this lesson I walk you through my process of finding the right colors.

In this section I want you to do some color studies and practice using colors and contrast.

Now we take the quick color study we like best and we spread it to a larger character using more care and detail.

Now iot's your turn to take your favorite color profile from your last lesson and apply it to your character.

The block colors might looks good but they are far from the details we want on our characters so it's time to add more detail.

In this section I want you to break away from just using 4 colors and add some variety and spot colors.

A lot of time adding a background is a fun way to enhance your character but can also detract from them. Here are some tips and tricks to work around those things.

OK, it's time to pull it all together and make another character from scratch.

Part 2: We keep plugging forward on our character and adding more detail.

In this section we finish up our new character.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Uses Procreate, which is widely considered to be among the best applications for digital drawing and painting on mobile devices, especially the iPad

Begins with basic shapes and progressively builds upon that foundation, making it suitable for individuals with limited prior drawing experience

Teaches how to use faces and body language to convey emotion and personality, which are essential skills for character design and visual storytelling

Requires an iPad and the Procreate app, which may represent a barrier to entry for some students who do not already own these items

Focuses on drawing cartoon characters, which may not appeal to learners interested in other art styles, such as realism or abstract art

Devotes significant time to sketching and inking techniques, which are fundamental skills for creating professional-looking cartoon characters

Reviews summary

Learn cartoon drawing in procreate

According to learners, this course offers a solid foundation for drawing cartoon characters, particularly for those new to Procreate or digital art. Students praise the clear, step-by-step instruction that makes complex concepts easy to follow. The method of building characters using simple shapes is frequently highlighted as a highly effective technique. While widely considered excellent for beginners and hobbyists, some experienced artists note it may be too basic if you already have proficiency in Procreate or cartooning fundamentals. The practical assignments help reinforce the lessons learned throughout the course.

Assignments reinforce learning effectively.

"Assignments were practical and fun."

"The exercises built up nicely."

"The assignments reinforce the lessons effectively."

"My drawing has improved significantly."

Building characters from shapes works well.

"The shape-based approach to character design was brilliant and really helped me get started without feeling overwhelmed."

"The emphasis on building characters from shapes is genius."

"We start with basic shapes and build upon that foundation. Creating different shape combinations to build our characters..."

Instructor provides easy-to-follow guidance.

"This course was fantastic! ... this instructor made everything so easy to follow."

"The explanations for inking and coloring were clear and easy to apply."

"The instructor is clear, encouraging, and demonstrates everything step-by-step."

"The steps are broken down simply, and the instructor's pace is just right."

Excellent starting point for newcomers.

"This course was fantastic! I'm a complete beginner in Procreate and digital art, and this instructor made everything so easy to follow."

"Perfect for beginners! The steps are broken down simply, and the instructor's pace is just right."

"An absolute must-take for anyone wanting to start drawing characters digitally with Procreate."

"Feel much more confident drawing digitally now. Great course for hobbyists."

Lacks depth for experienced artists.

"Okay course, but felt it stayed very basic. If you already have some drawing experience or are familiar with Procreate, this might be too slow."

"Didn't find many advanced techniques. Good for absolute beginners, I guess."

"Would have liked a bit more on complex poses or backgrounds, but for beginners it's excellent."

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 How to Draw Cartoon Characters In Procreate with these activities:

Practice Basic Shapes

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Reinforce your understanding of basic shapes, which are the foundation of cartoon character design.

Browse courses on Basic Shapes

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Draw circles, squares, triangles, and other basic shapes repeatedly.
Experiment with combining shapes to create simple objects.
Practice varying the size and proportions of each shape.

Review 'Cartoon Animation with Preston Blair'

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Study the principles of cartoon animation to improve your character design and animation skills.

View Animation on Amazon

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Read the chapters on character design and construction.
Practice drawing the examples provided in the book.
Analyze how the principles are applied in your favorite cartoons.

Procreate Brush Tutorial

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Learn how to create custom brushes in Procreate to enhance your inking and coloring techniques.

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Search for tutorials on creating custom brushes in Procreate.
Experiment with different brush settings (shape, grain, stroke).
Create brushes for specific purposes (e.g., inking, shading, texture).

Four other activities

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Facial Expression Practice

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Improve your ability to convey emotion through facial expressions by practicing drawing different expressions.

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Choose a character you've designed.
Draw the character with various emotions: happy, sad, angry, surprised, etc.
Focus on subtle changes in the eyes, mouth, and eyebrows.

Create a Character Design Sheet

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Solidify your understanding of character design by creating a detailed character design sheet.

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Choose a character concept (e.g., a superhero, a villain, an animal).
Sketch the character from multiple angles (front, side, back).
Include different facial expressions and poses.
Add notes about the character's personality and backstory.

Read 'Figure Drawing: For All It's Worth' by Andrew Loomis

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Study figure drawing principles to improve your understanding of anatomy and posing.

View Melania on Amazon

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Focus on the chapters related to proportion and anatomy.
Practice drawing simplified figures using the Loomis method.
Apply these principles to your cartoon character designs.

Create a Short Animated Loop

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Apply your knowledge of character design and Procreate to create a short animated loop.

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Choose a simple action for your character to perform (e.g., waving, blinking, jumping).
Break down the action into key frames.
Draw the key frames in Procreate.
Add in-between frames to create smooth animation.

Career center

Learners who complete How to Draw Cartoon Characters In Procreate will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Character Designer

A character designer specializes in creating the visual appearance of characters for various media. This course that teaches cartoon character creation may be useful. It provides a foundational understanding of character design principles, such as using shapes to create unique characters and conveying emotions through facial expressions and body language. The practical exercises, from sketching basic shapes to adding details and accessories, are directly applicable to the character design process. The course’s focus on Procreate is advantageous for designers looking to refine their digital drawing skills. The overview of color choices is also beneficial. This course is a valuable resource for aspiring character designers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Character Designer

Children's Book Illustrator

Children's book illustrators create the visuals that accompany stories for young readers. This course on drawing cartoon characters may be useful. The skills taught in the course such as using shapes to create unique characters, developing clean line work, and choosing colors are all valuable for children's book illustrations. The lessons on facial expressions and body language are particularly relevant. They help children's book illustrators create engaging and expressive characters that resonate with young audiences. The course’s hands-on assignments and projects are directly applicable to the illustration process.

See salaries and explore the career path for Children's Book Illustrator

Illustrator

Illustrators create images for various media, including books, magazines, and websites. This course may be useful if you are an illustrator who wishes to expand their skills into cartoon character design. The course that focuses on sketching, inking, and coloring techniques in Procreate can help illustrators refine their digital art skills. The lessons on using shapes to create unique characters and conveying emotion through facial expressions are valuable for character illustration. The color studies and final project sections are essential for honing character design skills. If you are an illustrator, this course will help with understanding how to create clean line work for cartoon characters.

See salaries and explore the career path for Illustrator

Digital Artist

Digital artists create artwork using digital tools and software. If you are a digital artist, this course may be useful. This course emphasizes digital drawing techniques in Procreate and cartoon character design. If you are a digital artist, you will benefit directly from the skills taught in the course. This includes sketching, inking, and coloring. The lessons on using shapes to construct characters and conveying emotions through facial expressions are also valuable. The hands-on exercises and assignments allow digital artists to apply their knowledge and refine their skills. The final project helps to integrate everything learned to create polished cartoon characters.

See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Artist

Comic Book Artist

A comic book artist brings stories to life through sequential art, often focusing on character design and visual storytelling. This course that focuses on drawing cartoon characters may be useful. The course emphasizes using simple shapes to construct characters, a fundamental skill for comic art. By learning how to create clean line work and professional-looking characters in Procreate, comic book artists can streamline their workflow. The lessons on facial expressions, character poses, and adding details are particularly relevant, helping to create expressive and dynamic comic characters. The final section on backgrounds might also be useful.

See salaries and explore the career path for Comic Book Artist

Web Comic Artist

A web comic artist creates and publishes comics online. This course that teaches cartoon character design and Procreate may be a great fit if you wish to pursue being a web comic artist. The course provides a foundation in character creation, expressions, and poses. Web comic artists can use the skills learned to create engaging characters and visually appealing comics. Also, the Procreate training will help streamline the digital art workflow, making it easier to produce regular content for the web.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Comic Artist

Graphic Novel Artist

A graphic novel artist creates visual narratives through panels and illustrations, telling stories in a comic book format. This course may be useful because it covers the fundamentals of cartoon character design and digital drawing techniques in Procreate. The emphasis on using shapes to construct characters, creating clean line work, and adding details helps develop an artist's style. The sections on facial expressions, poses, and drawing characters from different angles are critical for visual storytelling in graphic novels. The course’s practical exercises and assignments are highly relevant for graphic novel artists. Additionally, the final project helps to solidify cartoon character design skills.

See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic Novel Artist

Storyboard Artist

A storyboard artist visualizes a film or animation scene by creating a sequence of drawings. This course that focuses on drawing cartoon characters may be useful. The course’s lessons on character poses and facial expressions are essential for conveying action and emotion in storyboards. The course might help storyboard artists develop their skills in quickly sketching characters from different angles and in various poses. This helps to improve the clarity and impact of their storyboards. The ability to use Procreate can streamline the workflow for digital storyboard artists, allowing them to create polished visuals efficiently.

See salaries and explore the career path for Storyboard Artist

Game Artist

A game artist creates the visual assets for video games. This role requires a strong understanding of character design. A course that teaches cartoon character creation in Procreate can be useful for game artists who need to create 2D assets or character concepts for 3D models. The fundamentals taught in the course, such as using shapes to construct characters and conveying emotions through facial expressions, are directly applicable to game art. The lessons on creating clean line work and adding details are also valuable for producing polished game assets. The final project allows artists to integrate everything learned.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Artist

Concept Artist

As a concept artist, you help visually define the look and feel of characters. This course that focuses on digital cartoon creation may be useful. The course uses Procreate on the iPad and teaches the basics of drawing, sketching, inking, and coloring. It also covers using shapes to differentiate characters and convey emotion through faces and body language. This course may benefit any concept artist looking to improve their cartooning skills or learn new digital techniques. Specifically, the sections on facial expressions and character posing are helpful, as is the overview of sketching, inking, and color choices. The final project brings everything together.

See salaries and explore the career path for Concept Artist

Freelance Artist

A freelance artist works independently, taking on various art-related projects for different clients. If you are a freelance artist, this course may be useful. This course's focus on cartoon character design and digital drawing in Procreate may be useful. The course teaches fundamental skills, such as sketching, inking, and coloring. The lessons on character construction, facial expressions, and poses are also valuable for freelance artists looking to expand their skill set and offer character design services. The final project allows freelance artists to showcase their new skills and add to their portfolio.

See salaries and explore the career path for Freelance Artist

Animator

Animators bring characters and objects to life through movement and visual storytelling. This course that teaches cartoon character design and creation may be useful. The course’s focus on character construction, facial expressions, and poses is directly relevant to animation. The lessons on drawing characters from different angles and adding details can help animators create believable and engaging character animations. Also, learning Procreate can be valuable for animators looking to create 2D animations or character designs for 3D animation projects. The exercises on expressions and poses are particularly useful.

See salaries and explore the career path for Animator

Visual Development Artist

A visual development artist is responsible for developing the overall look and feel of an animated project. This includes character design, background design, and color palettes. This course helps you to learn how to draw cartoon characters. It provides a solid foundation in character design principles, focusing on how to use shapes to create unique characters and convey emotions through facial expressions. The lessons on inking and coloring enhance the artist's ability to create polished visuals, while the final project allows them to showcase their character design skills.

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Animator for Education

Animators for education create engaging visual content for educational purposes. The character design skills taught in this course that focuses on drawing cartoon characters may be useful. Educational animations often require simple, expressive characters. This course may help animators for education create memorable and effective visual aids. The lessons on facial expressions and body language are particularly useful for conveying educational messages in an engaging way. Additionally, as an animator for education, you can enhance your skills in creating clean, professional-looking cartoon characters.

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Animation Production Assistant

An animation production assistant supports the animation team. This course may be useful because of the Procreate training. While the animation production assistant may not be drawing every day, they still can benefit from understanding the basics of character animation. The lessons on character poses are helpful, as is the overview of sketching, inking, and color choices. Knowing Procreate can streamline workflow for the animation production assistant.

See salaries and explore the career path for Animation Production Assistant

How to Draw Cartoon Characters In Procreate

What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Learn cartoon drawing in procreate

Activities

Career center

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