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Cissy Chow

What is Character Art Academy?

Character Art Academy is a learn-anywhere video course where you learn how to draw appealing and professional characters for games, animation, manga, comics and more. In this course, you will learn every single core art fundamentals and advanced skills to design and draw characters from scratch to finish. If you are an absolute beginner or you have already at an intermediate level, the course will advance your current drawing ability to a even higher level. The course consists of 10 module and more than 90 lectures which allows you to learn art and character design comprehensively.

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What is Character Art Academy?

Character Art Academy is a learn-anywhere video course where you learn how to draw appealing and professional characters for games, animation, manga, comics and more. In this course, you will learn every single core art fundamentals and advanced skills to design and draw characters from scratch to finish. If you are an absolute beginner or you have already at an intermediate level, the course will advance your current drawing ability to a even higher level. The course consists of 10 module and more than 90 lectures which allows you to learn art and character design comprehensively.

Clear Lectures with Guidance

Drawing character is not easy but this course presented the art foundation and knowledge in a logical way and step by step manner. The Character Art Academy allows you to learn in a structured and cohesive way. You can message me if you have any questions so you can obtain greatest assistance in your art journey.

Rewarding Assignments

There are rewarding assignment designed to test your understanding of the lecture, art and character design. Also, by doing these assignments, you can have the chance to practice so these assignments can help you improve rapidly and grow as an professional artist efficiently. The greatest happiness is you are able to see the difference in your own work at the end of the class. Art is about skills and practice, so let’s get started- let’s draw something awesome.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • How to do line art
  • Basic anatomy and proportion of character bodies
  • How to draw character faces in different perspective
  • How to design different types of characters
  • How to draw appealing and professional characters
  • How to design different costumes for characters
  • How to design beautiful color palette
  • How to create your own style
  • How to draw body parts (head, hands, feet, hair, eyes, etc) and poses
  • How to draw characters for games, animation, manga, comics and more
  • Draw traditionally or digitally
  • Utilize free art resources and free brushes for photoshop
  • Show more
  • Show less

Syllabus

You will know the most important things as an artist and how to access to Character ART Academy and wide variety of free resources provided by this course.
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Covers core art fundamentals and advanced skills, which are essential for designing characters for various media like games, animation, manga, and comics
Begins with art fundamentals like lines, shapes, and forms, which builds a strong foundation for learners with little to no prior experience
Offers guidance on advanced topics such as character posing, facial expressions, and costume design, which strengthens an existing foundation for intermediate learners
Teaches how to utilize free art resources and brushes for Photoshop, which is a standard tool in the digital art and design industry
Presents art foundations and knowledge in a logical, step-by-step manner, which allows learners to learn in a structured and cohesive way
Focuses on Photoshop and its tools, so learners may need to ensure compatibility with their software version for optimal learning and application

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Reviews summary

Comprehensive guide to character design

According to the course structure, learners can expect a comprehensive and structured approach to character design. The syllabus suggests strong coverage of fundamental art principles and human anatomy, which would likely be a key strength. The included practical demonstrations showing the full workflow appear to be a valuable feature. While the course covers a wide range of topics from basics to more advanced concepts like color and costume design, the sheer volume implies that mastery will require significant practice and possibly further specialized study in certain areas.
Mastery requires significant practice beyond the lectures.
"Like any art course, the real learning happens when you do the assignments and practice consistently."
"The course gives you the knowledge, but putting in the hours drawing is crucial for improvement."
"You won't become a master just by watching; you need to draw a lot."
Covers a very broad range of topics relevant to character creation.
"It covers everything from setting up Photoshop to color theory and costume design."
"I was impressed by the sheer amount of material included in the course."
"This feels like a one-stop shop for learning character design."
Includes multiple demonstrations of the full character design process.
"The demos showing the complete process from sketch to color were invaluable for understanding the workflow."
"Seeing the instructor apply all the concepts in a real example helped connect the dots."
"I really appreciated being able to watch different character demos."
Follows a logical, step-by-step structure from basics upwards.
"I found the way the course broke down the concepts really helpful for a beginner."
"The logical flow from fundamentals to specific body parts and then workflow felt very structured."
"Learning step-by-step made a large amount of information feel less overwhelming."
Strong emphasis on core art fundamentals and human anatomy.
"Getting a solid grasp on line weights, shapes, forms, and values was very important."
"The detailed sections on male and female anatomy, heads, and hands were particularly useful."
"I feel much more confident with drawing the human form after this section."
Some advanced topics might require further external study.
"While it covers a lot, I might need to find more specific resources for deeper dives into certain areas like complex rendering or specific styles."
"It's a fantastic overview, but some advanced details might be beyond the scope."
"I felt I got a great introduction, but for mastery, further specialized learning might be needed."

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 ART Academy: Complete Character Design Course with these activities:
Review Basic Anatomy
Reinforce your understanding of human anatomy to improve your character drawing skills.
Browse courses on Figure Drawing
Show steps
  • Study anatomical diagrams and references.
  • Practice sketching basic human figures.
  • Focus on proportions and muscle groups.
Review 'Figure Drawing: For All It's Worth' by Andrew Loomis
Study Loomis's approach to figure drawing to improve your understanding of form and construction.
View Melania on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the book and study the illustrations.
  • Practice the drawing exercises in the book.
  • Apply Loomis's techniques to your own character designs.
Gesture Drawing Practice
Improve your ability to capture dynamic poses quickly and accurately.
Show steps
  • Find reference images of dynamic poses.
  • Set a timer for 2-5 minutes per pose.
  • Focus on capturing the line of action.
  • Repeat daily for consistent improvement.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Design a Character Lineup
Apply the principles learned in the course to design a group of characters with distinct personalities and roles.
Show steps
  • Brainstorm character concepts and backstories.
  • Sketch rough designs for each character.
  • Refine the designs and create detailed line art.
  • Add color and shading to bring the characters to life.
Review 'Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter' by James Gurney
Study Gurney's approach to color and light to enhance your character illustrations.
Show steps
  • Read the book and study the examples.
  • Experiment with different lighting scenarios in your drawings.
  • Analyze the color palettes used by other artists.
Create a Character Design Portfolio
Showcase your character design skills by creating a professional portfolio of your best work.
Show steps
  • Select your strongest character designs.
  • Create high-quality illustrations of each character.
  • Write descriptions of each character's personality and backstory.
  • Organize your portfolio in a visually appealing format.
Develop a Character Design Sheet
Consolidate your character design process into a single, informative sheet.
Show steps
  • Choose a character you've designed.
  • Include front, side, and back views.
  • Add detail shots of the face, hands, and feet.
  • Include color swatches and notes on materials.

Career center

Learners who complete Character ART Academy: Complete Character Design Course will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Character Designer
A character designer is responsible for creating the visual appearance of characters for various media, including video games, animation, and comics. This course helps build a foundation in the core art fundamentals and advanced skills needed to design and draw characters from scratch. The course's focus on drawing character faces in different perspectives and designing various costumes will assist in creating unique and appealing characters. The coverage of Photoshop tools and free art resources also enables a character designer to create production-ready assets. Specifically, the sections on body proportion, hairstyles, and costume design directly addresses the needs of a character designer.
Game Artist
A game artist creates the visual assets for video games, including character models, textures, and environments. This course helps game artists create appealing and professional characters, a key requirement for many game art roles. The focus on character design, drawing faces in different perspectives, and designing costumes is highly relevant. The ability to utilize free art resources and free Photoshop brushes, taught in the course, also benefits a game artist by streamlining their workflow and reducing costs. This is especially useful for aspiring artists entering the competitive game industry.
Illustrator
An illustrator creates images for a variety of media, including books, magazines, and websites, and often focuses on character-driven work. This course helps illustrators build a strong foundation in character design, teaching how to draw appealing and professional characters from scratch. The sections on drawing body parts, designing costumes, and creating color palettes equip an illustrator with necessary skills. The focus on developing a unique style and utilizing free art resources further assist the illustrator in creating a distinctive and efficient workflow. The illustrator will also value the course's detailed instruction on character expression.
Manga Artist
A manga artist creates Japanese-style comics, often responsible for character design and storytelling through visual art. This course helps manga artists understand how to draw appealing and professional characters which is fundamental to creating manga. The course's focus on drawing character faces in different perspectives, designing various costumes, and creating unique styles will allow manga artists to develop their distinctive visual language. The modules on body parts, poses, and expressions are also extremely valuable to manga artists wanting to improve the expressiveness of their characters.
Freelance Artist
A freelance artist works independently, taking on various art-related projects for different clients. This course helps freelance artists broaden their skill set by providing comprehensive training in character design. Learning how to draw appealing characters, design costumes, and create custom styles makes a freelance artist more versatile. The section on using free art resources and Photoshop tools is particularly useful for managing costs and maximizing efficiency as a freelancer. The detailed instruction on creating different types of characters positions the artist to take on a wider variety of projects.
Animator
An animator creates moving images using a variety of techniques, often specializing in character animation. This course helps build skills in drawing body parts, poses, and character faces in different perspectives, all essential for animation. The modules on drawing dynamic poses and creating facial expressions contribute directly to an animator's ability to bring characters to life. The course's structured approach to learning art fundamentals helps ensure a strong foundation for animation. The instruction on creating your own style enables the animator to bring something unique to the field. The coverage of tools, such as Photoshop, will also be useful.
Visual Development Artist
A visual development artist contributes to the overall look and feel of animated films and video games, often involved in character design and environment concepts. This course helps develop skills in designing different types of characters, drawing character faces in different perspectives, and creating appealing and professional characters. The modules on color theory, costume design, and creating custom styles are beneficial for establishing a cohesive visual language. The course's emphasis on character design assignments will provide practice and improve drawing capabilities in the visual development process.
Comic Book Artist
A comic book artist creates the visual elements of comic books, including character design and panel layout. This course may be useful to a comic book artist because it teaches how to draw appealing and professional characters, design different types of characters, and create your own style. The sections on line art, anatomy, and drawing faces in different perspectives are vital skills for a comic book artist. The course emphasis on character design assignments will provide practice and refine drawing skills. The information on character poses is also applicable to the creation of dynamic comic book layouts.
Concept Artist
A concept artist creates visual representations of ideas for use in films, video games, comic books, and other visual media. This course may be useful for an aspiring concept artist because it teaches how to design different types of characters and how to create your own style. By learning how to draw appealing and professional characters, students can improve their ability to visually communicate design ideas. The modules on color theory and creating color palettes are helpful in creating compelling concept art. The course's emphasis on character design assignments provides ample opportunities to hone concept art skills.
Tattoo Artist
A tattoo artist creates permanent designs on clients' skin using needles and ink. This course helps tattoo artists learn basic anatomy, proportion of character bodies, and how to design different types of characters. These skills are valuable for creating custom tattoo designs that fit the client's body and preferences. The course's guidance on drawing body parts, poses, and costume design helps tattoo artists create dynamic and visually interesting tattoos. The knowledge of color palettes allows tattoo artists to choose inks that complement the design and the client's skin tone.
Storyboard Artist
A storyboard artist creates visual panels that outline the narrative of a film, television show, or commercial. This course may be useful for storyboard artists by providing training in the fundamentals of drawing and character design. Learning how to draw character faces in different perspectives and how to draw body parts and poses are directly applicable to creating compelling storyboards. The understanding of shape language and character silhouettes covered in this course may improve the visual storytelling in storyboards. The course provides a foundation for visually communicating narrative ideas.
Art Director
An art director oversees the visual style and images for various projects, such as magazines, newspapers, product packaging, and film and television productions. While an art director typically needs experience and a strong portfolio, this course may be helpful as it helps one to understand how to design different types of characters and to design beautiful color palettes. As this course also teaches line art, basic anatomy, and how to draw character faces in different perspectives, it would enable one to communicate more effectively with artists. The ability to create your own style would also be helpful.
Fashion Designer
A fashion designer creates clothing and accessory designs, often starting with sketches and illustrations of their concepts. This course may be useful to aspiring fashion designers, as it includes instruction on how to design different costumes for characters. The course also teaches how to draw body parts and poses, which help in illustrating fashion designs on the human form. The sections on color theory and creating color palettes are valuable for selecting fabrics and creating visually appealing designs. By learning to draw appealing characters, designers can better showcase their fashion concepts.
Modeler
A modeler creates three-dimensional representations of characters or objects, often for use in animation, video games, or product design. While this role often requires specialized 3D software skills, this course helps to build character design and drawing skills, particularly basic anatomy and proportion of character bodies. The capacity to draw character faces in different perspective is a plus. This course may be useful for character modelers as it helps one to develop an understanding of form, which assists in creating accurate and appealing 3D models.
Character Technical Director
A character technical director works in animation and video games, focusing on the technical aspects of character creation, such as rigging and deformation. Character technical directors typically need a strong understanding of character anatomy and movement, which is where this course provides a solid grounding. The course helps to understand basic anatomy and proportion of character bodies. It also teaches how to draw body parts and poses, making it easier to create rigs that allow for natural and expressive character movement. While this role requires software and technical skills, the art fundamentals in this course provide a valuable understanding.

Reading list

We've selected two 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 ART Academy: Complete Character Design Course.
Classic guide to figure drawing, covering anatomy, proportion, and posing. It provides a solid foundation for character design, especially in understanding the human form. Loomis's clear and accessible style makes it suitable for beginners, while its comprehensive approach benefits more experienced artists as well. It valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their figure drawing skills.
Comprehensive guide to understanding color theory and light in art. It covers topics such as color mixing, light and shadow, and atmospheric perspective. While focused on painting, the principles discussed are directly applicable to character design, especially in creating visually appealing color palettes and rendering realistic lighting. It valuable resource for artists of all levels.

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