Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters from Udemy

What's inside

Learning objective

Design characters like a pro.

Syllabus

Students will learn about the tools needed and how to get the most out of the course.

In this lecture students will be welcomed to the course and a brief overview will be given.

Students will Learn how to access the Q and A section.

In this lecture students will learn about the tools of the trade for designing characters.

In this lecture students will participate in a design exercise to warm up.

Students will learn the basics of character design.

In this lecture students will learn about shape language.

In this lecture students will learn about the line of action.

In this lecture students will learn about different art styles.

Students will learn the anatomical differences between male and female characters

In this lecture students will learn about basic human anatomy.

In this lecture students will learn about the differences between male and female anatomy.

Students will lear how to create anthropomorphic characters.

In this lecture students will learn about humanoid vs non humanoid character designs.

In this lecture students will learn about non humanoid anthropomorphic character designs.

In this lecture students will learn about humanoid anthropomorphic character designs.

In this lecture students will learn how to characterize unique animals.

Students will learn about the technical aspects of character design including expression sheets and turnarounds.

In this lecture students will learn how to create orthographic drawings.

In this lecture students will learn how to create expression sheets.

In this lecture students will learn how to create character iterations.

In this lecture students will learn how to create simple backgrounds.

In this section students will learn how to redesign the little mermaid.

In this lecture students will learn about understanding the world their characters live in.

In this lecture students will watch a demo for the little mermaid character redesign assignment.

Students will get some final thoughts on charcter design.

In this lecture students will learn about who tis important to study the masters.

In this lecture students will learn some tips for creating a portfolio.

In this lecture students will learn about how to break the rules the right way.

In this lecture students will receive a final farewell and congratulations for completing the course.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Covers the technical aspects of character design, including expression sheets and turnarounds, which are essential for professional animation work

Explores the anatomical differences between male and female characters, providing a foundation for creating diverse and believable designs

Teaches how to create anthropomorphic characters, expanding design possibilities beyond human forms and into the realm of animal-human hybrids

Includes a redesign assignment of the Little Mermaid, offering a practical application of the learned techniques and a chance to reimagine a classic character

Requires students to have access to software like Photoshop or Procreate, which may require a purchase or subscription for some learners

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 Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters with these activities:

Practice Basic Anatomy

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Reviewing basic human anatomy will provide a solid foundation for creating believable and dynamic character designs.

Browse courses on Figure Drawing

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Find reference images of human anatomy.
Practice sketching basic skeletal structures.
Study muscle groups and their forms.
Draw simplified figures focusing on proportions.

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

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Studying Loomis's approach to figure drawing will improve your understanding of form and construction, leading to more dynamic character poses.

View Melania on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'Figure Drawing: For All It's Worth'.
Read the sections on proportion and construction.
Practice the exercises in the book.

Shape Language Exercises

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Practicing shape language exercises will help you internalize how different shapes convey different personalities and emotions in character design.

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Choose three basic shapes: circle, square, triangle.
Sketch characters based on each shape, exploring different variations.
Analyze how the shape influences the character's personality.

Four other activities

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Show all seven activities

Design a Character Based on a Word Prompt

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Creating a character from a word prompt will challenge you to translate abstract concepts into visual designs, enhancing your creativity.

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Choose a word prompt (e.g., 'mischievous', 'brave', 'wise').
Brainstorm visual ideas associated with the word.
Sketch several character concepts based on your ideas.
Refine one concept into a final character design.

Read 'The Animator's Survival Kit' by Richard Williams

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Studying animation principles will help you create more dynamic and expressive character designs, even in static poses.

View Adventures in Animation: How I Learned Who I... on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'The Animator's Survival Kit'.
Read the sections on timing, spacing, and character acting.
Apply the principles to your character designs.

Redesign Existing Characters

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Redesigning existing characters will challenge you to apply your knowledge of character design principles to improve upon established designs.

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Choose 3-5 existing characters from different media.
Analyze their strengths and weaknesses.
Sketch redesigns that address the weaknesses and enhance the strengths.
Present your redesigns with a rationale for your choices.

Create a Character Design Portfolio

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Creating a portfolio will showcase your best character designs and demonstrate your skills to potential clients or employers.

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Select your strongest character designs.
Present your designs in a professional format.
Write brief descriptions of each character.
Share your portfolio online.

Career center

Learners who complete Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Character Designer

A character designer creates the visual appearance of characters for various media, including animation, video games, and film. This course provides a strong foundation in the principles of character design, covering topics such as shape language, line of action, anatomical differences, and creating anthropomorphic characters. The 'Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters' will be especially useful for an aspiring character designer because it will equip them with the knowledge to create appealing designs that can stand up to scrutiny in a professional context. The course also delves into technical aspects like expression sheets and turnarounds, essential for any designer in this field.

See salaries and explore the career path for Character Designer

Animator

An animator brings characters to life through movement and expression. For an animator, understanding how to design a compelling character is a core skill. The 'Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters' course helps an animator approach their work with a stronger understanding of the character they are animating. The course covers aspects of character design from basic sketches to fully realized renderings, including techniques for creating expressive faces and poses. The lessons on expression sheets and character iterations are directly relevant to the work of a professional animator.

See salaries and explore the career path for Animator

Concept Artist

Concept artists develop visual ideas for characters, environments, and objects, often for use in film, video games, and animation. This course helps an aspiring concept artist by providing a structured process for creating original character designs. The 'Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters' takes students from the basics of character design to more advanced techniques. It will be helpful for concept artist because of the emphasis on creating appealing and engaging designs, the exploration of different art styles, and the training in technical aspects like orthographic drawings and character iterations.

See salaries and explore the career path for Concept Artist

Visual Development Artist

A visual development artist works on the visual style and look of a project, often for animation or film. This course is helpful for a visual development artist as the 'Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters' covers the techniques and principles that underpin memorable and effective character designs. The course will help them develop a strong foundation in design that will allow them to create unique characters. It includes technical aspects of character design, such as orthographic drawings, expression sheets, and understanding the world the characters inhabit, will be invaluable to a visual development artist.

See salaries and explore the career path for Visual Development Artist

Storyboard Artist

A storyboard artist visualizes the scenes of a film, television show, or animation by creating drawings or sketches. Understanding character design is important for a storyboard artist, as they need to portray characters consistently and effectively. The 'Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters' course will be helpful to a storyboard artist because it covers fundamental aspects of character design, such as using shape language and line of action to convey emotions and actions effectively. The ability to create character iterations and understand the different ways to draw characters will help a storyboard artist to visualize their ideas and communicate them to the team.

See salaries and explore the career path for Storyboard Artist

Video Game Artist

Video game artists create the visual elements of video games, including characters, environments, and objects. This course is helpful for a video game artist as the 'Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters' covers the fundamentals of character design, encompassing shape language, line of action, anatomical differences, and creating anthropomorphic characters. A video game artist needs to create characters that are both visually appealing and functional within the game's context. This course will be useful because it also covers technical aspects like expression sheets and turnarounds.

See salaries and explore the career path for Video Game Artist

Illustration Artist

An illustration artist creates images for a variety of clients, including books, magazines, and websites. The ability to design characters is a valuable asset for an illustrator. This course will be helpful to an illustration artist, because it is focused on the creation of appealing designs. The 'Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters' helps an illustrator create original character designs, explore different styles, and master the technical steps to create polished work. This training will help produce a broader portfolio that will attract more clients.

See salaries and explore the career path for Illustration Artist

Freelance Illustrator

A freelance illustrator works on a contract basis for a variety of clients. This course helps a freelance illustrator add character design to their skillset. The 'Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters' provides a structured process for creating original characters plus the technical skills needed for professional work. The course will help a freelance illustrator produce a more diverse portfolio, which will make them more competitive in the market for their services.

See salaries and explore the career path for Freelance Illustrator

Comic Book Artist

A comic book artist creates the visual narrative of comic books and graphic novels. The 'Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters' may be useful for a comic book artist because they must design characters that are expressive and memorable, and this course will equip them with the skills to do that. The course takes learners through a process of building appealing characters, considering anatomy, and exploring different art styles. The technical skills gained in this course, such as creating expression sheets and turnarounds, are directly transferable to the work of a comic book artist.

See salaries and explore the career path for Comic Book Artist

Digital Painter

A digital painter uses software to create paintings, often for illustration or concept art. The 'Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters' will give a foundation in shape composition and rendering. A digital painter would find this course helpful because it provides a structured approach to character design, from basic sketches to finished renderings. They will learn how to improve their character concepts, and how to apply different styles and techniques that they can use in their own work.

See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Painter

Character Modeler

A character modeler creates 3D models of characters for animation and video games. The 'Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters' may be useful for a character modeler as it helps teach them how to create appealing and expressive characters. The knowledge of character design fundamentals, like shape language, line of action, and anatomical differences, will help a modeler produce better 3D models. The course also covers technical aspects like turnaround views and expression sheets, which are essential for a character modeler.

See salaries and explore the career path for Character Modeler

Art Director

An art director oversees and guides the visual style of a project, whether it's a film, animation, or video game. This course may be helpful for an art director, who needs a deep understanding of character design to guide the team effectively. The 'Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters' provides a solid foundation in the principles and techniques of creating appealing and expressive designs. The course’s discussion of shape language, line of action, and anatomical differences help an art director lead and evaluate work.

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Graphic designer

A graphic designer creates visual content for various projects, like logos, websites and marketing materials. This course might be helpful for a graphic designer as it will help them generate appealing and memorable character designs. The 'Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters' offers a thorough exploration of character creation, from basic sketching to advanced techniques. This will help a graphic designer broaden their skillset and also approach design problems from a character-centric perspective.

See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic designer

Motion Graphics Artist

A motion graphics artist creates animated graphics for digital media. This course can support a motion graphics artist who wishes to add character animation to their repertoire. The 'Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters' will introduce them to techniques for creating expressive and dynamic designs. The course’s lessons on shape language, line of action, and character iterations may be useful to motion graphic artists aiming to create moving characters for their projects.

See salaries and explore the career path for Motion Graphics Artist

Art teacher

An art teacher educates students about various art techniques and concepts. This course may be useful for an art teacher, who must have a broad knowledge of different design skills. The 'Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters' provides a structured approach to character design, covering both the basics and the technical steps to create professional artwork. An art teacher could use the lessons in this course to enhance their curriculum and teach students about character design.

See salaries and explore the career path for Art teacher

Ultimate Guide to Drawing Animated Characters

What's inside

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