Character Design: From Concept to Creation

Character Design: From Concept to Creation

In this ’Character Design: From Concept to Creation’ course, you’ll learn how to design characters for your next creative project. Whether you are an illustrator or graphic designer you will find this course useful as it provides a step-by-step guide to the process of creating amazing character art. Project Files included! Length: 1 hr 46 min

Learn the methods and techniques from two creative professionals: a concept artist and graphic designer working on this project as a team. The main tools used in this ’Character Design: From Concept to Creation’ course are Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, but most of the techniques can be applied in similar applications. Follow along with the included project files to make the most of this essential design course.

Five Lessons Learned:

1.  For adding colors to our design we separate details into tonal values of shadows, midtones and highlights. We will pick one color for shadows and one for highlights, but because midtones are the most common in objects it is best to use 2 colors to represent them and enable us to define details better.
2. Like in every creative project it is crucial to keep checking the brief you get from the client throughout the whole process to avoid missing any important requirements. In case you don’t get a detailed brief at the start of the project, you should ask questions like “What is to be achieved?” and “Who is the target audience?” from the client to establish the brief yourself.
3. Opacity Masks in Illustrator are great for showing and hiding certain parts of your objects but they can also be used for adding texture to your characters, which will break the rigid, vector outlines and help to make your artwork more unique.
4. Choosing the right file format when exporting your work is crucial. Illustrator offers a wide range of options to choose from either your work is prepared for print or it will be used on the Web. One file format especially is worth exploring is SVG, which is a widely supported web standard that keeps your artwork in vector format even when displayed in browsers.
5.  The Shape Builder Tool is similar to Pathfinder as they are both used to combine shapes, but the Shape Builder is much more intuitive and versatile offering you full control over handling every overlapping detail individually.

CHAPTER 01: INTRO TO CHARACTER ANIMATION 03:32

•  Introduction
•  Brief

CHAPTER 02: CONCEPT STAGE 22:36

•  Style
•  Shapes
•  Proportions
•  Silhouette
•  Contrast
•  Balance
•  Unity with Variety
•  Rhythm & Values
•  Colors

CHAPTER 03: DESIGN STAGE 1:05:31

•  Document Setup
•  Basic Shapes
•  Combining Shapes
•  Animation
•  Pencil Tool
•  Pen Tool
•  Adding Colors
•  Details
•  Shading
•  Texture

CHAPTER 04: CONCLUSION 14:25

•  Exporting Characters
•  Conclusion
•  Timelapse

Instructor: Martin Perhiniak
Martin is a Certified Adobe Design Master and Instructor. He has worked as a designer with companies like Disney, Warner Brothers, Cartoon Network, Sony Pictures, Mattel, and DC Comics. He is currently working in London as a designer and instructor as well as providing a range of services from live online training to consultancy work to individuals worldwide.

Martins Motto: Do not compare yourself to your role models. Work hard and wait for the moment when others will compare them to you.