About Course

Introduction to Character Design

This is an introductory course teaching the basics of designing your own animated characters for cartoons, and would also be helpful for the student who is seeing a career as a cartoonist or storybook illustrator. Students learn an overview of four basic character types that are commonly used in most animated stories and what makes them appealing.

Course Content

Getting started
Here are a couple of short tutorials on how to navigate through your classes and turn in assignments. Make sure you watch the one on turning in assignments before you turn in your first assignment.

How to turn in your assignments

06:47

Intro to Character Design
A brief discussion on the history of character design from the 20s to Modern, and character design for Illustration vs. animation.

Design a Hero Character
The main elements that makeup the typical hero character

Design a Villain Character
Important characteristics of the standard villain.

Design a Heroine
What are the elements and characteristics of the typical Disney style lead female?

Design a Cute Character
Why do we see something and think "aww, that's so cute" let map out some of the definitive characteristics of a cute character.

Design your Animal Character
In this session, you will learn about coming up with the background story for your character, and how important it is to establish who the character is for the design

Villan Animal character exploration
Explore and develop the background of a character you have already created to give it more depth

Turn Around and Action Poses
Coming up with the design sheet for your character and how to deliver that to a client, this is also a portfolio requirement for our diploma and master courses.

Color and Line Quality
Further refining your character design for the end product

Designing a model sheet
Your final project for this course, also a portfolio requirement for the diploma and certificate courses

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Introduction to Character Design

About Course

Introduction to Character Design

What Will You Learn?

Course Content

Getting started
Here are a couple of short tutorials on how to navigate through your classes and turn in assignments. Make sure you watch the one on turning in assignments before you turn in your first assignment.

How to turn in your assignments

Intro to Character Design
A brief discussion on the history of character design from the 20s to Modern, and character design for Illustration vs. animation.

The history of Character Design with shapes and volume 1

Design a character session 1

Design a Hero Character
The main elements that makeup the typical hero character

The Hero Character

The Hero Cowboy

Design your Hero Cowboy session 2

Design a Villain Character
Important characteristics of the standard villain.

The Villain and drawing gesture

Create a Villain Character session 3

Design a Heroine
What are the elements and characteristics of the typical Disney style lead female?

Design a Heroine1

Design the Heroine 2

Design the Heroine Assignment session 4

Design a Cute Character
Why do we see something and think "aww, that's so cute" let map out some of the definitive characteristics of a cute character.

The Cute Character

Drawing details

The Cute Character session 5

Design your Animal Character
In this session, you will learn about coming up with the background story for your character, and how important it is to establish who the character is for the design

Your Animal Character

Write the history of your character session 6

Villan Animal character exploration
Explore and develop the background of a character you have already created to give it more depth

Villan Animal Character Exploration

Villan animal character session 7

Turn Around and Action Poses
Coming up with the design sheet for your character and how to deliver that to a client, this is also a portfolio requirement for our diploma and master courses.

Turn around and action poses

Make a character sheet session 8

Color and Line Quality
Further refining your character design for the end product

Color and line Quality

Color and line quality session 9

Designing a model sheet
Your final project for this course, also a portfolio requirement for the diploma and certificate courses

Designing a model sheet

Final Character Design Model sheet session 10

About Course

Introduction to Character Design

What Will You Learn?

Course Content

Getting started Here are a couple of short tutorials on how to navigate through your classes and turn in assignments. Make sure you watch the one on turning in assignments before you turn in your first assignment.

How to turn in your assignments

Intro to Character Design A brief discussion on the history of character design from the 20s to Modern, and character design for Illustration vs. animation.

The history of Character Design with shapes and volume 1

Design a character session 1

Design a Hero Character The main elements that makeup the typical hero character

The Hero Character

The Hero Cowboy

Design your Hero Cowboy session 2

Design a Villain Character Important characteristics of the standard villain.

The Villain and drawing gesture

Create a Villain Character session 3

Design a Heroine What are the elements and characteristics of the typical Disney style lead female?

Design a Heroine1

Design the Heroine 2

Design the Heroine Assignment session 4

Design a Cute Character Why do we see something and think "aww, that's so cute" let map out some of the definitive characteristics of a cute character.

The Cute Character

Drawing details

The Cute Character session 5

Design your Animal Character In this session, you will learn about coming up with the background story for your character, and how important it is to establish who the character is for the design

Your Animal Character

Write the history of your character session 6

Villan Animal character exploration Explore and develop the background of a character you have already created to give it more depth

Villan Animal Character Exploration

Villan animal character session 7

Turn Around and Action Poses Coming up with the design sheet for your character and how to deliver that to a client, this is also a portfolio requirement for our diploma and master courses.

Turn around and action poses

Make a character sheet session 8

Color and Line Quality Further refining your character design for the end product

Color and line Quality

Color and line quality session 9

Designing a model sheet Your final project for this course, also a portfolio requirement for the diploma and certificate courses

Designing a model sheet

Final Character Design Model sheet session 10

Student Ratings & Reviews

Getting started
Here are a couple of short tutorials on how to navigate through your classes and turn in assignments. Make sure you watch the one on turning in assignments before you turn in your first assignment.

Intro to Character Design
A brief discussion on the history of character design from the 20s to Modern, and character design for Illustration vs. animation.

Design a Hero Character
The main elements that makeup the typical hero character

Design a Villain Character
Important characteristics of the standard villain.

Design a Heroine
What are the elements and characteristics of the typical Disney style lead female?

Design a Cute Character
Why do we see something and think "aww, that's so cute" let map out some of the definitive characteristics of a cute character.

Design your Animal Character
In this session, you will learn about coming up with the background story for your character, and how important it is to establish who the character is for the design

Villan Animal character exploration
Explore and develop the background of a character you have already created to give it more depth

Turn Around and Action Poses
Coming up with the design sheet for your character and how to deliver that to a client, this is also a portfolio requirement for our diploma and master courses.

Color and Line Quality
Further refining your character design for the end product

Designing a model sheet
Your final project for this course, also a portfolio requirement for the diploma and certificate courses