Creation of characters for animation – shapes, color and expression

Reveal your character’s personality by working on a concept and illustrate it using Photoshop.
Creating a unique character design full of personality demands practice, imagination and—ideally—an experienced teacher in the field to show you the ropes. Illustrator and storyboard artist Laura Ewing has mastered the process of character design for animation. She most recently worked on Madrid 2120 as a storyboard artist, which received this year’s Goya award for best short animation.

In this course, Laura shares the secrets and methodology that has led to her success as a storyboard illustrator. Use Adobe Photoshop to build your character, learn how to draw emotive expressions and striking poses, and create a professional turnaround of your character to add to your portfolio.

Get to know Laura, her passion for animation, and her vast experience in the field. She shares some of her favorite artists and animations that inspire her work.

Start off by learning how to prepare and research before creating your character. Develop a brief and see what makes a good brief to facilitate your illustration process. Then, create a mood board of all the elements you need to start visualizing your character.

Next, it’s time to get creative! Work on the basic shapes, looking at how your character’s personality influences the shapes and lines you choose, and work on refining its structure with Laura’s guidance. Bring life to your character by working on expression lines, body language, and facial expressions.

See the best way to present your character, adding color, lights, and shadows. Create your character’s main poses and its turnaround, used for 3D modeling.

Laura finishes the course by giving her professional tips and advice on how to crack the animation world. See how to grow your followers on social media, where to find job opportunities, the ideal way to pitch your project, and more.