Playful Animated Character Design with Cinema 4D

Learn how to model, build, and animate engaging characters using the tools of Cinema 4D and After Effects
“I love the concepts of play and toys, and I think a lot about how to combine figurative imagery with playful characters that feel slightly abstract.”

His unique style is what has led digital painter, 3D artist, and animator Alex Kiesling to work with clients including Apple, Google, MTV, Adobe, and The New York Times. He also shares his work with over 45K followers on Instagram.

In this online course, he teaches you how to combine three-dimensional characters of your own with painted backgrounds, and animate them using Cinema 4D and After Effects. Learn to conceptualize and create a 3D-rendered creature in a looped scene from scratch. Are you ready to develop captivating animations that tell stories?

What will you learn in this online course?
Begin the course by getting to know artist Alex Kiesling. Discover the creative career that saw him go from studying illustration to working with global brands like MTV and Apple. Hear about the influences that inspire him and his work.

Discover how to find and organize inspiration for your project before sketching your initial ideas based on the principles of design. Then choose a color palette for your piece that reflects the mood you want to achieve.

Time to model your character base. Use cloners and matrices to create a hypnotic drip loop effect before rigging up some hands for realism. Then bring your character to life through animation.

Light your scene and create different textural materials for the skin, eyes, and mouth of your character that add depth and dimension to the finished design. Make any final adjustments to colors and details.

With your rendered elements complete, set up your scene in After Effects, adjusting frame rates, color correcting, and adding any fun effects before exporting it. To wrap up the course, Alex guides you through the process of sharing your work on social media and using it as a portfolio.

What is this course’s project?
Conceptualize and create a 3D-rendered creature in a looped scene.

Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in rendering playful animated creatures using the digital tools of Cinema 4D.

Requirements and materials
Basic knowledge of animation is required.

In terms of materials, you will need a computer with access to Cinema 4D and a graphics tablet.