How to Learn Character Design
Character design involves the preliminary sketching and rendering of physical characteristics as well as expressions and poses for use in art and media. If you are learning character design for a specific project or to expand your portfolio, there are many resources for you to learn the fundamentals and techniques necessary for creating your own characters. Learning character design is especially important if you are seeking a job in illustration, animation, web design or fine art; the training you receive will better prepare you for the challenges that may arise within specific projects.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Practice drawing anatomy and the human figure. Drawing proper proportions for both men and women takes a lot of time and practice, but is a crucial part of the learning process. The placement of muscle tone and bone structure in a drawing can make or break the design and cause the design to be "off." Studying figure and anatomy thoroughly will give you the foundation for proper character development. Sketching from a live model is the best way to learn every aspect of it efficiently. Find out whether art schools in your area offer open studio sessions. If so, you will be able to pay by the class and practice drawing lots of gestures and a range of models with different body types. If taking a class is not an option for you, Figure Drawings (see References) contains a wide range of ebooks that you can study and learn from, and a trip to your local bookstore will garner you a good selection of books on this topic.
-
2
Take a cue from the masters. Find out the character designers of shows or films that excite you, and create a list of their names. Study their work intensively and try to recreate a character on paper for practice. Then try creating a character that would seamlessly fit into the cast of characters for a film. Do this for several different films; start with a simple cartoon and then work your way to advanced films, like Avatar. This is an excellent way to practice technique and build your portfolio, and it will help streamline your unique style.
-
-
3
Sign up for an online art community (see Resources); there are plenty of tutorials, and you can upload your designs and get feedback from other artists in the community.
-
4
Consider taking courses online or at a local college. The University of New South Wales (see Resources) provides an online character design class. You can even learn from some of the masters of illustration, such as Mort Drucker or Stephen Silver (see Resources). If you are looking to go further and learn 3D character design, Photoshop and Maya are two programs that are primarily used in the industry, so you may want to find out about graphic design programs that include these programs in the curriculum.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Know that constructive criticism is just that, whether it is coming from a professor, a fellow student or a fellow artist online; try not to take it personally. Being honest with yourself about a mistake or flaw should only cause you to practice more and perfect it for next time.
