Introduction

Course development team:

  • Kiia Aihkisalo
  • Juhani Grape
  • Jyri Niskanen
  • Saku Syngelmä
  • Tero Poutala
  • Jonna Hyvönen

Character Design

Welcome to a course all about character design. This course includes basic information on what to consider before starting the design process and is divided into lessons that each contain detailed instructions on the topic.

We’ll start by looking at some useful terminology before making an overview on the design process itself. Afterwards, we’ll cover references, thumbnails, color values and palettes, polishing, and pixel art before summarizing it all. There’s also a knowledge test at the end of this course, so pay attention!

By the end of this course, you will have designed a character that is totally your own and made by you. For an artist aiming to enter the entertainment industry, it's important to form a professional-looking portfolio to attract the attention of possible employees. This course will help you do just that.

Character Design as a Career

Many artists dream of a career of designing and drawing characters all day long. However, competition is serious. In that regard, learning and understanding the whole design process is essential for anyone who wants to pursue this career.

The design process itself is not just drawing, it's so much more. It requires researching, understanding colors, and preparing for changes.

Colors are an important part of character design.

Contents of the Course

  1. The basics of character design. Where to start? What aspects to consider?
  2. References. Why use them? What are moodboards?
  3. Drawing the first designs of a character with thumbnails.
  4. Using values. Why use them?
  5. Choosing colors and adding them over a greyscale image.
  6. Polishing the final character design.

Succeeding in this course takes a lot of time and effort. Even if you don’t know the course assignments yet, you should already start thinking about sci-fi or fantasy. The character will be based on one of these themes. Or if you are bold, why not combine them?

Tips for Designing Characters

Exercise: Rule of Three Exercise: Rule of Three

Now, then. Let’s get started!