Character Design
Lesson 2 of 4 Designing Better Characters
In this lesson, Wouter will design two different characters. For his main character, he will go through a more traditional process of building, posing and then drawing on top of his model. The line art, color and lighting will all be on distinct layers, so one aspect can be easily altered without changing the other elements. The second character will utilize what Wouter calls the 'Character Creator,' a modular technique which allows mixing and matching of finished costume parts for easy selection later by the artist or clients.
Meet Your Character
First, build and pose your 3D model. There are endless possibilities in 3D, but that can hurt as much as help. Don't get lost in this phase by endlessly tweaking things. Afterwards, create a rough sketch over the 3D render in Photoshop. The 2D Photoshop phase is where you want to spend the bulk of your time. This sketch will help guide the look of your character going forward.
Extra Credit
Build a Character Creator with multiple interchangeable costume parts. You can either do this with a new character, or the one you already designed.
It's Alive!
Finish your character design. Try to keep your line art, flat colors and lighting on their own separate layers for more versatility. Upload your completed homework to the Learn Squared site.
Student Homework
Lesson 1
Design Essentials
This first lesson will cover a lot of ground. Wouter will help you come up with your initial idea, then take you through some of the pieces of software he uses throughout the course. There will be separate sections showing his preferred techniques in Photoshop, Daz 3D, Blender and Fusion 360. Afterwards, you will learn the principles of design, including proportions, shape theory, detail placement, color and value. Finally, you will use everything you learned to create preliminary sketches of your character in Photoshop.
- 3 hours 48 minutesTotal Lesson Duration
- 37 VideosVideo Lectures in this Lesson
- Project FilesDownloadable Project Files
Guidance
Introduction
Generating Ideas
Practical Realities
Photoshop
3D Apps
Beginner Design
Intermediate Design
Designing a Character
Conclusion
Lesson 2
this lessonCharacter Design
In this lesson, Wouter will design two different characters. For his main character, he will go through a more traditional process of building, posing and then drawing on top of his model. The line art, color and lighting will all be on distinct layers, so one aspect can be easily altered without changing the other elements. The second character will utilize what Wouter calls the 'Character Creator,' a modular technique which allows mixing and matching of finished costume parts for easy selection later by the artist or clients.
- 1 hour 35 minutesTotal Lesson Duration
- 14 VideosVideo Lectures in this Lesson
- Project FilesDownloadable Project Files
Guidance
Introduction
Character Creation
Tightening the Sketch
Character Creator
Conclusion
Lesson 3
Prop Design
In this lesson, Wouter will design three separate props, each demonstrating a completely different technique. The first will be created from start to finish in Photoshop, utilizing tight line work and strong understanding of proportion. The second prop will be created entirely in 3D, using Fusion 360. Then the third prop will be a 2D/3D hybrid. This will have its base shapes designed in Blender, before being exported to Photoshop to fill in various details. Each technique has its own strengths and weaknesses, so keep in mind what tools you need when fleshing out your own prop.
- 2 hours 33 minutesTotal Lesson Duration
- 32 VideosVideo Lectures in this Lesson
- Project FilesDownloadable Project Files
Guidance
Introduction
2D Prop
3D Prop
3D Prop in Blender
3D Prop in Photoshop
2D/3D Hybrid Prop
Hybrid Prop in Photoshop
Conclusion
Lesson 4
Final Illustrations
Now that the designs have been finished, you can start creating an illustration which utilizes your character and prop together. In this lesson Wouter will create two separate images, each with its own distinct tone. These will utilize a blend of 2D and 3D by placing the character in a scene, lighting them, then creating linework and detail on top. The focus here will be on using composition, dynamic lighting and post-processing to create a compelling overall scene.
- 1 hour 52 minutesTotal Lesson Duration
- 17 VideosVideo Lectures in this Lesson
- Project FilesDownloadable Project Files
Guidance
Introduction
Sketching
Building the 3D Scene
Action Illustration
Dramatic Illustration
Conclusion
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