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Illustrating Characters for Animation in Adobe Photoshop
Unlock creativity with Skillshare! Learn acrylic painting, AI writing, graphic design, and photography.

This Course Includes
skillshare
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3 hours 23 minutes
english
Online - Self Paced
course
SkillShare
About Illustrating Characters for Animation in Adobe Photoshop
Class Trailer
Class Project + Materials
Introduction to Characters in Motion
Tips from an Animator, Part 1
Break Down the Brief
Quick Concepting
Theory: Character Proportions
Sketching Gestures
Take Your Own Reference Photo
Sketching Your Reference
Theory: Abstraction + Exaggeration
Abstract Your Sketch
Faces + Emotion
Tips from an Animator, Part 2
Color Blocking
Adding Texture + Details
Bonus: Draw an Animal
Theory: The 3 Tiers of Prep
Prep Your Design for Animation
Theory: Communicating with Animators
Celebrate + Pass Off Your File!
Thank You!
Bloopers :)
What You Will Learn?
- Well-designed characters can truly make an animation or motion design project shine! This class is stuffed to the brim with actionable, conceptual and technical tips for illustrating your own character in Adobe Photoshop. We’ll specifically dive into the *pre-motion* process of designing your character for frame-by-frame or After Effects animation.As illustrators, we have the unique ability to invent quirky backstories, push body proportions - or even concoct a character out of, say, a rotten apple or a disembodied tooth! We’ll discuss how characters can be used to support animated storytelling. I’ll also begin to walk you through the multiple stages of building your own 2-dimensional character in Photoshop—from backstory, to sketch, to full on design. I’ll walk you through proportion, posing and more! And the best part is we’ll hear from a talented animator—my husband Tyler— who will provide some tips and tricks along the way.I’ll demonstrate my own personal character design process using Adobe Photoshop. You are also welcome to follow along in Adobe Illustrator or Procreate. A lot of the techniques are concept-based and can be used in multiple programs. This class is for you if you’re an illustrator who has never worked with animators before, a professional motion designer who wants to improve their skills, or even a fresh-faced beginner to the character design world.Lessons Include:.
- Special thanks to Tyler Morgan (animator extraordinaire) and Mac Nelsen (amazing editor)..