Stylization: from basics to your first character

Ready to take your character designs to the next level? This course gives you the essential tools to master stylization — from creating bold, eye-catching silhouettes to designing dynamic, memorable characters. You’ll learn how to bring your ideas to life using composition, storytelling, and practical design techniques, all while building a solid foundation for advanced work.

What you will get:

• 8 video lectures

• 8 homework assignments

• 6h+ course duration

• English voiceover

Software Used: Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, or Sai

Who This Course Is For:

• Junior and middle artists who are looking to improve their design skills and add stylized characters to their portfolio.

• Beginners in stylization who are familiar with digital drawing but want to understand the foundations of stylized character design.

• Illustrators and concept artists who want to learn how to create characters with personality and strong visual appeal.

Course Program:

1. Introduction to Stylization: What is stylization? Levels of stylization. Silhouette: readability, perception, and creating compelling designs. Basics of internal composition: rhythm, primitive shapes, and visual flow.

2. Advanced Composition Techniques: External composition: negative space, focal points, and tonal analysis. Tonal contrasts within forms and how to apply them effectively.

3. Design Principles: Gesture drawing, dynamics, and character-driven design. Building structure: ellipses, thickness, and maintaining visual harmony.

4. Complexity in Design: Layers of composition: independent objects and mass distribution. Highlighting areas of rest and focusing on storytelling in design.

5. Rhythms in Design: Visual rhythm in fabrics, hair, and effects (VFX). Understanding the role of rhythm in creating cohesive visuals.

6.Character Creation: Gesture, anatomy through primitives, and establishing strong silhouettes. Creating character through dynamic poses and detailed gestures.

7. Emotion and Expression: Capturing movement and emotion through static poses. The art of exaggeration and subtle emotional cues.

8. Rendering Fundamentals: Local highlights and texture techniques. Color as a storytelling tool and ambient occlusion in rendering.

Build your skills in stylization and create your unique character design!

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