Professional Modeling of 3D Cartoon Characters
A course by Juan Solís GarcíaCharacter Modeler
A course by Juan Solís García, Character Modeler
Learn to design characters for animation with ZBrush and 3ds Max
Character modeler Juan Solís has dedicated his career to creating countless 3D cartoon characters over the past two decades, working for top studios like Disney Animation, DreamWorks, Ilion Animation Studios, and Blur Studio on high-profile projects such as Frozen, Trollhunters, Spiderman, and Tadeo Jones.
If there's one thing he's learned through experience, it's that there are notable differences between modeling 3D characters for a personal project and doing so for a professional production. In this course, Juan teaches you how to model characters in collaboration with the art department and prepare them to star in an epic animated production.
What will you learn in this online course?
12 lessons & 13 downloads
Briefing
10 minutes, 15 seconds
Search for references and look and feel
6 minutes, 18 seconds
The lace
16 minutes, 46 seconds
Detailed and sculpted I
14 minutes, 11 seconds
Detailed and sculpted II
17 minutes, 25 seconds
Landed
12 minutes, 30 seconds
What's included in this course?
Get started by exploring Juan Solís's work and his influences as he gives you a tour of the projects and artists that have inspired him.
Learn to analyze a brief and search for references to define the look and feel of your project and sketch out a first draft of your character.
Next, start modeling by blocking in your character's basic shapes, ensuring its proportions are correct. Move on to the sculpting phase to add detail to your character and shape its pose.
Once you've finished this first stage, prepare a presentation for your client with a turnaround animation and various stills depicting the character from different angles.
Then take a deep dive into more technical aspects, making corrections to the character's topology and UVs to prepare it for painting.
To tie everything together, Juan Solís provides some tricks you can apply to model your 3D cartoon characters in a more professional way.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Model a 3D character, from the initial concept to its final pose, and prepare it for an animated production.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Character designers and creators with prior modeling experience who want to master the workflow involved in creating 3D characters for any type of professional production.
Requirements and materials
You need a computer with 3D modeling software (such as 3ds Max, Maya, or Blender) and ZBrush, as well as a basic working knowledge of these programs. A graphics tablet is also recommended.
Reviews
- 17 days ago
El curso fue bueno, el instructor proporcionó una guía detallada y los conocimientos adquiridos generales.
- graficstudio_90PLUS3 months ago
escelente curso lo vi en plus gratis decidi comprarlo
- 3 months ago
Great course.
- 5 months ago
The course was good, the instructor provided detailed guidance, and the knowledge gained can be applied to Blender software.
- 1 year ago
Genial directo a lo que necesites saber si tienes conocimiento previos.
He has worked for studios such as Disney Animation, DreamWorks, Ilion Animation Studios, and Blur Studio as CG character supervisor, character artist, and lead character artist, collaborating on productions such as Frozen, Trollhunters, Planet 51, League of Legends, Spiderman, Atrapa la bandera, Tadeo Jones, and many more.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- U2
Charge
- Briefing
- Search for references and look and feel
- U3
We start modeling!
- The lace
- Detailed and sculpted I
- Detailed and sculpted II
- Landed
- Render and presentation to the client
- U4
Final modeling and delivery
- Final topology
- Uvs for production
- Analysis of the work done and advice
- FP
Final project
- Cartoon character modeling for production
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
This course is aimed at people with basic 3D modeling skills who want to refine their cartoon character abilities, making it ideal for intermediate learners.
You should have basic knowledge of 3D modeling and be comfortable using software like 3D Studio or ZBrush to follow the course smoothly.
You’ll need access to 3D Studio (3ds Max) and ZBrush, plus a computer capable of running these programs and an internet connection to download visual references.
You’ll learn how to design, model, texture, and render cartoon characters, optimize topology and UVs for professional production, integrate visual references, and apply cartoon stylization and anatomy techniques.
The course teaches you how to find and organize visual references on platforms like Pinterest, analyze styles, and gather inspiring images from concept artists and sculptures.
Cartoon modeling focuses on stylization, clear silhouettes, and expressive proportions, while realistic modeling aims to faithfully replicate natural anatomy and details.
You’ll learn to optimize topology, create clean UV layouts, and make adjustments that ease animation, texturing, and rigging within a professional pipeline.