Design of Kawaii-Style Characters
A course by Estudio KudasaiIllustrators and Designers
A course by Estudio Kudasai, Illustrators and Designers
Learn to create adorable characters inspired by Japanese culture
Azul Piñeiro and Carlos Higuera—illustrators, designers, and founders of Estudio Kudasai—are die-hard fans of everything kawaii and Japanese. Their love for Japanese culture is evident in their signature style, which has caught the eye of many brands and led them to work with clients such as Cartoon Network, Papumba, and Disney Latin America.
In this course, they teach you the secrets to kawaii-style illustration with a focus on character design. Learn to draw their facial expressions and anatomy by playing with body proportions and discover how to create adorable animals to design a brand's mascot.
What will you learn in this online course?
12 lessons & 8 downloads
Expressions that give life to our characters
8 minutes, 8 seconds
Head and body
8 minutes, 33 seconds
Image and likeness
23 minutes, 12 seconds
Colors, lines and wefts - part 1
13 minutes, 18 seconds
Colors, lines and wefts - part 2
11 minutes, 2 seconds
Zoological kawaii: Illustrating animals
10 minutes, 17 seconds
What's included in this course?
Begin by getting to know Azul and Carlos, who tell you about their work, influences, and experiences living in Japan. They also explain what kawaii means and what this style implies.
Move on to working with facial expressions and the emotions they convey before illustrating your first kawaii character from start to finish.
Azul and Carlos talk about lines, colors, patterns, and other resources that you can use to set the scene and create your characters.
Next, learn to design animal characters that stand on two hind legs or on all fours and discover what yuru kyara are: character mascots for brands, institutions, events, and regions in Japan. Wrap up the course by illustrating your own mascot for a brand.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Design a kawaii-style character from head to toe, with a specific purpose in mind.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Designers, illustrators, Japanese culture enthusiasts, and anyone interested in character creation.
Requirements and materials
No previous illustration experience is necessary for this course, but a basic understanding of Adobe Illustrator is recommended.
Reviews
- rafirePLUS27 days ago
es bonito el curso pero eso de la perfección lleva a la frustración, la verdad no lo recomiendo si estas comenzando
- 2 months ago
Me ha gustado bastante, entendí cuáles son los elementos que hacen tan tierno a un personaje kawaii.
- 3 months ago
O curso é excelente. Os dois professores têm uma didática espetacular. Deram dicas e ótimas referências parar seguirmos nossos próprios caminhos
- 4 months ago
Hasta ahora es un curso bastante didáctico (aún no lo termino), pero con lo que voy experimentando estoy mucho más que feliz. Desde un poco de contexto histórico/cultural hasta la práctica. Me encantaría un curso más largo para practicar más técnicas o estilos. Actualizaré mi experiencia al terminar el curso.
- 7 months ago
Es un lindo curso para explorar una animación. Que expresa ternura
They didn’t have to wait long before an opportunity to live in Tokyo arose. Immersed in Japan’s visual culture and aesthetics, they decided to focus their efforts on disassociating the kawaii style from the concept of something childish to position it in the market as a communication tool for all ages.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation.
- Influences
- U2
What is this "kawaii"?
- What is this kawaii?
- The formula of tenderness
- Expressions that give life to our characters
- U3
Character from end to end
- Head and body
- Image and likeness
- Colors, lines and wefts - part 1
- Colors, lines and wefts - part 2
- U4
Animals and pets
- Zoological kawaii: Illustrating animals
- What is a pet or "Yuru Kyara"?
- Where to start?
- FP
Final project
- Character design kawaii
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
Kawaii design is a Japanese visual style known for its cuteness, bright colors, and simple characters. It’s used in illustration, merchandise, stationery, and branding to convey friendliness and appeal to a wide audience.
This is an intermediate-level course, ideal for those with basic drawing and illustration skills who want to deepen their knowledge of both manual and digital kawaii techniques.
You’ll need paper, pencil, basic drawing supplies, and access to Adobe Illustrator. A graphics tablet is recommended to digitize and refine your kawaii illustrations.
You’ll learn how to create kawaii characters from sketch to digital finish, applying proportions, Japanese textures and patterns, color palettes, and both manual and digital techniques to illustrate animals and humans.
The course covers everything from building basic shapes, head-to-body proportions, facial expressions, to digitizing with Illustrator, using tools like bold lines, patterns, and textures to achieve an authentic kawaii look.
You’ll learn to create and apply traditional Japanese patterns and textures in your artwork, using both hand techniques and advanced Adobe Illustrator tools to add texture and depth to your characters.
Yes, the course covers specific techniques for illustrating animals and anthropomorphized characters, adjusting proportions, simplifying shapes, and adding expressiveness to create charming and functional results.