Character Creation for Illustrated Stories
A course by Valentina ToroIllustrator and Writer
A course by Valentina Toro, Illustrator and Writer
Learn the tools to write and illustrate characters, both inside and out, by understanding their essence and their world
A huge part of the magic of character creation lies in giving them personality, purpose, and their own private world. For illustrator and writer Valentina Toro, it's also another way to connect her inner self with the outside world. Want to how learn to bring unforgettable characters to life?
In this course, Valentina teaches you how to create a character using a text to understand their essence through the lens of their private world. Discover all the tools you need to write and illustrate a scene inhabited by your story's protagonists. If you'd like to delve even deeper, take a look at her previous course Illustrating and Writing a Children's book.
What will you learn in this online course?
12 lessons & 21 downloads
Characters in fictional stories
9 minutes, 50 seconds
Character types
12 minutes, 4 seconds
Archetypes and stereotypes
15 minutes, 31 seconds
Characteristics of a character
16 minutes, 29 seconds
The character in relation to the world
8 minutes, 58 seconds
First sketches
5 minutes, 28 seconds
What's included in this course?
Start by hearing a little about Valentina, her journey through the world of illustration, and her main influences. She also gives you an overview of the course content.
Next, explore the different types of characters that have emerged over time thanks to oral tradition and folklore across cultures. Identify the defining characteristics of their personalities and study some examples of how they interact with each other.
After doing a few initial sketches, explore every possible detail that makes up your characters' universe to help you develop their shared scene. Then your teacher shows you how to apply a color palette, define the size of your illustration, and tweak the final details.
Wrap things up hearing Valentina's tricks for putting together a portfolio of your scenes. She also shares the wide range of possibilities for testing and developing your creativity and pushing the boundaries of your illustrated universes.
What is this course's project?
Write and illustrate a scene containing at least two characters for a kids' book.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone interested in exploring character-creation techniques for stories, illustrations, or any other narrative medium.
Requirements and materials
Basic drawing experience is a requirement for this course.
In terms of materials, access to Procreate would be ideal, but you can also follow the course exercises using pen and paper.
Reviews
- 2 months ago
I felt it lacked a few tutorials on colors and shapes to built character
- 6 months ago
Me encantó el curso!!
- 6 months ago
Un curso muy entretenido y práctico. Recomendadísimo!
- 7 months ago
It was very interesting and well structured!
- 1 year ago
Valentina es una docente sumamente capacitada, tiene un talento que se contagia ¡Muchas felicidades! En verdad este curso me abrió el panorama totalmente.
Over the course of her career, she has published seven books, five of which are children’s books. Her style can be described as a blend of textual narration with images that create universes inhabited by both forms of expression. She has also written three novels and done illustrations for other authors. She was a runner up in the Little Hakka Picture Book Competition in China and is currently represented internationally by Advocate-Art Inc.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- U2
Map to discover a character
- Characters in fictional stories
- Character types
- Archetypes and stereotypes
- Characteristics of a character
- The character in relation to the world
- U3
Let's start creating
- First sketches
- What world does our character inhabit?
- Final illustration
- U4
Tips for your project
- How to make a portfolio with illustrated scenes
- Expanding our illustrated universes
- FP
Final project
- Character Creation for Illustrated Stories
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
You’ll learn how to design original children’s characters, combine traditional and digital techniques, explore archetypes and stereotypes, and build coherent narrative worlds for illustrated books and fables.
This is an intermediate-level course, perfect for those with basic drawing or illustration skills who want to deepen their understanding of character building and visual storytelling.
You’ll need basic drawing supplies, a digital tablet, access to digital illustration software (like Photoshop or Procreate), and tools for sketching and note-taking.
You’ll learn how to incorporate cultural, physical, and social elements into your characters, valuing diversity and avoiding stereotypes to create authentic, representative figures.
Yes, the course includes hands-on practice blending traditional and digital techniques to achieve professional textures and finishes in your illustrations.
The course covers creating protagonists, supporting characters, antagonists, anthropomorphic animals, and fantasy creatures, explaining their narrative roles and how to visually enrich your story.
You’ll learn to distinguish universal archetypes from cultural stereotypes, understanding their risks and benefits to craft more complex, original characters.