Expressive Character Creation for Animation
A course by Felipe RodriguezCharacter Designer and Illustrator
A course by Felipe Rodriguez, Character Designer and Illustrator
Illustrate unforgettable characters based on a narrative idea and bring them to life through their expressions and poses
Want to create relatable characters that stick with your audience? Animation has the power to leave lasting impressions and create strong bonds with generations of viewers. This is what drove character designer and illustrator Felipe Rodriguez, who has collaborated on two Netflix series with Ánima Estudios and on projects for Cartoon Network, to pursue his passion for this art form. The aim of his designs is to make every line, color, and shape tell a story and together provide a human perspective of the world.
In this course, Felipe teaches you how to create characters for animations based on a narrative idea. Play with proportions and texture and explore the depths of your hero's psyche to craft their expressions, actions, and poses. By the end, you'll know how to design characters from start to finish for any real project.
What will you learn in this online course?
20 lessons & 38 downloads
Structure 1
14 minutes, 0 seconds
Structure 2
14 minutes, 47 seconds
Devise the character 1
16 minutes, 14 seconds
Devise the character 2
10 minutes, 56 seconds
Design 1
19 minutes, 33 seconds
Design 2
17 minutes, 38 seconds
What's included in this course?
Felipe Rodriguez begins the course by telling you about how he got started in his career and the defining moments that shaped him into the designer he is today. He also talks about his influences and why each one inspires him.
Put yourself in different characters' shoes and discover why it's crucial to fully understand their backstory before you draw them. Study the basic concepts of structure, anatomy, movement, and volume, and learn how to think like a professional designer when making decisions about color, typography, and composition.
Now it's time to work on your final project, starting with the story itself and your protagonist. Felipe gives you some practical advice on how to conceptualize your character. He also teaches you how to set the rules for your universe so that all your designs follow a coherent style.
Continue shaping your character's personality by exploring how they might physically react in different situations. Think about their psychology and how they evolve as the story progresses to understand their movements and expressions.
To round out your project, Felipe shares some ideas on how to build the rest of your universe and guides you through the process of designing a villain. Finally, complete your character line-up by using contrasting shapes and colors to create secondary characters and establish their relationship with your protagonist, whether they're family, friends, or a nemesis.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Design a protagonist, complete with model sheets of expressions and poses, as well as a line-up of potential secondary characters.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Illustrators, cartoonists, and designers who want to learn how to create well-rounded characters and bring them to life for an animation project.
Requirements and materials
Although this course covers the basics of character creation, you need experience in drawing and working with Adobe Photoshop.
You can also use Procreate or any other illustration software to complete the exercises and the final project.
Reviews
- 4 months ago
Felipe proporciona una gran cantidad de técnicas creativas para crear personajes fuera de tu estilo habitual. Imprescindible.
- 6 months ago
Excelente curso!!
- 7 months ago
Interesante la parte de psicología de las formas
- 2 years ago
Great course!
- 2 years ago
Excelente curso, me ha encantado!! Uno aprende mucho al ver el proceso. Gracias Felipe!!
He has collaborated on a range of projects for the British Council, Storytime Magazine, and the Mexican animation studio Ánima Estudios, including two projects for Netflix: season 2 of Legend Quest and El camino de Xico. He has also had the opportunity to work with several Colombian studios like TunjaYork, Diptongo, and Mompozt.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
Toolbox
- Structure 1
- Structure 2
- Devise the character 1
- Devise the character 2
- Design 1
- Design 2
- Where is your style? 1
- Where is your style? 2
- U3
Character concept
- Your own story
- Concept
- The rules of your universe
- U4
Character development
- Story Moments
- How does your character express himself? 1
- How does your character express himself? 2
- How does your character move?
- U5
Universe
- Design the antagonist
- Line up and color
- Design the main prop
- FP
Final project
- Expressive Character Creation for Animation
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.
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FAQs
You’ll learn how to conceptualize, create, and showcase original animated characters using visual storytelling, simplified anatomy techniques, textures, color, rhythm, and how to build a professional portfolio for the animation industry.
This course is designed for those with basic illustration or animation skills who want to deepen their character design and portfolio development, so it’s at an intermediate level.
You should have basic digital illustration skills, access to drawing software like Photoshop or similar, and be ready to explore creative and narrative techniques in character design.
The course covers squash and stretch, overlapping action, movement and pose analysis, top-down composition, perspective, visual rhythm, and using digital textures to enrich characters.
Yes, you’ll learn how to develop a professional portfolio focused on character design for animation, including selecting your best work, visual presentation, and industry standards to stand out.
Mainly digital illustration programs like Photoshop are used, along with tools for editing, manipulating proportions, and adding textures to create and present characters.
Yes, the course includes exercises inspired by well-known styles like Pixar, digital collage techniques, concept sheet creation, and exploring original character shapes.