Character Design Process: Concept Art and Visual Development
A course by Francesco MazzaCharacter Designer
A course by Francesco Mazza, Character Designer
Learn the techniques and principles of character design to bring your unique characters to life.
In this course, Francesco Mazza, expert in art direction and concept development for animation and video games, guides you on a creative journey to find and hone your unique voice in the art of visual concept.
Throughout the lessons, you'll explore the vast world of character and environment design, learning to combine styles and techniques to create works that stand out. Francesco will share his extensive experience working with renowned brands and projects of varied styles, helping you develop the ability to adapt and evolve artistically.
You will immerse yourself in the process of generating original ideas and bringing them to life visually, understanding how each detail contributes to the narrative and aesthetics of a project.
What will you learn in this online course?
26 lessons & 11 downloads
What are visual development and concept art
7 minutes, 43 seconds
Analyze the style: the volume
9 minutes, 42 seconds
Analyzing style: form and abstraction
10 minutes, 9 seconds
Analyzing style: perspective
4 minutes, 58 seconds
Analyze the style: the quality of the line
5 minutes, 1 second
Analyze the style: the coloring
7 minutes, 12 seconds
What's included in this course?
To begin, you will immerse yourself in the world of conceptual art and visual development, understanding its importance in the creative industry. Francesco will introduce you to the basis of all character and environment design: conceptualization and initial sketching.
Afterwards, you will delve into how to choose and apply graphic styles that best suit your project, learning to use digital tools to transform ideas into compelling visual art. Next, you'll explore advanced digital painting and digital drawing techniques, with a special focus on creating characters and environments that tell stories.
Finally, Francesco will show you how to put the finishing touches on your works and prepare them for professional presentations, ensuring that your creations are not only visually stunning, but also cohesive and ready to impress on any platform.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
The final project of the course involves the creation of an original character from conception to final visualization, situated within a designed environment that complements and enriches its story.
This exercise will allow you to apply the techniques learned to develop your own and coherent visual style.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is aimed at digital artists, character designers, art students and creatives in the field of animation and video games looking to explore and define their unique style.
It is perfect for those who want to delve deeper into visual concept development and improve their character and environment design skills.
Requirements and materials
To participate in this course, you will need a graphics tablet or iPad and digital drawing software. It is important to have a basic knowledge of digital drawing and painting, although the course is designed to guide you through advanced techniques and practical applications.
Reviews
- 3 months ago
It's Really helping me to archive my character , Thank you Francesco Mazza!
- 3 months ago
Excelente! Recomendo!
- 9 months ago
Como estudiante de ilustracion este curso es bastante bueno para reforzar los conocimientos que ya tenía y sumar nuevos, además es bastante entretenido y didáctica su forma de abordar el tema, lo recomiendo
- 10 months ago
Excelente
- 1 year ago
Excelente curso!!
He has worked for renowned studios such as Studio Bozzetto and Blue Zoo Animation, collaborating on projects for Disney Italia, Toyota and the BBC. His passion for visual art has led him to found Kid Onion Studio, where he is currently developing his most ambitious project, "River Tails: Stronger Together".
Francesco's experience covers a wide range of styles and techniques, from artistic direction to the development of visual concepts, marking his career with a constant search for innovation and creative expression.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Reference models
- U2
Visual development: finding your voice
- What are visual development and concept art
- Analyze the style: the volume
- Analyzing style: form and abstraction
- Analyzing style: perspective
- Analyze the style: the quality of the line
- Analyze the style: the coloring
- U3
From the creative spark to the definitive table
- Get inspired and create the mood board 1
- Get inspired and create the mood board 2
- Character sketch 1
- Character sketch 2
- Character sketch 3
- Finalize the character 1
- Finalize the character 2
- Finalize the character 3
- Finalize the character 4
- Finalize the character 5
- Sketch of prop and environment 1
- Sketch of prop and environment 2
- Sketch of prop and environment 3
- Coloring and finishing the work 1
- Color and finish the work 2
- U4
Layout and present the tables
- Layout and export the project
- Presenting to a client or in the portfolio?
- How to proceed: possible next steps
- FP
Final project
- Visual Development: find your style
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 designed for artists and creatives with intermediate skills who want to deepen their knowledge of character design, concept art, and visual production for video games, animation, and comics.
Basic drawing skills and familiarity with digital tools like Photoshop are recommended, but the course also covers techniques and methods useful for improving intermediate skills.
You’ll learn how to develop dynamic characters, create original environments, manage line, volume, perspective, color palettes, and how to present visual projects for video games, animation, and comics.
The course mainly uses software like Photoshop and digital tools for drawing and designing characters, environments, and props.
The course covers silhouettes, volume management, proportions, cartoon stylization, formal choices for different target audiences, clean digital lines, coloring, and adding distinctive details.
Yes, the course covers concept art for both video games and animated series, with practical examples on developing environments, props, and character design for various media.
Yes, the course includes strategies for visual research, style analysis, moodboard creation, and methods to define and refine your unique style.