Character Design Short Course
Course description
Course overview
Join our Character Design short course and learn the stages of character design and development from an award-winning writer and illustrator.
By looking at examples of illustration styles including children’s picture books, graphic novels, cartoons, advertisements, packaging, animations and films, you will learn how to give life, expression and movement to your characters.
Beginning by observational drawing and different playful drawing activities, you’ll learn how to convey emotions using the simplest of illustrations. You’ll progress to explore how your character’s will move in a variety of situations, explore the best body proportions for your drawing style and character consistency.
This course is available both on campus or online.
Please note, the on-campus version of this course is taught in a studio and does not include digital software or animation skills.
Who this course is for
This course is aimed at illustrators wanting to know how to apply their skills most effectively, whether for the task of creating a children's book, packaging, graphics, animation, film, TV, gaming or theatre design.
Key information
Topics covered
- Character design research
- How best to suit your illustration style to character
- Designing for different age groups
- Model sheets
- Exploration of expression, emotion, body-language movement and consistency
- Drawing skills
- Inking and rendering
Learning outcomes
- Developed your character design skills to help you hone your talents on the road to success
- Have the opportunity to produce a series of character facial expressions to explore emotions
- Produce character drawings showing how the whole figure can convey emotion and movement in a variety of situations
- Digital badge and certificate of attendance
Materials
On campus
- A4 Sketchbook
- A3 Layout pad
- Pencils, pens or drawing materials of choice
- Notepad and pen
- Examples of any previous work
Online
Required materials:
- Pencils (HB, B, 2B or the graphite pencil scale of your choice)
- Drawing paper or sketchbook of your choice, A4 or A3
- Sharpener and eraser
Recommended materials:
- Markers (optional)
- Colour pencils, crayons (optional)
- iPad/tablet or digital drawing device with a drawing app of your choice (optional)
If you are taking this course online, please see our Guide to taking online short courses
Tutor
Francesco de Manincor
Francesco de Manincor is a character designer, animator, motion designer and videographer with over 20 years of experience in the creative industries in London.
As a freelance audiovisual artist with a passion for education, Francesco has been teaching for UAL and UAL Short Courses since 2016, and has a broad experience in visual storytelling, from storyboarding to animation, video production to post-production.
You can view Francesco's projects on https://demanincor.tv/ and https://spoonfyysh.tv/
Matthew Lloyd
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