Digital Drawing Techniques with Graphic Tablet

Apply characterization techniques by turning a reference mouse from reality into a stylized caricature through iterative sketching, anatomy study, exaggeration, and simplification.

Explore caricature drawing on a graphic tablet by exaggerating human figures with simple lines, adjusting proportions, and analyzing movements to create animation-ready character designs.

Develop the pure templates technique to establish a character's mass and movement, then use it to define weight, limbs, and a direction-ready pose for animation-focused character design.

Practice two to three studies of stylized photos, exaggerate and discard details, and apply pure technique to understand character behavior, movements, and design for animation.

Explore head construction basics for character design using a modular approach, starting from a circle and building axes, eyes, nose, and features with construction lines and 3D form.

Learn to build heads with circle and ellipse guides, establishing symmetrical lines for facial proportions. Create varied animal heads by refining eyes, noses, ears, and details on simple geometric forms.

Practice five angles and five elliptical forms, using fast lines to capture the general form before detailing, so you don't miss the tip of the overall design.

Explore facial expressions and emotional states in animation design using a basic face template and three adjustable keys—eyebrows, eyelids, and mouth—applied across layers for character-specific expression.

Develop digital drawing skills by constructing and intensifying facial expressions with stylized key points, eyebrows, eyes, and mouth, using layers to practice happy, sad, scared, angry, and surprised faces.

Explore a range of facial expressions and emotions through exaggerated states, studying eyebrow and mouth cues, and testing expressions by having characters speak lines.

Explore drawing practices with a graphic tablet, revisiting three core points to intensify basic expressions, emotions, and dialogue-driven facial expressions through vocal cues and examples.

Explore body motion and gesture drawing techniques to master the inner dynamics of animation. Analyze simple anatomy, bounce, force, gravity, and frame-by-frame timing for lively character designs.

Master body movement drawing techniques to convey emotion through dynamic pauses and poses. Examine character design and psychology by testing reactions with a mouse sketch across joy and surprise.

Practice studying the inner dynamics of movement through dynamic poses, analyzing up and down motions and transitions. Draw walking, falling, and other actions, and study two characters across emotions.

Master three-dimensional turnarounds and model sheet techniques by drawing front, side, and back views with axis lines and forty-five-degree poses to guide three-dimensional character modeling.

Turn the figure turnaround study into practice by building a character from simple geometric shapes, using axis lines and a face circle, then copy and mirror limbs at 45 degrees.

Learn to build characters from simple geometry, use symmetry and references to craft a 360-degree turnaround and a model sheet, and refine proportions with layered, transparent sketches.

Practice drawing with simple geometric forms on a graphic tablet using at least three different shapes; repeat these studies to prepare for the next lesson.

Explore how storyboards pre-visualize animation and cinema by arranging scenes and plans in frame templates, detailing transitions like cut, zoom, and pan, to guide directors and actors before shooting.

Learn how to use storyboards to plan scenes with continuity and transitions in animation, employing varied camera angles and editing to convey action from door to stairs.

Learn how to manage framing and composition using the 180-degree rule in storyboard work, preventing axis jumping and ensuring continuity of action across shots.

Practice a four-second storyboard with at least two characters, six frames, wide, full, and close-up shots, and zoom in, pan, and cut transitions, using scene numbers and plan codes.

Learn to use color in drawing with Photoshop, mastering color selection, swatches, color modes, and layered masking to create high-resolution animation-ready illustrations.

Discover how color forms in drawing through the color wheel, mixing yellow, red, and blue to orange, green, and purple, and exploring warm, cool, and complementary contrasts.

Learn how to design backgrounds for animation, from storyboard planning and setting the scene to sketching, line work, coloring, and layering techniques that shape mood and place.

Design backgrounds to support action by treating them as interactive elements that complement motion. Use distance cues, camera placement, perspective, and harmony with the character to create dynamic, readable animation.

Clean up the background, reference the storyboard, and refine line work; draw two characters, one realistic and one fantastic, then create two matching backgrounds with angles and line styles.

Master color design in digital painting by using masking and layered workspaces to separate character parts, apply colors with color picker, and adjust hues on individual masks in Photoshop.

This color design study refines painting using layers and masks, shading with brushes on separate layers, and preserving textures, linking color design to 3d animation workflows in Photoshop.

Practice drawing a character using the mask and layers, experimenting with brushes, brush size, visibility of layers, and hue adjustments, while following the course guidance and homework.