Drawing & Digital Illustration - Cute Animal Characters

Name: Drawing & Digital Illustration - Cute Animal Characters
Rating: 4.8 (21 reviews)

Unleash Your Creativity - Learn To Draw And Illustrate Cute Animal Characters In Procreate

Created byAlexandra Finta

Last updated 12/2022

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

Stylize and animal from a reference photo
Apply the cuteness factor (changes in proportions to get the most adorable characters)
The "Undershading" Method
Adding textures, shadows, light
Solve the mystery of Dropshadows
Simple character design

Course content

3 sections • 16 lectures • 1h 7m total length

Introduction1:34
Explore what makes things cute by applying cuteness factor to animal illustrations on iPad with Procreate, and learn a process to create adorable characters with depth, texture, and design elements.
The Class Project3:24
Create a cute animal illustration through the class project, moving from reference photo to rough sketch, then a clean sketch and final illustration, applying the cuteness factor and color palettes.
Resources0:22

What Makes Things Cute?3:24
Explore what makes things cute through kin schema, highlighting baby features, big head relative to body, large eyes, round cheeks, small nose, and rounded shape language for drawing animals.
Observing Reference Photos5:12
observe reference photos from Unsplash to pick a front-facing, fluffy animal and translate it into basic geometric shapes for a cute character sketch.
Stylizing The Animal4:01
Import a reference, set up a canvas, and sketch the animal with basic geometric shapes—ears, eyes, nose, and body—to create a rough base for cute stylization.
Drawing Cute Features4:38
Master big eyes for cute animal characters by shaping eyes with iris and pupil, adding reflections, and refining the nose, body proportions, and back legs to stylize a raccoon.
Creating a Clean Sketch3:58
Create a clean sketch by placing a drawing, lowering the reference layer opacity, and using short lines to refine angles, fur, eyes, and a mouth for a cute cat illustration.

Painting The Shapes4:54
Learn to paint cute animal characters using layered construction, base colors, and a clean shape brush, then apply the under shading technique.
The " Undershading" Method8:04
Master the undershading technique to add dimension with texture-driven shadows on animal shapes. Use a darker color and textured brushes with smooth gradation to shade the head, hat, and eyes.
Painting The Eyes6:19
Learn to paint expressive eyes for cute animal characters using color palettes, clipping masks, texture brushes, and layered shading to create depth, highlights, and reflections.
Adding Texture4:25
Add textures to the illustration with the texture riser brush on a new layer under the eyes. Vary dark and light colors to create fur lines, shading, and tail stripes.
Crafting Details7:05
Add props and fine details to cute animal characters by shading, layering, and texture work. Shape a nose, eyelashes, fur, and a scarf using texture shaper and light highlights.
The Mystery Of Dropshadows4:31
Learn to apply drop shadows using a transparent black brush on a transparent layer, adjust opacity and size, place shadows where objects touch, and blur for smooth depth.
An Easy-Peasy Background3:35
Add a background to your cute animal character by organizing layers, duplicating, and flattening into a single layer on a square canvas with color and subtle patterns.
Final Thoughts2:13
Upload your stylized cute animal illustration to the project gallery, share feedback, and explore others' work while applying under shading, textures, and eye reflections for a complete character scene.
Project Gallery

Requirements

Not need any complex drawing skills
iPad and Procreate + working knowledge of the program
The class can be followed by another software but the steps need to be adjusted by yourself.

Description

We all know cute things when we see them, right? But what makes things cute? In this class you are going to learn how to draw and digitally illustrate animals and how to make them the cutest and most adorable little characters.

Read Some Reviews:

"Outstanding class! I had so much fun because this class had everything I wanted. The explanation is clear, and she shows step-by-step how to accomplish the cuteness factor." Mia D.

"This was a fun class, and I still managed to learn some new things all while having fun! I liked how we were given the tools to make the same project as the instructor but also were encouraged to find our own subject as well." Erin F.

In this class we are going to choose an animal, draw it with simple stylisation and apply the cuteness factor to it. After we are done with the most adorable clean sketch of our character, I will teach you my illustration process with the "undershading" method, adding easy textures, creating the cutest giant eyes with light and reflection and we are going to also solve the mystery of dropshadows.

You will do all this with the help of The Artmother's Ultimate Brush Set (find in the resources) and a beginner friendly step-by-step video guidance.

You will NOT need any complex drawing skills, just an iPad with Procreate and its basic working knowledge. If you don't have an iPad with Procreate, don't worry! The class can be followed along with any software but you will need to adjust the steps for yourself!

By the end of the class you will be ready to amaze the world with you cute animal characters...so are you ready to jump right into it?

See you inside the class!

Who this course is for:

Beginner artists
beginner illustrators
Anyone who would love to learn what makes things cute.

Drawing & Digital Illustration - Cute Animal Characters

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction3 lectures • 5min

The Design Process5 lectures • 21min

Painting8 lectures • 41min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: