How to Draw and Paint Cartoon Characters... Digitally.

Name: How to Draw and Paint Cartoon Characters... Digitally.
Rating: 4.8 (14 reviews)

Cat and Dog

Created byChris Scalf

Last updated 11/2018

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

Students should get a basic understanding of how to apply realism depth (with reference or without) to simple cartoon characters.

Course content

1 section • 12 lectures • 2h 14m total length

Introduction4:15
Explore digital drawing and painting of cartoon characters, blending cartooning with photorealism using a simple black line technique in Photoshop and layered painterly finishes.
Digital tools; doodling character details4:42
Explore digital tools for cartoon drawing, using brush presets, shape dynamics, and smoothing to sketch lively line art, practice crosshatching, and develop your personal style for storyboards.
Overview: Creating and coloring a character 15:26
Open a new document, sketch a basic cartoon dog, refine outlines, fill colors, and contract edges to prevent ghosting; then use smudge and spatter brushes with photo references for color.
Overview: Creating and coloring a character 215:23
Explore digital illustration of a cartoon character using layered brushwork, lighting, and shading to imply depth. Rely on reference photos and blend traditional techniques with CGI-inspired textures.
Overview: Creating and coloring a character 313:40
Explore digital cartoon character creation and coloring, mastering brush work, color sampling, layers, and dodge and burn techniques to shape light, shadows, and highlights.
Pumpkin Cat pt. 113:25
Update an old pumpkin cat into a new digital painting using layers, brush settings, shape dynamics, and color fill on an 8x10 canvas.
Pumpkin Cat pt. 211:25
Learn to build a digital cartoon pumpkin cat scene using layers, wood grain textures, and background foliage, applying brushes, dodge highlights, and color and shading for playful lighting.
Pumpkin Cat pt. 313:30
Use smudge and burn tools to blend lines and deepen shadows on the pumpkin cat, then apply ambient colors and texture brushes for realistic depth.
Pumpkin Cat pt. 413:18
Learn digital painting techniques to refine a pumpkin cat using layers, the dodge tool, color adjustments, and light, adding whiskers, tabby stripes, and ambience around the scene for realism.
Pumpkin Cat pt. 514:24
Learn to refine a digital pumpkin cat portrait by adding shadows and highlights, adjusting backgrounds, experimenting with color tones, and smoothing edges for improved realism.
Pumpkin Cat pt. 614:28
Revise a cartoon cat caricature by exaggerating features for comedy, using liquefy and smudge tools, and referencing a real tabby for fur detail to bring the character to life.
Pumpkin Cat pt. 710:10
Flip the canvas to rework a digital pumpkin cat drawing, refining shading, textures, and highlights with blending, dodge, and burn tools for a polished cartoon look.

Requirements

Basic drawing skills are required-- even if just simple cartoons. Knowledge of using a computer and photoshop would help. Though, you could apply the drawing/illustrative part of this to traditional art as well.

Description

I am a commercial artist who specializes in realism, and fantasy, but I also enjoy doodling simple cartoon characters. In this series, I will show you how you can borrow some of the elements from realism, and apply them to your cartoon characters (however simple) and get a fun and interesting result! I am using Photoshop, but you can apply the principles to other mediums or programs.

Who this course is for:

Beginners and pros alike can all get something out of this.