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Stylization: from basics to your first character
Rating: 5.0 out of 5(1 rating)
62 students

Stylization: from basics to your first character

Build your skills in stylization and create your unique character design
Created byGrafit Studio
Last updated 6/2025
English
English [Auto],

What you'll learn

  • Understand the core principles of stylization — from silhouettes and composition to rhythm and structure, and how to apply them to character design.
  • Learn to design expressive, dynamic characters that communicate personality through gesture, emotion, and strong visual storytelling.
  • Master advanced design techniques such as mass distribution, focal points, tonal contrast, and rhythm to create cohesive, polished visuals.
  • Explore essential rendering skills including texture, lighting, and color as a storytelling tool to give your characters depth and mood.

Course content

8 sections • 8 lectures • 4h 43m total length

  • Introduction to Stylization30:00

    What is stylization? Levels of stylization.

    Silhouette: readability, perception, and creating compelling designs.

    Basics of internal composition: rhythm, primitive shapes, and visual flow.

Requirements

  • Software Used: Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, or Sai

Description

Ready to take your character designs to the next level? This course gives you the essential tools to master stylization — from creating bold, eye-catching silhouettes to designing dynamic, memorable characters. You’ll learn how to bring your ideas to life using composition, storytelling, and practical design techniques, all while building a solid foundation for advanced work.


What you will get:

  • 8 video lectures

  • 8 homework assignments

  • 6h+ course duration

  • English voiceover


Software Used: Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, or Sai


Who This Course Is For: Junior and middle artists


  • Junior and middle artists who are looking to improve their design skills and add stylized characters to their portfolio.

  • Beginners in stylization who are familiar with digital drawing but want to understand the foundations of stylized character design.

  • Illustrators and concept artists who want to learn how to create characters with personality and strong visual appeal.


Course Program:


1. Introduction to Stylization: What is stylization? Levels of stylization. Silhouette: readability, perception, and creating compelling designs. Basics of internal composition: rhythm, primitive shapes, and visual flow.


2. Advanced Composition Techniques: External composition: negative space, focal points, and tonal analysis. Tonal contrasts within forms and how to apply them effectively.


3. Design Principles: Gesture drawing, dynamics, and character-driven design. Building structure: ellipses, thickness, and maintaining visual harmony.


4. Complexity in Design: Layers of composition: independent objects and mass distribution. Highlighting areas of rest and focusing on storytelling in design.


5. Rhythms in Design: Visual rhythm in fabrics, hair, and effects (VFX). Understanding the role of rhythm in creating cohesive visuals.


6.Character Creation: Gesture, anatomy through primitives, and establishing strong silhouettes. Creating character through dynamic poses and detailed gestures.


7. Emotion and Expression: Capturing movement and emotion through static poses. The art of exaggeration and subtle emotional cues.


8. Rendering Fundamentals: Local highlights and texture techniques. Color as a storytelling tool and ambient occlusion in rendering.


Homework for the lecture you can find in the "Resources" folder :)



Have a great day guys and stay tuned for upcoming updates!

Who this course is for:

  • Junior and Middle artists

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