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Created byJaysen Batchelor

Last updated 11/2016

English

What you'll learn

Design your own character
Build your character in Photoshop
Animate your character for a 2D game

Course content

5 sections • 58 lectures • 5h 24m total length

Welcome to the course! Introduction2:17
Welcome a board! In this lecture I'm going to give you a brief over view of who I am and what you will learn by the end of this course. Remember hat If you have any questions you can ask them in the Q&A section of the course and I'll be answering all of them.
How to get a guaranteed win out of this course!2:02
Make sure that you get the most out of this course. As your instructor I want to make sure that you get the most out of this course. If you have any questions throughout the course I will be here to answer all your questions, so please ask!
Join the Facebook Support Group and share your designs!0:14
Get connected with other students through the course Facebook Page. I encourage everyone to post there progress as they create there game artwork.
What you will need to complete this course and free Photoshop!5:37
There are a few things you will need to complete this course. In this lecture I'll go over all of this. I'll also go over how you can download a free Photoshop trial if you're not sure whether you want to purchase yet.
What is character design?5:58
In this lecture I'll teach you all about character design and what you need to understand about it. I'll go over all the different components that make up a strong character design, and how character design is a form of story telling.
Researching your character and reference.8:27
It's important to research your character and find reference for them. In this lecture I teach you how and where to find research and reference for your character.
Learn the importance of reference and how to use it6:15
It's very important to use reference when designing a character. In this lecture I'll explain why and how to use reference so you can create the best quality character.
Get your questions answered in the Q & A section of this course!1:59
If you run into confusion or have any questions though out the course I'm here every step of the way. All you have to do is go to the Q & A section of the course and post your question. I make sure that every question is answered.
Learning Basic Photoshop tools!13:15
Learning Basic Photoshop tools!In this lecture i'll go over the basic Photoshop tools and there hot keys. If you're already familiar with Photoshop you are more than welcome to skip ahead.
How layers work, its simple!3:44
Many people get confused about layers in Photoshop. In this lecture I'm going to demystify layers and teach you how they work. They really are not as complicated as people think!
Lear how to find the exact same colors I use throughout the course0:46
If you are following along with me through out the course you are going to want to know the exact colors I use. In this lecture you will learn a technique that allows you to find the color codes of the colors I will be using.
Learn how to upload a physical sketch into photoshop2:00
You may not have a drawing tablet or be able to afford on, but that's alright. In this lecture I'm going to each you how you can take a sketch, done with paper and pencil and upload it into Photoshop.
Don't forget to save your work!0:10
When you are creating artwork in Photoshop remember to save your document out periodically as you work and at the end of every work session. There is nothing more frustrating than for your program to crash and loosing all of your work!

Sketching and Brainstorming: The sky's the limit!6:46
The first step in the creative process for all professional designers is sketching thumbnails. In this lecture I'll teach you why these are so important to do and how to create them.
Learn how to refine your thumbnail sketches10:07
Once you've done all of your thumbnails, you are going to choose your favorite two and continue refining them. In this lecture I'll show you how to further design your character.
Creating the final drawing of your character8:11
Now that you've created your phase to sketches and added some detail to your characters, you can now move on to creating the final drawing of your character. The final drawing should have every shape and line clearly defined. You will use this drawing as a base for your final character.
Adding black and white values to your character part 111:34
In this lecture I'm going to teach you how to create values in your character and why they are so important. You'll also learn about contrast and how to implement it into your characters design.
Adding black and white values to your character part 210:47
In this lecture we are going to finish creating our shapes and filling in there values.
How to add color to your character8:27
In this lecture you will learn how to add color to your character. After this lecture you will understand what a color layer is and how a clipping mask works. I also teach you about the use of warm and cool colors.
Adjusting your image to look Amazing!3:06
In this lecture you're going to learn how to adjust your image using the hue and saturation adjustment panel. We will be adjusting the saturation and the lighting parts of our character.
Creating a face for your character11:40
Now that we have all of our shapes, values, and colors blocked out we're going start adding all the detail to our character. In this lecture I'll show you how you can quickly and easily create the facial features for a character.
Learning how to select layer shapes and clipping masks to create the googles6:08
In this lecture you are going to learn how to use layer shape selection and clipping masks to create set in shapes such as the goggle lenses.
Learn how to paint in the shadow on your characters costume!9:29
In this lecture we are going to paint in the shadow and highlights on your characters scarf, shirt, and gloves.
Finishing up your character's costume details6:12
In this lecture we are coming so close to finishing our first character design. After this lecture all we will have left is to detail our sword and make final adjustments!
Creating the detail for the sword!7:23
At this point you have made it to the end of designing your first character! In this lecture we will ad some glimmer to our sword and a shimmering gem to our handle.
Making some awesome adjustments and touches to your character!11:00
You've made it to the very end of the creation of this character. In this lecture you will learn how to add textures to your character as well as a dramatic glow.
Getting started with your second character!14:26
In this lecture we are going to start creating our second character. This time we are going to jump right in with color and detail. This character will be very simple so we can use him to animate as I will show you latter in the course.
Learn to build the body for your Character4:50
In this lecture you will learn how you can create a character just using simple solid colored shapes. By the end of this lecture your characters body will be finished and ready for costuming.
Building your characters costume and weapon5:56

Overview of the walk cycle3:39
In this lecture you will learn what animation is and all the components that make up a simple animated walk cycle.
Where to download the walk cycle resources?0:05
Building the first frame of your walk cycle!11:12
In this lecture we are going to build the first frame of your animation. The first frame is going to be the contact pose where both feet will be spread apart.
Learn what a sprite sheet document is and how to build one6:11
In this lecture I will go over with you what a sprite sheet is and how they are used in a game. By the end of this course you will have created your first sprite sheet!
Building the second frame of your walk cycle!7:41
In this lecture we are going to build the second frame of your animation. The second frame is going to be the passing pose, where both the legs are passing each other.
Building the third frame of your walk cycle!9:58
In this lecture we are going to build the Third frame of your animation. The second frame is going to be the contact pose where both feet will be spread apart but this time on opposite ends.
Creating the mock up for your walk cycle animation5:34
In this lecture we are going to make a mock up of your animation. What this means is we will be tested our animation to see how it looks. This will not be the final animation a game.
Over view of the jump cycle!1:52
In this lecture we are going to study the jump cycle. The jump cycle will be one frame longer than the walk cycle.
Where to find the jump cycle resources?0:05
In this lecture I will show you where to find the jumping cycle diagram to download. Your assignment is to redraw each pose three times.
Building the first frame of the jump cycle!9:02
In this lecture we are going to build the first frame of the jump cycle. The first frame is going to be the crouch pose where he is getting ready to jump.
Building the second frame of the jump cycle!5:29
In this lecture we are going to build the second frame of the jump cycle. The second frame is going to be the push off pose where he pushing off the ground with his legs.
Building the third frame of the jump cycle!3:01
In this lecture we are going to build the third frame of the jump cycle. The third frame is going to be the air born pose where our character will be suspended in mid air.
Building the fourth frame of the jump cycle!4:44
By the end of this lecture you will have finished the last frame of you jump cycle and will have each frame laid out on your sprite sheet. This lecture will go over the creation of the fourth frame, which is the free fall pose.
Creating the mock up for your jump cycle animation!4:02
Right on! You completed your second animation cycle. In this lecture we are going to create a mock up of our animation to see if the movement works.
building the hover animation cycle!6:47
In this lecture you are going to build the hover animation for your character. The hover animation is for when your character is in there standing state. This animation will add some movement to a static pose and make it more interesting for your game player.
Preparing your sprite sheet and exporting it as a .png4:53
In this lecture you will learn how to export a sprite sheet as a .png file. You will also learn how to flip all of your frames to create the left side version of them.
Creating the mock up for the hover cycle animation!2:43
In this lecture you will set up the mock up animation of the hover cycle. This way we can check the animation before exporting the final sprite sheet.
Building your animation from your sprite sheet in Unity7:19
You have made it to the end of this course! Congratulation! In this lecture we are going to import our sprite sheet into Unity and set it up for animation in a game.
Best reference to continue your learning0:08

Creating a profile on Freelancer2:28
I'll walk you through what freelancer is and how it works.
Freelancing site links0:02
Here are links to the most popular freelancing sights!
Travel the world while you work!2:46
Lean how free lancer allows you to work from anywhere in the world and I'll show you how to find jobs.
Writing a killer proposal to your employer2:34
I'll tell you how to differentiate yourself from all the other freelancers through your proposal.
Pricing your bid0:41
Pricing your bid is very important on freelancer. In this article I will teach you the techniques I'v used to score big jobs freelancing.
Example of a killer proposal!0:41
Part of getting jobs on freelancer is writing a good proposal to your potential employer. In this article I will share with you an example of what my proposals look like.
Course conclusion0:20
This course should leave you with some great skills for creating digital art. If you're happy with the course please feel free to leave a positive review.

Researching your character and reference.8:27
It's important to research your character and find reference for them. In this lecture I teach you how and where to find research and reference for your character.
Creating a face for your character12:02
Now that we have all of our shapes, values, and colors blocked out we're going start adding all the detail to our character. In this lecture I'll show you how you can quickly and easily create the facial features for a character.
Adding black and white values to your character part 111:34
In this lecture I'm going to teach you how to create values in your character and why they are so important. You'll also learn about contrast and how to implement it into your characters design.

Requirements

Some basic drawing skills
Photoshop or a free trial version of it
Tablet or mouse

Description

This course was last updated on 11/1/16

Join over 7,000 learning students and begin designing game characters and animation today!

Looking to start creating professional game graphics and animations? Or maybe you’re on a quest to start making money as a game graphic designer? In any case you’ve come to the right place.

The Ultimate Character Design and Animation for 2D Games course will show you how to create high quality stylized characters and animations for games that will stand up as professional work. The techniques taught in this course can be translated into just about any asset creation for games. This course will enhance or give you skills in the world of digital art creation - or your money back!

The course is your track to building amazing attractive character animations and ultimately - make you money! Whether for your own games or for other peoples projects.

This course will take you from having little knowledge in Photoshop to creating professional characters and animations in as little as 1 week.

So what else is in it for you?

You Design and Build Two Different Characters!

You’ll gain instant access to all four sections of the course including the bonus section where I show you where and how to find jobs creating digital art work that you can do from anywhere in the world. You’ll also gain access to all of my Photoshop files and sprite sheets that I create though out the for you to use how ever you like. These assets can be used in your own games or just to study and trace over.

The course is setup to quickly take you through step by step, the process of creating a digital character and animating them in Photoshop. It will equip you with the knowledge to create stunning designs and animations for 2d games.

Don’t believe me? I offer you a full money back guarantee within the first 30 days of purchasing the course.

Here’s what you get with the course:

You’ll get access to the four sections of the course that will show you how I create professional digital backgrounds and also teaches you where you can find clients. The course is supported with over 4.5 hours of clear content that I walk you through each step of the way.

All at your fingers tips instantly.

The course starts with the basics. For those of you that have never used Photoshop I’ll walk you through the basic tools we’ll be using.
Next I’ll show you how I create my thumbnails and where I go for inspiration.
Once you’ve chosen a thumbnail we’ll design each individual aspect of the character through multiple sketches.
At this point you’ll be ready to dive right in and start building the individual components that will make up your character! In this course we will be creating two different characters and animating one of them!
Next we can create our sprite sheet and prep it in unity for animation.

Over the 5 chapters you will learn:

Photoshop basics
The design process
Building your character assets
Sprite sheet creation
Animation Cycles
how to find jobs creating digital artwork

What else will you get?

- Personal contact with me, the course tutor

- Lifetime access to course materials

- Understanding of how professional digital artwork is designed, created, and organized layer by layer

- Bonus section on how to become a freelancer

This all comes under one convenient easy to use platform. Plus you will get fast, friendly, responsive support on the Udemy Q&A section of the course.

I will be here for you every step of the way!

So what are you waiting for? Sign up now to get your free bonus section and start building to day!

Who this course is for:

Student looking to learn how to design and animate characters
Students wanting to add a new skill to there digital art tool belt
Students ready to learn and work hard

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Getting started13 lectures • 53min

Building your characters from scratch in Photoshop!16 lectures • 2hr 16min

Animation!19 lectures • 1hr 34min

Where and how to find jobs creating digital art7 lectures • 10min

Retired lectures3 lectures • 32min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: