11 Best Character Design Courses to Develop Your Art Skills in 2024
Highly curated Character Design classes for beginners. Start with the Character Design courses and learn Character Designing online as a beginner.
The Best Character Designing Courses for beginners to learn Character Designing in 2024.
Character Design, the name is pretty self-explanatory as it means designing or crafting a character from scratch to add a visual element to your art. The character can be of any sort, it can be for a video game, movie, comics, etc.
What is Character Design?
Character design is all about creating characters for different types of media, like books, games, cartoons, and comics. It involves drawing how a character looks, including their face, body, clothes, and accessories. Besides the appearance, it also includes thinking about the character's personality and backstory. The aim is to make the characters visually interesting and suited to the story they are part of. Good character design helps tell the story better by showing who the characters are and what they're like.
How to Choose the Best Character Design Course
Choosing the right character design course can help you learn effectively. Here’s how to find the best one:
- Know Your Level: Are you a beginner or have you been drawing for a while? Pick a course that matches your experience level.
- Check the Topics: Look at the course details to see if they cover what you want to learn, like character development lessons, drawing faces, and bodies, or creating different styles.
- Research the Teacher: Find out about the instructor. Someone with a lot of experience and a good portfolio can offer great insights and tips.
- Read Reviews: See what other students have to say about the course. Positive reviews can indicate that the course is well-taught and useful.
- Learning Style: Decide if you prefer learning at your own pace with pre-recorded videos or if you like live classes with real-time feedback.
- Provided Materials: Make sure the course provides all the resources you need, like drawing templates, assignments, and feedback on your work.
Keeping this in mind, here at Coursesity, we have curated some of the Best Online Character Design Courses with certification. We hope that you will find the best course for you to learn the concepts and approaches to creating successful character designs.
Top Character Designing Classes List
- Character Art School: Complete Character Drawing
- Character Design for Video Games
- Character Art School: Complete Coloring and Painting
- Manga Art School: Complete Anime and Manga Drawing Course
- The Ultimate 2D Game Character Design & Animation Course
- An Immortal Design: Character Design Theory and Development
- Character Design for Beginners
- Learn Adobe Illustrator Essentials for Character Design
- Character Painting: Design and Render Like a Pro
- Video Game Character Design - Online Course
- Design Memorable Characters for Animation in Illustrator
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1. Character Art School: Complete Character Drawing
Learn the complete fundamentals of Character Drawing, so you can learn to draw professional art and illustrations. Whether you aspire to create character design concept art for films and games, illustrations, comics, manga, concept art workshops, or Disney-style animations, this course has you covered. (One of the best Character design classes online!)
In this character design online course, you will learn:
- How to Draw.
- How to Draw Out of Your Head.
- How to Draw in 3D.
- How to Draw Faces, Bodies, and Hands.
- How to Draw Professionally.
- How to Draw Characters for Games, Films, Animation, Manga, Comics and More.
- Draw with Pencils and Paper OR Digital Art Tools.
- Utilize the included 7GB of Free Art Resources.
This comprehensive Character illustration training is designed to teach you how to draw professional characters for various media, including books, games, animation, manga, and comics. Meticulously crafted by industry experts, it covers all the core fundamentals and advanced techniques necessary to excel in character drawing and sketching.
The course consists of 10 detailed modules, providing a structured and modular learning experience. It is suitable for both absolute beginners and intermediate artists looking to elevate their drawing skills to a professional level. The lessons are clear and easy to understand, focusing on essential concepts such as drawing lips, eyes, and faces, ensuring you grasp these elements quickly and effectively.
The course does not teach a specific method or style but focuses on making you fundamentally good at drawing characters, whether you prefer traditional pencil drawing or digital art. By the end of this course, you will have developed the skills and confidence needed to draw characters well, quickly, and without fear.
You can take the Character Design for Video Games Certificate Course on Coursera.
- Course rating: 4.6 out of 5.0
- Duration: 28 Hours
- Certificate: Certificate Upon Completion
2. Character Design for Video Games
Learn Character Design for Video Games from the California Institute of the Arts.
In this character design online course, you will learn:
- how to design characters for your video game.
- work in both 2D and 3D modes.
- create compelling, unique, and purposeful characters.
In this character design course, you will explore concepts and approaches to creating successful character designs that can be applied to video games. The course will take on different design challenges on the fly and address the various issues in designing game characters, such as movement, expression, and technical limitations.
Initially, you will explore some major concepts in creating compelling, unique, and purposeful characters. Next, the course will discuss working in both 2D and 3D modes.
You can take the Character Design for Video Games Certificate Course on Coursera.
- Course rating: 4.7 out of 5.0
- Duration: 9 Hours
- Certificate: Certificate Upon Completion
3. Character Art School: Complete Coloring and Painting
Learn the key fundamentals to Coloring and Painting your art to a high level using professional techniques. This course will transform your ability to color and paint professional characters. Whether you're an absolute beginner or already have some experience, this course will elevate your skills to a professional level.
In this character design online course, you will learn:
- How to Paint Characters from Beginner to Advanced.
- How to Color Characters Using Multiple Techniques.
- How to Color Comic Book Characters.
- How to Color Manga.
- How to Color Anime.
- How to Paint Digitally and Use that Theory with Traditional Tools.
The course covers all the core fundamentals and advanced techniques needed to excel in character coloring and painting. It includes concepts such as color theory, light and shadow, and practical application techniques. Each module is designed to be clear and easy to understand, ensuring you grasp concepts quickly and effectively.
Throughout the course, you'll engage in assignments that bridge the gap between theory and practice. These assignments are purpose-built to reinforce your learning and help you see immediate improvement in your work. By the end of the course, you'll be able to color and paint characters with confidence and proficiency.
- Course rating: 4.5 out of 5.0
- Duration: 19.5 Hours
- Certificate: Certificate Upon Completion
4. Manga Art School: Complete Anime and Manga Drawing Course
Learn Character Design for Video Games from the California Institute of the Arts.
In this character design online course, you will learn:
- how to design characters for your video game.
- work in both 2D and 3D modes.
- create compelling, unique, and purposeful characters.
This course will teach you how to draw professional and authentic Japanese Manga and Anime characters. It is tailored to both beginners and intermediate artists, providing all the core fundamentals and advanced techniques needed for mastering Manga and Anime stylization. Through six comprehensive modules, you will learn how to achieve the true Manga and Anime style, ensuring your characters look authentically Japanese.
The course covers various genres of Manga and Anime, including Shoujo, Shounen, Bishoujo, Doujinshi, and Kodomo. It provides step-by-step guidance on proportion, stylization, and character design, allowing you to create convincing and appealing Manga characters. You'll receive clear, easy-to-understand lessons that are logically structured and paced for optimal learning.
- Course rating: 4.7 out of 5.0
- Duration: 11 Hours
- Certificate: Certificate Upon Completion
5. The Ultimate 2D Game Character Design & Animation Course
Learn how to design and animate a character in Photoshop that can stand up as professional work.
In this 2d character design course, you will learn how to:
- design your own character.
- build your character in Photoshop.
- animate your character for a 2D game.
The course includes:
- Photoshop basics
- The design process
- Building your character assets
- Sprite sheet creation
- Animation Cycles
- how to find jobs creating digital artwork
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 course will equip you with the knowledge to create stunning designs and animations for 2d games. You’ll learn how to create professional digital backgrounds and also where you can find clients. It will show you where and how to find jobs creating digital artwork that you can do from anywhere in the world.
Initially, this 2D character design course will walk you through the basic tools you will be using. Next, it will show you how to create my thumbnails and where should you go for inspiration.
Once you’ve chosen a thumbnail, you will design each 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. Here, you will be creating two different characters and animating one of them!
You can take The Ultimate 2D Game Character Design & Animation Course Certificate Course on Udemy.
- Course rating: 4.6 out of 5.0
- Duration: 5.5 Hours
- Certificate: Certificate Upon Completion
6. An Immortal Design: Character Design Theory and Development
Movies and video games are everywhere these days, and the field of Character Art is competitive. This character design class will give you the advantage by teaching you the power and process of original design, anatomy, line, shape, color, light, and personality.
In this character design online course, you will learn the following topics:
- Collecting Reference for Original Design
- Concepting with Line and Shape
- A Winning Personality
- Avoiding Pitfalls in Character Design
- Building up the Beast
- Intro to Anatomical Sculpting & Methodology
- The Organic Machine: Constructing Muscle & Bone (Part 1)
- The Organic Machine: Constructing Muscle & Bone (Part 2)
- Employing Shape Language: Addition & Subtraction
- Kind Eyes: Personality & Facial Traits
- Adding Swag: Incorporating Unusual Anatomical Traits
- Making It Real
- Balancing the Complex
- Employing Shape Language (Part 2)
- The Balancing Act: Detail & Simplicity
- Maintaining a Visual Hierarchy
- Adding Age & Weight
- Creating Surface Detail & Tactile Engagement
- Intermission: Transitioning from High to Low Poly
- Intro: The Power of Textures
- The Exploration of Values
- The Balance of Color
- Getting Roughed up: Using Specular/Roughness to Enhance Sculpt Detail
- Drawing the Eye Using Gradients
In this character design course, An Immortal Design: Character Design Theory and Development, you will learn the foundation knowledge to level up your work in character art and beyond.
First, you will learn how to mine and blend original references to create characters that are striking and original as you move from concept, to sculpt, to the final textured asset. Next, you will discover how to bend lines, shapes, and anatomy to your advantage in ways that will make your work not simply realistic but iconic.
Finally, you will explore the elusive world of color and texture, and become versed in the concept of artistic control – which is the ultimate power of any artist in any field of art.
When you're finished with this course, you will have the skills and knowledge of not just a character artist, but you will also have a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of art itself.
You can take An Immortal Design: Character Design Theory and Development Certificate Course on Pluralsight.
- Duration: 3h 14m
7. Character Design for Beginners
This course will help you learn to design Characters for Games, Comics, and Illustration. (Not an anatomy course!)
In this character design course, you will learn how to:
- generate ideas for Characters
- quickly create thumbnails
- understand methods to refine designs
- create turnarounds for presentation
- design Scifi and Fantasy Armor
- draw wrinkles and folds in clothing
- have a consistent workflow that will produce results in character design
In this character illustration course, you will learn how to create characters for video games comics, and animation. Here, you will learn how to process and workflow for designing characters. This is not an illustration course although you will be drawing a lot.
You can take the Character Design for Beginners Certificate Course on Udemy.
- Course rating: 4.5 out of 5.0
- Duration: 18.5 Hours
- Certificate: Certificate Upon Completion
8. Adobe Illustrator Essentials for Character Design
Learn how to design & present your character in Adobe Illustrator essential tutorial from scratch. Enroll in our latest illustrator character design course now.
In this character illustration course, you will learn how to:
- understand all the basic interfaces, and navigations.
- use all the essential panels and drawing tools.
- understand what tools to use if you have a Wacom Tablet, or for those who don’t have a drawing tablet, then what tools to use when designing with a mouse.
- use all the basic drawing tools in detail.
- create a color palette.
- paint your work using the live paint feature.
- add shadows and highlights easily.
In this course, you will learn all the essentials to trace images, turn paper drawings into presentable products that you can sell, and do everything you need for character design.
You can take Adobe Illustrator Essentials for Character Design Certificate Course on Eduonix.
- Course rating: 5.0 out of 5.0
- Duration: 2.09 Hours
- Certificate: Certificate Upon Completion
9. Character Painting: Design and Render Like a Pro
Learn Incredibly Cool Photoshop Painting Techniques to Create Professional-Level Character Art with this online Character Design course.
In this character design class, you will learn how to:
- design and paint amazing characters like a professional concept artist
Here, you will learn some professional-level techniques and tricks that will demystify the entire process of creating character art with Adobe Photoshop. In an easy-to-grasp, step-by-step approach, you’ll learn digital painting techniques.
The course teaches you everything you need to know to start thinking like a character concept designer. To tie it all together, it offers responsive support and loads of other course resources to make sure that every student can take their work to new heights.
You can take the Character Painting: Design and Render Like a Pro Certificate Course on Udemy.
- Course rating: 4.9 out of 5.0
- Duration: 4.5 Hours
- Certificate: Certificate Upon Completion
10. Video Game Character Design - Online Course
Learn the secrets behind video game character design and how to create and develop your own video game character with this online course from Abertay University.
In this character design course online, you will learn how to:
- develop an appreciation of how studying human nature can inform how you can design characters that audiences will recognize and understand.
- assess how fundamental visual, narrative and game design principles can inform the development of characters.
- develop skills in analyzing and prototyping character design concepts.
The course includes:
- Narrative theory for video game characters
- Gameplay design for video game characters
- Visual design principles
- Anatomical knowledge and physical cues
- Professional insights
Here, you will learn how gamers identify with the characters they control and interact with in-game worlds. You’ll explore anatomy, graphic design, narrative, and gameplay, to provide you with a broad knowledge and understanding of the field of video game character design.
Ultimately, you’ll discover how studying human nature can help you design characters that gamers will recognize and understand.
You can take Video Game Character Design - Online Course - FutureLearn Certificate Course on Futurelearn.
- Course rating: 4.6 out of 5.0
- Duration: 2 weeks (2h/week)
- Certificate: Certificate Upon Completion
11. Character Design For Animation in Illustrator
Design Memorable Character With Strong Personalities and Learn How to Prepare Them for Animation.
In this character illustration course, you will learn how to:
- create memorable characters.
- understand the theory behind character psychology.
- understand 4 Basic areas of personality that will make your character stand out from all others.
- define attitude.
- understand the basics of concept art.
- understand shapes and meaning.
In this illustrator tutorial, you will learn how to use Adobe Illustrator to design memorable characters for animation. Next, you will learn the theory behind character psychology, and how to make characters with a soul, and personality.
You will also learn how to communicate all those feelings and emotions through your designs. After that, you will learn how to establish different attitudes by using different shapes, you will understand the meaning of having round features, or pointy features.
Then, after you know the theory, you will practice the whole process of putting the character you have in your mind into paper, by first establishing a strong pose that communicates your character’s personality.
You can take the Character Design For Animation in Illustrator Certificate Course on Eduonix.
- Course rating: 4.8 out of 5.0
- Duration: 2.20 Hours
- Certificate: Certificate Upon Completion
FAQs
What skills will I learn in a character design course?
In a character design course, you will learn essential skills like drawing characters from scratch, and developing their appearance, personality, and backstory. Key areas include anatomy, proportion, gesture drawing, and facial expressions. You'll also dive into color theory, clothing design, and creating dynamic poses. Advanced courses might cover digital tools and techniques for professional illustration. These character design classes and character creation tutorials will prepare you for a variety of artistic challenges.
Do I need to know how to draw before taking a character design course?
Not necessarily. Many online character design courses and drawing character courses are designed for beginners and start with basic drawing skills. These courses will teach you the fundamentals of drawing and gradually build up to more complex concepts. If you already know how to draw, you can find intermediate or advanced courses to refine your skills and techniques.
Can I get a job in the animation industry after completing a character design course?
Yes, completing a character illustration training course can help you get a job in the animation industry. However, it’s also important to build a strong portfolio showcasing your work, gain practical experience, and network within the industry. Many courses, especially those focused on animation design courses and concept art workshops, offer career advice and portfolio reviews to help you prepare for job opportunities.
How long does it typically take to complete a character design course?
The duration of a digital art course or art school character design program can vary widely. Some courses are short and can be completed in a few weeks, while others might take several months. It depends on the depth of the content and the time you can dedicate to learning. Many online courses allow you to go at your own pace.
Are there any specific software tools I should learn for character design?
Yes, many character development lessons will teach you to use digital tools and software commonly used in the industry. Some popular tools include Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Clip Studio Paint for digital drawing and painting. Learning 3D modeling software like Blender or ZBrush can also be beneficial, especially for animation and game design. These tools are often covered in character design classes and character illustration training.
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