Anthropomorphic Character Creation

Meet Félicie Haymoz, learn about how she began working as a character designer, see some of the projects she has worked on, and hear about how she began creating anthropomorphic animals. See some of the books and movies that influence her work before going through what you’ll learn in the course.

Stimulate your imagination with watercolors in the second unit, using some of Félicie’s fun exercises, including the use of pareidolia. See how to approach animal anatomy, how to find references, and research the animal you wish to draw. Use watercolors to draw your animal in different standing positions and play around with ideas to start giving it personality.

Discover the history of anthropomorphic animals and understand the role they play in our visual culture and stories. Learn how to see animal characteristics in the people around you and create a brief of your character using a character design brief.

Next, it’s time to put your character design on paper! Start by drawing the face, then the body, using references for traits and costumes to give more personality to your character. Add details and refine your illustration until it’s ready for coloring.

Bring your character to life by giving it some color in Photoshop. Start by defining your color palette, then add colors, shadows, and light, as well as patterns and textures. Refine your final illustration by fine-tuning the contrast and hues. Learn how to create a background, and finally, explore the story and possible uses for your anthropomorphic character with Félicie’s tips.