Character Design for Concept Art
A course by J.Alexander GuillenConcept Artist, Illustrator, and Sketcher
A course by J.Alexander Guillen, Concept Artist, Illustrator, and Sketcher
Learn to create your own protagonists with no limit but your own imagination
Concept artist J. Alexander Guillen, who specializes in film and video games and has worked for Filmax Animation, Epic Games, and Ubisoft, is adamant that creating a character for concept art is not only about designing their appearance, but also giving them personality. His work is clearly influenced by his dreams, which allow him to create universes and characters with a conceptual imagery based on fantasy.
In this online course, learn to create a character, from the first sketch to the finishing touches, using classic and digital techniques. Get inspired by your imagination and let go of the limits of reality.
What will you learn in this online course?
15 lessons & 16 downloads
Character creation and reference search
5 minutes, 33 seconds
Material and pre-sketch
12 minutes, 12 seconds
Sketching ideas
5 minutes, 2 seconds
To Photoshop!
6 minutes, 42 seconds
Giving color to the sketches I
15 minutes, 9 seconds
Giving color to the sketches II
8 minutes, 51 seconds
What's included in this course?
Begin by getting to know Alexander as he talks about his professional career, his work, and his biggest influences. Then dive right into the world of concept art by searching for visual references to help you create your character.
Next, Alexander tells you about the materials he typically uses and shows you how he creates the preliminary sketches, to be scanned and edited digitally later on.
When you're done sketching, start working on your piece in Photoshop. This is where you add the first strokes of color to achieve volume in the shapes.
Finish preparing your illustrations before Alexander teaches you some tips and tricks for putting together a professional presentation for the client.
Once the first draft has been approved, learn to use digital brushes as well as play with light and color to create believable surroundings for your creature. Now it's time to make the final adjustments to your illustration.
To wrap things up, tweak your finished piece and see the importance of stepping back for a few hours in order to assess your creations more objectively.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Create a concept-art character inspired by your own imagination. The sky's not the limit!
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Illustrators, designers, and character creators who want to explore the world of concept art from within and understand the process of creating iconic characters like Alien or Super Mario.
Requirements and materials
Basic knowledge of drawing and Adobe Photoshop are required for this course.
As for materials, you need a computer with an illustration program such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. A graphics tablet is also recommended.
Reviews
- 4 months ago
buen curso
- 11 months ago
Es muy bueno! Alexander lo explica muy bien! Realmente lo recomiendo para las personas que quieren aprender a diseñar personajes!
- 1 year ago
excelente
- 2 years ago
This course was a great jump start into character design and the Instructor was nice, encouraging, and informative!
- 2 years ago
Um curso simples... com técnica mais voltado ao papel do que digital.
His work consists of distilling the ideas of creative directors, producers, and his own dreams and nightmares into images.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- U2
The search
- Character creation and reference search
- Material and pre-sketch
- Sketching ideas
- To Photoshop!
- Giving color to the sketches I
- Giving color to the sketches II
- Presentation to the client
- U3
The tools of creation
- Brushes
- Light and color
- U4
Giving life to the character
- Plasma character and colors in the illustration
- Clean the drawing
- Topping the drawing
- Last review
- FP
Final project
- Character design for concept art
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Concept art involves creating images that capture initial ideas for characters, environments, and objects in video games and films, helping to define the visual style before final production.
This course is aimed at people with some drawing and illustration experience, ideal for intermediate learners wanting to deepen their skills in concept art and character design for film and games.
You’ll need basic traditional drawing supplies (paper, markers, brushes, optional clay) and a computer with Photoshop or similar software for the digital parts.
You’ll learn digital concept art techniques, designing post-apocalyptic and robotic characters, working with references, composition, visual atmosphere, and professional workflows for games and film.
The course covers a full workflow: from gathering references and sketching, to clay modeling, digitizing in Photoshop, and professionally presenting characters and illustrations.
Basic Photoshop skills are recommended since several lessons involve digitizing, layer management, and digital painting techniques.
You’ll learn chiaroscuro, contrast, silhouettes, quick sketching, using references, traditional and digital pre-sketching techniques, shading, and creating volume with light and color.