Are you into designing characters? Do you want to be a character artist or a concept artist? Look no further than the Character Design Studio. I don’t know how many free lessons they will release on this blog but if you find this lesson informative, you can buy the whole DVD set online.
I remember getting instruction in character design from Nic Tay, who was the Art Director of Need for Speed at EA Blackbox at the time. His instruction was awesome and I still remember most of it, although I have not put the skills he taught us to good use in a long time. But what I took most from the experience was knowing the tools and the workflow to generate a great concept art piece. Basically understanding what tools the professionals in the industry use. The ‘cool grey’ markers, gouache etc. He taught us how to draw lightly and then gradually build each layer of the characters form until somehow, it turns into a masterpiece. Well, his did. Mine pretty much just turned into a piece.. of dookie.
So when you get a chance, head on over to the new Character Design Studio Blog and follow the site in the days/weeks to come to see if more free tutorials become available. If they don’t, you may want to consider purchasing the DVD’s if you’re really confident you want to pursue this as a career.
The Gamer Report 
February 17, 2009 at 10:49 pm |
Hey Branden,Really enjoyed that video. I wish I had some insightful comment on it, but I can barely draw a smiley-face, nevermind design a character. Very interesting, though, to see how he works through his ideas and to see the order in which he starts creating detail. Clint
February 28, 2009 at 5:04 pm |
Hey Clint! Thanks for commenting. I apologize for not checking comments earlier. I thought I had set up a system that told me when someone leaves a comment.Don’t worry about the smiley-faces.. I have been taught how to draw like this and I still can’t do it. haha.. some people can just visualize better than others. Environments, landscapes, buildings.. that I can visualize, but characters? I find that much more difficult to draw.