Character Design for Animation

Master class

Character Design for Animation

Dates:

April 20th - June 17th, 2013 + 1 extra week for content review

Fees:

$599

Pre-reqs:

Foundation Track or good understanding of analytical figure drawing.

Materials:

Able computer, photoshop (any), wacom tablet or equivalent

Course Description:

As character designers we are the casting directors of the animation industry.  We're the ones designing the characters seen in Feature animated films and animated television productions. While our job focuses on creating new and never before seen animated characters, we as designers also need to make sure that our designs are functional for animation.  In this course for beginning character design, we will be exploring the various and important aspects that go into designing characters for animation.  We'll be exploring how shape language relates to the characters personality. We'll dissect how one adapts to designing characters in various artistic styles, and we'll begin to discuss what it takes to mold yourself to becoming a professional designer.  All that and more will be covered in this beginning character design class taught by Feature Animation Character Designer / Art Director Nate Wragg.

Weekly individual feedback format: video critique.

Course Outline

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• Week 1: Shape Language First class would be discussing the relationship of shape and character design.  Focusing on building our designs from simple shapes, and discussing how shape affects our designs.  
  Assignment - Designing 1 character based off a simple shape.
• Week 2:  Design Silhouettes Second class we will be focusing on the importance of character silhouettes.  How clear silhouettes in design and character posing can help shape our character designs and make them stronger and more functional.
  Assignment - Designing a character that we can identify who they are / what they are by their silhouette.
  
• Week 3: Character Line Ups Class three will in some ways be combining the principles of what we discussed in class 1 & 2 and applying them into class three.  We will be discussing how shape and silhouettes are important to creating a unique and strong character line up.  
  Assignment - Creating a line up of 3 characters, all with the same occupation / description (police officer, vampire, etc ) but all must be designed differently to show different shapes and silhouettes. (i.e. 3 vampires: one tall and thin, one short and wide, one middle sized)
• Week 4: Character Faces  Class four will be focusing on how to bring an individual indentity to a character's face.
  Assignment - Design three contrasting characters faces in a line-up.
• Week 5: Character Story Moment Class five will be focusing on designing contrasting characters and placing them in a story telling moment. This class will focus on the importance of making sure our designs support and create that moment.
  Assignment - Design three contrasting characters and place them in a story telling moment.
• Week 6: Matching a Style Class six will focus on the importance of matching a style. As a designer, every film you will work on will have a style linked to the way it's designed. It's our job as designers to be adaptable and flexible enough to design in whatever style we are asked to design.
  Assignment - Design one character in another artist's style.
• Week 7: Animal Design While there is a lot that goes into designing animals for animation, with class six, we're just going to focus on designing one animal and begin with designing it using simple shapes, much the way we started with characters in class one.
  Assignment - Design one animal using a simple shape or combination of simple shapes as a base.
• Week 8: Character Turn Around  With class eight being the final class of this course. It's time to begin transitioning into what we will be covering in the next course (designing for production).So in class eight we will be discussing what a character turn around is, why it's important in character design, and how it's applied in designing for a production.
  Assignment - Students will need to choose one previous design they have done for the course and create a chracter turn around model sheet.