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Spanish (original audio), English, 1 more
German
English, French,
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Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Polish, Turkish, B. Indonesia
René Córdova has worked for years in the comic, animation, and video game industry for clients such as Marvel, Lego, and DC. He is also the art director of Amber Studios.
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Spanish (original audio), English , 1 more 
English, French , 8 more
Design characters with life and personality using simple shapesCreate different body types and dynamic posesLearn to develop your own art styleMaster digital tools to sketch, clean, and color efficientlyUse reference images to generate strong original ideasBuild a cohesive character team that looks great togetherRefine sketches into solid final drawingsDesign outfits that match the body and attitudeSelect gorgeous color schemes that fit your artworkLearn to work fast to explore many ideasEver sit down to draw a character… and your mind goes blank? Bodies feel stiff, faces all look the same, and every outfit feels wrong? Character design can feel confusing at the start.
You might wonder how artists come up with ideas so fast, or how they draw so confidently. This course breaks all of that down into simple, fun steps anyone can follow!
Join Rene Cordova in building a full cast of characters, a powerful strongman, a chubby fellow, a lanky teen, a fun-spirited youth, and a badass woman, all with clear personalities and body types.
We’ll kick things off by learning how to draw character bodies from scratch using easy shapes. You’ll see how shapes are powerful tools to express personality, from strong and tough to playful and shy.
You’ll discover how to find and use references the right way. Instead of copying, you’ll mix ideas to create original characters that feel fresh and unique. You’ll also learn how to choose an art style, drawing the same character in various ways.
Rene shows you how to refine rough sketches into clean drawings, fix poses, and bring each character to life with their own outfits. He’ll teach you how to add color using simple digital tools and smart color choices that make each character pop. You’ll learn how to work faster, stay flexible, and create more ideas without getting stuck chasing perfection.
By the end of this course, you won’t just know how to draw characters. You’ll know how to design them with confidence, clarity, and style.
2+ Hours of on-demand videos
66 Reference images
Certificate of Completion
Welcome! Meet your instructor, Rene Cordova. With him, you’ll learn to create different body types and personalities, and have a ton of fun doing it.
We’ll start by setting up your digital canvas and choosing brushes to make sketching easy and fun.
You’ll discover how pros use shapes to show personality, and search for references, then mix those ideas to create your own unique characters. You’ll also learn about art style, drawing the same person in various ways, simple or complex.
Time to build our squad! We’ll discover how to create characters with different body types and personalities, from a powerful, muscular leader to an agile, fun teenager.
We’ll start with simple shapes and structure, play with poses to show attitude, and make sure everyone in your crew looks great standing together.
Now that the rough sketches are done, we’ll zoom in on each character and bring them to life step by step.
Rene will show you how to work with references, tweak the original sketches and draw a solid structure, letting your characters take shape.
Ready for the REALLY fun part? We get to design outfits for our whole team! Rene shows you how to draw clothes that fit each character’s body and personality, like tight gear for the strong hero and loose, playful hoodies for the young members.
You’ll see how wrinkles, folds, and hairstyles can make everyone look unique while still feeling like a cohesive unit.
Let’s make our team pop with awesome colors! We’ll use simple digital tools like layers, the magic wand, and easy shading to give each character its own look.
You’ll also discover how working quickly, helps you stay flexible and come up with lots of ideas instead of getting stuck on just one ‘perfect’ drawing.
To wrap things up, Rene shares valuable tips and advice to continue practicing and growing your character design skills. Remember, it’s a journey, not a destination!
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3 courses
René Córdova has over 13 years experience in the illustration industry, working for clients such as Marvel, Lego, DC, Amber and Karaokulta. He started out as a cartoonist which he still really enjoys.
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21 Draw is an online learning community where students of all skill levels can learn how to be a better artist. Our contributing artists and instructors are the best in the world.
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Each class includes 10-20 video lessons that are 7 minutes long on average. Most classes include exercise sheets, assignments, and layered PSD or PNG files.
Some classes include the ability to chat with the instructor in a public forum, e.g. if you want feedback on your artwork.
Yes! When you complete a 21 Draw course, you will receive a certificate of completion, which you can download and share with your friends, relatives, co-workers, and potential employers!
21 Draw courses are on-demand (pre-recorded) video tutorials that you can watch online with any digital devices anytime and for an unlimited number of times! This means you can easily watch (and rewatch) them at your own pace and convenience.
We have classes for all levels, even for those with zero drawing experience. In general, artists at all levels can benefit from these courses—whether beginner, intermediate or advanced.
Many lessons in our courses apply to both digital and traditional art. In a few tutorials, digital drawing software, e.g. Photoshop or Procreate for iPad is required. However, for the majority of lessons it is more about the underlying concepts and all that is needed is a pen and paper.
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