Character-Driven Illustration: Drawing from Imagination
A course by Marcos Chin , Illustrator
Learn how to transform simple shapes into engaging narrative illustrations featuring characters full of color and personality
Learn how to transform simple shapes into engaging narrative illustrations featuring characters full of color and personality
Through character illustration, you can reflect the world around you and the feelings it evokes in you. Illustrator Marcos Chin specializes in creating narrative illustrations based on his own experiences. He has worked on everything from advertising campaigns to sculptures, and collaborated with brands including ESPN and The New York Times.
In this course, Marcos guides you through how to draw character-driven illustrations using your imagination. Create an image of one or more characters, and discover how to turn simple shapes into engaging illustrations full of personality. Designing characters comes from within, so don’t be afraid to put yourself in your art.
This is Marcos’ second course with Domestika. In his first, Composition and Color for Creative Illustration, he teaches you how to visually interpret a written piece and turn it into a meaningful illustration.
What will you learn in this online course?
21 lessons & 26 downloads
- 100% positive reviews (19)
- 728 students
- 21 lessons (5h 16m)
- 26 additional resources (10 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
Recommended software for this course
ProcreateWhat is this course's project?
Create an illustration of one or more lively characters based on a series of words provided by the teacher for inspiration.
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in improving their character illustration skills and learning how to draw from their imagination.
Requirements and materials
Basic knowledge of one, two, and three-point perspective is recommended.
You will need a computer or tablet with a drawing program like Procreate or Adobe Photoshop installed. If you prefer to work with analog materials, you will need drawing materials as well as tracing paper and an optional lighting box to enhance your sketches.
Reviews
A course by Marcos Chin
Marcos Chin is an award-winning illustrator whose work has appeared on surface and wall designs, on book and CD covers, advertisements, fashion catalogs, and magazines. He has worked with companies such as MTA Arts for Transit, Neiman Marcus, Fiat, Budweiser, Time, Rolling Stone Magazine, The New Yorker, GQ, Sports Illustrated, and The New York Times.
Marcos has given lectures and workshops throughout the US and abroad. He currently lives in New York, where he teaches Illustration at the School of Visual Arts.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Theory
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Foundations of Character Design
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Gesture Drawing to Convey Actions
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Gesture Drawing Using Photo References
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The Basics of Perspective
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Using Geometric Box Forms 1
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Using Geometric Box Forms 2
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U3
The Assignment
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Loose Sketch
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Drawing the Head 1
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Drawing the Head 2
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Drawing Hands and Feet
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Adding Clothing and Drapery
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To Learn More: Drawing the Head Using the Loomis Method
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To Learn More: The Basics of Drawing the Nose
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U4
Final Linework
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Refining the Drawing 1
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Refining the Drawing 2
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Adding Colours 1
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Adding Colours 2
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Adding Textures 1
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Adding Textures 2
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FP
Final project
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Character-Driven Illustration: Drawing from Imagination
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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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.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.
All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
Procreate
chicorraspa
Muito bom
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pholiveira
Muito bom, aulas bem dinâmicas.
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kundera
Me encanta este profesor.
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cicconi500
MARCO CHIN è un ottimo insegnante, bravissimo, molto preparato, tutte le fasi del suo corso sono mirate ad avere una preparazione ottima, E' uno tra i corsi piu' interessanti e completi cher ho seguito. lo consiglio vivamente a chi è alle prime armi come me. Grazie Marco Chin
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gabrielam
Uno de los mejores cursos de Domestika, me encanto
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