This advanced course will explore the key aspects of creating character concept art within the games and film industries. Beginning with principles of design and the iteration process of generating ideas, the course focuses on exploring the essence of a character by developing that character’s attitude and digging deep into what makes the character feel real and grounded. The course will explore a range of techniques and methods so students can experiment with different software and adapt it into their individual workflows.
By the end of the course, students will understand the standard pipeline used in the entertainment industry for creating character concept art, and learn how to execute a powerful character from start to finish–with focus on details, lighting, communication, and clarity. At the end of the course, students will be able to show completed work for the full design process, resulting in a final character concept for their portfolios.
THE MORE YOU KNOW, THE BETTER.
Week #1 Creating a Narrative and Gathering Reference
Class introduction | Students will be given a story prompt and develop a character bio | Discuss the differences between creating characters for games and film | Best practices for gathering reference | Create a reference/mood board
Week #2 Sketches – Rough Ideation
Explore rough ideas based on character bio from week 1 | Focus on exploring form, value and pose to sell the idea | Using character archetypes to tell a story | Importance of creating distinct ideas vs noise
Week #3 Narrowing Ideas
Narrowing focus and choosing 2-3 ideas to refine | Importance of moving forward | Identifying technical challenges
Week #4 Detail Pass Part 1
Choosing a single direction to refine | Explore different rendering techniques based on project
Week #5 Detail Pass Part 2
Further refinement of design | Using photos, 3D assets, and 2D textures to support the concept
Week #6 Support Studies
Parts of a concept often require more detailed information to hand off to a modeler or animator | The instructor will identify these items and students will provide support drawings or studies | Some examples of these can include detail drawings of weapons or gadgets, construction of gear, or range of motion studies.
Week #7 Branding, Decal Pass
Branding is a huge part of creating an identity for your character | This can include decals, insignia, tattoos, color palettes and even materials | Students will provide detail drawings or callouts to support these items based on instructor feedback.
Week #8 Building A Presentation
Students will put together there final presentation package for the client in form of callouts, notes and reference materials.
Sales Page: _https://www.conceptart.cgmasteracademy.com/courses/81-character-design-for-film-and-games
