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Character Design for Video Games

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Character Design for Video Games

This course is part of Game Design: Art and Concepts Specialization

Instructor: Fran Krause

56,460 already enrolled

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

1,003 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

9 hours to complete

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

1,003 reviews

Beginner level

No prior experience required

Flexible schedule

9 hours to complete

Learn at your own pace

98%

Most learners liked this course

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Taught in English

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Game Design: Art and Concepts Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

In this course you will explore concepts and approaches involved in creating successful character designs that can be applied to video games. Following a first week delving into some foundational concepts for successful character design, each of the remaining three weeks are structured as a master class where you will observe three professional character designers at work in the studio: Andy Ristaino (Adventure Time), Jacky Ke Jiang (Journey), and Robertryan Cory (SpongeBob SquarePants). Each designer will take on two different design challenges on the fly and address the various issues in designing characters for games, such as movement, expression, and technical limitations. At the end of each week you will have an opportunity to try out some of the concepts from that week's lesson on characters of your own design.

Module details

In this first week of the course, we will explore some of the major concepts involved in creating compelling, unique, and purposeful characters. These ideas will provide the basis for your assignment this week and lay the groundwork for our visits with professional designers in the coming weeks.

What's included

5 videos6 readings1 peer review1 discussion prompt

5 videosTotal 13 minutes

Welcome2 minutes
Density3 minutes
Mood & Story3 minutes
Proportion3 minutes
Week 1 Homework1 minute

6 readingsTotal 17 minutes

About this Course3 minutes
An Important Question1 minute
Instructor Presence and Staff Support 1 minute
Academic Integrity2 minutes
Forum Guidelines5 minutes
Requesting Peer Reviews5 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 90 minutes

One Character, Three Ways90 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 1 minute

Choose Your Own Character1 minute

This week, we visit Andy Ristaino, a character designer who has created many of the ingenious characters for the animated series Adventure Time.

What's included

5 videos2 readings1 peer review

This week, we visit Jacky Ke Jiang, an animator who has worked as a character designer for both Disney Feature Animation and in video games. Jacky will discuss working in both 2D and 3D modes as he completes his challenges.

What's included

4 videos2 readings1 peer review

This week, we see Robertryan Cory in action. Cory is an a character designer known for his work on shows like SpongeBob SquarePants, Ren & Stimpy, and Gravity Falls.

What's included

8 videos4 readings1 peer review

8 videosTotal 98 minutes

Drawing the Pig19 minutes
Refining the Pig15 minutes
Drawing the Sheep16 minutes
Refining the Sheep, Part 115 minutes
Refining the Sheep, Part 215 minutes
Working in Animation9 minutes
Robertryan Studio Follow-Up7 minutes
Week 4 Homework2 minutes

4 readingsTotal 15 minutes

Introducing Robertryan Cory8 minutes
Resource: Robertryan's drawings5 minutes
Introducing Robertryan Cory (again)1 minute
Course Credits1 minute

1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes

Outside Inspiration60 minutes

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Instructor

Instructor ratings

(133 ratings)

Fran Krause

2 Courses159,932 learners

Offered by

California Institute of the Arts

Learner reviews

5 stars
76.17%
4 stars
17.24%
3 stars
3.88%
2 stars
1.39%
1 star
1.29%

Showing 3 of 1003

Reviewed on Jun 19, 2017

This class was really fun and the assignments were engaging. I think it is a great way to get your mind centered around the idea of character design, not just for games but for anything.

Reviewed on Oct 9, 2022

In this wonderful course, I learned the basics of character design in the best way and understood how to better look at my surroundings to inspire my character designs.

Reviewed on Feb 3, 2016

Not only did I learn more than I ever thought I would, but I had fun, as well! In fact, I liked this course so much that I've enrolled in another course offered within the same specialization.

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