ASSIGNMENT

Your assignment is to design and illustrate a character of your choosing.

Step 1: Story and Research
Step 2: Rough Sketching
Step 3: Design and Details
Step 4: Cleanup and Color

Your goal is to create a fun character that you can include in your portfolio!

Note: Please post a class project by clicking "Create Project" to the right of this page. If you post under the Discussions tab, it could get lost in the shuffle! :)

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DELIVERABLE

Your project should include your fully illustrated character, as well as your rough sketches. I want to see your process. Feel free to post any practice exercises you may have done as well!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

ETA FEB 2026: I WROTE AND ILLUSTRATED A BOOK ON HOW TO DRAW CARICATURE! It's called Caricature Drawing Made Easy: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Cartoons, Characters, and Fan Art with David & Charles Publishing, and it's available now from your go-to book retailer!
>> Pre-order it now from your favorite retailer! <<
The Golden Ratio in Character Design
Schoolism - Characters for Animated Film with Daniel Arriaga
Silver Drawing Academy - character designer and teacher
The Art of Aaron Blaise - Tutorials and Lessons
Character Design References Blog - Galleries, art references, tutorials and interviews from established and young promising artists in animation, movies, games, comics and illustration
- Character Design References Pinterest Boards
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SKILLSHARE CLASSES

Drawing Faces: A Beginner's Guide (Sooooo helpful!), Cartooning: Drawing Faces and Expressions, Cartooning: Drawing Bodies and Poses, and World of Color: Using Color to Design a Character by Ira Marcks
Level Up Your Characters: 5 Techniques for Creating Better Character Designs, and Character Design with Story by Hayden Aube
Draw a Circus of Line & Gesture: Design a Picture Book Character From Start to Finish, and Draw a Circus of Movement: Simple Techniques to Bring Characters to Life by Nina Rycroft

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

The Silver Way: Techniques, Tips, and Tutorials for Effective Character Design by Stephen Silver
Steal Like an Artist, Keep Going, and Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon

Karl Marker

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