Character Illustration: Create Fast & Easy Vector in Adobe Illustrator

1. Introduction: Hi, I'm Jemsee. Freelance Graphic Designer from India. In today's trends character illustration style is become very popular. Even very big brands are using this styles in their social media post, mobile apps, website banners, and in brand videos. So in this class, I am going to teach the character illustration process from start to end. which means selecting a topic and concept, getting inspiration, freehand sketching, and finally, convert that into the final vector product. By utilizing this class, you can also create your own character illustration. It doesn't matter if you're a beginner or having a little bit of experience in the illustration. But at the end of the class, you will have a new way of perspective on creating the illustration based on this method. In order to achieve this, I will provide you the few ideas which will boost up your creation process on creating the character illustration. Character Illustration Topics, Object Ideas, Scene Ideas, where to take the inspiration from. So are you ready to follow me through this lesson and create our own character illustration? Let's move on. 2. Class Requirements: Now we are going to discuss the requirements which are needed for this class. The first step and the process is sketching. I prefer papel and pencil for sketching because it feels more natural and convenient to me to make a sketch, try to draw in the drawing notebook, to convert the sketch into a vector. I use Adobe Illustrator in this class, but you can use any vector software based on your preference. Having some basic knowledge of Adobe Illustrator will be better. No worry, I will cover the dose I'm going to use for this class. And most importantly, have some patient for the soul. We have seen MBA class requirements. Let's jump into the next lesson about topic selection. 3. Topic We Can Choose: To start with character illustration, all we have to do is choose a topic under which we are going to work. Choosing the right topic is up to you. But still, I'm guiding you to open up your mind for generating nonstop ideas. Just think about yourself. Apart from your name, your profession defines your identity. First and foremost, a profession plays a big role in each and every person. So what's her profession? You'll notice graphic designer for geographer. Even it can be anything. So you can take yourself as an example for a. In this class, I'm taking myself as an example. So I chose graphic designer. That's my identity throughout this class, everything will circulate around the graphic design profession. After this class, if you feel like practicing even more than a few topics are not enough for you. So I'm referring to the website which I will provide you in the project and resource section. On this website, you can see a random job generator. Each click. It will generate a random professions. So you will get more topic ideas to work on with. If you want to know more about that profession, just search it on Google images. You will get visuals of the professions characteristics. So we can move on to the further steps based on that professions characteristics. Now we get the idea, evolve, how we can choose the topic. In the next lesson, we are going to see where we can take inspiration. Let's move on. 4. Inspiration For Character: For the character illustration, everything circulates around the character. From the character. One, we are going to absorb structure and pokes. So from the gatt that only we are going to build the entire and station on choosing the character. Make sure it should match the topic you chose. I chose graphic designer. What graphic designer should have? He or she should have a computer or a laptop. How the posts should be? The character should be in a walking pose. For example, if you chose a photograph, then he or she should have a camera. And the post should be in holding the camera in a third person perspective. At a glance, it should reveal what that pose it as. So in the character inspiration, this is what you have reconsidered. Now, let's move on. Do RAD from, we can get the inspiration for this lesson. I get inspiration from the website Unsplash. You can also use some other websites like pixels, pixel me to get free stock for those. For inspiration. For example, I'm opening the unsplash.com website. The search term was good with laptop. I'm a woman. So I use the in the sandstone being and graphic designer. She should have a laptop. So I used a gun with a laptop on this website. Just go through more images till you get a perfect image that fits with your topic. For this class, I chose this photo because this good is in a comfy position. And also she's walking with a laptop. Now I get the inspiration for our character illustration class, ticket, own time to choose the right image. In the next lesson, we will see how to design the scene. 5. Deciding The Scene: In this lesson, we are going to design the scene. What is the scene? Scenes on nothing but collections of objects placed in the right order and the right proportion. Our topic, this graphic designer, lets think in this way. She's working from home and let's keep it as she's working in her living room. What is a common living room look like? It has windows. And for ninjas, the sketch, Let's keep a window for the scene. Even you can think about your own living room. Now let's decide on the furniture section. We have chosen a character that is sitting and walking with a laptop. So I Joe, so far as an important furniture element in this living room, do the sketch as she's sitting on the sofa and working with her laptop based on different rooms elections, the main elements will change. Likewise, if you choose a bedroom, then BIT is the main element. If it is a kitchen, then oven cooking materials are the main elements. This is how you would think. So for this class, the scene as noun decided, as it is a living room with the window. And so far, and the character is sitting on the sofa. We have resided the scene. Let's jump into the next lesson on designing the scene objects and profession based tools. 6. Deciding The Objects: We're going to design a logo design objects and the profession based tools. Let's see about the scene objects first. Those seen objects will be based on groom. Think about the common objects used in the living room. Those are clocks, bookshelf, furniture, plans, etc. To choose an object, I prefer you to check out on your living room. Check the objects in your room. Elect ideas. Here I understood some of the ideas for you to choose easily. Choosing an object from Google image search is one of the easiest ways. For example, such as kitchen. In the kitchen, it has come bought lamps, some fresh fruits, and a dining area from like these ideas for creating the scene. I chose window so far, clock, bookshelf, and planned. Next Maunder, profession based tools. We choose our topic as graphic designer. So think about what graphic designers use. Which software tools do they use? The first things that come up to my mind are being done. Colored palette, gradient, Dual, Brush Selection Tool. Graphic designers always generate new ideas. So we can use a bulb that symbolizes ideas from these, I chose the bulb, paint and color palette. As far now, we have chosen topic, character structure, and post, decided the scene object and profession based Jones, That's all for all the designing. But let's dive into the next lesson about the finance sketching. 7. Free-Hand Sketching: In this lesson, I'm going to draw the basic sketch needed for our character illustration. I have chosen the inspiration from Unsplash to draw any meat on the pebble and pencil. So let's start the job while making the sketch. Draw that rough basic shapes that is so-called go lines for a dangle, lines, etc. Based on the inspiration photo which we have taken. So after finishing it, our rough sketch is done with the help of it. Main sketch can be drawn over it. So we're going to start from the face. Actually it's in the side view and her gaze is low. Try to draw a character that should be facing down. Instead of using curly half, I can put the normal type of hat. No other name for this character. I have decided to use a T-Shirt and pan for this character because she's walking in our living room. So the comfortable drugs will be the t-shirt and pan. And also I have decided that she's leaning on the so far. So the hand shouldn't be straight. It should be slightly slanted. Next is the pan draw over the rough sketch we have done in the photo had reflect as rised up. So the same I'm drawing you in the sketch. Leave the space for the laptop as well. Don't be more detail for the hands. It can be very simplified drawing. Don't complicate with it. Slightly, her left foot as lingering outside. Let's complete that though. She is walking with her laptop, drawn a laptop in the gap, which we have lived at is the unwanted sketch left and a drawing. Draw the sofa. Asked me how Designer she is sitting on it. Now comes the two legs of the sofa drawing the line as those on his eats often completed by the end of this whole file. I'm going to draw the plant part. But Stan, just beside the sofa. Here comes the window in the living room. Dry so good. That refers to the clop. Along with it. Not a bookshelf, just beneath it. Popplet tools for the graphic designers, our paint on mouse, election brushes, color palette, radian tool. And as well as the bulb that is for creativity and idea. I haven't chosen up with bento and color palette. Everything starts with an idea. So I represent it as I'm drawing this bulb just above the head of her. For graphic designer. The main DOE is a painter, and they will use the color palettes for coloring, dye design. Now we have done with the basic skills needed for our character illustration. In the next lesson, we're going to see about the basics of Adobe Illustrator. 8. Class Project: So you now finish the basics getting mixture. You take the photo and place it in Illustrator, and follow me along the process of grading a vector to finish it properly. 9. Illustrator Basics: This lesson is about the Illustrator basics. This is the odd book. On the left-hand side, the tools of Illustrator on available. The layer section and the RPO section are in the right hand side. We can also create the new artboard by clicking on new artboard option. Now, new artboard will be created. We have two artboards now. We can use one of the odd votes for main work and other odd ball for a rough wall. If you wish to delete that art board, you can simply click on the artboard. Now, let's see about the basic shapes. The shapes tools are available in the left-hand side. And also we can use shortcut for the shape. For example, click M for rectangle. Just click and drag the mouse to get the shape. We can also fill the color to the rectangle by clicking on the color palette. Now click Shift button, click and drag the mouse to get the perfect square and bank filled with some other colors. Yellow button to enable the Ellipse tool. Again, click and drag the mouse, hit Shift button and drag to get the perfect. So even if you resize this a good skin, you will get the perfect. So good. Now, click on selection too. Can answer, hit a button. On enabling the selection tool. The object can be moved next as the direct selection tool or hit. But then on using the direct selection tool, anchor points will be enabled. Just click on the anchor point. The shape can be resized and modify to hold the Shift button and click on that anchor point to select two or more anchor points at the same time. We can also use the Lasso tool out q for the selection of anchor points. Just make us look good on which anchor points are needed. And again, it a for direct selection tool and more around. Okay, let me delete all of the shapes by hitting Delete button. Let's see, Pentel 80. We can use the pen tool from the toolbar or hit the button. Just make a click on art board right away you want. And ended with starting point to get the shape. Now for coffee pot, click and drag the mouse to get the code. And again, click and drag the mouse. The shape of the code travels through the anchor point. The anchor point itself remains fixed and finally ended with starting point. To control the direction handle of the anchor point, hit Alt button. And so the data can handle can be controlled to our wish. And so the next row will be based on that data chin. Repeat the same process. Didn't you get the control? Always end with the starting point. If you feel to end the anchor point in the middle, just hit Alt button and click on the artboard. It will break the continuation. Now I'm doing another shape. If you hold on the shape, you will see the pink cursor with a plus sign, which means you can able to add new anchor point. With the new anchor point. We can do the necessary changes by selecting direct selection tool. If I wish to remove a particular anchor point, we can click on Minus button and make a click on that particular point. So it will disappear. Let's learn about the color selection here in the toolbar that has coil, but that is the fill color. It will fill the color for entire shape. On double-clicking on it, dialog box will appear from the slider. The colors can be chosen. The rectangles show up the previous color and the current color. This is the stroke color. We can also use the shortcut X by double-clicking on it. Again, dialog box will appear in the shape. You can see both fill color and stroke color. We can set the color properties on clicking on three horizontal line on top corner, we can see the color properties as grayscale, RGB, CMYK, etcetera. It is possible to interchange the fill color to stroke color. And Weiss was. The Properties tab is all about the properties of that particular object. Here is the fill color option and Stroke option. Stroke weight can be changed by choosing the required points. If the weight wanted to be more, it can be altered. By using the slider opacity of the object can be altered. Object can also be flipped left and right, up and down. In the toolbar. We can locate the I draw, but don't we are, we can enable it by simply pressing I burden. I feel like I want to change the color of this object. Do the color. We just next to this object, just make a click on it. Even the color properties will affect the object. Let's jump into the most interesting part of this lesson, that is Shape Builder. For that, we need to work more objects so that we can make use of it. Now, I'm using this to objects and select these two objects by using Selection tool in the toolbar. That is the option Shape Builder are hit Shift Plus. I'm going to combine these two objects. So click drag over the objects. So you can see the two objects are merged. Now it can be moved freely. For the another option, I am undoing a unmake that object to placing another location. Again, I'm selecting the two objects. Hit Shift plus i1, the middle part to be deleted. So click Alt button along with the click with the mouse on the bot, which to be deleted. Again, I'm undoing. I'm placing the objects in the desired location. Now on enabling the shape builder option, we could see the separate shapes while dragging on different location. Let's change the color of the each objects and keep the objects together to each other. Now, if I want to move the object forward, DEF CON, common this close bracket. If the object one do we move backward? Click on Command Plus opening bracket. These are the objects of that layer. We can now look at i option that is too high or unhide the object. That is the option to lock the object with the icon off luck. By keeping the selected object addressing done, we can assume the artboard by clicking Command and plus what Zuma click on command and minus. To move the odd mode, you spacebar and the mouse drag. In the next lesson, we will see a demo how to create a character vector illustration. 10. Sketch To Character: Place the sketch onto the artboard and reduce the opacity. Lock the sketch layer to start with a vector drawing, I always prefer with grayscale. So I made a grayscale color palette for my convenience. Are you can also choose while logging on it, create an another new layer and rename it as weight dot. Drag that behind the sketch layer. Make an ellipse over the sketch. And just the shape which matches the sketch. The adjustment also be done by using direct selection tool. Use the handles of the anchor points for the perfect shape. New anchor points can also be added if needed. This shape is for the hat, but all of them had, we will draw the face. So I'm choosing white color. With the help of bento. Let's start to draw starting from the neck. Make the shape of the face. We are done with the hair and face by hiding the sketch layer, it can be seen clearly. Now, let's divide the T-Shirt into three parts. Middle, right, and left. Here. Start with the middle part of the T-Shirt. Use every technique of the Pinto. And hence it's over that send it back to vary the right-hand from the middle, slightly change the color. And again, by using pinto that I'd hand off the teacher have drawn up. The same applies for the left-hand of the division. Now dispatch should descend back off the middle part. I'm going to draw the left-hand, change the color into Y. Follow the sketch which I have gone, and ended with a starting point. Send that object back. The same applies to the right-hand. Now with the selection of black color, I'm drawing the band with fewer anchor points over the hand. After finishing it, I'm sending it back. Follow the same for the left leg. For all the skin, follow up with the same color. Here, I came up with white as we know that the food is partially hiding behind the right leg. So centerfold Back to the right leg. After the whole character. Let's move up onto the laptop. Zoom out with the help of color picker, choose the color. In the vector layer. Rearrange the base of the laptop to behind the left-hand. If I click on the left hand, the dot will be highly done in the last section, so that object can be dragged behind it. Again, the right leg is dragged behind the base of the laptop. Monitor of the laptop is drawn in order to read it from each other. Slightly change the color. By using Lasso Tool. The two edges is converted into rounded corners. Make an ellipse over the sketch. And finally, I don't ellipse or the gag rule for the clear whose validation and I have made the adjustment based on that sketch. Now, I send back that ellipse all way behind. And so we can see the illustration clear knee on because of this, we found a mistake. Centerfold behind that leg. So now we get the perfect illustration of the character. In the next lesson, Let's see about how to make the same for the illustration. 11. Sketch To Scene: What does the scene we're going to create? She's walking with laptop on the sofa in the living room. So we will have so far blank window, clock and bookshelf. And let's do the scene creation. Another vector layer, character objects of that. Let's lock the background that is ellipse. Now, select ended character objects to group the objects. Hit Command plus g and hide the sketch, and move on to the scene illustration. Scene is able, she's walking over the sofa by using a rounded rectangle. Let's make the legs off the sofa. For further rounder. Drag the point inwards, hit Shift Alt and drag to duplicate it with the perfect alignment. Again, make the rounded rectangle, and send it to back, duplicated again by hitting Alt and drag as it is a seat of the sofa, reduce the size. Now we found the food is little bit higher than the seed. So double-click on it and drag it a little. Delete that just the seat of the so far. Now click on the screen. Hi, this case, this will be the result. Use eyedropper tool. Or I do choose the darker shade. Hit yam. Do get that rectangle shape and drag it over the character. It shift and click to select the desired point to make them rounded corner of the particular edge and send it to back. Choose the black color. Use the rectangle and do this stand for the sofa. Zooming and send it to back. Again, duplicate it, and place it on another site. Hide the character to select this so far objects. So while selecting the character will not be included in the group, the data objects, make sure that everything is selected, ungroup it, that the character group or the sulfur group. Let's move up on how to create the plan. And Stan, Stan is to be gushy. Use a rounded rectangle. Duplicate the object and rotate it slightly, place it on one side, duplicate it again. In properties, use flip and place it on another side. You can even leave it like this. Again, make one more rectangle in the middle. We have finished with the stand for base of the pot. I chose black color with again a rounded rectangle and placing it in the middle font apart, we have to make a circle and gut. It's top of the butt. So let's make an ellipse and use the line segment to draw the line on 1 third of an ellipse. Select these two objects. With the help of shape builder tool, cut the top pod. That is no need for the exact shape like in the sketch, we can make adjustments as biowaste. Now pick another shape with the help of pen tool and with the sketch. Draw the shape of the link. Do that another leaf and send it to the bad. For the variation of leave to one another, slightly change the color. So we can see the way the Asian group, everything with Command plus g. Now I follow that is slightly alignment mess. So I'm making the adjustment. We have done with it. And let's go to the remaining seeing illustration. In that clop, far rounded cap, go to Properties in stroke. We can see that gap and make it as drown. Same applies for another. Finally, grew everything. In the next lesson, I'm going to draw the profession based tools in the illustration. 12. Profession Based Tools: In this lesson, it's all about profession based tools, illustration those out. But for an idea, Bender and colored palette with the appropriate grayscale shade. Let's start with a bulb. Make us a good Android dangle. To get more like the bulk shape. Select the bottom corner by using Shift and move it, follow the same on the other side. Now, for managing these two shapes, use the Shape Builder tool. So we have completed the bulb partially to begin with the lowest but choose black color for radiation. Rectangle shape is an afforded by grabbing all of the corners and then pull it in, adjusted according to the shape of the duplicate it for twice, and make the last rectangle a little smaller. Hi this gij often to get that clarity, what may make the bulb to blow? That is tungsten. While the brightness of the tungsten chews up but white as stroke color. Make an ellipse. And keep it in the center. With the help of Pentel. Draw the tanks. Jan, on the other side, flip the object for the pump action, extend this object and send it to back. Next is the color palette. Used a squash it and duplicate it twice. Select the first square, grab the top corners and pull it in, duplicate it, and place it at the bottom and flip it. Give the grayscale colors for each square. Duplicate it for other color palette. Let's move on to how to make Pentel with the basic shapes. Uses quiet. Andrew dated. Keep two circles on both sides. Use Shape Builder to delete the parts. For the perfect pen nib shape. With the help of line segments. Draw a line, select all and delete Deloitte part, Shift and drag to get both. Draw the base of the nib for the AAC user with line segments. That it, all the unnecessary parts. With the basic shapes and line segment do the remaining structure of Pinto. We have done with it. In the next lesson, we will see about finalizing the vector with some refinement. 13. Finalizing Vector: In finalizing the WIDA, look on it, whether there should be any enhancement in the laptop and bought. We can make some refinements in the laptop. We can make a circle in the center. In the plan section, I'm going to degrade the bot, but some lines, so make the two lines over it. Now let's do some changes in the background shape. Selection tool, change the shape. Let's add a floor beneath the BOD and sofa. For that, I'm choosing rectangle. Make it rounded rectangle. At those circles on each end. I'm going to group everything which is not group. Here. I'm not grouping the color palette. But let's group the color palette alone at the end of class section. In the next lesson, let's discuss about the decision of kalos, which we are going to use. 14. Deciding The Color: While designing the color, I use coolers dot SEO website to generate my own color palette. Click on start the generator that bond space, but it will give you new palette of colors. If you wish, for one particular color, use toggle lock, to lock it. So the remaining color will start to change on each step. So likewise, you can choose your own color palette. Here I have already choose and Maybelle it with the help of it. Here, I have created this color palette in the art board. These are all the major colors we're going to use. Even though we may have major colors while walking in the illustration, we may end up on using slightly saturated color. If you don't want to use like this. You can also copy the n-type palette. For each color is saturated, the color slightly, with the help of hedge Sb, that is hue, saturation, brightness. You can also adjust the brightness other than saturation can also make for the most saturated color. In the next lesson, we are going to see about how the chosen color palette can be applied in the illustration. 15. Coloring: I have made sedation on the color palette, and I kept the color palette at the top. Let's start from the background color by using eyedropper tool. If I click on the sofa in the layer section, it will show up with a dot. So from it, we can choose the right object. And then we can give the color. For the multiple selection of objects. You shift and click on a dot which is required to be colored. I'm not changing the color of the part. The multiple selection also applies for face, hands, and for skin color. For the radiation to the band, I'm selecting HSB Hue, Saturation Brightness, and I slightly reducing its brightness. It follows the same for the T-Shirt. Do likewise, apply this to the remaining scenes. For the color palette to create monochromatic color For each box and adjusting the saturation of the color. Halftone giving the kalos, make those as a group. Now, let's enable the stroke and you the white color. And same follows for other ballot. For the bank don't do the color and its base. That's all for this lesson. Let's finalize the vector completely. In the next lesson. 16. Finalizing: In finalizing the illustration, we're going to name each of the groups. These are all the groups which we make. Just double-click on the group. To rename the corresponding name. Same applies for other groups. That color palette as one link for our reference. At the end, we can delete the palette layer. So we have finally finished our illustration from start to end. 17. Conclusion: Congrats successfully, you made a deal. The aim in wrapping up the class we have gone through from taking inspiration, sketching, and finally making the character illustration. Make sure to share your illustration in the project section. And so the other students also get modulated to showcase their work. I'm happy to see what you come up with. Feel free to ask any questions in the discussion panel. Thank you for watching.