Developing Animated Characters

Learn to design compelling and memorable animated characters that become the heartbeat of the story in this four-week course.

Through a blend of theory and practical, hands-on exercises, you'll learn how to infuse life into your characters, making them resonate with audiences. The course covers all the key components of character creation, from exploring the foundational principles of shape language, color, and silhouette to mastering the nuances of facial expressions, body language, and accessorizing.

You'll engage in projects that encourage experimentation with design processes, including mind mapping, silhouette sketching, and using mood boards for inspiration. If you're aiming to enhance a project with appealing, original characters, this course offers the tools and insights to strengthen your animation skills, push the boundaries of traditional character design, and deviate from clichés.

What you will learn:

✔ Design characters that resonate with audiences by understanding their role in storytelling
✔ Develop practical research and ideation skills to inform and inspire your designs
✔ Apply fundamental design principles such as shape, color, and form to create visually appealing characters that communicate personality and emotion effectively
✔ Gain hands-on experience in character expression and presentation techniques

Join us and learn how to animate online!

Prerequisite skills:

Completion of Digital Animation 101 or equivalent knowledge or experience is helpful, but not required

What you need to participate:

Computer or mobile device with Internet. Internet speed must be at least 1.5Mbps download and 800Kbps upload. For students using a mobile device, download the Canvas mobile app and select “Interlochen Online” as your school.
You may choose to use drawing software such as Photoshop or Procreate, or work with traditional materials such as pens, pencils, markers, paints, paper, sketchbook, etc. If you choose to use software, you will need either a graphics tablet or pen display.

How the course works:

Interlochen Online courses are designed to be inspiring and flexible with weekly learning units that combine video segments and guided instruction that you can complete on your own schedule during the week. You will interact regularly with your teacher and peers inside the learning environment.

You can also participate in an optional weekly hour-long video class meeting, where you can learn from the teacher and interact with your classmates in real-time. At the beginning of the course, you will complete a survey indicating your preferred times for the class meeting. The teacher will make every best effort to identify a meeting time that works for everyone. The teacher will also post recordings of the meetings and you can view them when it is convenient.

The goal is that you walk away not only with practical skills and friendships but that you are inspired and motivated to pursue your art and realize your potential.