Digital Painting of Characters in Photoshop
A course by Fernanda SuarezDigital Illustrator and Character Designer
A course by Fernanda Suarez, Digital Illustrator and Character Designer
Learn digital painting techniques to create detailed character portraits by exploring brushes, colors, values, and designs
Digital painting in Photoshop opens endless opportunities when it comes to character design and illustration. For digital illustrator Fernanda Suarez, it’s allowed her to create striking protagonists for board games like Dead of Winter or Ashes, as well as other clients like Bloomsbury Publishing and Simon & Schuster Inc.
In this online course, she teaches you how to illustrate captivating characters in Photoshop. Discover Fernanda’s creative process when imagining fascinating characters and bringing them to life on the screen. Learn to communicate your ideas and emotions through digital art.
What will you learn in this online course?
20 lessons & 22 downloads
Designing a Character: How to Start
6 minutes, 56 seconds
Basic Light and Shadow: Values, Volume, and the Importance of Light
15 minutes, 52 seconds
Rendering Technique: Brushes and How to Use Them
15 minutes, 11 seconds
Sketching the Human Figure and Composition 1
19 minutes, 45 seconds
Sketching the Human Figure and Composition 2
16 minutes, 25 seconds
Color Palette and Base Colors 1
20 minutes, 20 seconds
What's included in this course?
Meet Fernanda Suarez, a digital illustrator, character designer, and your teacher for this course. Hear about the creative journey that led her to the world of illustration. She also shares the influences that have shaped her work.
Start by imagining your protagonist: what’s their story and personality? Then decide what mood you want for your piece. Explore the basics of light and shadow before setting the atmosphere. Fernanda teaches you how to build a coherent color palette, and use your digital brushes.
Time to start painting! First, sketch your human figure and give shape to their composition. Then set a good foundation for your image by applying the base colors.
Next, move on to painting the face, hair, clothing, and accessories before working on the background. Fernanda shows you how to add texture to your image as well as other painting tips. Finalize your illustration by adding the last touches. To wrap up the course, Fernanda shares her advice on how to promote and develop your art.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Illustrate a detailed character in Photoshop from scratch.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone interested in learning digital painting for character portraits.
Requirements and materials
Basic knowledge of Photoshop and the ability to draw the human figure is required.
To take this course, you need access to Photoshop, or similar software.
Reviews
- 10 months ago
Ottimo corso.
- 1 year ago
Buen curso, bien explicado 100% recomendable
- 1 year ago
Un curso excelente para empezar a manejar herramientas digitales.
- 1 year ago
Zdecydowanie najlepszy kurs z podstawami renderowania digital paintungu i tworzenia żywej postaci z historią. Konkretny, z dużą ilością przykładów i personalizacji. To nie tylko pokaz malowania, ale też wskazówki do ustawień pędzli i stosowania tekstur. Duży plus za fundamenty światłocienia. Polecam osobom, które w digital paintingu stanęły na szkicowaniu i szukają wskazówek do kolorowania i renderowania.
- 1 year ago
Me ayudó muchísimo a acabar de entender herramientas y el uso de pinceles en photoshop. Recomendadísimo!
She currently works as a freelance illustrator, and has worked on various projects for a wide range of clients, from board games with Plaid Hat Games, like Dead of Winter or Ashes, to book covers and commissions with Bloomsbury Publishing and Simon & Schuster Inc. Her biggest passion is painting characters that tell a story, and she loves portraying fantasy, dark, emotional themes in her work.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
The First Steps
- Designing a Character: How to Start
- Basic Light and Shadow: Values, Volume, and the Importance of Light
- Rendering Technique: Brushes and How to Use Them
- U3
Creating the Concept
- Finding Inspiration: Mood Board and References 1
- Finding Inspiration: Mood Board and References 2
- Sketching the Human Figure and Composition 1
- Sketching the Human Figure and Composition 2
- Color Palette and Base Colors 1
- Color Palette and Base Colors 2
- Color Palette and Base Colors 3
- U4
The Digital Painting
- The Character 1
- The Character 2
- Clothing and Accessories 1
- Clothing and Accessories 2
- The Background
- Final Adjustments 1
- Final Adjustments 2
- U5
Advice for Self-Promotion
- Promoting Your Art
- FP
Final project
- Digital Painting of Characters in Photoshop
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for intermediate artists who already have basic digital art skills and want to advance their character illustration and painting techniques.
You’ll need Adobe Photoshop, a drawing tablet with pressure sensitivity, and a computer capable of running digital art software smoothly.
You’ll learn how to design original characters, create consistent styles across series, use digital painting techniques in Photoshop, and develop efficient workflows for character-based art projects.
Yes, basic familiarity with Photoshop is recommended, as the course covers advanced digital painting and illustration techniques.
Yes, the course teaches strategies for painting consistent character styles and developing cohesive artwork for series, board games, and book covers.
Yes, you’ll learn to render female anatomy, map facial shadows, and use reference images to create lifelike faces and expressions in your digital art.
You’ll discover methods for designing character personalities and backstories to add depth and narrative to your illustrations.