People in Picture Books: Developing Your Main Character
Doreen Mulryan
Class Preview
1:34
- In-depth Instruction; over 124 mins
- On-demand video access anytime
- Bonus downloadable PDF resources
- Access to class Q&A
Warm-Up
20:47
Meet Doreen Mulryan, children's book illustrator extraordinaire and your guide to developing a strong main character. In this first lesson, you'll learn all about how to get started. From picking the right materials to brainstorming your character's personality traits, Doreen has you covered!
Basic Pose & Construction
12:47
How your characters move around goes a long way toward explaining who they are. In this lesson, Doreen gives you a step-by-step guide to drawing basic anatomy and shows you how to create more dynamic, interesting poses that add drama and personality.
Faces, Expressions, Hands & Feet
19:44
Doreen was once intimidated by hands. But now she's got tips to help you draw them, along with feet and the all-important facial expressions that will help give your character personality. By the end of this lesson, you'll feel comfortable drawing some of the more challenging body parts.
Types of Characters
15:10
Now that you have the tools and skills to draw your main character, it's time to start exploring different traits. Doreen shows you how to select for body type, along with how to tell the story not just through expressions but also through qualities such as clothing.
Developing Your Character
18:16
Next, it's time to add personality. Doreen walks you through her process of development, from building a character sheet and scripting through sketching and drawing a turnaround to create the most well-rounded character possible.
Finding Your Story
18:09
Learn to tell your character's story entirely through images, not words. Doreen shares some of her own thumbnail sketches and demonstrates how to put such sketches in specific, personality-revealing environments.
Incorporating Color
18:50
Doreen teaches you how to brighten your characters and their environment by incorporating color. Learn how to choose colors, the benefits of sticking to a limited palette and the quickest, easiest way to add some stunning final touches to give your images a cohesive look.
Create strong picture book characters for your stories! With picture book illustrator Doreen Mulryan as your guide, you’ll start with finding inspiration for your character by building a mood board. Next, learn to draw your character’s basic anatomy in a variety of poses and get tips for adding facial features, hands and feet that look just right. Make your characters unique as you establish their body type, select their clothing and explore different aesthetic styles. Get to know your protagonist’s personality through a character sheet and create a turnaround that will help you draw characters from any angle. Plus, build confidence telling your story visually and get Doreen’s tips for using color to bring your character to life.
Doreen Mulryan
For as long as Doreen can remember, all she's ever wanted to do was draw and ice skate. She carried her love of drawing into college, attending Carnegie Mellon University as a fine arts major, before moving on to New York's School of Visual Arts, where she received her degree in illustration and cartooning. After graduation, Doreen worked at Marvel Comics as a production assistant before designing children's toys at Russ Berrie. Now, when she's not skating with her roller derby team, Doreen teaches art to kids and illustrates children's books. Some of Doreen's books include Frankly Frannie and Pinkabella.
Bonus materials available after purchase