Character Illustration: Create a Character with Photoshop & Watercolor

Love drawing expressive, intricate characters? Learn how to combine Photoshop, ink, and watercolor to bring your illustrations to life!

Step into comic artist Yana Bogatch’s studio and discover how to mix digital and traditional media to develop one-of-a-kind characters. From sketching thumbnails and refining in Photoshop to mixing ink and finishing with gouache, you’ll learn how to unite the flexibility of digital illustration with the spontaneity of fine art to create characters packed with personality. 

Through thoughtful, thorough lessons you’ll learn how to:

• Draw dynamic poses with a sketching warmup
• Develop your sketch in Photoshop before printing
• Mix and layer ink to set the mood for your scene
• Add watercolor with an eye toward contrast and depth
• Finish your character with pencil and gouache

Plus, this 50-minute class is packed with Yana’s favorite tips and tricks for working in mixed media, developed over a decade spent refining her process.

Whether you’re a new artist with an idea for a character or a seasoned digital illustrator looking to learn a new technique, Yana’s accessible approach will open the door to a whole new world of intricate illustration. Best of all, by the end of the class you’ll have a tangible piece of character artwork to share with the world!

Click the "Your Project" tab to share your sketches and finished piece!

• Introduction
• Process and Materials
• Sketching Warmup
• Planning Your Character
• Sketching in Photoshop
• Tracing Your Sketch
• Inking Your Character
• Adding Watercolor
• Finishing Touches
• Closing
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