Procreate Illustration: Drawing Dynamic Characters and Environments

Use Procreate to transform your characters and landscapes into immersive, lifelike scenes!

As an animator for films such as The Jungle Book, Cinderella, and Guardians of the Galaxy, Chaitanya Limaye fell in love with the power of visual storytelling, especially the spark that comes from putting a vivid character into an equally vivid environment. When he made the switch to freelance illustration, he adapted the best of his process for Procreate, developing a fun and flexible formula for drawing scenes that tell a story in a single frame. From ideating and sketching to adding color and lighting, you’ll discover how Chaitanya creates engaging characters and transforms everyday environments into colorful, eye-catching worlds—and how you can do the same!

Together with Chaitanya, you’ll create a detailed illustration in Procreate. Key lessons include:

• Observing facial expressions and body postures to enhance your character creation
• Sketching thumbnails to explore different compositions and storytelling techniques 
• Using color to evoke emotion, and navigating the Procreate color panel
• Lighting your scene to create a sense of separation, depth, and dimension

Plus, Chaitanya shares insider tips and tricks from his time as an animator and character designer, including where to find unexpected inspiration and how to add nuance and believability to every scene. 

Whether you're looking to add depth to your character designs, create your own comics, or simply filter your world through art, Chaitanya's techniques will give you the tools to fill your work with life and energy. By the end, you’ll arrive at an illustration that grabs attention and invites the viewer in—and you’ll have skills to get there again and again!

This class is geared at illustrators of all levels who are already comfortable working in digital drawing software. Chaitanya is working in Procreate on an iPad, but the same principles apply whether you're using Photoshop, Autodesk Sketchbook, or a traditional medium.

• Introduction
• Examining Your Process
• Honing Your Observations
• Creating Thumbnails
• Detailing Your Sketch
• Exploring the Color Panel
• Coloring Your Background
• Coloring Your Character
• Final Thoughts