Build a Character in Illustrator → VCD – Character development time!

Exploring Ideas
This section explores the criteria "Explore the visual arts practices and styles as inspiration to develop a personal style, explore, express ideas, concepts and themes in art works(VCAVAE040)Explore how artists manipulate materials, techniques, technologies and processes to develop and express their intentions in art works (VCAVAE041)."
- VCD – Ideas and developing a character concept
- VCD- Introduction to Illustrator, Create a cute panda bear face
Finding Inspiration
This section explores the criteria "Analyse and interpret artworks to explore the different forms of expression, intentions and viewpoints of artists and how they are viewed by audiences(VCAVAR045)Analyse, interpret and evaluate a range of visual artworks from different cultures, historical and contemporary contexts, including artworks by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to explore differing viewpoints (VCAVAR046)"
- VCD – Research
- VCD Skill building in Illustrator – Fun with the Pen tool!
Types of drawing
This section explores the criteria "Select and manipulate materials, techniques, and technologies and processes in a range of art forms to express ideas, concepts and themes (VCAVAV042)Conceptualise, plan and design art works that express ideas, concepts and artistic intentions (VCAVAV043)."
- VCD – Ideas for experimentation
- VCD – Character development time!
Exploring techniques
This section explores the criteria "plan and make their art works in response to exploration of techniques, technologies and processes used in the work of other artists. They demonstrate the use of materials, techniques, processes, visual conventions and technologies to express ideas and convey meaning in their artworks."
- VCD – Bringing the drawing into Illustrator
- VCD – Experimenting with techniques
Refining project
This section explores all the criteria, reworking, reassessing, considering intent, concept and technique.
- VCD – Reworking and finalising from experimentation
Final outcome and character backstory
This section explores the criteria "Create, present, analyse and evaluate displays of artwork considering how ideas can be conveyed to an audience (VCAVAP044)."
- VCD – Putting it all together

Build a Character in Illustrator

VCD – Character development time!

Character Development Time!!

Learning Intention: Draw out your character using all the research you have conducted
Success Criteria: Finish the session with 3 different drawings of your planned character on paper

Here’s a checklist for students and teachers. This is what you should have ready so far:

Mind map
Character development sheet
Visual diary and Illustrator
3 or more artworks for reference – some from our first investigation and some from our second widening research
Experimented with Illustrator

Use all your research to start doing some drawings of your character. Use the character development sheet, and the artwork you found as a basis for the character you will draw. Are the pictures comical, are they serious, are they silhouettes are they 3D characters, do they have large eyes. See if you can combine both the ideas from the character development sheet and the research you have done into characters you are interest in to create your character. This is such a fun part, you might like to pause here for a lesson on it’s own.

Here is some examples of experiments I conducted using different techniques on paper. Add a range of experiments to your books and some notes about what you did and what you think could be useful. Prior to taking this drawing into Illustrator, you can use paper to refine the pose and the shapes of the character. Here is a the process I followed, and while it’s not necessary to do all these experiments when coming into Illustrator it’s an interesting process to have done so much work by hand. Things that were resolved include the expression and attitude of the character, what she might be carrying and some of the colouring. The outcome of these drawings I have used as the basis for my Illustrator Character, but have also made the one in Illustrator more defined and brought out some of those qualities more.


I started off looking at the actual shape of a rabbit as this is what my character is based on. This showed me what shapes the animal is made of	Here I was just looking at the shapes in the head and body and trying out drawing it.	This is an early idea that I discounted after giving it a bit of a go like the lines but it really looses it’s rabbit shape	This one I like as the character looks a bit crafty. This is drawn in 2B pencil.

This one is drawn in Charcoal pencil and has some nice shading in it.	This one is an experiment to see what textures I can make for the fur of the rabbit. I painted some black dry brush on the page but it didn’t have the effect I wanted, but I do like the texture I made with the white gel pen.	In straight from the eye dropper, I really like the lines it gives and the wobblyness of it.	Here I am looking at some cross hatching lines and contour lines to see how they shape out the character. I really like the way the face looks and some of the light and dark areas in it.

This is an experiment with drawing with an eyedropper and this one I really like, I think it’s a crazy colour.	I like this one done with more detail and ink	This is another experiment, done with coloured pencil that I really like.The shading and the characters dress I think are successes. I have used contour lines here like the earlier drawing and painted over the pencils with water.	Here is another character drawing, I like the lights and darks in this one but I want the character to we wearing a dress as it’s important to who she is. I really like the gun on this one and the shape of the foot. The Glasses look better here too.