Designing Animal Characters

Sharing with you what I learned recently and my process behind making these illustrations :)

[sarahwaldron]

I’m 15 and I would love to be a book illustrator when I’m older and I particularly love to watercolour/draw Beatrice Potter style animal characters similar to your own style of drawing. Anyway this video helped so much with both characterising the animals and also drawing them. So Thankyou :)

[StarryTreeStudio]

just found you through this video and immediately following you!! you have a style of art that is exactly what inspires my type of art and youre giving great advice here so thank you for sharing your knowledge!!

[veronical]

I love these new characters! I love that you called them "meat tube" bodies 😂 definitely a description I would use. Glad you had safe travels. Can't wait to see some of your new adventures in Washington!

[DianeDean-pe]

I loved your video because I’ve been trying to learn to draw anthropomorphic animals for awhile—I’ve studied a lot of photos of real animals in an effort to do what you discussed here. I’ve bought a lot of books with structures of animals drawn also. I’m still really struggling with getting some characters that I feel have my own stamp on them but are cute enough. I wrote a children’s book about a mouse couple, but I’ve yet to draw them cute enough. Wish I had someone to collaborate with. I doubt it will ever actually get completed:( it’s a struggle too, not to just end up, with characters that look just like someone else’s illustrations—after all—there are only so many ways to draw a mouse or chipmunk—undoubtedly they’ll have similar characteristics. But, I will keep trying and thanks for the advice.

[Lilyboxes]

I love the new designs! I noticed the hunchback in my hamster when I tried drawing them it's so funny and cute. Also happy move! I hope you enjoy Washington

[alicejacobs]

Thanks for the informative video! I'm working on a 'possum story and have been working on sketch practice. My characters won't be clothed, but the expressions will have a human element.. I'm pretty excited, but I do have a particular style that needs to be honed and consistent. Plus, I love the "toob" ness of your critters.

[natalieann]

I love the new designs! Do you also draw non-rodent animals in clothes? I’d love to see how you do a fox or a badger. 🙂

[Spectorwing]

I draw almost exclusively animals, particularly cats and dogs, I have two cats and both my neighbors have dogs. I have been drawing for around three years now and I have run into a bit of a rut, my art is either hyper realistic which leads too many problems when I try to animate it, or they are super cartoony, that I come up with when I have no ref sheet like my profile picture. What would your advice be to first of all find a happy medium and two, give my characters more distinct character designs