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Drawing Character Poses with Personality

with Tony Bancroft
5 (502)
Learn from a Disney veteran how to draw dynamic and interesting character poses.
English, Spanish, 2 more German, French English, French, 3 more Spanish, German, Portuguese
1+
hours
12
lessons
Beginner
level
Tony Bancroft

Your Instructor

Tony Bancroft is an animator and director, who worked at Disney Studios for 30 years. He co-directed the film Mulan and created characters like Pumbaa, Cogsworth.

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1+
hours
12
lessons
Beginner
level
English, Spanish , 2 more
Languages
  • German
  • French
English, French , 3 more
Subtitles
  • Spanish
  • German
  • Portuguese

What you’ll learn

  • Translate your character’s emotions and personality into dynamic poses that tell a story
  • Practice drawing various thumbnail poses for a single character
  • Use animation principles like 'Twists & Tilts' and 'Squash & Stretch' to add visual interest
  • Create a variety of relaxed poses that look natural, not stiff or rigid
  • Learn how to create realistic balance and weight distribution for characters
  • Show your character’s personality through inactive and active poses
  • Discover how silhouettes help make a good, clear pose
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Description

Are you fairly good at coming up with characters, but somehow feel that they are a bit stiff and unnatural, with stances that seem a bit ‘awkward’? Or do you tend to draw standard poses for standing, sitting, walking, etc. and want to infuse them with life, to make them more interesting?

There are lots of tutorials these days on character design, but far less teaching how to create poses and gestures for those characters. A well-drawn pose plays a big role in effectively conveying a character’s emotions and unique personality, be they a sinister villain, a courageous hero or an amusing side-kick.

In this course, Tony Bancroft, shows you how to do just THAT, drawing from his wealth of experience in the animation industry, having worked with studios like Disney and Warner Bros. He explains the key principles used in cartoons to make movements believable and entertaining and demonstrates the techniques for applying these concepts to your artwork.

At the end of this course, you’ll think about illustration in a whole different way and have a new set of skills at your disposal to create characters that practically jump off the page!

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Who is this course for

  • Artists who want to draw  appealing poses for their characters that convey their personality and emotions
  • Those interested in learning essential posing concepts to tell a story through their artwork
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This course includes

  • 1+ Hours of on-demand videos
  • 7 Cheat sheets/guides
  • Certificate of Completion
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Used in course

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What you'll need

  • Just a paper/sketchbook and a pencil
  • Some previous art experience needed
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Lesson Plan

with Tony Bancroft
Expand all sections
00

Introduction

01:20

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Get to know your instructor, Tony Bancroft, and the cartoon characters that he created.

01

What is a Pose?

13:30

A pose doesn’t only refer to a model’s position on a magazine cover. 🙂 In the world of art, a pose captures a character in one moment in time, portraying their action, emotion and personality in a single illustration.

When you understand what makes a good pose work, your picture can paint a vivid story that draws the viewer in. Tony delves into this subject in this first lesson, demonstrating how different poses change the vibe of an illustration.


1.1
What is a Pose?
06:53
1.2
Assignment
06:37
02

Line of Action

16:21

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The line of action is the central thrust of a character’s pose, following a directional curve. It is an essential tool that professional artists and animators, like Tony, use all the time when drawing, to create a natural ‘flow’ in the pose and a sense of energy.

In this lesson, you’ll see several examples of different kinds of ‘lines of action’ and learn the basics of how to use them for your own characters.

2.1
Line of Action
16:21
03

Relaxed Poses

14:36

‘What do I do with my hands?’ The age-old question!

Not only does this issue come up at a family photo-shoot, but making your illustrations look natural and relaxed when inactive can sometimes be tricky too!

Discover the key aspects of drawing relaxed poses that look believable, such as how to position the hands, elbows and shoulders. Tony also discusses ways to modify a pose to communicate a variety of feelings, eg: boredom, worry, disinterest and curiosity.

   2 Cheat Sheet Guides Included

3.1
Relaxed Poses
14:36
04

Tilts and Twists

12:42

Adding twists and tilts is a great way to make your characters appear less stiff. Not only does it enhance their personality, but it makes the pose a lot more interesting too!

This is something we all do naturally, but don’t necessarily think of. As you learn about this concept in this lesson, you’ll be more conscious of it and be better able to implement twists and tilts in your drawings.

4.1
Tilts and Twists
12:42
05

Weight, Balance and Silhouettes

26:52

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Tony discusses three important principles of drawing good, clear poses, covering each one in a separate lesson and giving lots of examples of each:

Weight: giving substance to a form, making objects and characters appear light or heavy

Balance: ensuring that a pose adheres to gravity’s pull, so it’s not off balance or likely to topple over

Silhouettes: creating clarity in a pose, making it easy to identify, avoiding confusion

  3 Cheat Sheet Guides Included


5.1
Introduction
01:30
5.2
Weight
06:45
5.3
Balance
07:10
5.4
Silhouettes
11:27
06

Adding the Personality

18:24

So this is it! You’ll get to use ALL the new skills you just learned and apply them to a character, infusing it with energy and a life of its own! Excited yet?

You’ll also learn how Tony creates multiple thumbnails, playing with various poses and narrowing them down until he lands on the option that best communicates a character’s personality.

Follow along with a fun assignment, to consolidate everything you’ve learned so far.

   2 Cheat Sheet Guides Included

6.1
Adding the Personality
18:24
07

Summary

00:53

Bid farewell to your instructor in this conclusion video. Hope you enjoyed this course!

7.1
Summary
00:53

Student Feedback

502 customer reviews & ratings

5

Course rating

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All levels
The level is determined by a majority opinion of students who have reviewed this class. The teacher's recommendation is shown until at least 5 student responses are collected.

(Based on 502 reviews)

Most Liked
Clarity of Instruction 441
Helpful Examples 435
Engaging Teacher 415
Showing 10 reviews of
502
reviews & ratings
Philip G.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
This is the first course I've taken on 21-Draw and I'm very impressed by the clarity, humor and skill provided by Mr. Bancroft! I've been a self-taught artist for many years but I've always found my characters to be rather lifeless. I've overlooked the concepts of weight and balance for far too long
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. Thankfully Mr. Bancroft introduced these ideas with advice that will stick (such as dropping the plum). I look forward to applying the techniques in this course to inject my poses with some much needed personality!
I recommend it for Beginner
15 people found this helpful
RG
Rotem G.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
Even as a non-beginner- this course is a must. Sometimes we try to go too advanced that we forget to simplify- some of the best, clearest artworks are in the simple details. Lots of tips and tricks that i forgot or neglected and will definitely use from now on to improve my future artworks. The inst
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ructions were clear as day, easy, and humoristic. Highly recommended!
I recommend it for All levels
12 people found this helpful
ML
Mike L.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
Tony really explained the importance of action, movement, shape and everything else that goes toward giving your character personality in its poses. He is very likable, and you feel like he is right there beside you.
I recommend it for All levels
6 people found this helpful
A
Adele

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
Really cool class, it's great to see so much live-drawing and to have all these tips for better pose construction. The examples are very engaging and the different steps are very clear and dynamic!
I recommend it for Beginner
5 people found this helpful
SL
Samantha L.

2 years ago

Verified Purchase
i have used skill share and domestika and this course by Tony Bancroft is one of the best classes if have ever taken. He is engaging, doesnt talk down to his students and explains himself brilliantly. thank you so much.
I recommend it for All levels
4 people found this helpful
GM
Garry M.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
I found this course easy to understand and well presented.
I recommend it for Intermediate
2 people found this helpful
Lorrane L.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
I just loved it! I'll watch again for sure!
I recommend it for Beginner
1 person found this helpful
Juhasova A.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
Really helpful for beginners who want to create interesting characters.
I recommend it for Beginner
1 person found this helpful
EN
Elisa N.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed doing this course and learned a lot! Thanks to the engaging teacher, Tony Bancroft, that inspired me!
I recommend it for Beginner
1 person found this helpful
JC
Jitendra C.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
Thank you for sharing the knowledge. Really enjoyed it. I am a CG animator and this will help me in creating good strong poses in 3D with more clarity and appeal.
I recommend it for All levels
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About the Instructor

Tony Bancroft
Animator and Creative Director 2 courses

Tony Bancroft is a 2D animator with over 30 years of experience in the animation industry. He has worked with companies such as Disney, Sony and Warner Brothers. During his 12-year career with Disney Studios, Bancroft helped create and animate Pumbaa, from The Lion King; Kronk, from The Emperor’s New Groove; Cogsworth, from Beauty and the Beast; and Iago, from Aladdin. Bancroft’s most notable accomplishments include being the co-director of Walt Disney’s animated film, Mulan; and animation supervisor of Sony’s Stuart Little 2.


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