[Course]clazroominstructor,yujiyuan Details
Intro
Class Intro
Claz'room Instructor, Yuji Yuan
Learn how to create animal illustrations in detail, from basic anatomy to rendering textures like scales & fur
Design Your Own Stylized Animal Characters
Struggling to design animal characters? This class will help you build your skills one step at a time. Led by freelance illustrator Yuji Yuan, who brings 10 years of industry experience, the course walks you through the process of creating stylized animal characters from scratch. You'll learn how to break down real animals into simple shapes while developing fundamental drawing and character design techniques.
Through the exploration of three different animals, you'll progressively learn how to draw, paint, and apply design techniques to create your own unique animal characters. The class begins with foundational shape recognition, then moves into skeletal structure to understand how anatomy influences movement. From there, you’ll dive into facial expressions, body language, coloring, and rendering to complete your final project.
Each step is thoughtfully structured to build your confidence and guide you through the character design process, even if it’s your first time. If you're ready to start bringing your own characters to life, this comprehensive, step-by-step class is the perfect place to begin.
Each step is thoughtfully structured to build your confidence and guide you through the character design process, even if it’s your first time. If you're ready to start bringing your own characters to life, this comprehensive, step-by-step class is the perfect place to begin.
Class Preview
Still Not Sure?
Check Out Yuji's Class Preview!
Chapter 20.
Bringing It to Life – Detail & Finish
1.Refine edges, materials, and surface textures
2. Paint over & detailing.
3. Focus on key areas like the face, hands, and focal points
4. Use paint-overs to refine your design, enhance visual appeal, and add polish
Class Perks
Special Gift from Yuji Yuan and Claz'room College
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Access to All Class Videos- Rewatch lessons anytime to review techniques at your own pace -
Claz'room's Discord Community Support- Connect with peers and share progress in a dedicated artist community -
One-time Personalized Art Feedback- Recieve direct, tailored critique on your work from the instructor
- Identify strengths and areas for improvement with expert guidance
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Class Slides and Exercise- Annotations and notes made during the lessons
- 6 Slides
- 6 Exercises files -
Brush Pack & Reference Pack- Pencil brush for textured lines and extra flavor
- Artist's own custom brushes and basic brush set (10+ brushes)
- All diagrams and useful references used during the class -
In-class Working Files- Demonstration sketches and drawings
- All finished illustration(s) created for the class
- All psd. files in full resolution for student reference
Recommendation
Who Should Take This Class?
Beginner Artists
Who are curious about character design and want to explore animal-based characters in a simple, guided way.
Learning Artists
Who are developing their skills and looking to improve their understanding of anatomy, shape language, and stylization for animal characters.
Intermediate Artists
Who want to add animal characters to their portfolios with personality and strong visual storytelling.
Expert Illustrator Yuji Yuan's Portfolio
*This portfolio includes fan art
Why Take This Class?
Animal Characters That Tell Your Story
Drawing animals can be tricky, and creating animal characters with personality and uniqueness can feel even more challenging. But once you start looking at the process from a different angle and break animals down into simple shapes, it becomes much more approachable. This class is here to help you make that shift in perspective. Yuji Yuan, a seasoned illustrator with years of experience, is ready to share the techniques and insights he’s developed throughout his career.
This class doesn’t just show you how to draw characters, it helps you build a solid understanding of the entire workflow, so you can confidently apply what you’ve learned to your own future projects. You’ll go beyond basic drawing and painting, diving into how animals move and identifying the small but impactful details that make your characters feel truly alive. Blending foundational skills with advanced design techniques, this class is your all-in-one guide to creating stylized animal characters. So why keep searching? You’ve just found the class that’s ready to turn your creative dreams into reality.
14 Class Exercises
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Obeservational Drawing of Animals -
Simplifying Anatomy for Stylized Character Design -
Facial Features and Body Language Convey Emotion
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Combining References and Imagination -
Cleaning Up Sketches for Clarity -
Adding Details While Keeping a Stylized Approach
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Create Different Color Schemes for Your Character -
Material Study -
Rendering -
Adding a Simple Background
Final Products
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Polished Character Illustration -
Character Sheet
Instructor
Illustrator
Yuji Yuan
Hi everyone, I’m Yuji — and it’s truly a pleasure to be here on Coloso, sharing what I’ve learned with you. Over the past ten years, I’ve worked as both a freelance illustrator and a lead instructor at Clazroom College, transfering knowledge at the same time. Those moments of frustration became my biggest teachers, pushing me to explore new techniques, experiment fearlessly, and evolve my craft.
In this class, I’ll be sharing the real behind-the-scenes of my creative process — the ups, the downs, the breakthroughs, and the lessons I wish I knew earlier. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to reignite your artistic spark, I hope my experience can help you find you to express your creativity with more clarity and joy. Let’s grow together — and create art that truly means something.
We believe that every dream is precious and everyone has the ability to attain their goals.
We believe that a good school is a community full of culture, philosophy and good mentors.
Our environment embodies the dreams and will of all our students. They are the soul of this community.
They are here to tell us that passion, hard work, and commitment are more valuable than the carelessly-used word we call “talent”.
Illustrator, Yuji Yuan
[Current]
- Lecturer in Clazroom College
- Illustrator Freelancer
[Previous]
- Ariel Studio
- Mediasoft
- Cue Art
- TBWA worldwide
Highlights
Class Highlights
Stylizing Animal Anatomy
Learn to simplify complex skeletons (like crocodile, bird, and mouse) into basic shapes for easier drawing and pose design. You'll explore how skeletal structure affects movement and how to translate that into appealing character poses.
Bringing Personality to Animal Faces
Understand how to give emotion and life to animal faces, even the “rigid” ones, using key features like eyes, brows, and gestures. This section guides you through the nuances of facial expression to enhance storytelling in your characters.
Texturing with Volume
Explore how to paint different surface textures—rough scales, fluffy feathers, and soft fur—so your characters look and feel alive. Learn how to combine texture with lighting and form to add believable depth and realism.
Class Details
You'll Learn
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Simplifying SkeletonsLearn to break down crocodile, bird, and mouse anatomy into simple forms for easier drawing and posing. Practice drawing skeletal landmarks and understanding their impact on volume and mobility. -
Designing Animal ProportionsExplore proportion systems and shape exaggeration to stylize animals without compromising structure. Analyze how proportion influences character readability and personality. -
Expressing PersonalityStudy facial features and expressions unique to each animal—how to make even rigid faces feel alive. You’ll focus on using key features like eyes, brows, and gestures to bring emotion and storytelling to your characters.
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Posing and Silhouette AppealFocus on gesture, posing, and silhouette to make your animal characters clear and dynamic. Each pose is designed to improve clarity and visual storytelling through appealing shape design. -
Painting Fur, Feathers, and ScalesLearn techniques for rendering soft fur, layered feathers, and reflective scales with volume. These demonstrations help you understand how to give surface texture a sense of life and dimension. -
Final Touches & CompositionCombine all skills to illustrate a polished scene with your animal character in a fitting background. The final project ties together drawing, design, and rendering into a complete, expressive illustration.
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Today's Deal
Interview with
Clazroom Instructor, Yuji Yuan
Question.01
Why did you choose this specific topic?
Yes — because I’m a proud fur kids’ dad! I have two fluffy buddies at home, and they’ve brought so much love and joy into my life. I’ve always had a soft spot for cute and cuddly things, so creating art inspired by them just feels natural. This class is my love letter to all the animals out there, and I believe many of you will connect with it too. If you’ve ever wanted to turn your love for pets into something creative — this class is for you!
Question.02
What makes your class different from other classes?
I’ve been leading the instructors’ team at Clazroom College for years, so I know how to structure a class that flows well and keeps things fun and clear. But more than that, this class is full of heart. It’s not just about techniques — it’s about passion. We’re learning to draw something we love deeply, and that emotional connection really shines through. I think that’s what makes this course special — it’s a space where skills meet soul.
Question.03
What do you think is the most important trait(s) to success in your industry?
Perseverance — 100%. Talent is great, but it’s showing up every day that makes the real difference. Keep creating, even when it’s tough. The more you do, the more confident you become. Every artist has moments of doubt — but if you keep going, you’ll surprise yourself with how far you’ve come.
Required Programs
This course will use
Adobe Photoshop.
Please purchase and install these program(s) for an optimized chapter experience.
*These programs and/or materials will not be provided with the chapter.
