[Signature]illustrator,guweiz2 Details
Intro
From Beginner to Industry Giant,
Class Intro
Illustrator, Guweiz
"Let's explore the main elements of character designs, specifically essential foundational techniques
we'll need to master before creating characters."
Turning Character Fundamentals into a Functional Design Process
This is where foundational drawing skills evolve into purposeful, professional-level character design. Building on the basics from Character Illustration Foundations, we’ll now turn towards applying structure, observation, and creativity to develop strong, stylized characters.
We’ll explore what makes a character compelling based on readability, authenticity, and information density. You'll be inspired by your own sketches before you know it, exploring ideas, recognizing and removing unwanted ones, and using iteration as a tool until you arrive at unique, personal designs. Learn to design across different genres be it fantasy, modern, futuristic, or freeform and learn how to connect poses, accessories, and silhouettes to a character’s role or world. As your designs grow more layered, so too will your ability to refine them with heightened artistic sensitivity.
Finally, you’ll have a set of polished characters and a deeper sense of what it means to shape a heroic, magnetic character from scratch. It will leave you not only equipped to draw them stylistically from every angle, but to design with conviction in their stories.
Finally, you’ll have a set of polished characters and a deeper sense of what it means to shape a heroic, magnetic character from scratch. It will leave you not only equipped to draw them stylistically from every angle, but to design with conviction in their stories.
Roadmap
Guweiz's Signature Series
Class Preview
Still Not Sure?
Check Out Guweiz's Class Preview!
Chapter 15.
Create Design Iterations
Create Design Iterations
1. Using the designs created so far, explore new methods for creating iterations and alternate versions
Class Perks
Special Gift from Guweiz
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Explore every layer insideWorking .PSD Files -
Go-to custom brush setBrush Pack Essentials -
Sharpen skills, fast-track growthExercises & Reference Cheat Sheet -
Key lessons, always accessibleClass Slides
Class Material Details
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Working .PSD FilesAll PSD files in full resolution for student reference, including:
- Final illustrations created for the class
- Diagrams and reference materials used during the lessons
- Demonstration sketches and drawings
- Annotations and notes made throughout the class -
Essentials Brush PackSimple, clean brush pack that’s easy to use for beginners, including:
- Medium Hardness Round Brush for basic painting and shading
- Simple Airbrush for smooth blending and soft transitions
- Basic Eraser for clean, controlled erasing and adjustments -
10 Practice Exercises + Reference Cheat Sheet + Class Slides1. Exercises
- Breaking down and understanding references
- Organizing design ideas visually
- Working with silhouettes
- Selecting fantasy design elements
- Selecting modern design elements
- Selecting futuristic design elements
- Analysis and self-critique
- Practicing iteration Part 1
- Practicing iteration Part 2
- Adjusting designs for portrait composition
2. Reference materials and cheat sheet
3. Class Slides:
- Slides and notes used in the class videos, including:
- Chapter outlines and key learning points
- Annotations and notes made during lessons
- Additional resources
Recommendation
Who Should Take This Class?
Students of the first Signature class who are ready to transition into more purposeful, professional-level character creation.
Artists who want to strengthen their ability to design characters that not only look good but communicate personality, role, and narrative through visual elements.
Artists interested in designing characters for specific genres (e.g., fantasy, modern, futuristic) and learning how to apply reference, pose, costume, and silhouette to genre-specific storytelling.
Illustrator Guweiz's Signature Series
Expert Illustrator Guweiz's Portfolio
Character design is both an art and a discipline,
shaped by choices with a great deal of thought put into them.
What gives Guweiz’s characters their unmistakable clarity and quiet intensity, the kind that draws you in at a glance? There is an answer to this question: Guweiz’s character design process is grounded in logic, structure, and a clear systematic approach. Rather than letting intuition take full control, he grounds each decision on purpose and intention, giving his characters a clear, confident presence that holds up from piece to piece. In this class, he breaks down that process in full, offering not just techniques, but a structure and a workflow that he confides in.
Strong design begins with strong references. In this class, Guweiz shows how to move beyond decoration by grounding your ideas in real-world and historical context. From loose sketches to refined decisions, you'll learn how clarity, function, and storytelling shape every element, from silhouette to accessories. This course will gift you with a reliable workflow that evolves with you and sharpens your style, and you best believe, this knowledge will serve you for a long time to come, just as it has for Guweiz.
Class Exercises
11 Class Exercises
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Breaking down and Understanding Reference -
Organizing your design ideas visually -
Working with Silhouettes -
Selecting and Creating Fantasy Design Elements
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Selecting and Creating Modern Design Elements -
Selecting and Creating Futuristic Design Elements -
Analysis and Self-Critique -
Practicing Iteration Pt.1
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Practicing Iteration Pt.2 -
Adjusting a Design for Portrait Composition -
Practice Methods Cheatsheet
Final Products
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Character Illustration - Fantasy -
Character Illustration - Modern -
Character Illustration - Futuristic
Character Sheet
Instructor
Illustrator
GUWEIZ
Hi everyone, I'm GUWEIZ, a professional artist with over 12 years of drawing experience. Along the way, I’ve had the opportunity to work freelance for major names in the games and publishing industries, including Bandai Namco, Guerrilla, and HarperCollins, as well as collaborate with many independent artists and businesses. I’m also the author and illustrator of two art books — GUWEIZ: The Art of Gu Zheng Wei (2020) and World of Guweiz (2023) — and a contributing writer for 3dtotal’s instructional titles such as Color and Light (2022) and Perspective and Depth (2024). These experiences have been invaluable in helping me develop my communication skills and grow as an artist.
Without a formal art education, much of my art journey has been dedicated to finding my own way of showcasing ideas. As such, I've always tried to center my energy on making original art and building a fictional world from my imagination. It's an incredibly satisfying yet often challenging journey that has taught me a lot about the process of making art and overcoming obstacles. I hope to be able to share that experience and knowledge with you here.
Illustrator, GUWEIZ
[Current]
Freelance Concept Artist and Illustrator
[Previous]
- Bandai Namco: 2021.08 - 2021.12 Freelance Concept Artist
- Gamefreak: 2021.12 - 2023.11 Freelance Concept Artist
- Square Enix: 2018.05 - 2018.10 Freelance Illustrator
- Mynet: 2016.07 - 2018.05 Freelance Illustrator
- Harper Collins: 2017.05- 2017.07 // 2020.08 - 2020.12 Freelance Cover Illustrator
- Macmillan Publishers: 2024 Freelance Cover Illustrator
- PIXIV: Pixiv Visions 2021, 2022 Participating Illustrator // Drawfest 3: 2022.05 Instructor
- Guerilla: 2018.05 - 2018.10 Freelance Concept Artist
- 3dtotal: Color and Light (2022) Perspective and Depth (2024) Contributing Writer
Projects & Awards
Solo Exhibitions
- 2022 Light in Darkness (By Hanada Gallery, @Ginza Tokyo)
- 2024 Luminous (By GAAAT, @Harajuku Tokyo)
- 2025 Chroma (By GAAAT, @Ogaki Bookstore Azabudai Hills)
Art Fairs
- 2023 Art Fair Asia Fukuoka (By Hanada Gallery, @Fukuoka)
- 2024 Art Stage Osaka (By GAAAT, @Osaka)
- 2024 Unknown Asia (By GAAAT, @Osaka)
- 2025 Osaka Art International (By GAAAT, @Osaka)
Artbooks Published
- [GUWEIZ The Art of Gu Zheng Wei] 2020
- [World of Guweiz] 2023 by 3dtotal
Highlights
Class Highlights
Designing with Solid Fundamentals
Fundamentals are at the core of every drawing process, and character design is no exception. In this class, we’ll build on the foundational knowledge from our first Signature course to develop three new designs that not only look right but function effectively and with purpose.
Learning from Historical Design
History is a treasure trove of numerous remarkable artwork that offers valuable lessons. It serves as an excellent source of both immediate visual inspiration and long-term learning, which can significantly enhance our ability to design and create our own characters. Learn how to harness this knowledge to completely reshape the way you approach character design, unlocking your potential to create characters beyond what you thought possible.
Understanding the Full Workflow of Character Design
From initial ideation to gathering references and blocking in shapes, an efficient character design process opens the door to more iterations and deeper discovery. In this class, you’ll learn a reliable and systematic approach that can serve as the foundation for your character design and illustration workflow. After the class, this process is yours to keep, adapt, and refine to find your own style.
Class Details
You'll Learn
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Learning from History/RealityStudying and understanding what makes designs appealing by using historical and real-life reference materials. -
IdeationGenerating and organizing ideas that resonate personally, drawing inspiration and knowledge from real-world references. -
ExecutionDrawing and implementing the ideas on canvas by applying fundamental principles. Learn design techniques tailored to different goals, such as portraits, action poses, or character sheets.
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RefinementAnalyzing, adjusting, and enhancing your character designs. This crucial phase focuses on developing effective self-critique skills. -
IterationAfter creating a design you like, practice producing varied versions that also resonate with you. -
Sustainable Practice MethodsLearning different ways to practise and apply character design skills, enabling continuous improvement while developing your unique style over time.
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Interview with
Illustrator, GUWEIZ
Question.01
Is there a specific reason why you chose this specific topic/themes?
Knowledge and mastery of character design are essential for illustrating and presenting characters in the way we envision, freely and effectively. That’s why I felt it was important to dive into this aspect of character illustration as soon as we covered the basics in Part 1 of this Signature Series.
Question.02
What makes your class different from other classes?
I tend to think of my drawing process as relatively systematic and logical rather than purely intuitive. I consider this a strength, especially when it comes to sharing knowledge and technique. With this class, I want to present a complete workflow that I understand deeply and structurally, offering a level of clarity and insight that may not be as commonly found elsewhere.
Question.03
Is there anything else you would like to share with your students?
Especially early in your journey, prioritize drawing what you enjoy. It’s okay to set aside tedious academic studies if they drain your interest in creating the work that truly matters to you.
Required Programs
This course will use Photoshop Creative Cloud 2017 (No use of advanced tools/features)
Please purchase and install these program(s) for an optimized chapter experience.
*These programs and/or materials will not be provided with the chapter.
