Tired of your character designs looking like glorified clip art? The round up of character design tutorials will show you how to not only create amazing character design, but also how to take them to the next level. This my not be the longest list of character design tutorials, but that’s because it only includes the best ones currently online.
All Time Greatest Character Design Tutorials

Adding dimension to your characters
Are your designs looking a little flat? We show you how to make your creations leap off the page with startling dimension.

Creating vector characters in Illustrator
Characters can add a recognisable face to your work. But how do you go from a sketch to the finished product? Peskimo talk through their process.

Create a Character Mascot with Adobe Illustrator CS4
Mascots are becoming increasingly popular in web design. In this intermediate Illustrator tutorial we will show you how to create a vector character mascot from a sketch in Adobe Illustrator CS4.

Create a Cute Furry Vector Monster in Illustrator
Follow these steps in Adobe Illustrator to create your very own super cute fuzzy monster character. We’ll be working with the basic shapes to start, then use a variety of gradients to add depth.

Create a Vector Pirate Cartoon Character from a Hand Drawn Sketch
By firstly using the power of pen and paper a character design is created, which is then scanned into the computer to use as a base for tracing with Adobe Illustrator.

How to Create a Cute Bunny Vector Character
In this Illustrator tutorial, I will show you how to create a cute bunny character. This tutorial uses simple shapes and gradients that are easy to apply to other character illustrations.

How to Create a Stinking Zombie Flesh-Eater in Illustrator
In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a cartoon zombie in Illustrator. Starting by creating a fresh corpse, then you will ‘yuck’ it up using a number of techniques.

Drawing Homer Simpson
This tutorial will teach you how to draw the Simpson’s favorite character, Homer Simpson, from grounds up.

Mascot Design In Real Time Order – the SOSFactory Way
This time I wrote this post as the job was being developed. This way you’re going to see how the order is developed, from the first sketches to the final result, I hope I won’t miss anything… What stress!

Creating convincing characters
Illustrator maestro Alexis West demonstrates how to magic up appealing characters using a pencil, a computer and bags of imagination.

Vectorial illustration with Illustrator
In this post i’ll explain the process i followed at the time of designing by order (from SOSFactory) the mascot in vector format of Twisted Monkey Studios, producers of horror films.

Create a Cute Panda Bear Face Icon
In the follow easy tutorial, I show you how to create a cute panda bear face icon all from ellipses.

How To Create Your Own Vector Cartoon Character
One of the most popular articles here on Blog.SpoonGraphics is how to create a vector cartoon character from a hand drawn sketch, an Adobe Illustrator tutorial covering the process of creating Captain Blackspoon.

Real-world effects
Peskimo reveals how to put your vector creations out into the real world, using Photoshop and Illustrator to combine the illustrations in your head with the realism of the world outside your front door.

Create a Super Happy Octopus Character
In the following tutorial I will explain how to create a Happy Octopus Character. You can use these techniques and elements to create whatever character you want!
Free Goodies. Delivered to You.
Subscribe to Tutorial9, and we'll deliver you the newest freebies and tutorials for free.
Subscribe By Email Subscribe By RSSWrite for Tutorial9
- Do you want to get paid $150 for writing at Tutorial9?
- Are you a talented Photoshopper, Blogger, or Photographer?
- Want to help thousands of others by sharing your knowledge?
If so, we're interested in you, and we'll pay you. Find out how to write for Tutorial9.




55 Comments Leave a Comment
Wonderful post Danny, I especially loved the Real-world effects tutorial combining Photoshop and Illustrator, the final result was beautiful.
Great list. all tutorials are very good
yea they are really great!!!!, I also liked the ones on your site, lots of selections.
Thanks.
Zacha
Nice post. Very useful tuts!
Nice post.
Excellent article for everyone.
Love your post. thanks!
i am so happy this site exist! got up to get some water and decided to check my email. i gotta go to bed, its a school night meaning… i am a mom with two kids. but you betcha i’ll be cartooning in the afternoon.
ciao, ciao, annamaria
some how i don’t feel so all alone… just kiddin’ ni ni
Funny, very nice Danny!
Nice list!
that’s great
but how to download the tutorial from computerarts.co.uk?
i must be a member or not?
Thanks for this amazing collection!
I Love the “Real-world effects”, it’s different.
nice posting, thanks! stumbled…
thanks, good collection.
Nice collection, Danny.
Stumbled!
zombie illustration is awesome.
thx for the list.
Great collection. I’d like to start getting into character development more with Illustrator. So far, I’ve only done simple logos. I like the concept of design and the amount of talent that goes into these — I’m already looking through most of the tutorials!
This post rock.. thank you!
excellent post , i really love the ones from SOS factory they are gerat , but i need to study more illustrator , thx for all .
Muito bom esse post…
Thanks a lot for featuring 2 of my tutorials, you missed the 3rd one: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/02/13/drunken-monkey-photoshop-tutorial/
Cheers!
wat softwares to be needed for those above ? i only have Photoshop for design purpose as am a newbie designer
what a great posts !!!
i’m a beginner of an illustrator and your posts really help me to be an expert !!!
cheers from Indonesia
Beds beds beds
Homer Simpson is the man! great tutorial.
Great reading! Thanks for sharing
wow Great article, thanks!149
wow Great article, thanks!154
wow Great article, thanks!167
Hello,
Thanks for sharing, thats really cool and inspiring.
regards,
Zacha
Very nice tutorials, I gotta try them some time! Thank you for sharing them