Character Design, Ethics, and Output Mastery

• In this course, you will learn to:
• Classify various costume elements based on historical periods
• Discuss the variations in eyes, nose, and mouth to create diverse characters
• Demonstrate the use of digital tools and software for character design
• Summarize the process of placing characters in a narrative context
• Compare various animation techniques for bringing characters to life
• Identify strategies for overcoming character design obstacles
• Differentiate fair use and limitations in using copyrighted material
• Assemble color schemes for effective printing
• Report on different styles and approaches in book illustration
• Categorize illustrations suitable for online platforms
• Discuss the integration of illustrations into user interfaces and apps
• Discuss keyboard shortcuts for efficient work in Adobe Illustrator
• Arrange and modify illustrations for trade show displays in 3D stalls

• At the end of this course, learners will be able to:
• Illustrate various costume designs from different periods
• Interpret facial expressions and emotions through detailed features
• Develop characters using digital tools and software
• Generate character turnarounds and views in a digital format
• Place characters in narrative context through visual storytelling
• Design a character portfolio that reflects a consistent brand
• Predict trends in character design based on industry insights
• Compare and contrast different techniques for drawing poses
• Assess the importance of proper crediting in ethical illustration
• Verify print-ready output for various mediums
• Estimate printing costs and select appropriate settings
• Arrange and manage illustration elements for book covers and layouts
• Design illustrations optimized for web and social media graphics
• Arrange keyboard shortcuts for efficient and smart work
• Review and restate the key elements in a successful trade show display

The academic approach of the course focuses on ‘work-centric’ education. With this hands-on approach, derive knowledge from and while working to make it more wholesome, delightful and useful. The ultimate objective is to empower learners to also engage in socially useful and productive work. It aims at bringing learners closer to their rewarding careers as well as to the development of the community.

• Step 1: Learners are given an overview of the course and its connection to life and work
• Step 2: Learners are exposed to the specific tool(s) used in the course through the various real-life applications of the tool(s).
• Step 3: Learners are acquainted with the careers and the hierarchy of roles they can perform at workplaces after attaining increasing levels of mastery over the tool(s).
• Step 4: Learners are acquainted with the architecture of the tool or tool map so as to appreciate various parts of the tool, their functions, utility and inter-relations.
• Step 5: Learners are exposed to simple application development methodology by using the tool at the beginner’s level.
• Step 6: Learners perform the differential skills related to the use of the tool to improve the given ready-made industry-standard outputs.
• Step 7: Learners are engaged in appreciation of real-life case studies developed by the experts.
• Step 8: Learners are encouraged to proceed from appreciation to imitation of the experts.
• Step 9: After the imitation experience, they are required to improve the expert’s outputs so that they proceed from mere imitation to emulation.
• Step 10: Emulation is taken a level further from working with differential skills towards the visualization and creation of a complete output according to the requirements provided. (Long Assignments)
• Step 11: Understanding the requirements, communicating one’s own thoughts and presenting are important skills required in facing an interview for securing a work order/job. For instilling these skills, learners are presented with various subject-specific technical as well as HR-oriented questions and encouraged to answer them.
• Step 12: Finally, they develop the integral skills involving optimal methods and best practices to produce useful outputs right from scratch, publish them in their ePortfolio and thereby proceed from emulation to self-expression, from self-expression to self-confidence and from self-confidence to self-reliance and self-esteem!