Welcome to Lesson 4 of the Beginner’s Guide to Animal Character Design!

Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve covered so far:

• Lesson 1: Drawing animals like a hippo, zebra, crocodile, and flamingo using simple shapes.
• Lesson 2: Transitioning from observation to imagination by drawing your zebra in different poses—standing, walking, and dancing.
• Lesson 3: Animating animal characters by breaking them down into six key elements: the head, neck, front legs and shoulders, body, rear legs and hips, and tail.
• In Lesson 4, we’ll focus on bringing your animal characters into a scene that tells a story. We’ll explore their interactions, showcase their personalities, and create a fun illustration.

Here are some storytelling elements to keep in mind:

• Intention: Know your characters’ roles in the story, whether you have one or four cast members.
• Personalities: The strength of your cast depends on how well their personalities work together.
• Interaction: Bring your characters to life through engaging interactions—try playing with their shapes, sizes, and roles!
• Environment: Think about the world around your animals and how they’ll interact with it.

Let’s bring all your characters together into an exciting scene!

Happy Sketching!

Nina 

PS – Share your animal final animal character scene with me on Instagram @ninarycroft characters! #drawwithnina!