Post pobrano z: How to Create an Animated Character with Photoshop and CrazyTalk Animator 3

As a graphic designer, you may be very familiar with working in Adobe Photoshop. But Photoshop, though very powerful, isn’t good for everything—just try to animate something more advanced than a bouncing ball! Luckily, there are other programs you can use to animate a character created directly in Photoshop, so that you can design in the software meant for designing, and animate in the software meant for animating.

In this tutorial I will show you how to use such a program, CrazyTalk Animator 3, to animate a character created in Photoshop. I’ll teach you how to prepare the character for editing, how to add the bones, how to import it to CrazyTalk Animator, and then how to animate its body and facial features—with both simple and advanced techniques.

1. How to Create a Character for Animation

This part is optional. You don’t need to follow me directly; you can
create any other character or use one you’ve created before. Just make sure it’s layered like mine.

A character is the easiest to animate if it’s made of simple shapes. In Photoshop they can be created as Shapes with the Pen Tool. It’s not hard to use this tool, but if you want to learn about it, try our super short course How to Use the Pen Tool and Paths in Adobe Photoshop. We also have an older tutorial with a great exercise that will help you grasp the tool in no time:

• 
  Tools & Tips
  Photoshop’s Pen Tool: The Comprehensive Guide
  Ian Yates

If you have Photoshop CC, you can also use the more intuitive Curvature Pen Tool.

Make sure you use the Pen Tool in Shape mode. This will color the paths automatically, and you’ll be able to change the colors anytime by double clicking the thumbnail.

Step 1

Start with a torso. It shouldn’t be completely oval; try to make the front slightly smaller. Use #acb6b8 to color it. You don’t need to copy my shape perfectly—just make sure it’s smooth and round.

Step 2

Create the front leg and the paw separately (on different layers). Use the same color to blend the leg nicely with the torso. This will help us hide any potential inconsistencies in the movement.

Step 3

Copy the leg with the paw, and place them behind the other layers. Change their color to #919a9c.

Step 4

Create two other legs the same way.

Step 5

Create the tail with a simple oval. Color it with #919a9c.

Step 6

Add the head. Color it with #c1cdcf.

Step 7

Add two ellipses for the patches around the eyes. Use the color of the torso for them.

Step 8

Add the eyes: a black circle, a white oval for the shine, and a dark gray shape in the bottom for the reflection. Keep the eyes on separate layers.

Step 9

Create the mouth out of three circles: two of them colored like the torso, and one colored like the legs in the background.

Step 10

Add a simple ellipse for the nose. Color it with #ff7dd1.

Step 11

Add the ears. Color them like the torso.

Step 12

We’ve created all the body parts, but the face is just as important as the legs or tail. You can add some variations of the eyes and mouth to achieve various facial expressions you can use later in the animation. Keep them all in the same place, so you can change the expression just by showing/hiding the layers.

Step 13

These are all my layers. The basic ones are:

• Front right leg
• Front right paw
• Back right leg
• Back right paw
• Tail
• Torso
• Front left leg
• Front left paw
• Back left leg
• Back left paw
• Head

If you want to animate the body only, merge the eyes and mouth with the head (you can merge the ears as well). If you’d like to animate the face as well, you’ll need more layers:

• Left eye normal
• Right eye normal
• Left eye closed
• Right eye closed
• Left eye smile
• Right eye smile
• Left eye scared
• Right eye scared
• Mouth normal
• Mouth open
• Mouth surprised
• Mouth smile
• Mouth teeth
• Right ear
• Left ear

2. How to Add Bones to a Character in Photoshop

To animate our character, we need to assign a „bone” to each body part. All the bones will create a „skeleton” together, allowing you to create a fluid, realistic animation. You can easily add the bones directly in Photoshop by using a special template for quadruped motion.

Step 1

Download the templates pack and go to 01_Templates > Quadruped Template to open the template in Photoshop.

Step 2

We need to bring the template into the file with our character. To do this, make both windows visible, select all layers in the template, and drag them over the character window.

Step 3

With the layers still selected, use the Free Transform Tool (Control-T) to resize the skeleton to fit the character roughly.

Step 4

The template file contains four types of elements:

• Images: the parts of animation that we can see.
• Bones: the parts of animation that direct the movement of the images, though they are not visible during the animation.
• Labels: they help us assign the bones to the correct images.
• Pivot: it defines the ground level.

First, we need to replace the template images with our own, part by part. Open the RL_Image group, and then open a folder inside it, and delete its content.

Replace it with a body part of your character.

Do this with all the folders expect the Neck (which we don’t have), and, if you want to create facial animations later, also the Head. The ears can be animated as a part of the body, but in the case of a forward-facing cat we don’t want them to move too much, so exclude them as well.

Step 5

The images for facial expressions should be prepared the same way, except they have their own folders inside the RL_TalkingHead > HeadImage group. Place the „normal” eyes in the Iris group, and the others in the EyeWhite group.

Step 6

The images are ready, so we can add the bones now. Bones will be created automatically in CrazyTalk Animator; you just need to tell the program where the joints are. You can use the template as a reference to see where the dog has its joints and how they apply to your character.

Open the RL_Bone_Quadruped group. Each body part has its own folder containing the joints’ marks. To place the marks correctly, you can hide the other images while working on one. Start with the tail: place the marks along it, staying away from the borders of the shape. These marks will be the points of bending.

Step 7

Show one of the hind paws now and find its corresponding folder with joints. Place the Foot_Nub mark almost at the tip of the foot, and the Foot mark in the middle.

Step 8

Show the rest of the leg, and add the other joints: Shank for the heel, Thigh for the knee, and UpThigh for the hip.

Step 9

Add joints to the other leg of the pair as well.

Step 10

Come to the legs in the front now. Here, Shank is the wrist, Thigh is the elbow, and UpThigh is the shoulder (the names come from the template for a human character; that’s why they’re a little confusing when you’re creating a cat!).

Step 11

Finish the other leg the same way.

Step 12

Open the Torso folder to assign the joints for the hip and the spine.

Step 13

My character doesn’t really have a visible neck, but we still need to show where it is.

Step 14

If you want the ears to move as a part of the body, add bones to them as well.

Step 15

If you want to animate the facial features, go to RL_TalkingHead and open the HeadBone folder. Place the marks on the corresponding facial features.

Step 16

Finally, place the ObjectPivot directly under the paws of your character (you’ll find it in the RL_Bone_Quadruped group) and take a final look at the whole skeleton. You can see it as a complete structure now, so it should be easier to see if something’s not placed right. If you spot any mistake, just go to the group and shift the mark to the correct place.

3. How to Import a Character Into CrazyTalk Animator

Step 1

Once the character is done and saved, open CrazyTalk Animator and click Create G3 Free Bone Actor.

Your character will be transferred into the program and shown automatically in Composer Mode. You can see how the bones have been created between the joints you’ve assigned in Photoshop. The ears don’t have real bones because I’ve made them a part of the head to stop them from moving (if you want them to move, just place them in their folder in the RL_Image group).

Step 2

In Composer Mode, you can play a bit with the character to see if it’s ready for animation. For example, you can click Preview to test the joints.

Step 3

If you click Edit Pose, you’ll be able to adjust the character.

For example, you can move the whole body part along with its bones, if you’ve discovered a mistake…

… or you can open the Bones Editor to move the bones separately.

Step 4

If these options are not enough for you, and you want to change something more comfortably in Photoshop, just click Launch to External PSD Editor. Or you can simply open your file again, modify it, and import one more time.

Step 5

You can notice that some of the layers have been messed up in the process of assigning the bones. We can fix it now. Just go to the Layer Manager…

… and drag the layers where you want them to be. I’ve placed the ears over the face, and the front right leg and paw above the head.

Step 6

When you’re ready to start animating, just exit Composer Mode by clicking Back stage.

4. How to Add a Simple Animation to Your Character

Step 1

Once you have the character done, it’s very easy to animate it! First, open the Window > Timeline editor.

Step 2

Click Motion to see a typical timeline under your character.

Step 3

CrazyTalk Animator has a set of sample animations that you can use right off the bat. Just go to Content Manager…

… open the Animation tab…

… go to Motion…

… and go through the folders: G3 Animals…

… Cats…

… Move…

… until you get to the list of the available motions. There are many types of motions. Here, for example, you have a starting motion (1S), a loop motion (2L), and an ending motion (3E). You can use all of them to create a fluid movement.

To add the animation, simply select your character and double click the motion. For a simple walking animation, add one Walk(1S), two Walk(2L), and one Walk(3E).

Step 4

To play the animation, you can use the simple controls right over the timeline. To establish the start and the end of the animation, drag the red markers.

It’s walking!

If you want more ready-made motions like this, you can find them in the G3-Animals: Cats pack.

5. How to Create a Custom Animation

The ready-made motions are universal, designed for the bones but not for the images, so sometimes they may not fit your character completely. For example, the Sit and Lick motion wasn’t designed for a forward-facing character like mine. But it’s not a problem—we can create such an animation (and many, many more) by ourselves!

Step 1

Open the 2D Motion Key Editor.

Step 2

Move the marker over the frame where you want your motion to happen.

Step 3

Apply your changes. Move and rotate the bones to position your character.

If you play the animation now, you’ll see the character change its position gradually from the first frame.

Step 4

So our kitten sits down. Now we want it to move its paw up and lick it. As you’ve just noticed, the animation happens between the keyframes—the ones where something was changed (as indicated by a dot on the timeline). If you want your character to stay in the pose for a while before getting animated towards another change, just add a keyframe manually by pressing V.

Step 5

Move the marker to the frame where you want another motion to stop.

Step 6

Position the bones again as you like.

Step 7

Play the animation to see the results! Remember: if something happens too fast or too slow, you can always drag the keyframes to change the intervals between them.

6. How to Animate Facial Expressions

Now you know how to animate the body, but what about the face? It’s not so difficult either!

Step 1

Add a keyframe where you want your motion to start.

Step 2

Open the Face Puppet editor.

Step 3

Select the cat as the Face Animation Profile.

Step 4

Click Preview and move your cursor to the center of your character’s face. Press Space and move the cursor around to see the kitten look at it!

Step 5

There are various default facial expressions available, and their effect will depend on the assets you’ve used. I’ve discovered that the „angry” expression is actually pretty good for licking, if I move the cursor to the left, and quickly up and down!

You can make the character blink by clicking the left mouse button during the preview. This is going to be useful!

Step 6

Practice for a while with the preview until you are sure you know how to move the head to achieve the effect you want. Then click Record and press Space or Enter to record the motion. Press Space again to finish.

Looking good!

Step 7

After the animation of licking stops, I’d like the kitten to move its paw to the ground again. To do this, place a keyframe after the animation.

Step 8

Place the marker some distance from this keyframe…

… and position the character again.

Step 9

After the animation is complete, I’d like the kitten to tilt its head and smile. The first part can be done with the 2D Motion Key Editor…

… and the other with the Sprite Editor.

Step 10

With the marker in the proper frame, select the element of the face you want to change and then select the image you want to replace it with.

It’s smiling!

Step 11

To finish the animation, you can add another keyframe later, with the facial features back to normal.

7. How to Finish the Animation

But what if you want to add some animation at the start, where there are too few frames to add anything? No problem! Let’s just add more frames.

Step 1

Make sure you have the Project on your list.

Step 2

Click Collect Clip.

Step 3

Click Insert Frame.

Step 4

Type the number of frames you want to add. Don’t be afraid to add too many; it’s easy to remove the empty ones.

Step 5

The frames have been added! I’ve decided to fill them with a walking animation.

Step 6

Make sure your two animations both have enough space on the timeline, and that they meet at the correct moment.

Step 7

The kitten is walking in place for now, but it can be fixed. Just go to the first frame and move the character outside of the scene.

The motion speed will be adjusted to the distance automatically.

Step 8

I’ve added more frames between the walking and licking animations to make it all slower. My kitten will now blink cutely and move its tail as well.

Step 9

When your animation is finished and ready to be shown to the world, go to Render > Render Video.

Step 10

Adjust the options to your liking. Make sure the Range of frames is correct!

Good Job!

My kitten is walking, smiling, and licking its paw! And how about your character? I’d love to see your result, so don’t be afraid to share it in the comments!

Post pobrano z: Master Adobe XD With These 4 Courses

Adobe XD is the perfect graphic tool for anyone who designs for the web. It allows for designing, prototyping, and collaborating with others, all from within one application. 

But as it’s still quite a new app, there’s only limited information available out there on how to get the most out of it. So you’ll want to check out these four Adobe XD courses, in which instructor Dan White takes you through the software in detail. 

If you take all four courses, you’ll end up with a comprehensive understanding of how to use the essential tools in Adobe XD, as well as a grasp of more specialised topics like icon design, prototyping, and landing page design. 

1. This Is Adobe XD

Adobe XD (also known as “Experience Design”) is fast becoming the web designer’s graphic tool of choice. In this course, you’ll learn about all of the essential tools you’ll need to start designing and prototyping with Adobe XD.

 

2. Icon Design With Adobe XD

This short course focuses on learning how to use the tools available in Adobe XD to design a variety of different icons. You’ll start by creating a grid to work on, before learning how to use the various tools in Adobe XD to create and customise stylish icons.

 

3. Prototyping an App With Adobe XD

In this course, you’ll learn how to wireframe, prototype, and design an app with Adobe XD. Originally recorded as a livestream, the course takes you through the steps involved in creating several screens for a fictional social platform. It includes detailed discussion of the process from start to finish, including questions from the participants.

 

4. Landing Page Design With Adobe XD

Learn how to wireframe and design a landing page from start to finish, all within Adobe XD. You’ll get detailed instruction on each of the steps involved, as well as looking at some useful tricks and tips that can be used to create this complete landing page design for a fictional company.

 

Watch Any Course Now

You can take any of our courses straight away with a subscription to Envato Elements. For a single low monthly fee, you get access not only to these courses, but also to our growing library of over 1,000 video courses and industry-leading eBooks on Envato Tuts+. 

Plus you now get unlimited downloads from the huge Envato Elements library of 400,000+ creative assets. Create with unique fonts, photos, graphics and templates, and deliver better projects faster.

Post pobrano z: Best Resources of 2017: Awesome Fonts You Must Have!

Get the best fonts of 2017. Check out this list below.

21 of the Best Fonts of 2017

The end of the year is almost here, and you know what that means! We’ve got another great list of premium resources for you.

Today, we bring you 21 of the best fonts from Envato Market and Envato Elements. These fonts feature everything from retro-inspired styles to playful typefaces with bouncy baselines.

Cool fonts are just what you need to create clever and unique designs. Enjoy beautiful script fonts and sans serif styles that are sure to impress.

Download professionally made typefaces that are easy to use! Or get quality help from our experts at Envato Studio.

Learn More About Fonts

New to typefaces? Learn how to use fonts with the help of these lessons:

• 
  Web Typography
  Web Fonts in 60 Seconds
  Kezz Bracey

• 
  Fonts
  How to Create Your Own Font
  Yulia Sokolova

Astronout Signature Typeface

Push the limits with this stunning Astronout typeface. This sleek font features a distinct signature style with realistic finishes. Use it as your official signature on personal documents, brand stationery, and more.

Fusioner Typeface

Or check out this awesome Fusioner typeface with cool graffiti elements. This epic typeface merges street style details with futuristic design. Get access to a full set of letters, numbers, and punctuation in this download.

Parlour Typeface

Reflect that vintage era you’re going for with this retro Parlour typeface. The old-fashioned design features all capital letters along with punctuation and special glyphs. Add a bit of grunge to your work with a subtle typeface.

Burelom Brush Script

Brush scripts give you the best aspects of handwritten design without all the fuss. This Burelom typeface features a natural brush style with a mix of smooth and rough edges. It captures the essence of rugged design while maintaining a nice rhythm. Try it out!

Honeycomb Font

Lure all your customers with this gorgeous Honeycomb font. This modern design features a lovely calligraphic style with fat to thin brush strokes for more appeal. Download this font pack to get full letters and punctuation, as well as international support.

Crazy Marker Graffiti Font

Marker stains are permanent. Avoid the mess that comes with traditional art tools by downloading a graphic graffiti font like Crazy Marker. This handwritten font features 376 glyphs including letters, numbers, and stylistic alternates.

The Douglas Collections

There’s nothing better than a great font bundle. This Douglas collection features 12 of the finest handmade fonts you’ll want to include in your arsenal. Equip yourself with the ultimate font and vector shape combo to transform your workflow.

Bananito Font Duo

Created by our very own instructor, Yulia Sokolova, the playful Bananito font features beautiful curves and quirky details. The design combines common cheery elements with a sleek minimalist style to make your work look fresh and creative. You’ll love this font!

Letter Craft Font

Designers are keeping traditional calligraphy styles alive with digital font types. Check out this Letter Craft font, for example. The design features a modern, trendy look that is suitable for many projects.

Masto Typeface

Launch your dream with a compelling logo. The incredible Masto font features a unique calligraphic design with fluid brush strokes. Get that authentic, hand-crafted feel with a brilliant typeface that looks as if it was just written.

Arion Signature Typeface

It’s always good to keep a few signature fonts on deck. Try this Arion signature, for instance. Test out your name using the easy-to-use text preview to see how it looks. A great deal for designers, this pack gives you two amazing fonts for one price.

Metropolis Font-Family

Some of your favorite fonts have incredible back stories to them. This Metropolis font family was originally inspired by a 1927 Fritz Lang movie and influenced by its classic style. It revives the classic elegance of traditional serif typefaces while maintaining some modernity. Give it a try!

Cebo Font

Futuristic fonts are always sleek and minimal. And this Cebo font doesn’t disappoint. This font package features five professional typefaces with several styles to choose from. Use it for headers and logos, or even on a t-shirt design.

Billy Ohio Typeface

Billy Ohio is a dry brush style typeface that is hard to miss. You’ll love the mix of elegant swooping letters with rough brush accents for any creative endeavor. Download it today to get a full set of numbers, letters, and stylistic alternates.

Maxwell Sans Bold Typeface

Clean and condensed, this Maxwell Sans Bold Typeface is inspired by similar font styles from the 1950s. Incorporate a bit of vintage nostalgic into your work, with a font that is sure to enhance your designs. Test it out!

Zalora Typeface

Display fonts are best suited for fabulous design. And you’ll want to dive into the next incredible adventure with this Zalora typeface. Featuring eight unique display fonts, this pack includes both grunge and inline versions.

Amsterdam Font Collection

Create the perfect postcard of your memories. Download a font like Amsterdam to satisfy the travel lover within you. This collection features four stylish signature fonts with lowercase and capital letters. Enjoy!

Zenzero Grotesk Typeface

There’s nothing grotesque about this Zenzero Grotesk typeface. Featuring a mixture of sans serif and slab font styles, this typeface will set your work apart from the rest. Download it today to use it in endless design projects.

Selfish Font

Selfish is a cheeky, flirty font that will make you feel a little guilty. Enjoy the stylish design with simplistic letters that are absolutely charming. The best part? You’ll be able to use this font in multiple languages, making it an essential asset for everyone!

Brightshine Typeface

Cursive scripts are elegant and romantic. This Brightshine typeface features 313 glyphs with tons of alternate characters. Add it to a Valentine’s Day design or incorporate it into a lovely greeting card to make someone’s day!

The Risk – Handmade Font

Without risk, there’s no reward. The Risk is a tough, handmade typeface featuring a compelling, casual design. Start your next journey with a trendy aesthetic that is both modern and textural.

Conclusion

This list features exciting
resources for the avid designer
familiar with type design. For
additional help with your font needs, enlist the skills of a talented
professional by choosing one of the amazing designers from Envato Studio.

And
with loads of fonts available at your fingertips, chances are we’ve
missed a few to add to your personal collection. Be sure to browse Envato Market and Envato Elements for more resources, and let us know your favorites in the comments below!

Post pobrano z: How to Create a Cozy Winter Character in Adobe Illustrator

Funny warm beanies, pretty mittens, warm chocolate beverages, and a Christmas mood—it’s all about December.

Today we’re going to create a cozy character design illustration using simple shapes and various tools of Illustrator. For example, we’ll work with the Shape Builder Tool, the Pathfinder panel, Zig Zag effect, and more.

So make yourself a cup of hot cocoa, throw a bunch of marshmallows into it, and let’s start. 

If you’re looking for winter inspiration, pop on over to GraphicRiver where you can find thousands of winter-themed vectors.

1. How to Prepare a Document and Make a Background

Step 1

First, set up a New Document (File > New) following these settings:

• Number of Artboards: 1
• Width: 800 px
• Height: 600 px
• Units: Pixels
• Color Mode: RGB

With the help of the Rectangle Tool (M), make an 800 x 600 px rectangle and color it in light beige (#e8dcc5).

Also, turn Smart Guides on (View > Smart Guides).

Step 2

Create a navy blue (#134854) circle by using the Ellipse Tool (L) and align it to the Artboard with the help of the upper Align panel.

Our background is done! Now let’s make a cute character. 

2. How to Make a Girl’s Face

Step 1

Create a yellow (#f9ba48) 100 x 115 px rectangle by using the Rectangle Tool (M) and round both bottom corners to the maximum.

Make two orange (#f68b1e) 30 x 30 px circles and place them on the face as cheeks. 

Step 2

Then, a nose and a mouth.

Make a small 20 x 15 px oval of the same color as the cheeks (pick the color with the Eye Dropper Tool (I)). Add two smaller dark brown (#2f2920) ovals under it as nostrils.

Place the nose on the face.

With the help of the Pen Tool (P) or the Line Segment Tool (\), make a 30 px width burgundy (#d3370d) line. Set 4 pt Stroke and Round Cap in the Stroke panel (Window > Stroke). Drag the middle of the line a bit down with the help of the Anchor Point Tool (Shift-C).

Make a 30 x 30 px red (#f15a2a) circle and place it beneath the line. Select both the line and the circle, choose the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M), and click on the unnecessary bottom part of the circle while holding Alt. Place the mouth on the face.

Step 3

And now we’re going to make ears. 

Create a 35 x 35 px orange (#f68b1e) circle and place a small burgundy (#d3370d) circle with no Fill and 1 pt Stroke on it.

Group them (Command-G) for your convenience. Paste one ear from one side of the head and one from the other.

3. How to Create a Beanie Hat

Step 1

To make a beanie, create a blue (#80b5c5) 45 x 45 px rectangle with corners rounded to 5 px.

Create a 70 x 55 px beige rectangle (pick the color from the background) and round its upper corners to the maximum. 

Place the blue one on the beige (on its lower side) to form a hat.

Step 2

Let’s add a pompom.

Start with an 80 x 80 px blue circle (pick the color from the hat). Make a smaller 15 x 15 px one and place it on the top of the big circle. 

Select the small circle, choose the Rotation Tool (R), and click on the middle of the big circle while holding Alt. 

In the pop-up Rotate panel, set Angle: 360/20 (where 20 is the desired amount of small circles) and click Copy.

Then, Command-D as many times as needed to repeat your last action.

Step 3

Select all the small circles and merge them using the Unite option in the Pathfinder panel.

Copy the resulting shape, delete its inner part (by clicking on any anchor point and pressing the Delete key on your keyboard), and set a 1 pt light blue (#b0cdcc) stroke. Make this element smaller and place it on the pompom. Place two more smaller copies on the pompom.

Add our newly made pompom at the top of our hat base.

Step 4

Add a small light blue vertical line on the blue stripe on the hat. Go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Zig Zag. In the Zig Zag menu, set 4% size, Relative, 4 Ridges per segment, Smooth points, and click OK.

Copy this curved line and paste the copied one on the other side of the blue shape. 

Select the Blend Tool (W) and click on both lines. Then, click twice on the Blend Tool thumbnail and set Specified Steps: 10.

Well then, now that we have a pretty knitted ornament on the beanie, let’s put it on our character’s head. We all know that it’s better to cover your ears in winter, but her ears are too awesome for it, aren’t they?

4. How to Make a Scarf and a Coat

Step 1

Start with a 260 x 90 px blue rectangle (the same color as the hat) and round its corners to 15 px. Turn the shape a bit, copy it, and paste the copied one in the same place (Command-Shift-V). 

Move the copied rectangle beneath the original (you can press Command-[), color it in a darker blue shade, and Reflect it Vertical. Delete the unnecessary parts of the bottom shape by using the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M).

Add two more vertical copies of the first rectangle, color them in darker shades of blue, and place them as scarf edges. 

Step 2

And now we’re going to quickly apply a basic dots pattern.

Just Copy the upper part of the scarf and paste in the same place. Then, go to the Swatches panel and click twice on the Swatch Libraries menu > Patterns > Basic Graphics > Basic Graphic Dots. Choose the 6 dpi 10% pattern. Once you click on its thumbnail, the pattern will fill the shape.

Step 3

Let’s make the pattern a bit bigger. Go to Object > Transform > Scale. Choose Uniform: 150% and click OK. Also set up Overlay blending mode and 15% Opacity in the Transparency panel.

Now you just need to create a copied layer for other parts of the scarf and copy this pattern fill by using the Eye Dropper Tool (I).

Step 4

Create a 190 x 200 px red (#f15a2a) rectangle—it’ll be the body. Add a forearm by using a 60 x 170 px red rectangle. Select its bottom right anchor, choose the Free Transform Tool (E), and drag the anchor a bit to the left while holding Command-Alt-Shift. As you can see, it’s an easy way to move two anchors symmetrically.

Rotate the forearm a bit and place it next to the body.

Step 5

Let’s continue with the arm.

Make another, thinner rectangle and color it in light red (#fc6e47). Round its upper corners to the maximum and connect it with the first part of the arm.

Step 6

And mittens!

Start with a 25 x 45 px blue rectangle with corners rounded to 5 px. Also make a 70 x 55 px rectangle colored in beige and round its corners to 10 px. Place them next to each other. 

Make a 35 px height burgundy line with 4 pt stroke. Form a snowflake by using four copies of this line. Place the snowflake on the mittens. 

Step 7

Add the mittens to the arm and copy all their parts. Group them (Command-G), Reflect Vertically, and place on the other side of the body. 

5. How to Make Hair and a Cup of Cocoa

Step 1

Well then, our girl is waiting for a cup of hot cocoa (she’s also waiting for hair, but let’s make the cup first).

Make a 90 x 90 px light grey (#f2f2f2) rectangle, and round its bottom corners to 20 px. Then make an 80 x 50 px oval with 10 px light grey Stroke and light blue Fill. Place this oval on the rectangle base to form a cup. Go to Object > Expand to expand the oval.

Step 2

Create a 1 pt light brown (#493d38) line and place it between the Stroke and the Fill of the oval. Go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Zig Zag. Set 4% size, Relative, 4 Ridges per segment, and Smooth. Make two more copies of the line and place them under the first.

A small piece of the last line goes over the edge of the oval’s stroke, so delete it by using the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M) as we did before with the scarf.

Step 3

Copy the blue oval, paste in the same place, and recolor it in dark brown (#2f2920). Select the upper line and the dark brown oval and then delete the unnecessary upper part of the oval by using the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M).

Make the handle of the mug from a 45 x 45 px light grey circle with 10 pt Stroke and no Fill.

Place the mug into the hands of the girl.

Step 4

And hair!

Make bangs from three 45 x 45 px dark brown circles. Then, form hair from a bunch of 55 x 55 px dark brown circles on the left side. Use Alt-Drag to make copies of circles quickly. 

Make a shape inside the circles to fill the hole. Unite all the parts by using the Pathfinder panel.

Step 5

Copy the hair shape, make the copied one smaller, and set 1 pt light brown Stroke and make no Fill. You may quickly copy these stroke settings from the cup’s light brown lines by using the Eyedropper Tool (I). Place two of these shapes on the hair to give it a more interesting and ornate look. 

Copy the hair and Reflect it Vertically.

6. How to Insert the Character on the Background

Step 1

Select all the parts of our character and place them on the big navy blue circle.

Then, select only the body of the girl and the big circle. Delete the unnecessary part of the body by using the Shape Builder Tool (Shift-M).

Step 2

Make a simple shiny star from a 10 x 10 px yellow circle and a 30 x 30 px bright yellow (#ffde1a) circle with 10% Opacity. Group (Command-G) them and spread them around the girl. All the stars should be on one layer.

Step 3

Finally, we’re going to make a Clipping Mask. 

Create a copy of the big navy blue circle and paste it in the same place. Select the layer with the stars and the copied circle. Right-click and choose Make Clipping Mask.

We’re done!

What a Warm, Cozy Mood!

We all did a good job. So I hope that it was as funny and joyful a process for you as it was for me.

Share your results in the comments. I’m always happy to see them. And feel free to experiment with colors and details.