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Adobe Fresco: Designing Animation-Ready Characters and Backgrounds

  • Course
  • 51 Lessons

Adobe Fresco is a free design application available for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. Learn how to use it to create characters for your animations!

Learn Fresco Basics

Learn how Fresco operates, what the tools do and what special features the app has

Proper Layer Construction

Designing characters with animation in mind requires multiple layers and pieces to be effective. We keep this concept front and center, showing you what layers you should have and the best way to lay them out.

Multiple Ways to Rig and Animate

Once you finish this course you have a number of options for rigging and animating your character. The character PSD can be imported and broken down into individual layers with most animation software correctly handling the layout.

Contents

Introduction

Learn how to get Fresco, access settings and course files.

Welcome to Fresco!
Gaining Access to Fresco
Configuring App Settings
Overview of Common Gestures
Using Primary and Secondary Shortcuts
How to Access Course Files
Fresco Course Files.zip

Getting Started with Documents and Brushes

Here we will cover some basics regarding tools and other Fresco features to lay the groundwork for our own projects

Creating, Organizing and Saving Fresco Documents
Inviting Others to Work
Exporting File Types
Using and Adjusting Pixel Brushes
Using Live Brushes
Using Vector Brushes
Organizing and Importing Brushes
Smudging, Filling and Erasing Artwork

Working with Layers

Layers are important to consider, not only for design organization, but for the type of art you wish to create. In addition, masking and Blend Modes are also possible to use.

Selecting and Transforming Artwork
Copying, Cutting and Pasting
Fresco's Layer Types
Working with Blend Modes and Other Layer Features
Masking with Layers

Designing a Character for Animation

From sketch to final touches, this section covers how to draw a simple cartoon character in Fresco. The key here is how we assemble our layers and prepare groups. You will learn best practices here.

Sketching a Character
Refining the Sketch
Inking a Character's Head
Inking a Character's Body
Sketching and Inking the Hands
Applying Basic Coloring to a Character
Duplicating Limbs

Adding More Detail and Functionality to Your Character

In this section we will go deeper with the character by adding clothing details, highlights, texture and explore how to assemble groups that can be used as switches in animation.

Adding More Clothing Details
Drawing and Grouping Mouth Poses
Creating a Blink Pose
Shading the Character
Highlighting the Character
Adding Texture
Organizing, Merging and Naming Layers
Exporting Character for Animation
Examining a Character with Head Turns

Drawing a Background for an Animated Scene

What good is a character without a background or set to act in? Here we use the perspective tools, along with watercolor brushes, to create a simple set for an animated scene

Using Grids to Sketch the Background
Adding Basic Colors
Coloring in More Details
Inking a Background
Applying Effects and Polish
Organizing and Naming Layers
Exporting Background for Animation

Animating Your Fresco Artwork

Here we showcase different animation apps with our newly designed Fresco assets.

Testing Assets in Character Animator
Testing Assets in Animate
Testing Assets in After Effects
Testing Assets in Moho Pro 14

Conclusion

Final thoughts on Fresco

Organizing and Polishing Assets with Photoshop
Using the Time Lapse Feature
Animating Frame-by-Frame with Fresco Layers
Final Thoughts