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The digital character painting technique has established itself as an essential tool in modern digital animation, transforming the creation of characters with an unprecedented level of detail and expressiveness. This technique not only defines the visual aesthetics of animated productions, but also optimises the production process, bringing efficiency and flexibility to animation studios.

Among the advanced techniques of digital character painting is "digital colouring in layers", where artists apply base colours in separate layers, using tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter or Procreate. Each element of the character, from skin to clothing and accessories, is coloured in its own layer, allowing individual adjustments without affecting the whole. This technique facilitates experimenting with colour palettes and making corrections efficiently.

Also important is the modelling of shadows and lights, techniques that provide better depth and volume to the character. In this regard, lighting is handled with precision, adding fill lights, glows and reflections to enhance the three-dimensionality and dynamics of the character.

In turn, textures play a key role in the realism and believability of the character. Artists apply detailed textures to simulate materials such as fur, cloth, leather and metal, using custom brushes and predefined textures. In addition, fine details such as wrinkles, scars, and decorative elements are added to enrich the character's visual narrative.

Importance and Applications of Digital character painting in Digital Animation

Stylistic Development and Visual Consistency: Digital character painting allows the creation of characters with a strong and distinctive visual identity, vital to the success of any animated production. This technique ensures that characters remain consistent in style and design throughout the entire production, from concept art to final animation.

Optimising the Production Process: The flexibility of the digital medium allows for quick corrections and adjustments, which is essential in the fast pace of animated production. Artists can experiment with different designs and concepts without wasting time, improving workflow efficiency.

Integration with 3D Modelling and Animation: Digitally painted characters serve as detailed references for 3D modelling and rigging, ensuring that designs are faithfully translated into three-dimensional models. This integration facilitates animation and improves the visual quality of the final product.

Audience Attraction and Loyalty: Visually appealing and well-designed characters are key to capturing and maintaining audience attention. In addition, these characters often become merchandising icons, generating additional revenue through spin-off products and strengthening the brand of the production.

Master in Digital Animation

The creation of characters is one of the main areas covered in the Master's Degree in Digital Animation offered by the University of Salamanca. From this degree, skills in character design and production are developed through the teaching of current digital tools such as Maya and Substance.

The application process for this master's degree is still open, with a 20% discount for those interested in applying before 2pm on 31 August. For more details about this degree, please visit the website or contact us at formacionbisite@usal.es.