From the publisher:

Character Design Essentials brings together the best tutorials from the first thirty issues of Character Design Quarterly (CDQ), a lively, creative magazine filled with inspiration, expert insights, and leading techniques from professional illustrators, artists, and character-art enthusiasts worldwide. Each issue provides detailed tutorials on creating diverse characters, and readers can discover from the artists what it is like to work for prolific animation studios such as Disney, DreamWorks, and Warner Bros. Perfect for beginners to character illustration, and for experienced artists seeking to learn new tips and techniques from fellow industry professionals, Character Design Essentials is loaded with everything needed to support your character-design journey.

Contents:

INTRODUCTION

SHAPE LANGUAGE
Speaking in shapes
Bat to basics
Splendorous shapes
Sting like a bee

NARRATIVE
Characters with a story to tell
Narrative character design
Atmospheric conditions

LINE OF ACTION
A motion masterclass
An emotional reunion
Developing ideas

LIGHTING
Lighten up!
Setting the mood
Lighting for narrative

COLOUR
Adventure with colour
Playing with colour
The tiger's tale

EXPRESSIONS
Expressing emotions: trust & fear
Fruit with feelings
The powerless and the brave

TUTORIALS
A mystery in the making
Stylized animals
If you want rock...

CONTRIBUTORS
Melany Altuna
Kenneth Anderson
Lynn (Qianliu) Chen
Jackie Droujko
Johanna Forster
Tom Hänni
Raahat Kaduji
Aurélie Lise-anne
John Loren
Amanda Macfarlane
Vanessa Morales
Lydia Nichols
Raquel Ochoa
Sara Paz
Anastasiia Platoshyna
Alex Relloso
Joakim Reidinger
Felipe Rodriguez
Eva Stöcker
Melanie Tikhonova
Raquel Villanueva
Jarom Vogel