Action Shot Composition in Photoshop

Create an exciting, effective, and dynamic character-driven scene in this composition tutorial!

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The first thing students will learn in this course is exploring initial designs to use for the rest of the project, as well as tips about reference to makes designs more believable. After the initial design stage, topics like rough posing of characters and rough thumbnailing of compositions will be covered. After a large number of poses and thumbnails have been generated, we’ll be combining our favourite thumbs into a final composition plan. This will be blown up and used for our composition’s rough pass. After the rough, we’ll be getting in-depth with final lineart, discussing how to use overlap and line weight to suggest depth. After the final lines have been completed, we’ll be finishing off our composition with a tonal pass to show atmospheric perspective and basic lighting. Shadows and effects will complete the piece, which can be left as is or taken further into colouring/painting stages. Additional topics covered throughout the course will include basic anatomy, the rule of thirds, making characters more appealing and believable by considering personality and contrast, as well as some Photoshop tips and tricks to make drawing easier, and an explanation of some basic formats and ratios to use in compositions for film or sequential art.


Your Instructor


Colin Searle
Colin Searle

Colin Searle is a Designer and Illustrator living in Toronto and working fulltime as a designer for Elliott Animation, currently taking on freelance and client work from studios like Ubisoft and several others. He likes to exercise and draw, and he's not sure which one he likes doing more!


Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.

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