Just for Fun: Donald and Friends Flat Illustrations

I wanted to do some more experimentation with Adobe Capture and Illustrator. One of the most difficult challenges when making a project for fun is deciding on a subject matter. My thought: “Why not Disney?”

Donald is my favorite of the original gang because he seems to have the largest range of emotion which made him relatable. He is often bullied by his nephews, which also implies he is in need of the most love. This is why I started with a classic Donald sketch. Then I used Adobe Capture to outline and bring into Illustrator. The net step was to establish a grid and color.

For further practice, I drew toddler Mickey and Friends with simplified forms. The project was a fun challenge. I learned about aligning to grids, using gradients and strokes, and improved my shape-making efficiency.

What sort of animated or cartoon characters are your favorites and why? How would they look if you turned them into a flat illustration?