Life to Legend (LtL) is dedicated to describing anything that’s alive, a legend or extinct in a scientific, evolutionary, historic and cultural way with as goal to not only educate, but also give clear directions to anyone that has some sort of storytelling component within their work or hobby. This could be creature or character designs, (fictional) worldbuilders, storywriters and more.
There are many amazing artists out there, and some of them use YouTube as a platform to teach. So, if you are looking to learn something new, or want to understand different approaches to the same subject a bit better? These artists are a great place to start. They will help you getting a better understanding of the work field, different techniques and approaches, and different materials and tools.
Tessa Geniets
Hi! My name is Tessa, I’m a Dutch artist, art director, and creative project manager. I love to share my passion for this craft, nature, art and fantasy, and do that by creating this archive and community, alongside my company Tez Art & Design.
Table of Contents (Click to (un)fold)
What artists to follow on YouTube?
This might be the first question you come up with when you look for interesting artists to follow on YouTube. Or maybe you joined a Facebook group that happened to discuss a few, In any case: You should follow an artist that feels good to you and whose art you like. Or one that specializes in something you think will be beneficial for you to learn. But also look for artists that show you the real scope of the work, the different kinds of jobs and positions, and, most important in my opinion: Artists that address mental issues that come with being an artist. So here we go, 10+ teaching YouTube artists you don’t want to miss!
Adam Duff
Lets kick off with one of my favorites, Adam Duff, also known as LucidPixul. Adam Duff has been working for several companies, including Disney, and Electronic Arts. In the past he’s been an art director, animation director, concept artist/illustrator, 3D modeller, character designer and much more. But today, he mostly does private teaching. This reflects in his YouTube video’s as well. These days you won’t see much tutorials anymore. Instead he shares way more valuable information:
About the video’s
Experience from the field.
In-depth book reviews and illustration analysis.
Great artistic skills, specializing in dark fantasy characters/creatures and scenes.
A lot of knowledge about, and experience with the daily struggles of artists, from his own perspective, or that of his apprentices.
Great advice on how to deal with roadblocks and being an artists on a day-to-day basis.
An open, understanding, and gentle approach on any art related subject.
Frequent technical equipment reviews.
A genuine personal touch. The videos may be planned, but the content is rarely edited and the talks aren’t scripted.
Adam Duff is an absolute must in your playlist. When you’re just starting out, doing art for a living may feel like a dream coming true. That is not untrue, but it requires a heavy dose of self-discipline and reliance. More than in most other professions. Being an artist is by all means not easy, Practicing takes a lifetime, you will be harsh on yourself, and people around you may not understand what it takes to be an artist. Also, artists usually see and experience the world differently. Knowing what you are getting yourself into, or understanding that you are not alone when you hit yet another roadblock, is worth gold. So no matter if you’re starting out, are struggling, or doing just fine: Adam Duff, have him in your list!
When you want to learn art, and especially if you’re looking to become a creature designer, one of the first artists you come across is probably Bobby Chiu. Bobby is a wonderful artist and knows how to connect with people very well and built a huge community overtime. He has been working through his own studio for companies like Disney, Dreamworks, Warner Bros, Blue Sky, EA, Blizzard and more. When you look at his YouTube channel, you will find many things. From community challenges, to tutorials from many different artists. And from speed-paintings to more personal talks and thoughts. But interviews of famous artists, and streams can be found there too. He covers topics like 2D and 3D art, among many other things.
Bobby Chiu is the owner of Schoolism, a community based platform with tutorials from wonderful artists that not only can draw, paint, sculpt or animate very well, but also know how to teach. Bobby’s classes can be found here as well. If you want to be influenced by a broad spectrum of people, this channel is great for you!
About the video’s
Many different subjects are covered, from 2D to 3D to animation.
A lot variation in the content.
Great interviews of amazing artists, an amazing way to discover new artists.
A lovely open community.
Experience from the field.
Great artistic skills, especially when it comes to creature designs.
A business mindset.
Open and approachable personality.
When he’s in between two jobs, he posts new YouTube videos almost daily.
Bobby Chiu is not one you should skip. If not for him, you should at least follow his channel for the great tutorials and interviews from many other talented artists. Just like Adam Duff, he’s been in the field for decades. Knowledge from people like them is absolutely priceless.
Aaron Blaise is probably one of the best known creature designers out there. He is known for his signature drawings which are a cross between a realistic and cartoonish look, which look really well together and create an undeniably recognizable style. You can see any of his works anywhere, and you will know it’s from Aaron. Aaron has been working for years for Disney and worked on movies like Belle and the Beast, the Lion King and directed and illustrated the movie ‘Brother Bear’.
He has a deep connection with nature and animals, this reflects very clearly in his art. You will rarely see him draw anything else but animals and creature designs. He owns the company Creature Art Teacher, where he sells courses on different subjects. Largely related to creature designs and animals. Most of his videos are no screen capture videos, but also show shots of him drawing in his office, while being interviewed by his son. And many of the videos are actually live. This is a big plus because you can ask all of your questions, and you get to see all of the mistakes he makes, and follow his thought process.
About the video’s
Easy to approach.
Live and realtime videos.
Decades of experience in the field.
Both animation and 2D art are discussed.
Real animals, creature designs and animal character designs.
Traditional and digital art.
A master in color and lighting.
Great knowledge of animal anatomy.
Long videos.
Aaron Blaise, unlike Adam or Bobby, doesn’t have a community built around his courses. The courses can be bought separately and frequently have large discounts you may want to look out for. He does this especially in times of need, like during the Covid pandemic. His videos are long, and they feel personal and housely. Even if you don’t want to watch his art, it’s still a pleasure to listen to.
Marco Bucci is known for his mastery in color and impressionistic way of drawing. He uses heavy textures and bold colors and his ideas sometimes are otherworldly. He doesn’t post very frequently, but his video’s are always worth the wait. Watching him play with color with little preparation, feels like magic. He draws all kinds of things. from plein air, to creature design, and from portraits to caricatures. Marco’s tutorials always come with plenty of visual explanations which are very easy to digest. Even if you don’t care much about color, or his art style, I urge you to follow him anyway because of these reasons.
For as far as I know, he doesn’t sell courses nor does he tutor anyone. But his experience in the art field clearly shines through in his free YouTube tutorials. He also has a few books for sale on his websites. Before starting his own company, he worked as an art instructor, concept artist, designer and matte painter for many different companies.
About the video’s
Absolute color mastery.
Very well explained and illustrated tutorials.
An eye-opening style.
The video’s are thorough and sometimes even are part of a series on the same subject.
Good at pointing out obvious things you may miss out on, because they are obvious.
BoroCG, also known as Boro Dante is a Ukranian artist who really has to be on this list. He is fairly unknown compared to many other artists but is quickly gaining ground. Boro is an entertaining artist, well-articulated and straight to the point. He says what he thinks and means what he says. His many tutorials are very useful, even for the more advanced artists among us. He thinks a lot about his drawing process and on the way comes up with tips and ideas. Where many things become ‘second nature’ to us artists, and we stop thinking of why we do things the way we do, Boro is right there to point it out for us and keep us sharp.
Apart from his tutorials he also makes his own paintings and shares his thought processes along the way. He will point out the mistakes he makes, why it doesn’t work, and then show you what does work. His paintings aren’t always real-time, but the most important parts are, making these videos really bite-size and easy to digest. And if you want an overpaint, you can subscribe right to his Patreon page and make a good chance of him doing an overpaint of your artwork in one of his ‘Overpain’ videos.
About the video’s
In-depth tutorials.
Overpaints for Patreon supporters.
Wonderful creature designs.
Direct and to the point character, and so is his advice.
Able to point out things you missed all along, but is right in front of you.
Bite-size ánd in-depth videos. His content is packed with great advice and the video lengths is subjective to this advice.
Some self-criticism and humor is involved in his videos.
Mainly works in 2D, but sometimes in 3D as well.
Does many different styles he applies depending on the subject.
Yea, what can you say. Robot Pencil is a speed-painting MASTER. RobotPencil, also known as Anthony Jones is an avid concept artists and focuses his work mostly around character designs, which are more often than not, very otherworldly. Most of his video’s are demo’s from his online classes (which tends to be sold out most of the time). In others he paints while answering questions. So if you are at a loss and just want to learn something, watching surreal speed-paintings, or you are in need of listening to a warm manly voice, this is your place to go! Disclaimer: Don’t think you’ll ever become as quick as him. That’s an unrealistic goal (although not impossible). Just making sure you don’t set any unrealistic goals for yourself early on. He really is the Usain Bolt of the artist world.
About the video’s
This man is the embodiment of good fundamentals!
In many videos, he talks you through every step he makes.
During his videos, he will discuss art, or answer questions he’s been asked.
His channel is basically one giant course.
A perfect example of someone that looks for the boundaries of what’s possible, crosses the boundary and still manages to make his work believable.
Drawing mainly humanoid creatures.
Makes futuristic, modern-day, and historically inspired artworks.
Ahmed Aldoori is a weathered concept artist. He worked on Guild Wars 2, among other things. Ahmed specialized in mainly concept character design, and costumes, but also does environments. These days he teaches at Art Center College of Design, as well as working on several freelance jobs. Unlike many other artists Ahmed shares a lot of reviews and comparisons, be that on equipment, or different brushes he can use in Photoshop. But his channel is full of very useful tutorials, art talks and streams. He is pleasant to listen to, had humor and is open about himself, his career and his past.
Proko was probably one of the first artists I came across. Not because I wanted to draw characters, but just because he’s such a big name out there. Proko, also known as Stan Prokopenko is a master artist in human anatomy. He has a website filled with tutorials and online courses. If you’re out to draw humans or humanoids, this is one that hás to be in your playlist. When you’re just looking to work on basic knowledge, you will be fine with his YouTube channel. If you want more: His courses are gold.
He’s a pleasant guy to listen to, his video’s are well-made and are humorous and to the point, and he posts very frequently. He also tends to collaborate with other artists, and has a really nice podcast with Marshall Vandruff, an absolute veteran in the field of art, with significant knowledge, This podcast is called Draftsmen and can also be found on YouTube.
About the video’s
Has extremely in-depth knowledge about anatomy.
Great place to learn perspective and foreshortening.
Step-by-step explanations of his process.
His youtube channel is the place to start if you want to learn anatomy.
Collaborates with, and interviews other artists.
Goes about one subject a time in his anatomy videos.
Useful art talks.
Humoristic approach.
It Covers different art styles, from realism to sketches, and caricatures to cartoons.
Dace Greco is a real veteran in digital art. He worked for many different companies in the gaming industry as a lead artist, lead concept artist, texture artist, and more. This for companies like Electronic Arts. His channel is packed with tutorials and paintings he narrates, and from time to time he also does portfolio reviews and collaborations with other artists. He discusses many mainstream topics within the artwork but also goes in-depth on many topics. Be that art-related or industry-related. His focus is mainly around character designs, but he does quite a few creature designs too.
About the video’s
One of the art veterans out there.
Much experience in the industry.
Explains in detail what he does during his videos, and also points out limitations you should keep an eye on.
Master character- and creature designer.
Does portfolio reviews through Twitch (and Twitch points).
Explains fundementals as well as more complex topics.
Ethan Becker is well, different. You love him or you hate him. He really is a persona and you have to be able to understand when he’s joking and when not. This because he really doesn’t mind about what people think of him and his opinion. He is a great artist with a lot of experience and advice. And when you can look through his facade, it’s very easy to laugh about him and his comments and remarks. He is blunt and direct like no other, but he really knows what he’s talking about. This artist is not for everybody, but if he is for you, than you can learn a hell of a lot from him!
About the video’s
Entertaining persona.
Has a lot of knowledge about art and the industry.
Gives you a little break from all seriousness in the field.
Does Lightbox portfolio reviews.
Hardware reviews.
Art talks.
Talks about topics that are relevant at a specific time.
A list of ten artists isn’t enough to show them all. Heck, 20, or 50 wouldn’t even be enough. But it will be a drudge to read through them all. So, up here I tried to share a wide variety of artists, of which most do creature design as well. Some of the others are remarkable in other ways. It’s up to you who speak to you the most, but I recommend giving them all a fair chance. A broad perspective and knowledge is key in art.
So, there are more, much more! You will find them overtime, but let me help you out a bit more with some other artist you shouldn’t miss out on. They are no less or more than some of the other artists mentioned here before. So take your time to get to know them too!
Modern Day James – Veteran artist, many tutorials, art talks, and interviews of other artists.
Kyle T Webster – An artist with a lot of experience in the field. Does many tutorials in different digital programs.
Andrew Tischler – Master traditional painter of animals, landscapes, people, and more. Also had a lot of tutorials.
Brookes Eggleston – A veteran artist with a cartoonish style. Has many tutorials on his channel, art talks, and also creature designs.
Jazza
Chuck Black art – A hyperrealistic traditional painter who clearly describes the steps in his process. Or just shut down the sound, put on some music, and dream away.
Marc Brunet – Weekly live streams, tutorials, and guides. Mainly focuses on character designs.
Ross draws – Overpaintings, (hybrid) character designs, tutorials, and more. All with a somewhat anime feel.
Bobby Duke – Not an illustrator per se, but his character and the way he shows his process, will at least light up your day.
Interviews and art-talk channels
There are many out there, but these are the ones I tend to listen to frequently when I’m drawing or am on my bike. If you have more suggestions, please let me know!
Draftsmen – In-depth art talks with Proko and Marshall Vandruff about the industry, mental health, and art.
Art Broz – Community discussions, interviews, challenges, and art talks.
Honest Designer Show – Honest show about the design- and art world. A real must-listen.
Other channels that may catch your attention
These are large companies that specialize in one thing or another. There are way more out there, but this might get your inspiration going. Know more of these channels? Please let me know!
Imagine FX – About Imagine FX by Imagine FX, many tutorials on any digital medium.
Blizzard – About Blizzard by Blizzard. Gaming industry.
Weta Workshop – All about costume- and creature design.
Wonderful character and creature designers without a YouTube channel
These artists have no Youtube channel. But you can find them everywhere. Just type in their names on Youtube, and you will find plenty interviews and collaborations with them!
Loish – Character designer with remarkable color- and lighting skills.
Terryl Whitlatch – THE creature designer out there. Coming from a scientific angle.
I really hope this article helped you out, and will keep helping you out for a long time to come. Let me know if you think there are some teaching artists missing, or if you have something to add on the other topics. This article will be kept up to date throughout time, so whenever you’re out of inspiration: Know where to find it!
Looking to tackle your first illustration, and thinking of making a creature design? Use the creature prompt generator, and have a read through these topics:
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