CHARACTER DESIGN
THE FOUR STEPS OF CHARACTER DESIGN
What is Character Design?
Thinking of how to convey your character without them speaking? Well, that’s character design! Based on what a character wears, how they carry themselves, what colors they have, and even the props or items they carry speak a whole LOT about them.
Yeah, sure. You’d want them to be appealing but that doesn’t mean that they should be over-detailed or always look like your “anime waifu.” Unless, well– that was your intention in the first place, then go ahead! Why not?
….Just don’t blame me if they look generic.
Character design isn’t just about what looks good; it’s about what characters should look like to best complement their personalities and lore.
RESEARCHING
GET TO KNOW YOUR CHARACTER
Write your ideas down
Before anything else, ESPECIALLY before diving into drawing, you have to know what you want to convey first. Know your intent before anything else. Identify and verbalize your intent.
You can start by picking a period in time and the location of where the character is situated. Focus on one thing about your character and revolve around that.
A fun tip though; instead of noting down how you think they are, ask your character some questions. Some examples of those questions are:
Where do they live? How did they grow up?
What’s their general attitude and personality?
Any specialties? Hobbies? Weapons? Interests?
Are they compensating for something?
There are other questions you could ask but those are the ones that could get the engine going!
Here are some of the programs and applications that I use during this phase! Click on one to look at their pages!
ORGANIZING VISUALS
CREATING THE MODDBOARDS
Find some references
Find pegs and organize your thoughts! Always make sure to be intentional or just at least have a concrete and tangible intent. Compile the design aspects you want to see and what you want on your character. You can use existing characters for reference but keep it to a minimum for more originality.
ALWAYS REMEMBER! The character’s design should speak for themself!
Here's something I whipped up myself! It's a raccoon character that acts sneakily like a rogue. They're supposed to be nimble and also have the characteristics of the animal and maybe also the appetite and personality.
SKETCHES & ITERATIONS
PLAYING AROUND AND MAYBE CRYING
Brainstorming thumbnails and silhouettes
Now that you have your mood board and references, it’s time to start with thumbnailing and drawing the silhouettes.
Always remember your design principles! More detail ≠ good design. Make your character more memorable even if you just have the silhouette and colors, you still know it’s them!
Shape language and colors play a huge role in character design. Remember always to note what you want as a focal point and give your character more contrast to lead your eye to that. This can be done with line movement, color, and value
Precautions, Tips, and Tricks!
A tip for looking at the mood board is to zoom out; You’ll only see the general idea of every reference photo you chose. The small details aren’t noticeable and the main point would be seen better.
You could also squint to check the visual weight of things and if everything is harmonious. If it’s top-heavy, or bottom-heavy, color is a bit overpowering if you can still see the main focus point that makes the character “them”
Don’t get too absorbed in it and remember to have fun!
FINALIZING
CHOICES AND RENDERS
CHOOSING THE ONE
You may have done several iterations but you have to choose one that appeals and makes sense the most. You could decide whether you want to finalize and render the one you picked
Make the orthographic views (orthos) or a character turnaround sheet. This is where you could add different poses, visual effects, and even a more zoomed-in and detailed view of important imagery or patterns in their design.
Here's the character I've done based on the moodboard I made and some designs I put in mind. Their name is Piero and a raccoon rogue and thief. They're still adjusting to their surroundings but it's a fast yet steady process.