How to create a character well: 6 basic tips
Before you start developing your character, you need to think well about the whole concept. A whole design is very important before you start drawing.
What is the concept?
The design concept is the very first step in creating a character. In concept art, artists apply different styles, look at different concepts of fictional universes, create something unique, and use different sets. Concept art exists so that the artist can show it to the art director or other creative colleagues and together they can choose the final design.
When creating characters from video games, comics, manga, anime or cartoons, artists come up with a certain concept of a character to reveal its personality and backstory through its appearance. Character design can create a good memorable image that will stay in the viewer's mind, and thanks to interesting characters, the story is much easier to develop.
Character Design Concept. What is it?
A character design concept is the beginning of character development. In concept art, artists apply different concepts or styles of the fictional universe, creating something unique. Concept art allows you to look at all the layout options beforehand and choose the best one.
How to design a good character
Character designers must understand the completely fictional world in which their character lives. To create an interesting character, try to get feedback, take some surveys from people who will tell you what they are interested in:
- Learn more about real life. If you know how people show their emotions, you can create an interesting logical world and a character that is grounded.
- Analyze the characters that already exist. Study your most beloved ones to see why they became appealing to you. Pay attention to why the character and their design support the story's plot. When you learn to understand your favorite characters-you'll find it much easier to understand your own.
- Feedback. From your very first sketch, concept art, to the final character design, it's important to make sure your character fits the script. Ask for people to leave their opinions about the character and tell you how they see it.
6 basic tips for designing your character
Designers create concepts with digital pictures, illustrations, and so on. Before you start drawing in pencil or Photoshop, think about the following things:
- It's important to know your audience. The demographics of your project will be able to figure out how much you need a complex, or conversely, simpler character. For example, if you're designing a children's book or participating in a film for children - you'll probably want a more colorful character, and his or her form shouldn't be too complicated. On the other hand, characters in adult video games are often better developed and have more different small details.
- Practice in making the world. Think about where your character is - that's what will help you understand his personality and what he should be wearing. For example, if the character lives on some spaceship, you can add some mechanical and robotic parts to his design. And if the character exists in a fantasy world, you can decorate it with a bear skin or a big oak shield.
- Language of shapes. One of the most basic factors in character design is the use of basic shapes. Body shape helps to express your character's individuality. For example, in anime, cute characters are most often more round and drawn a little simpler than others.
- Character personality. It's important to know who your character is. What he believes in, what he dreams about, how he used to live and how he behaves with other people. If the character has a more positive outlook on life, give him more color. Also, the character's poses can be great for conveying their mood and character.
- Experiment with color. Your character's color also shows his personal traits.
- Be simpler! If your character is well-designed, people can understand it immediately when they look at it. Simplicity is very important in creating an animated character. Animators have to work very hard to make a complex drawing move. A simpler design greatly reduces cost and production time. In cartoons, characters often have three or four fingers because it's so much easier to animate that way.
Was this article helpful?115 Posted by: 👨 Michael A. Ratchford
