Character Design Research

The next couple of blog posts and going to be type ups of a lot of research I have done over the course of this module. Some is general character creation tips, that I researched, others and some evaluations of characters that I deconstructed to help me come up with my own.

Credit where credit is due these character creation tips by Jon Burgermen are really good.

Creating Animated Character Tips

Research and Evaluate
Deconstruct why certain characters and their characteristics work and why some don’t, think what makes them successful and why you like them.

Design and Plan
Where will the character be seen (what medium?) for example on a mobile screen would require less detail than a character for film.

Who is it aimed at?
Think about audience. Break down core features eg; personality then focus your design around these key features.

Visual Impact
Everything has been done before, how do you make yours original. Something visually striking such as the Simpsons yellow skin could set your idea apart.

Line Quality and Style
Thick/ soft / round lines make characters seem approachable or cute
Sharp/ scratchy/ uneven lines make for uneasy or erratic characters

Exaggerated Characteristics
Helps the viewer recognise the characters key qualities.

Colour
Colours communicate personality
Blacks/purples/greys are colours traditionally used for “bad” characters
Whites/blues/pinks/yellows are colours traditionally used for “good” characters as they are associated with innocence and purity
Reds/Yellows/Blues are heroic bold colours traditionally associated with characters such as comic superheroes

Adding Accessories
Props emphasis character traits and backgrounds

Scruffy clothes can represent a poor background

Diamonds/bling could emphasise a spoilt/rich character
3D
Even if the character is 2D think about the character in 3 dimensions, visualise from all angles

Conveying Personality
How do the characters react in situations is the best way to demonstrate their personality


Express Yourself
Character Expressions also a key demonstrators of their personality.

Goals and Dreams
What drives the character, why do they get up in the morning?

Building Back Stories
How did the character some to be

Quick on the Draw
Experiment, ignore the rules when just spit balling ideas. If you know the rules you can break them for good effect.

Hone, Plan and Polish
Keep iterating, the best designs come of iteration, constantly look at the design or idea and be cruel does something serve its purpose. Be willing to remove something even if you like the idea but it doesn’t quite fit the character.

Drawn in the Mud
Good characters should be able to be conveyed with as little lines as possible. Experiment drawing the character with less and less lines, or in primitive mediums.

Real life Drawing
Think about the environment the character lives in and what this reflects about the character.

Release the Beast
Show people your work, and get feedback. More importantly see if they can guess the characters personality without knowing anything about it.

Beyond the Character
Think about the other character you character interacts with and the world they live in.

Fine Tune
Iterate again and again.