#im obsessed with character design

[splynter]

any advice for drawing iterators? I’m trying to get a good design but it’s fighting me I know what I’m going for but…

Oh fuck yeah, something I can RAMBLE about.

TLDR: Figure out your character’s identity, build around it, i use simple shapes, robotify

NOW FOR THE LONGER VERSION

Generally when I start designing an iterator I already have a basic idea in mind. Their personality and environment plays a huge role in that. Drawing iterators in particular all depends on what you’re going for. Some people draw iterators exactly like the official art, while others do their own thing and get real creative with what an Iterator Puppet really means

When I draw an iterator, this is the general kind of structure I go for.

I don’t always use it though. SOLA has specific design choices I draw only for them, and that goes for most of my characters.

Antennae really help with iconic iterator silhouettes. It can even help explain their personality. When I was designing SOLA, their antennae were the first things I nailed down: I drew antennae on blank circles. It really helped with silhouette planning and character design. Try different shapes, lines, curves, anything you think that will stand out. I try to make sure every antennae design I make is fresh and different

Another thing you could think about when designing an iterator is thinking how THEIR architect would design them. This makes for cool storytelling opportunities. Maybe how their architects designed them is exactly the opposite of their personality, or maybe it creates some narrative foils as their arcs progress.

The way I draw iterators is fairly simple compared to some. I stick to big shapes, simple patterns, and select colors that are easy for me to remember and replicate. I don’t get rid of my anatomy guidelines and instead use them to give a general illusion that they’re made of different parts. Part of this is because im lazy, but it’s also because I like seeing that kind of definition. The idea of metal, in a way. Lots of patterns are just too tedious for me to draw and redraw constantly, so I also usually keep them to a minimum

But you can definitely get more detailed with everything! Look up pictures of real animatronics, or look at animated ones, or other games. There’s a whole bunch of references to choose from. And when in doubt, draw a shape and play with it. You might get something that works out of it

This went all over the place but I hope that answered your question :]

[dawndauce]

never separate them :-(

[yokyoaaa]

GET MESMERIZED IDIOT‼️💥💥💥💥💥💥‼️💫💫🌀🌀

[sadagios]

my right hand man.

+ some really really rough sketches of duos for the au. if you cant figure whats going on with the sketches, dont worry, i cant either.

[lukitua]

The moon floated on the still black waters, shattering and re-forming as her ripples washed over it.

Daenerys in the Womb of the World

[melonnlee]

FIREBALL!!!

ddvau tango the man that you are (au by @xmaruu11 and @kitsuneisi)

[derpyy-y]

BATCH 1 OF EAH DESIGNS!! been obsessing over the show recently and that means I Have To Redesign The Characters (for funsies, because i love character design)

like my monster high designs, this is more like my own personal au so it does totally differ from canon in some ways… cause i am a girlthing who comes up with so many headcanons. All the time.

i think from these, ashlynn & briar are the most notably different (although ashlynn the most)

i wrote a bit of explanation lore under the cut, + some zoom ins! feel free to ask me anything i love to yap

[chaoparty]

my fields of mistria farmer (featuring sweetcorn! 🐥)

[hellspawnmotel]

I read kikaider

[eshithepetty]

Doodles of me experimenting with my own bbq!ENA design, making her more creachure, trying out expressions.... very self indulgent but I don't care RAAAAGHGGGHG ARFHGGG RAGHG

[ID: colored and shaded doodles of worker ENA from ENA Dream BBQ. She has a few changes to her design, namely: her ears are more animalistic, moving in accordance to her emotions; she has a golden ring on her right ear and a golden hair clip holding back a lock of hair on her white side; she has slight markings on either of her sides; and her outfit has minor changes, adding a bit more detail, as well as adding a dark green watch to her red arm.

The first doodle is lineless, of ENA screaming in anger, her hands clutched at her side. The markings on the white side (on her face and arms) are spiky. The next doodle is lined, but the lineart is colored to fit with the shading, and it's of her walking forwards, clawed hand at her hip and the other raised in a wave, face downturned in a slightly angry expression, mouth open, markings slightly less spiky. The next three doodles are similarly lined headshots of different expressions - first is of her staring, wide eyed, blushing so hard it merges the two sides of her face in a pale orange blush; the next is of her looking up and grinning with her meanie side; and the next is of her seeming embarrassed, looking down and to the side, slightly blushing. The final doodle is another lineless drawing of her sitting down, one leg over the other, claws holding onto her hat and her smiling with her salesperson side as she looks at the camera. End ID.]

[garliicgun]

girlboss, gatekeep, gaslight (in that order)

[averlym]

"you're lost, little girl"

[mochiiniko]

BUNKA

JUNKA

SHAKALAKA

non blurred ver and reference under the cut :>

[mooneyedmoth]

I have been spinning these girls around my head for 13 years

[froggymug]

"IT'S!! TV!! TIME!!!"

Naturally, I am hopelessly bewitched by the Deltarune CRT............. I need him so bad-

Ahem. Yearning aside, wanted to doodle my own take on his design! If I draw him again, will definitely go for something simpler, but this was fun!

(Bonus variations include a "base" nekkid design and a Sphinx Tenna! He so kitty cat :3)

[marstectomy]

Translating 3D into 2D is hard so I've been studying his face and I can't help loving the range Nathaniel has. Incoming rant about his design.

Might have been a quirk of the old style or his model maybe being among the cheap ones, but even then, Nathaniel really seems to be one to have a perpetual resting bitch face in the show, along with bombastic side eyes and killer gazes. Very fitting for the quiet, shy, and insecure art kid who sports a notable emo bang and thinks everyone is secretly mocking him.

However when he is happy or excited he REALLY lights up, showing how cute he can be.

I do also think that the new style, as much as it was an improvement, also gave him a major shift in his vibe, becoming almost a different character that looks much, much softer, and rounder. (One could argue this is due him becoming a more happy and open person overall, thanks to finally making better friends with everyone, and meeting Marc). I'm still glad that he still has his killer gazes when it's due, tho!

Differences between both models are subtle, but made a world of difference, specially his nose, much more angular, thin and pointy in the old model, but more round and wide in the new one, and it really changes the way his character is perceived. Overall, it seems like he finally was fed because he looks more meaty in the face. (And he was given freckles, cute!!!)

Ironically, this makes him look younger than his old self! At least to me, now he looks more closer to a pre-teen, whereas the old model def had that teen look to him (the wardrobe change is also highly responsible, as a prep look will always look more mature than overalls with splashes of paint). And again, him looking younger is ironic, considering he seemed to have a growth spurt between season 5 and 6, lol.

Interestingly, refining him to look younger and more cute, makes it so Caprikid, who has a strong presence and frame, looks completely like a different person. (which wasn't the case as much with old Nath and Caprikid)

However, this wasn't a post meant to delve on Caprikid, so I'll stop it here.

As a last fun fact, I like how there is a conscious effort to disguise his identity, as 98% of his freckles get covered when he puts on the mask! (Only a few on his nose are visible)

Here ends my rant about Nathaniel Kurtzberg's design, character that has taken over my brain like a parasite for the last 6 days