#Developing character concepts

[digitoonzmediaindia]

Character Design: From Concept to Creation

Creating a memorable character is like cooking up a magical recipe. It’s all about blending imagination, storytelling, and a pinch of technical skill. Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned pro, the journey of character design is a wild ride full of twists and turns. Ready to dive in? Let’s explore the exciting world of character design, from the first spark of an idea to the final masterpiece!

Step 1: The Spark of Inspiration

Every awesome character starts with a spark of inspiration. This can hit you while reading a book, watching a movie, daydreaming, or even while brushing your teeth! The trick is to grab onto that spark and let it light your creative fire.

Picture this: you’re designing a character for a fantasy video game. Maybe you’re inspired by mythical creatures from ancient tales. You see a majestic, winged warrior with the strength of a lion and the wisdom of an owl. Boom! You’ve got your starting point.

“Inspiration is everywhere and often where you least expect it.” — Chuck Jones

Step 2: Concept Development

With inspiration in hand, it’s time to dive deeper. Develop your character’s backstory, personality, and quirks. Ask yourself fun questions like:

What makes your character tick?

What are their superpowers and weaknesses?

How do they vibe with the world around them?

For our winged warrior, maybe they’re the last of their kind, on a mission to find a magical relic that can save their homeland. They’re brave but feel the weight of their epic quest.

Step 3: Visual Exploration

Now, let’s get visual! Start with rough sketches to play around with shapes, poses, and expressions. Don’t worry about making it perfect; this is your playground.

Think about:

Silhouette: A cool silhouette makes your character instantly recognizable.

Proportions: Play around with exaggerated features to add flair.

Details: Scars, accessories, or funky tattoos can tell your character’s story.

For our winged warrior, try out different wing shapes, armor styles, and facial expressions. Maybe they have a battle scar or a unique emblem showing their heritage.

“Every great design begins with an even better story.” — Lorinda Mamo

Step 4: Refining the Design

You’ve got a bunch of cool ideas, so now it’s time to polish them. Pick the elements that scream "this is my character" and refine them into a slick, cohesive design. Pay attention to colors, textures, and materials to make your character pop.

Create a detailed turnaround sheet showing your character from all angles. This will keep your design consistent and serve as a handy reference for future art or animations.

Step 5: Bringing Your Character to Life

With your refined design, it’s showtime! Bring your character to life in your favorite medium. This could be a digital illustration, a 3D model, or even a traditional painting. Add depth, lighting, and shading to make your character feel real.

Imagine your winged warrior in a heroic pose, wings spread wide, ready to soar. Or if you’re into 3D, sculpt a detailed model with intricate textures and realistic lighting.

Software to Use:

Adobe Photoshop: Great for digital painting and creating detailed illustrations.

Clip Studio Paint: Excellent for character design, especially for comic and manga artists.

Blender: A powerful, free tool for 3D modeling, rigging, and animation.

ZBrush: Industry-standard for detailed 3D sculpting and modeling.

Procreate: Perfect for sketching and painting on the go with an iPad.

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” — Steve Jobs

Step 6: Storytelling and Beyond

A well-designed character is more than just eye candy; they’re a storytelling machine. Throw your character into different scenarios and see how they react. This adds depth and opens up new adventures.

Maybe your winged warrior teams up with an unexpected ally, sparking a new quest. Or they discover a hidden talent that changes their destiny. The sky’s the limit!

Conclusion

Character design is a thrilling journey where creativity meets storytelling and skill. From that first spark of inspiration to the final creation, each step is a chance to breathe life into your ideas. So, grab your sketchbook, unleash your imagination, and embark on the adventure of character design. Who knows? Your next creation might be the next big thing in art and storytelling.

Happy designing!

[scurviesdisneyblog]

The art of HΣRCULΣS (1997) by John Musker, Sue Nichols, Gerald Scarfe, Andy Gaskill, Jeff Ranjo, Francis Glebas, and Tom Cardone.

[debbie-sketch]

Among animals there is said to be a mysterious psychic dance between predator and prey.

[rockandroar]

Outta the way! The kings of Metal are charging in! 🤘🏼Meet Steel Stampede, fronted by the legendary Grant Ruffalo. In the world of Rock & Roar, heavy metal music was originated by, and belongs to, animals with horns, and that’s the origin of the “🤘🏼” hand symbol. The last image is a drawing of Grant from all the way back in 2013. Miles will meet these guys in chapter 4!

[zeroperks]

bug bus bug bus bug bus!!!

[luchsyy]

creative and witty and unique caption

process GIF (i swear one day i will figure out how to record timelapses in photoshop) + ooc doodles from a stupid 20 page comic that i will never post publicly. xoxo

[jasminumtea]

Desi inspired Alice in Wonderland ✨🪷

[fruitgravies]

captive audience

insta • twt • prints

[mennany]

I did a thing

(Please tell me the fonts are readable. I spent probably 24~ hours on them just so I could use them in my art.)

Original by VioletMadness7 on Twitter/X!

[toorumlk]

mudblood and blood-traitor, the one couple who made it

[chloe-farr]

Old research, for new film. Poisson d’amour

[mattydraws]

Matts Free Messy Brush Pack + Texture Assets for Procreate is now available for download over on my Gumroad storefront: here

This Messy Brush Pack is listed as free/pay what you want - it's important to me that creative tools and resources are financially accessible to those who want to explore and play but can't feasibly do so - if you want to test the brushes out, you can always pay later (but it is not mandatory) if you do want to support my practice!!

What's Included?

x4 of Matts Messy Brushes:

Messy Inky Outline – a light and loose ink brush that can be used for linework, it emulates the build up of ink depending on the pen tilt angle.

Messy Ink Liner – designed to emulate a dry ink texture with grit, feels like your trusty ink pen is almost out of ink.

Messy Inker – great for blocking out shapes and forms, is slightly translucent - can be used as a quick & dirty fill brush.

Messy Pencil – emulates a soft pencil quality that builds up, you use the Inky Outline brush as an eraser to tidy up the rough edges after rendering to your hearts content.

x12 Texture Asset Files:

Texture Assets – a selection of 12 custom texture files, they are all in Grayscale, use them as clipping masks on fill layers or linework, play with the layer filter types and opacity (they're great fun the adjust, my favorite preference is the soft light layer filter at 60% opacity!!) you can erase parts of them using the brushes in this Messy Brush pack to better curate where you want texture to be in your piece, generally are very intuitive to work with!!

I am currently hard at work developing + revising what will be a larger brush pack for Procreate - currently at 60+ brushes in counting - custom brush stamp shapes, grains etc. This future brush pack will be appropriately priced and be released alongside a condensed version of the pack, so customers who are low-income can still partake and play with some fun brushes. Thank you for your support and enjoy these free tools + assets!! If you would like to stay updated with my work, you can find me over on: instagram | bluesky | twitter | patreon | linkedin *ੈ✩‧₊˚

[scurviesdisneyblog]

Early visual development for Wish (2023) by Griselda Sastrawinata-Lemay and Brittney Lee.

An earlier version of the film saw Star take on a human form as a magical, glowing character inspired by Peter Pan. Ultimately, the creative team reconceptualized Star as an ethereal, playful entity resembling Mickey Mouse. "Now Star and Asha have an emotional journey. They are soulmates." -Allison Moore.

[debbie-sketch]

[mildcrow]

The moon goddess and the sun stallion 🌞🌙

[thepedanticbohemian]