#Tips Design

[iniro]

HII my character & shape design tips PDF is now available! ^_^ hope you enjoy !!

BUY HERE or HERE

[lukmanansari]

Cara Membuat Desain Blog yang Minimalis dan Menarik

Hai semuanya desain blog yang menarik bukan hanya tentang estetika ya kawan, tetapi juga tentang bagaimana pengalaman pengguna yang membuat mereka nyaman. Nah salah satu tren desain blog yang terus populer dari masa kemasa ya adalah gaya minimalis alias ramah dengan pembaca, ibaratnya itu ketika kita membaca sebuah artikel kita merasa nyaman membacanya tanpa ada gangguan apapun itu. Desain…

[literaryvein-templates]

Writing Worksheets & Templates

will update this every few weeks/months. alternatively, here are all my tagged Writing Worksheets & Templates

Chapter Outline ⚜ Character- or Plot-Driven Story

Death & Sacrifice ⚜ Magic & Rituals ⚜ Plot-Planning

Editing: Sentence Check ⚜ Writing Your Novel: 20 Questions

Tension ⚜ Thought Distortions ⚜ What's at Stake

Character Development

50 Questions ⚜ Backstory ⚜ Character Creation

Antagonist; Villain; Fighting ⚜ Protagonist & Antagonist

Character: Change; Adding Action; Conflict

Character: Creator; Name; Quirks; Flaws; Motivation

Character Profile (by Rick Riordan) ⚜ Character Sheet Template

Character Sketch & Bible ⚜ Interview your Character

Story-Worthy Hero ⚜ "Well-Rounded" Character Worksheet

Worldbuilding

20 Questions ⚜ Decisions & Categories ⚜ Worksheet

Setting ⚜ Dystopian World ⚜ Magic System (AALC Method)

Templates: Geography; World History; City; Fictional Plant

References: Worldbuilding ⚜ Plot ⚜ Character ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

all posts are queued. send questions/requests here.

[troythecatfish]

[writersbloxx]

Character Building

Some things to think about when building/describing a character:

Physical traits

Hair: color and length. Maybe it's natural, maybe it's dyed

Build: height, weight, muscle

Face: maybe they have a longer nose or forehead. Think about specific features like freckles, gapped teeth, jaw shape, acne scars, lip shape

Eyes: eye color, shape, 

Backstory

Where is your character from?

Do they have family? How has that affected their personality?

What are their goals?

What are their likes/dislikes?

Strengths and weaknesses

Age

Personality

Voice: is their voice deep? Lilted? Strained?

How do they react to stressful situations? 

What do they wear?

Are they kind? Meaner? Restrained? 

How do they move? If they're older maybe they're a bit slower. Maybe your character is clumsy or move awkwardly

Body language/face: is your character normally more serious? Do they have RBF? Maybe they smile more or their face is more relaxed at rest. Maybe they leave their hands on their hips a lot, or prefer them crossed or in their pockets.

How are they perceived by others? How do they view the people around them? 

Should I dive deeper on some of these?

[razzafrazzle]

a scribbling little rant about """""art tips""""" that infuriate me. hopefully i got my thoughts out in a way that makes sense

[image description: a four page comic about how gender is shown in art tips.

panel 1 shows various exaggerated examples of how artists divide male and female bodies, with men being depicted as strong and angular, and women being depicted as soft and curvy. on the bottom is the artist's sona, an axolotl with glasses named doc, is peaking out from below the background of the panel and saying "a slight bit of comic hyperbole notwithstanding, sentiments like this are very common with it comes to tips for beginner artists. and, while seemingly helpful at first glance, i something to say about any one of these that tries to define how "men" and "women" are to be drawn..."

panel 2 shows doc crumpling up the previous panel in his hands and looking crazed. he says "they're [bleep]in' scams! or, rather, they tend to do more harm than good..."

panel 3 has doc next to two diagrams of characters, the top having all 4 characters with similar body types, and the bottom having all 4 characters with different body types. doc says "setting aside the blatant misogyny, it's also just... repetitive and dull. by limiting the body types you draw by "male bodies" and "female bodies", you are not only severely limiting how visually interesting your designs can be, but also shooting yourself in the foot when it comes to improving at drawing anatomy. note how much more interesting it looks when you diversify bodies!"

panel 4 shows many examples of ways to diversify bodies, including disregarding gender when drawing bodies, diversifying shape language, playing with size and proportions, messing around with facial features and head shapes, and learning how to draw muscles and fat folds. at the bottom is doc giving a thumbs up and saying "don't let a bunch of old dead guys' ideas of gender and beauty weigh down your artistic potential! also, have fun!!" end id]

[bacchuschucklefuck]

january month of yuugi

[thelostmoongazer]

some concepts i did for a Sonic redesign!

plus a bonus comic cuz a friend suggested that he has a quick and easy way to salvage his clothes since hes constantly getting in situations that could ruin his drip:

[toyastales]

1951 Studebaker Fastback Woody by Hill's Rod & Custom

https://whatyoulookingatnow.blogspot.com/2025/03/1951-studebaker-fastback-woody-by-hills.html

[a-book-of-creatures]

Character design tip: stir-fry until golden-brown and just starting to caramelize.

[vivsinkpot]

When Should You Describe a Character’s Appearance? (And When You Really, Really Shouldn’t)

It’s one of the first instincts writers have: describe your character. What they look like, what they wear, how they move. But the truth is — readers don’t need to know everything. And more importantly, they don’t want to know everything. At least, not all at once. Not without reason.

Let’s talk about when to describe a character’s appearance, how to do it meaningfully, and why less often says more.

1. Ask: Who Is Seeing Them? And Why Now?

The best descriptions are filtered through a perspective. Who’s noticing this character, and what do they see first? What do they expect to see, and what surprises them?

She looked like someone who owned every book you were supposed to have read in school. Glasses slipping down her nose. Sharp navy coat, sensible shoes, and an air of knowing too much too soon.

Now we’re not just learning what she looks like — we’re learning how she comes across. That tells us more than eye color ever could.

2. Use Appearance to Suggest Character, Not List Facts

Avoid long physical checklists. Instead, choose a few details that do double work — they imply personality, history, class, mood, or context.

Ineffective: She had long, wavy brown hair, green eyes, a small nose, and full lips. She wore jeans and a white shirt.

Better: Her hair was tied back like she hadn’t had time to think about it. Jeans cuffed, a shirt buttoned wrong. Tired, maybe. Or just disinterested.

You don’t need to know her exact features — you feel who she is in that moment.

3. Know When It’s Not the Moment

Introducing a character in the middle of action? Emotion? Conflict? Don’t stop the story for a physical description. It kills momentum.

Instead, thread it through where it matters.

He was pacing. Long-legged, sharp-shouldered — he didn’t seem built for waiting. His jaw kept twitching like he was chewing on the words he wasn’t allowed to say.

We learn about his build and his mood and his internal tension — all in motion.

4. Use Clothing and Gesture as Extension of Self

What someone chooses to wear, or how they move in it, says more than just what’s on their body.

Her sleeves were too long, and she kept tucking her hands inside them. When she spoke, she looked at the floor. Not shy, exactly — more like someone used to being half-disbelieved.

This is visual storytelling with emotional weight.

5. Finally: Describe When It Matters to the Story, Not Just the Reader

Are they hiding something? Trying to impress? Standing out in a crowd? Use appearance when it helps shape plot, stakes, or power dynamics.

He wore black to the funeral. Everyone else in grey. And somehow, he still looked like the loudest voice in the room.

That detail matters — it changes how we see him, and how others react to him.

TL;DR:

Don’t info-dump descriptions.

Filter visuals through a point of view.

Prioritize impression over inventory.

Describe only what tells us more than just what they look like — describe what shows who they are.

Because no one remembers a checklist.

But everyone remembers the girl who looked like she’d walked out of a forgotten poem.

[physalian]

3 More Character Types the World Needs More Of

Or at least, I do.

1. The denied redeemed villain

I need this. So badly right now. So, so, so many “redemption arcs” are half-assed and carry undertones of guilt by the heroes, gaslighting them into thinking the villain “wasn’t all that bad” right before they make some big heroic sacrifice, as if that’s ever enough to make up for the damage that was done.

But you know what I never see? A villain who’s done some awful shit, wakes up to reality, tries to apologize and… is denied. No, it’s not enough to be sorry. No, you’re not absolved of your crimes just because you cry really hard on your knees. Yes, you have to work for it. Yes, even if you work for it for the rest of your whole life, those you hurt are not obligated to forgive you.

Example that sadly did not happen in canon: Enji Todoroki

2. The liar revealed who loses

This fucker lies and cheats his way into his lover’s arms (and liars revealed are always men, because their love interests are always women put in the place of “but he tried really hard and you need to forgive him uwu” unless it’s gay). Similar to above, no, you do not get rewarded just for feeling sorry.

This character builds an entire relationship (and it’s specifically romance that I take such an issue with) on a lie. They are not who they say they are, specifically, they lie about their identity because they know their lover would not let this happen if they knew the truth.

It’s one thing to lie about something inconsequential, or to lie about something unrelated, but to lie deliberately to present yourself as the perfect suitor—and these are never little white lies, these are usually entirely false identities, or secrets so damning that risking the truth could mean arrest or even death—just. Why?

Yeah, okay, you never thought you’d get this far. Cool. You don’t have to tell her the truth, but you have to leave before you trick her into sleeping with you.

It’s just. So squicky. And the lesson always is that he deserves love, that he makes up for it with everything else, that he’s just got a winning personality. She always forgives him, even if they fight about it, it’s so, so predictable.

Examples that did not lose: Aladdin, Evan Hansen

3. The paragon who loses faith

I don’t know that we need a whole bunch of these characters, but so many paragons are painted as heroes with unshakable loyalty to their causes and I’d love to see a devolution of character where they just can’t keep smiling and pretending it’s alright. That there is a limit to how much shit they can take.

They don’t have to go full villain, but maybe they just stop caring, maybe they get cynical, maybe they just don’t show up for work the next day, maybe they’re not there when they’re needed the most.

There’s a few stories I can think of where the masses realize they’ve screwed up and show the hero that their faith has been rewarded (Nolan Bats being one of them) but I mean really a hero who just cannot take it anymore, throws in the towel, and walks away knowing it’s the hardest thing they’ve ever had to do.

Example: (kind of) Captain America

—

Sorry this list is kind of a bummer. It’s a bummer kind of week.

[pessimiavium]

☆TangoTek☆

Okay, I'm more normal today lol <3

I'm not going to project any other geology work struggles on these guys for at least a week ;)

First real shot at his design, I was in class and definitely went basic and just copied his skin-- not TOO crazy about it for some reason, so I think I'm going to change up his build and outfit.

[donutdrawsthings]

Made a quick tutorial for how to apply that Frutiger Aero Button texture to living creatures, since I made an entire design with it!

[monstatron]

ANKETHIA, THE GRANDMOTHER OF TRANQUILITY

( character is a woman, she/her ! )

feeling the hype for the new predator films so i've decided to revisit my main yautja OC's new design! i've been working on her on and off for a couple of months now. took a break from my current WIPs to just have fun and finally give this big ol' lady the reference she deserves!

enjoy some lore on ankethia :)

Ankethia is the respected leader and ancient of the secluded and mysterious clan of "Resting Blade". Located in the ruins of an abandoned moon, Ankethia had founded Resting Blade thousands of years ago as a sanctuary and a place of retirement for elderly warriors such as herself and provided asylum for travelers or warriors who needed it as well. Even some Bad Bloods have found a place at Resting Blade. Prior to founding her clan, Ankethia was dedicated to the hunt like many others.

In her prime, Ankethia was nothing short of a beast, a revered warrior known for slaying multiple Xenomorph queens alongside her wife, Mak'arhu. The two of them were an unconventional yet deadly duo. Unfortunately, Mak'arhu had succumbed to illness and died in Ankethia's arms. This did not deter her, however. Following the death of Mak'arhu, Ankethia set out on extinguishing an unknown amount of hives in memory of her fallen mate. She would hunt until her body told her that it was time to stop, until her heart was full and she was content.

Currently, Ankethia lives out the last of her days not in bloodshed and glory, but in peace and tranquility (and a little partying here and there!). Ankethia is quite the diva, preferring to live in luxury, gorging herself in home-brewed winery and only hunting when she wants a good meal. She ensures the same luxury for all those who seek refuge at Resting Blade.