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Character Design Strategies

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Character Design Strategies

Hello All,

I'm about to get started on another set of character designs! I'm working from a set of written personality descriptions, but the visual attributes of each character are pretty open.

This gets me thinking. How do professional character designers get started on a character? For me, getting started always seems like a massive shot in the dark. I'm usually able to come up with something I'm pleased with, but not without much trail, error, and many dead ends.

Do any of you have more organized strategies that you use when designing a character? What is your creative process like? Do you just focus on creating the character you already see in your head when you read the description, or do you have a more open approach?

Thanks for the input,
T. King

the character design is a very awesome work.Start each of us will meet a problem, but with the passage of time will be settled.but i think you already have a good start .keep on doing ....

Happy life can't apply colours to a drawing of the render farm !

the character design is a very awesome work.Start each of us will meet a problem, but with the passage of time will be settled.but i think you already have a good start .keep on doing ....

Uh.

Okay.

Gonna be a LONG time figuring out how this helps anyone, but......

Pooryorik--
My strategy is to see what's being asked for in the descriptions and then start with archetypes and go from there. Feedback from the client is vital in this, because it steers you in the directions they want. Its extremely difficult to work in a vacuum in this process, and designers often don't get it right on the first pass.

"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)

Thank you for the insight. Parameters are definitely helpful--I sure could use more of them. Since this is an independent project (no client) it's up to me to lay the parameters out. I've started narrowing down the parameters based on what I know about the world the characters live in and their personalities.

I'll give this some thought. Thanks again for the input.

In the meantime, I came across this blog which has some great character designer interviews. Heidi Smith from Paranorman is on there. Inspiring stuff.

http://characterdesign.blogspot.com/

Best,
T. King

PS. Thanks Emilyworker. I'm getting a "patience and perseverance" vibe from your post, which are important of course :)

what is your style. sounds like you have yet to define exactly what that is. thats where all your confusion is coming from. the characters should always live inside you and your style. there is always some degree of searching but it should really be flowing from you

When it comes to character design, there are definitely no rules (well, none that can successfully be written on paper anyway). Whatever character type you are striving for, the end result should absolutely convey that character's personality by 200% or more. If it's not doing that, then more work is needed.

Of course, one dilemma for character designers nowadays is whether they should utilize stereotypes or not. Some say they help establish a character's personality, others call them lazy. Both assessments are correct, it all depends on the character.

All artists can do is trust their instincts.

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