Creative Character Design for Games and Animation 1032152966, 9781032152967

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Creative Character Design for Games and Animation This book takes you through all the basic steps of character design for games and animation, from brainstorming and references to the development phase and final render. It covers a range of styles such as cartoon, stylized and semi-realistic, and explains how to differentiate between them and use them effectively. Using a step-by-step approach for each stage of the process, this book guides you through the process of creating a new character from scratch. It contains a wealth of design tips and tricks as well as checklists and worksheets for you to use in your own projects. This book covers how to work with briefs, as well as providing advice and practical strategies for working with clients and creating art as a product that can be tailored and sold. This book will be a valuable resource for all junior artists, hobby artists, and art students looking to develop and improve their character development skills for games and animation.

‘This is the kind of book I wish I’d had when I first dipped my feet in the art waters, filled to the brim with time-honed perspective and know-how for a young artist to aspire to’. Even Mehl Amundsen, professional artist ‘Jenny Harder is part of a new generation of artists bringing a fresh and in-depth look at character design. If you are a beginner artist or a veteran in the business, this book offers great lessons in the fundamentals of good design’. Christian Alzmann, Concept Design Supervisor at Lucasfilm ‘Every artist entering a professional career path has a lot to learn, and obviously, it takes years to connect all the dots between craft, human nature and visual perception. Jenny Harder creates a phenomenal compendium for any artist or supervisor wanting to become a more aware, efficient and happy creator’. Jakub Knapik, Global Art Director at CD Projekt RED

Creative Character Design for Games and Animation Jenny Harder

First edition published 2023 by CRC Press 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN and by CRC Press 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742 © 2023 Jenny Harder CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, LLC The right of Jenny Harder to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, access www.copyright.com or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. For works that are not available on CCC please contact [email protected] Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data Names: Harder, Jenny, author. Title: Creative character design for games and animation / Jenny Harder. Description: Boca Raton, FL : CRC Press, 2023. | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Identifiers: LCCN 2022055697 (print) | LCCN 2022055698 (ebook) | ISBN 9781032152998 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032152967 (q paperback) | ISBN 9781003243533 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Video game characters--Design. | Caricatures and cartoons--Design. | Video games industry. | Animated film industry. Classification: LCC GV1469.34.C48 H37 2023 (print) | LCC GV1469.34.C48 (ebook) | DDC 794.8--dc23/eng/20230124 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022055697 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022055698 ISBN: 9781032152998 (hbk) ISBN: 9781032152967 (pbk) ISBN: 9781003243533 (ebk) DOI: 10.1201/9781003243533 Typeset in Minion by KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd. Access the Support Material: www.routledge.com/9781032152998

For my mom, who will read this book more often than any of my students.

Contents About the Author

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1 Designing with Purpose

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2 Working with Clients and Briefs

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3 Creative Thinking and Brainstorming Methods

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4 Creating a Personality

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5 Diversity and Stereotypes

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6 Mood Boards and References

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7 Style

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8 Creating a Character Design Package

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9 The Render Process

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10 Tips and Tricks 102 11 Industry Advice and Last Words 123

Index 126

About the Author Jenny Harder has been working in the games and animation industry for more than 10 years. She was an art director on the animated show ‘100% Wolf: Legend of the Moonstone’ in Sydney and has worked on games such as ‘Hogwarts Legacy’, ‘Palia’, Ubisoft’s ‘For Honor’ and ‘Disney Infinity’. She recently directed her own animated short film ‘Being Good’ which won several awards in 2018/2019. Before breaking into the games industry, Jenny studied Economics and Japanese at the University of Applied Science in Bremen. She also earned a Master’s degree in Visual Communication at Birmingham City University in 2011. After graduating, Jenny decided to follow her dreams and entered the games industry, working in several different studios across Germany and the UK. In 2018, after the successful release of her own short film, Jenny was offered her first art director position in animation. Since then Jenny has been working on many unannounced animated films and also found great passion in education. She teaches character design and visual development at several art schools and universities. She has also been a speaker at industry events such as THU, Promised Land, and the VIEW Conference. She currently lives in Berlin, working freelance on feature film content for DNEG Animation while also playing a lot of RPG and Tabletop games. Jenny Harder has worked with companies such as DNEG Animation, Warner Bros. Games, Wacom, Artstation, Ubisoft, Disney, Airborn, Autodesk, Studio Gobo, Cheeky Little, Flying Bark and Daedalic Entertainment.

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Designing with Purpose

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Welcome to creative character design for games and animation! In this book I will share my personal and professional experience with you regarding the design process for characters in the games and animation industry. My aim for this book is to provide you with a solid understanding of that process, give plenty of visual samples as well as checklists and guidelines on how to approach character design in a professional manner. I will also be establishing a strong focus on the aspect of personality creation to make sure your characters are as unique, credible and diverse as possible. Finally, I will cover a range of advanced tips and tricks on how to make your design more appealing, touching on aspects such as storytelling, shape language, focus and functionality. While this book is mainly aimed at aspiring professional artists, it can also be used by hobbyists who want to improve their creative thinking, design process and artistic quality. Please be aware that we will be discussing a lot of intermediate and advanced techniques, so if you are looking for technical basics such as anatomy, perspective and colour theory, this might not be the best choice to get started with. THE ROLE OF A CONCEPT/VISDEV ARTIST

To start with, let’s look at the main job descriptions that include character design within the games/animation industry: there is the ‘concept artist’ which is a term mainly used in the video games industry. The equivalent of this role is the ‘visual development artist’ (visdev artist) in the animation industry. The differences between these roles are minor in my opinion, since they both cover very similar aspects. As a concept/ visdev artist your main responsibilities are the generation of ideas and sketches for the project. The goal here is to visualise ideas roughly at first DOI: 10.1201/9781003243533-1

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and provide a bigger selection of concepts to choose from, followed by feedback rounds and several iterations. This process is quite important early on while iterations are still quick and cheap to do. Further down the pipeline in 3D, animation or VFX the process becomes a lot more time consuming and expensive. The responsibilities of a concept/visdev artist can cover a variety of aspects, such as: • collaborating with the team to interpret and brainstorm the project brief • researching and collecting visual material as well as creating mood boards • generating multiple ideas/sketches of environments, props, characters, creatures, etc. • mood paintings, colour keys, turnarounds, expression sheets, etc. • applying feedback and providing rounds of iterations • final call-out sheets with details, renders and polished artwork Concept/visdev artists are usually generalists and while their daily work can feature some character design, it often covers a much wider range of different design elements. If you want to purely focus on character design you might want to consider the more specialist role of a ‘character designer’. Since this is the main topic of this book we will do a thorough analysis of this role and its aspects in the coming chapters. The overall approach and responsibilities however remain the same as mentioned above. In Figure 1.1, ‘Conceptual sketches’, you find an example of a first rough character lineup. Sketches in this stage might be shown to the art director and taken into the next round after a discussion and feedback. ART AS A PRODUCT

The difference between concept art and other types of art is the purpose and use of it. For example, fine art pieces are often a personal expression and meant to be sold or exhibited. The art itself is the final product. Concept art, however, is rarely seen by the target audience except in art books and artistic portfolios. It’s part of a process that produces the final product (a movie, show or game, etc.). It’s also important to keep in mind that we are not creating art for ourselves. That doesn’t mean we should hold back or limit our creative energies. In fact, a lot of clients heavily rely on the artist to provide their artistic input. But bringing someone else’s idea to

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Figure 1.1  Conceptual sketches. Created by the author (2020).

life can be a difficult endeavour. Not all clients can properly explain what it is they are looking for, some want to be inspired by the artist, others have very explicit ideas, etc. Producing a piece exactly as a client anticipates can be a challenge. Which is why I created a basic checklist with questions that can help you stay focussed on the main design requirements: • • • •

What is this artwork for (platform, media)? Who is this artwork for (target audience, age group)? What are my client’s expectations (brief, deadline, limitations)? Are there any stylistic guidelines (reference pack, art bible, existing concepts)?

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What Is This Artwork for?

This question is concerning the platform choice for our product. Each platform has its own requirements and limitations. If you are creating a character for a 2D side scroller you might have to provide a cleaned up ready-to-use version of your character design since it is not just a concept but might go straight into the game. The animation team could even ask you to separate out the limbs on different layers so that they can be easily animated. You can find an example for such an approach in Figure 1.2, ‘Conceptual art for a 2D side scroller’, where you might notice the almost puppet-like limbs of the dragon and boy characters. If you are creating a character for a 3D third person shooter game, the process can differ quite a bit. Firstly, your character design will be translated into 3D, so it mainly serves as a conceptual reference for the team. Secondly, most third person games have a camera set up that follows behind the character as they move through the world, making their back the main focus. Being aware of such game mechanics can really help you choose the correct focal points for your design. In this case, you might want to consider adding interesting elements on the back of the character, since this side will mainly be seen on screen. Also being aware of the character silhouette and not accidentally covering them up with an oversized cloak or backpack is important. In terms of animated films and shows, there is often a requirement for simplified characters (depending on the production). You will rarely see unnecessary items on characters, a large amount of dangly accessories or

Figure 1.2  Conceptual art for a 2D side scroller. Created by the author (2017).

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intricate clothing. Reason being that it can be very time consuming and costly to animate and render them for each shot. So a general guideline for animated films/shows is ‘keep it readable and simple’. In Figure 1.3, ‘Character illustration compared to an animated character concept’, you

Figure 1.3  Character illustration compared to an animated character concept. Created by the author (2021).

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can see the different approach to an illustrated character and a character created for an animated short film. The illustrated character (on the top) features a lot of accessories and loose clothing that would be rather time consuming to animate. Also, the chosen pose only reveals the profile of the character’s face which would make it difficult to translate into 3D. At the bottom, however, you can see ‘Ava’ from ‘Being Good’1 who was specifically designed for 3D animation. The render itself is loose, but the silhouette and design elements read very clearly. There are little to no unnecessary accessories and a front/back view is provided so that her design can be easily understood and transferred. One other advantage animated movies and shows have is their linear storytelling aspect. The director chooses exactly what the audience will see and in which particular angle, while games often allow the player to freely move around objects and characters as they please. Working with a linear story can really help the team focus their efforts where it matters. For example, since the background characters will never be seen up close the team doesn’t need to spend a lot of time on them. They can be kept simple and less detailed, which allows the team to focus most of their attention on the main characters. When working on animated shows/ films, always clarify with your director which characters are meant to take the spotlight on the screen and which are supposed to drop back. Creating ‘less interesting’ characters can be a challenge in itself, similar to playing an extra in a movie whose job is to not be noticed on screen.

Who Is This Artwork for?

The question ‘who is this product for’ also matters, because that is in the end who is buying it: the customer/consumer. If you know and understand your target audience you are more likely to deliver a product that they will approve of and buy. For example, if your client states they want to make a game that targets ‘League of Legends’ players, your first steps should be researching what makes ‘League of Legends’2 so special and exciting. That can include art style, character personalities, colour/mood, etc. What else do ‘League of Legends’ players enjoy? The more you understand the values of your target audience the less likely you are to apply your own personal values to a design that is – in the end – not intended for yourself. This can become particularly important when dealing with younger audiences like children. They often have very different preferences regarding storytelling, mood, colours and style.

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What Are My Client’s Expectations?

The client’s expectations will set the framework for your workload. Make sure to clearly communicate deadlines and the amount of feedback rounds. Ask your client for a detailed brief, references and any limitations the project might have (particular engine, is it 2D or 3D, kids content only, etc.). We will go a little deeper on this in the next chapter. Just keep in mind that you are providing a service for someone. This is a professional business ‘contract’, no matter how casual the agreement is. If you want to establish a good reputation in the games/animation industry it is very important to act respectful and professional. In fact, this part of the job is often underestimated. Aspects such as communication, being punctual and reliable is equally as important as delivering quality work. If someone remembers you not only for being a professional artist but also a friendly person who was eager to problem-solve you might just get a recommendation for another project. Are There Any Stylistic Guidelines?

Always try to get as many visual references as possible from your client. Can they provide an art bible or are there any existing concepts for the project? In Figure 1.4, ‘Extract from an art bible’, you will find another

Figure 1.4  Extract from an art bible. Created by the author (2021).

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sample for Ava from ‘Being Good’. Some stylistic guidelines that were defined here are the following: • added gradient that is darker at the bottom and lighter at the top to direct focus towards the face • head and body have a 1:3.5 ratio, making the head quite large • feet are kept comparatively small • muted colour palette The client might even be able to provide a few ‘unsuccessful’ concepts that they did not particularly like. Those are just as important since they will very clearly show you what the client doesn’t want. If none of that exists yet, make sure to ask for style references. Maybe there are similar games/shows they consider an inspiration. Make sure to inquire about which particular aspects the client likes or dislikes of each sample. Is it the stylisation and simplicity of the characters, the overall mood and colour palette or the creative clothing and weapon choices? Basically, with the right questions you will be able to visualise much quicker what your client has envisioned. This can save you a lot of extra hours and result in your client being very pleased with your engagement and efficiency. NOTES

1. Being Good (2017). Directed by Jenny Harder. [Short film]. Available on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk0miFeZOJA&ab_channel= CGMeetup. 2. League of Legends (2009). PC [Game]. Riot Games [United States]

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Working with Clients and Briefs In this chapter I want to take a closer look at the artist’s relationship with clients. I will mainly be speaking of ‘clients’ from a freelance perspective, where you come to an agreement with an individual or company to work on a project for a certain amount of time. While the work conditions can be a little different in comparison to an in-house position, I feel that the work itself is pretty similar. As I mentioned before, communication plays a very important role here. Especially when working with international clients, I recommend paying close attention to possible language barriers and cultural differences. Clients with different cultural backgrounds might have different expectations regarding design choices. I have been working with an Indian-American client who wanted the main characters for his project to be half Indian, so we spent a lot of time discussing how to get this look across in terms of accurate skin colours, culturally appropriate clothing, etc. Here is an excerpt of the brief I received which outlines the basic requirements for the character ‘Jaya’: Half ancient Indian, half sci-fi girl. Consider a blend between a traditional Indian saree design and warrior/villager design, to represent her culture and her vigour. Brown hair. Keep the eyes a ghosty blue (she is blind).1 Fortunately, this particular client had experience in working with artists and provided me with a very detailed PDF including references, initial design sketches, notes, etc. Not all clients come this prepared though, which is why I want to share a list of questions here that are worth asking the client before getting started: • Scope: • How many characters do you need and who are the main characters? DOI: 10.1201/9781003243533-2

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• What needs to be included? How many sketches, colour variations, turnarounds, expressions, poses, renders? • What is my deadline? • How many feedback rounds are included and at which stages? • What is the platform (game/film) and who is the target audience (age)? • Storytelling and world concept: • Do you have a character brief describing their story and personality? • Do you have an overview of the world they live in (and their place in it)? • What mood and genre are you aiming for (humorous/dark, fantasy/ Sci-Fi)? • Design: • What style are you looking for and can you provide any references? • What level of detail do you expect (for each stage)? • Do you have an art bible, existing designs, references, a moodboard, etc.? • Payment and contracts: • Is the payment going to be based on hours/days or is it a ‘package deal’? • Are you ok to make a down payment before I start (around 20–50%)? • Are extra requests and iterations going to be calculated by the hour/day? • Do I need to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) or contract? Now this is a lot of questions, so I would probably refrain from copypasting those into an email but do look at them as a guideline if you feel something is missing or hasn’t been discussed. Personally, I feel agreeing on a set amount of feedback rounds is very important. Otherwise, your client might come back to you with countless requests to change details, adding up to a few days of unpaid work. It also makes sense to set milestones. For example: 1. Sketch phase: the artist provides 5–8 sketches and after one or two feedback rounds the client chooses a final design. 2. Design phase: the artist finalises the design and brings it into a cleaned up state. The client gets another feedback round before signing the design off.

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3. Colour iterations: the artist provides a range of 3–5 different colour variations for the chosen design and the client can make final requests. In the end a final colour palette is chosen. 4. Render: the artist provides a final render and the client gets another round of feedback before signoff. 5. Extras: the artist provides sketches for turnaround, expressions and poses. Those get reviewed and signed off before being finalised. Of course the amount of feedback rounds depends on the client and timeframe for the project. Some clients want a character done within a few weeks while others want to explore ideas for half a year. So do communicate the timeframe and scope well before getting started, it can really help reduce frustration and set expectations correctly. As mentioned above, having a sketch signed off first before moving into colour is an important milestone. That way, if the client does change their mind about the pose or a major design detail later on, you can charge this unexpected request extra. If you can get a character brief or a script of the film/show that is a big plus as well. Nothing tells you more about a character than a detailed story, describing their actions, inner struggles and dialogues. I always choose these kinds of characteristics to determine a character’s pose, energy and expression. When working on elements such as clothing I tend to use a more neutral pose though. In Figure 2.1, ‘Jaya sketches’, you can see a few

Figure 2.1  Jaya sketches. Created by the author. Image rights belong to Korado Peak Productions, ‘Uprooted’ (Film), unreleased 2020.

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options for the character’s outfit which I prepared for the client after we had agreed on her general physique and facial features. As she was intended for an animated film her clothing is quite simplistic with bolder, clearly defined shapes and only few detailed elements around the hips and chest. There are some aspects inspired by traditional Indian clothing (shoulder piece, pants, etc.) as well as some Sci-Fi elements (glowing stripes, symbols, shoes) as requested in the brief. You can see that the lineart is still quite rough, making this process rather quick at this stage. After submitting the outfit options the client then chose elements that he liked (sash, necklace, triangular dress shape, etc.) and requested minor changes. In the next step I would show him an updated rough version before taking it into cleanup and colour variations which you can see in Figure 2.2, ‘Jaya colour iterations’. The main aspects I was focussing on here were the ‘blind’ eyes, darker skin tone and mixing Indian patterns with Sci-Fi shapes. I started with two main colours for each design and then added one or two contrast colours for accessories and patterns. Doing so I was aiming to reduce overall noise and shift focus to points of interest. You might notice that some of the designs still seem a little ‘busy’ where I was testing how far the amount of detail could be pushed. In the end the client and I agreed to further work out version B (second from the left) with a darker hair colour and reduced contrast in the patterns.

Figure 2.2  Jaya colour iterations. Created by the author. Image rights belong to Korado Peak Productions, ‘Uprooted’ (Film), unreleased 2020.

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After another round of feedback we had a final version of the character signed off. Everyone was happy. And then, 1 month later the client approached me once more asking if we could rework her design, since it felt a little too scientific and not enough like an adventurer. He submitted another PDF with references and notes and we basically reworked her whole outfit, hair style and colour palette. You can see the before (left) and after (right) in Figure 2.3, ‘Jaya rework’. These kinds of ‘last minute changes’ are not actually that uncommon and being an artist myself I know the feeling of wanting to improve one’s design over and over until it’s perfect. My advice here is to be as supportive as possible of the client’s needs. In the end, I feel the rework did make her

Figure 2.3  Jaya rework. Created by the author. Image rights belong to Korado Peak Productions, ‘Uprooted’ (Film), unreleased 2020.

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design much more appealing and the client was very pleased with the result. Just make sure requests like this are being paid for properly if they do go back on agreed milestones. To conclude this chapter I want to give you a brief that was based on an actual request I received for a character design (with slight alterations and fictitious names obviously). Since it’s still lacking a few vital pieces of information I would not recommend treating it as a design exercise, but a communication exercise. Read through the client’s ‘mail’ and prepare a list of questions that have not been answered yet. Use the points mentioned above for comparison. EXERCISE BRIEF

Dear Artist, My name is Roger Cruz and I am contacting you about potential work on our project ‘Skydive’. Details We are in need of a character design + turnaround and B/W expression sheets. This will be for the main character of ‘Skydive’ an animated show for kids aged 9–12. Payment & Schedule Budget is $2000, Payment is 50% upfront and 50% upon completion. Payment via bank transfer. After starting we need the work to be done within 30 days. I would love to hear whether you are interested and available if possible before March 13th (6pm GMT+2). Best Regards Roger Cruz NOTE

1. Uprooted (unreleased 2020). Directed by Raj Reddy. [Feature film]. United States: Korado Peak Productions.

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Creative Thinking and Brainstorming Methods Creativity maybe is one of the most important aspects of character design. Creating something unique that stands out and leaves a memorable impression is easier said than done though. We all know the feeling of scrolling through Artstation or Pinterest, wondering how those artists came up with these incredible ideas for their characters. A stroke of genius or pure luck? Possible, but it’s more likely the artist followed a thorough design process, putting a lot of thought and attention into every little detail. There are some tips and tricks that can help avoid generic design choices and add that special twist or spark to a character. This is what we want to focus on in this chapter: creative character concepts and the thought process behind it. When I am working on a project I like to take a lot of time to research and plan my character and the theme they evolve around. Let’s start with a rather broad sample here: imagine an upcoming art competition with the topic ‘treasure hunter’. Our brain starts to almost instantly visualise ideas that we connect with this term. Depending on what your areas of interest are you might think of ‘Indiana Jones’1, ‘Tomb Raider’2 or the typical ‘Dungeons & Dragons’3 adventurer. You might also imagine a few random objects such as gold coins, abandoned temples, adventuring gear and mummies. Due to popular films, games and celebrities we often have predefined conceptions of certain subjects. Understanding those will give you a good idea of recurring character types, props, colours, etc. This part of the process matters because once we know the general expectations we can actively work on exceeding them. After the initial research you should eventually come to a point where you start asking yourself what ‘else’ can a treasure hunter be? And this is where things are getting a bit more interesting. Maybe there are some concepts out

DOI: 10.1201/9781003243533-3

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there that have already bent the matter into different directions like ‘Treasure hunters in space’ or ‘Fairy treasure hunters’. In fact, take it one step further and ask yourself what ‘else’ can a treasure be? A treasure is considered something of great worth or value, that doesn’t necessarily mean gold. For a squirrel for example, the greatest treasure would be the one perfect nut. For a child the greatest treasure might be a collection of teddy bears. Questioning the subject matter here, is what can make your whole concept interesting. I also always encourage broader research into different areas besides movies and games. Fashion and theatre always have an interesting range of design choices. You can also find some inspiration in music, fine art, nature, etc. Let’s also have a look at a few creative thinking methods that can help you step out of your comfort zone and come up with fresh ideas. Creative thinking methods: 1. Silhouette and shape exploration 2. Sketching 3. Quotas 4. Questioning the matter: ‘What if …’ 5. Challenging the impossible 6. Random input 7. Random limitations

SILHOUETTE AND SHAPE EXPLORATION

This step is very commonly used by concept artists. Instead of coming up with an elaborate design right away, try doing a variety of different, rough shapes or silhouettes. These can be done in grayscale or black and white. Work with big, iconic shapes first before adding detail (tip: separate your shapes into BIG, MEDIUM and SMALL to create more variety in your shape language and set weights). For example, explore how well your character works with a massive triangular chest, skinny legs and small feet. Maybe they are wearing an oversized hat that takes most of the attention or a large poncho. The idea is to loosely explore shape language and find interesting elements that catch attention and suit your character. This process is meant to be ‘quick and dirty’ so try not to lose yourself in detail. I always felt that doing these sketches in

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my sketchbook or as small thumbnails in Photoshop works best. Once you have a variety of these drawings look at them in comparison. Which design feels iconic and instantly recognizable? Does it suit the character you are trying to design? Pick your preferred design (or let your client choose if a client is involved) and take it into the next round for further iterations and more details. Figure 3.1, ‘Shape explorations’, gives an example of this process.

SKETCHING

Sketches are always a great start to warm up and explore a subject without overthinking it right away. When I was talking to some of my fellow artists, some even said this is their preferred brainstorming method, since it’s less restrictive and really helps delving into a character’s personality. When sketching, try to imagine scenes or interactions your character might have. How would they react to a surprise or insult? What are their expressions? How do they gesture and hold their body? Taking this approach as a first step can really define your character’s personality and attitude. I often disregard any kind of art style for this step, so some of my sketches might be done in ink and a bit more realistic, others end up very blocky with exaggerated shapes. Especially when you are starting a new project that doesn’t have a predefined shape language it can be really fun to explore and try out a lot of different versions of your character. What matters is coming up with a feeling for a character, not the refined design.

Figure 3.1  Shape explorations. Created by the author (2022).

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In Figure 3.2, you can see a good example of different sketches for the same character. These were done during the visual development process for the short film ‘Being Good’.4 QUOTAS

This method is easily explained: it’s about eliminating the obvious. As mentioned above we often have predefined conceptions of certain subjects and sometimes it takes a few iterations to get past that. This is why it can be really helpful to do several different designs before choosing a final one. Basically, if you are working with the topic ‘Treasure Hunter’, don’t pick the first design you like, do 10 more and focus on making each new

Figure 3.2  Sketches. Created by the author (2017).

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one purposefully different from the last. Ideally by doing so, you will start exploring more and more options and not fall back on the most ‘common’ design choices. You might want to integrate these kinds of quotas into your silhouettes or sketches process for best results. QUESTIONING THE MATTER: ‘WHAT IF …’

This method continues to push ‘thinking outside the box’. It can be applied to a whole character concept or minor details such as clothing and weapons. While applying it to every single detail might be a bit of an overkill, applying it so some specific elements purposefully can create great points of interest. Let’s pick one story element as an example: The main character has an amulet. It’s an old family heirloom and has magical powers. Of course you want to highlight this particular object but you might be worried that it could be too small and hard to see in the overall design. That’s when we start asking ‘What if …’ • … the amulet is the only element that features the colour red in the whole design? • … the character was a small fairy and the amulet was almost as big as them? • … the character wears the amulet as an eyepatch? • … the amulet enlarges into a shield when its magic is being used? • … the amulet is actually embedded into the character chest or back as a large tattoo? What we are effectively doing here is taking a common object (the amulet) and applying uncommon conditions to it, like scale, placement and attributes. Using something familiar in an unfamiliar way creates an interesting twist that can be used to attract the viewers’ attention. Depending on the project there might of course be limitations to how far you can push certain aspects, but in my experience most clients are rather excited if the artist supplies a range of out-of-the-box solutions. In Figure 3.3, I have applied this method to the idea of a ‘mermaid’, questioning the typical fishtail look that we are used to seeing. I asked myself: ‘What if she was a jellyfish mermaid? What if the jellyfish body looked like a skirt? And what if her pet was not a fish but a little magical blob of water?’ Sometimes the most random question can give you amazing results and lead to a design that exceeds common expectations.

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Figure 3.3  Mermaid. Created by the author (2017).

CHALLENGING THE IMPOSSIBLE

This is where we are taking the ‘what if’ question to another level. Find the absolute impossible scenario or counterpart for your character – the thing that is supposed to break the mold – and then try to make it work. This can make for some really bizarre and creative concepts and it’s not unheard of. If you remember Disney’s ‘Frozen’5 you might also remember ‘Olaf’ the snowman who loves the sun and passionately sings about summer. Two polar opposites were used here to create a very intriguing character concept.

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You can apply these kinds of questions to any character concept or elements of it. What if we had an incredibly fast turtle? A lightbulb that wants its own shadow? A villain that wants to be loved? Lots of room and endless potential for creative ideas there. RANDOM INPUT

As the title says this method works with random inputs, which can be either words or visuals (imagery). I usually use a random word/image generator online for this approach but you can also pick something from an existing reference folder. The idea is that you then integrate this random input into your design in a creative way. That doesn’t mean just adding said word or object, but making it a reasonable part of the design. For example: you are working on a concept for a (garden) Gnome adventurer and the random word you generate is ‘tea pot’. How could that random object be reasonably integrated into the design? Maybe the Gnome wears the tea pot lid as a hat or a shield? Is he maybe ‘living’ in the teapot and you can only see his legs and head poke out when he is moving around? Or maybe there is no actual tea pot, but the Gnome itself is shaped like one: big belly, round shapes with a little curled tail and a lid shaped hat (don’t forget steam coming out of his ears when he gets angry). In Figure 3.4, you

Figure 3.4  Random input. Created by the author (2022).

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can see an example of this kind of approach which can be very effective if you want to come up with unexpected but very creative ideas. RANDOM LIMITATIONS

Random limitations can be a nice challenge, especially if you feel like you are falling back into similar patterns and generic choices. Maybe you catch yourself drawing the same face over and over or you might realise that most of your character designs are females in their twenties. That is when it can be refreshing to set yourself limitations regarding material, content, process, etc. These choices are rather personal, so you might want to take some time thinking about your own drawing habits and if there is anything you want to shake up a little. Do you always draw digitally? Do the next ten characters in ink or pencil. Are most of your characters flawless? Try adding some visual flaws or quirks to your next character and push ‘imperfections’. Do you tend to take 5 days to finish an artwork? Try a more loose approach and finish in one. Some limitations can also in fact just be ‘random’ like: design all your characters in square frames, only use blue and purple colours, design 5 characters based on alphabetic shapes, etc. What all of these limitations have in common, is that they are meant to get you out of your comfort zone. It can be nice to specialise in one particular thing but in an industry as competitive as ours, being flexible and able to adapt to different styles, projects and requests is a valuable skill that requires some practise. IN SUMMARY …

I recommend exploring these methods one by one to figure out which ones work best for you and your normal workflow. The pressure of ‘having’ to produce something iconic and unique can sometimes be a bit overwhelming. If you feel this kind of expectation taking over, try to take a step back. It’s also perfectly fine to stay and work within your comfort zone if that is where you feel most creative and relaxed. In the end these kinds of creative thinking methods are simply tools that are supposed to support our process, not take over. You might find one or two methods that work for you, or maybe none at all. Creativity can have very different origins, so make sure to give yourself some room and time to explore what works best for yourself.

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NOTES

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Directed by Steven Spielberg. [Feature film]. United States: Paramount Pictures. 2. Tomb Raider (first release 1996), Eidos Interactive. 3. Dungeons & Dragons (first release 1974), published by TSR. 4. Being Good (2017). Directed by Jenny Harder. [Short film]. Available on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk0miFeZOJA&ab_channel=CGMeetup. 5. Frozen (2013). Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee. [Feature film]. Burbank, CA: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

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Creating a Personality

CREDIBLE DESIGN

In this chapter I would like to take a step back from the term ‘character design’ and focus instead on the idea of ‘creating a personality’. A lot of artists like to focus on the visual exploration for a character: Which body shape would look iconic? Which outfit emphasises their form? Where do I place my big/medium/small weights? Those are all very valid questions but before we get there, let’s take a moment to ask ourselves: ‘Who is the character we are designing?’ And this question does not refer to their shape language, colour palette or level of stylization but their personality. Understanding your character as a ‘person’ will enable you to see them as more than just a combination of design choices. In fact, it will make your design choices more credible, since they are based on a unique personality and reflect the world the character lives in. Here is a sample: • Character description: An older, male human has been living in the woods for most of his life. He is a bit of a hermit and enjoys his solitude. He acts rather agitated around strangers and his movements can appear slightly animalistic. • Setting: The living conditions are harsh and the weather is usually cold and wet. Food is scarce, so are precious materials such as metal. • Design considerations and questions: How does the character look in terms of weathering and health? Is he heavily scarred due to hunting accidents and frostbite? Is his hair long, wild and unkept since he is lacking sanitary facilities? What are his clothes like? Does he wear a lot of heavy furs, patched trousers and potentially some sort of rain poncho? How rugged and old are the materials? Also, have elements such as belt buckles, knives, etc., been replaced with different materials since metal is scarce? What is his posture like? Maybe his head is tucked between his shoulders and he has an almost hunched posture that suggests his animalistic traits? DOI: 10.1201/9781003243533-4

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Going through that thought process will allow you to visualise a more ‘authentic’ picture of the person you want to create. We are also getting a glimpse of the world they live in, which is reflected through their clothing, props, hairstyle, etc. This becomes especially important when working on narrative driven games/animations where we are inviting the audience to explore a world alongside our character. We want that world and characters in it to feel credible. To achieve that kind of feeling we often have to invest a lot of time in research and make very intentional design choices. That is why most studios commission ‘character design packages’ which include a wide range of aspects for one character such as: sketches, poses, expressions, a turnaround and a final render. When you are working on a single illustration you can spend an equal amount of time on the development, but the main challenge becomes combining all these aspects into one image. That is why a lot of artists avoid nondescript standing poses but like to display a clear (inter-) action and emotion for their characters. To get that kind of feeling across, it helps imagining your canvas as a stage or movie scene. Simply ask yourself: ‘What did my character(s) just do before entering this frame?’ and ‘what is/ are my character(s) going to do next’? Approaching an image like that will give you a clearer idea of the intended ‘scene’. In Figure 4.1, you can find an example. Have a brief look and analyse the image before continuing.

Figure 4.1.  Customer Service. Created by the author (2020).

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I assume that you have come up with your own interpretation of this scene by now. What I would like to do next, is lay out my intention and ask you to compare it with your own analysis: • Intention: My intention was to portray a conflict of interest between three characters in a slightly comedic way. An upset (noble) customer is demanding service, meanwhile the shop owner is completely unaware of his presence and flirting with another customer - who doesn’t even seem interested in the wares. Their positioning within the frame and eye direction are almost comically opposed to each other. If this is exactly what you have taken from the image yourself, that means I have successfully used visual and narrative elements to get my idea across. If you feel that some parts were not as clear, that means I haven’t brought them across effectively enough. Let’s look at two examples here. The first one I consider as rather important since it adds to the comedic effect: The flirting. Did it come across well enough or did you have the feeling they might just be in a casual conversation? How could that be improved? Maybe the two characters could stand closer to one another, their hands could slightly touch or their expressions could show more affection. The second, less important example would be: the nobility of the customer. Did the ‘noble’ aspect not come across clear enough? Maybe the customer’s outfit wasn’t fancy enough. He could be portrayed in a posher pose or wear more jewellery. Why is this aspect not as important though? Because I feel that it’s not adding much to the storytelling of the scene. The message and sense of humour remains the same whether the customer is noble or not. When adding your storytelling elements, you always have to ‘pick and fight your battles’. There is a lot of information that informs the scene and it’s a delicate balance to create a clear focus and not overload an image. Here are some of the more meaningful storytelling elements that I used to support the narrative: I added an apron that defines one person as the shop owner; the counter spatially separates customers from the shop owner; the customer’s hand pointing at the shield defines the intention of the character; the background and tools allow us to identify the space as a weapon shop. Posture, eye direction, expression and gesture also contributes to the feeling we get for each character. In summary, clearly define which message you want to communicate for a design and identify the strongest visual cues to get that idea across. It often helps asking other artists or friends to look at your early sketches and interpret them. If they

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have difficulties understanding your message, you might want to improve on the storytelling elements. Let’s look at one more example, featuring only one character. In Figure 4.2, you can see a character in a mid-action pose. Even without a lot of information in the background you can get the sense of a more dangerous, heated situation. The character is displayed in a rather aggressive pose with a determined expression. He appears to be in the middle of casting a spell, which should ideally trigger questions such as ‘Who is he aiming at?’, ‘Why are they fighting?’ and ‘Is he the good or bad guy?’ Sometimes the intention for an image is not to provide all the answers, but rather raise questions and spark curiosity. More importantly, we are getting a lot more information about this character, his skills and attitude in this ‘scene’ than we would in a simple standing pose. CHARACTER QUESTIONS AND QUESTIONNAIRES

If you are working with an experienced client they will most likely provide you with a thorough character brief. That brief should not purely be focussed on visuals but also elaborates on the character’s personality, development and the world they live in. If this kind of information is missing I would always recommend requesting more details. Otherwise you might end up with a very nondescript, generic character or (which is even worse) a character that is nowhere near what your client has envisioned. Here is an example: A while back I was tasked with a character

Figure 4.2  Ravi. Created by the author (2019).

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design for an animated show. It was one of the main characters that came with the following description: Grandpa, inventor, needs to be lanky and tall. While this might give you some basic visual ideas, it really doesn’t capture the essence of the character. So I started talking to the client and had them describe to me what the character’s role was in the show. We started talking about his relationship to other characters, his main quirks and development throughout the story. I started asking questions such as: ‘What are his biggest fears?’, ‘Is he easily upset when one of his inventions fails?’ or ‘Does he walk upright and proud or is his posture more gawky?’ I could feel that asking these questions really helped the client envision the character more clearly and we both ended up with a better understanding of who this character was. When I am working on my personal projects I like to apply a similar approach. But since there is no client to bounce ideas with I usually rely on ‘character questionnaires’. I would like to show you my personal template here which you are free to use for your own character creation. I will also provide a sample questionnaire for my character ‘Quill’ which should give you a good idea on how to use this template. After that, I am going to elaborate as well on how answering these questions has helped me make informed design decisions for my character.

CHARACTER QUESTIONNAIRE Character Name:

What is the character’s name and what do they want to be called (nickname)? Gender:

What is their gender and/or what gender do they identify with? Age:

How old are they and how old do they look? Ethnicity/Race:

What is their ethnicity or race (if applicable) such as Goblin, Fairy and Unicorn.

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Profession/Occupation:

What is their profession and do they enjoy it? Origin:

Where are they from and what was their childhood like? Do they have parents and siblings? Main Traits:

Name 5–8 main characteristics that define their personality (like impulsive and complacent) Skills/Abilities:

What are they good at and why? Do they have any special powers? Weaknesses/Fears:

What are they bad at and what do they fear (and why)? Dislikes/Hates:

What angers or annoys them? How do they deal with these emotions? Hobbies/Interests:

What excites them? What do they do in their spare time? Bonds:

Who are people that matter in their life (positive and negative bonds like family, best friends and enemies). Are they looking up to someone or is someone taking advantage of them? Flaws:

What are their flaws and are they aware of them? How do they impact their daily life and social interactions? Desire/Aspiration:

What do they aim for and want to achieve in their life (and do they actually need it or do they just THINK they do?) Needs:

What do they actually need (and are potentially not aware of)? Inner Conflict/Struggle:

What are their struggles on a deeper emotional level that potentially prevent them from progression in their life?

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Ideals/Moral Compass:

What do they consider right and wrong? What are their moral limits? Secrets:

Do they have any secrets and how do they impact their life? Faith:

Do they have any religious affiliation and how strong are they? Range of Change:

How would they develop in a story and can they reach their full potential/salvation or are they doomed to fail (and why)? Appearance:

Describe their visual appearance, clothing, props, but also posture, attitude, etc. BG Story:

Elaborate who they are, where they came from and what drives them. This section can be very brief or very detailed, depending on how much information you feel is necessary.

CHARACTER QUESTIONNAIRE SAMPLE: QUILL Character Name:

Quill (Quiles - ‘Qui-Les’) Gender:

Female Age:

20 (but looks older, more like 25) Ethnicity/Race:

‘Wildling’, a human with animalistic traits Profession/Occupation:

Hunter and wood carver (she loves wood carving)

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Origin:

She is a foundling that was adopted by her human father Asmond and unaware of her past Main Traits:

Loyal - honest - straightforward - protective - survivalist Skills/Abilities:

She is fast, fearless, stealthy and rather strong (due to her animalistic side) Weaknesses/Fears:

A bit insensitive with people, little understanding of society and its rules; she fears thunder and lighting and can’t swim. Dislikes/Hates:

Bullies, people that talk too much, nobility, being wet. She has a rather short attention span and snaps quickly at these things. Hobbies/Interests:

Little critters, wood carving (loves making tiny animal figures), having two breakfasts Bonds:

Her adoptive father Asmond who was killed recently. A band of thugs that were responsible for his death and that she wants to hunt down to avenge him. Flaws:

Impatient, impulsive, violent tendencies, inexperienced. She hates being criticised and showing weakness which is why she often lashes out at people. Desire/Aspiration:

She wants to avenge her father’s death (which obviously doesn’t really solve her problems) and become a worthy warrior like her ‘papa’. Needs:

She needs to open up and embrace new friendships as well as love (she has a hard time letting people in).

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Inner Conflict/Struggle:

Her wild, animalistic side is always fighting her human side which makes it hard for her to fit into either world. Ideals/Moral Compass:

She believes in ‘survival of the fittest’ but also wants to protect the weak and innocent (especially children and little critters) Secrets:

She is secretly looking for a partner but has problems showing affection. Faith:

She believes in the forces of nature (lightning and thunder are a sign of that). Range of Change:

Throughout the story she would learn to form new friendships and even find love. Her hardest challenge would be whether she can forgive the thugs that killed her father or not. Finding a balance between her animalistic and human side would also be a meaningful achievement. Appearance:

6-foot tall and athletic, long hair and rugged clothing made from leather and coarse fabric. She wears lots of self-made metal/bone jewellery. She carries her father’s large axe and her body is almost covered in tribal tattoos. Her facial features are slightly animalistic, with a broad cat-like nose, pointy teeth and cat-like eyes. Her posture is proud and strong; her expression does not seem particularly friendly at first glance. BG Story:

Asmar, a retired adventurer, found Quill in the woods when she was only 5 years old. She grew up in a faraway cabin in the woods where he taught her to hunt and survive. She has had only little contact with human society so far though. One day when Quill is out hunting, Asmar gets attacked by thugs and killed in their home. When Quill returns to find him dead, she vows to avenge his death. Knowing nearly nothing about the outside world, she packs a bag, her father’s axe and ventures out to fulfil her promise…

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This questionnaire covers a lot of aspects and you might not always need to answer every question to get a good idea of your character. Sometimes, picking 4–6 questions that you consider meaningful might already be enough. In the end, it very much depends on the scope of your project and how much time you want to invest in it. My character Quill was designed for a narrative driven game which is why her background needed to be fully fleshed out. Let me show you her final design here in Figure 4.3 and then elaborate on how answering these questions helped me with my design choices:

Figure 4.3  Quill. Created by the author (2019).

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Physique

Since Quill is a survivalist and hunter, I gave her a more muscular, athletic body type. I am also bringing across her animalistic traits as described (broad nose, cat-like eyes, pointy ears and teeth). Her fingers also have claws. I imagine she has never brushed or cut her hair which is why it’s long and felted. Posture

Quill is fearless but also driven by animal instinct, which is why I wanted to pose her in a more relaxed posture with an underlying tension. She carries her father’s axe casually over her shoulder, suggesting how strong she is. It also emphasises that she is a warrior and survivalist. Her gaze is directly aimed at the viewer. She is clearly not afraid of confrontation. Expression

I liked the idea that (since she is not accustomed to human habits) she wouldn’t mimic a polite smile if she met a stranger. That’s why her eyebrows are narrowed and her expression wary. She would first and foremost assess if someone is a threat or prey, which doesn’t make her appear too friendly right away. Clothing

As described her clothing is rugged and torn, since she spends a lot of time in the forest. She obviously doesn’t know or cares much about common preconceptions of ‘beauty’. I liked the idea that her shoulder pads were a little less scrappy, maybe because she took them from a poacher or it could have been a gift from her father. Props/Accessories

Memories are precious to her, since she remembers so little about her childhood and where she came from. That is why she has started tattooing herself, keeping each successful hunt a safe memory. She also collects trinkets and trophies which I incorporated into metal jewellery and selfmade bone necklaces. And of course she carries her father’s axe wherever she goes as a constant reminder of her promise.

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Colour

Since most of her belongings are self-made and sourced from nature, I wanted to give her warm colours as a base (brown-yellow). Her red hair and blue eyes were supposed to create contrastful focal points around her face. The metal accessories felt like a cool touch in contrast to all the warmer colours. What’s Missing?

Whenever a project comes to an end in a games/animation studio, the team gets together to have a retrospective meeting. I like to take a similar approach when I finish an artwork. Once it’s done I will spend some time thinking about my process, where I struggled and what I could have done better. The important point is: I am not going back to work on it. I will take whatever learning curve developed for me into my next project and try to apply a better approach there. As an artist I feel it can be hard to let go of an artwork, especially personal pieces. It never really feels good enough, it’s never really done. Thinking that way we risk having dozens of unfinished artworks we feel uncomfortable sharing. That’s why I always recommend ‘finishing’ something, so that you can move on and have something to share on social media or add to your portfolio. There is no shame in being aware that a piece isn’t perfect. Knowing that we can develop and strive for improvement is an important part of our journey. I would like to take a ‘retrospective’ approach for my character Quill here and briefly discuss aspects that I feel could have been improved in her design. 1. She is a woodcarver and it’s not visible in her design. I think adding wood carving tools (potentially on her belt) or wooden self-made jewellery would have brought that aspect across. 2. Her tattoos are pretty but they don’t tell a story. If each tattoo represents a ‘successful hunt’ it would be nice to recognize actual animals, small scenes, etc. This would add a lot to her story and personality. 3. The metal jewellery gives a nice colour contrast but it doesn’t make sense. This was clearly a design choice, not a story one. It would have made more sense if she had wooden or bone jewellery. The metal feels noisy, out of place and is too symmetrical for a ‘collector’.

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4. The axe is cool but could have more personality. If it looked older, more used and had a different style/look we would understand much quicker that this belonged to another person at some point. 5. The white warpaint on her face is unnecessary. But does it set a nice contrast? Yes it does. In summary, not all design decisions have to be story based and not all story aspects need to reflect in the design. Again, ‘pick and fight your battles’. It is ok to make choices based on appeal and focus even if they aren’t necessary (like the white paint). But if you feel you are missing out on an impactful storytelling aspect that really enriches your design, make sure to add it next time (like the storytelling in the tattoo). Tip

If you are ever unsure whether to add an element, piece of clothing, etc., ask yourself ‘what would my character do?’ Would they wear this outfit, weapon, etc.? Are they rich enough to afford it? Can they don this kind of armour themselves? Can they move in it? – You get the idea.

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Diversity and Stereotypes Being an artist comes with a responsibility that we are not always aware of. Whenever we design a character, we are also making a statement. Every detail, from gender, skin colour, clothing, attitude to posture and expression blends into an overall message from the creator (intentional or not). It can say something like: ‘This is how I see a typical mother’ or ‘this is what I think a typical high school boy looks like’. We all have certain preconceptions depending on our upbringing, cultural context, media influences, personal experiences, etc. So, when we want to get a certain idea across we tend to fall back on familiar concepts and known stereotypes that we think can be easily understood. For example, we might design a mother with softer, rounder shapes to highlight her caring nature. A villain might display more triangular shapes, adding a rough, edgy feel, while the hero could have a broad, square chest and jaw, emphasising his strength and role as a protector. All these design decisions are quite stereotypical but not inherently bad. Sometimes stereotypes can help us get an idea across quickly. We are trying to apply a universal language that everybody understands. For example: if we design a character with a big head we automatically assume that they are smart. Big head = big brain = knowledge. If we design a character with big eyes they instantly appear more childlike and innocent. Big eyes = association with children and babies = innocence. This can be really beneficial if we want to get a certain personality trait across for a character or if we want to (comedically) oppose a visual trait with the character’s personality. One good example here is Baby Herman in ‘Who framed Roger Rabbit’1 who looks like a baby but acts like a grown man, or Prince Hans in ‘Frozen’2 who looks and acts like the stereotypical hero but turns out to be the villain. Intentional use of stereotypes can be quite powerful but they can also become problematic if they are continuously excluding minorities or displaying them in a

DOI: 10.1201/9781003243533-5

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negative context. For example: if the main hero is always portrayed as a white male while the villain is always portrayed as a person of colour. It can also happen in a much more subtle context, for example if you design a group of students where all boys play soccer and all girls are cheerleaders. While this is not an inherently negative statement, it sends a certain message about what it means to be a boy or a girl and what ‘place’ is given to them in society. In this chapter we want to practise awareness regarding stereotypes and finding ways to add more diversity to our character designs. GENDER

When choosing a gender for one of our character designs there are several aspects we can pay closer attention to such as gender roles, expected behaviour as well as clothing choices and colours. Gender Roles and Expected Behaviour

We all know the old stereotype: the princess is trapped in the tower and the prince has to come to the rescue. Men are displayed as strong and heroic, women as weak and in need of protection. Thankfully these are rather outdated concepts, and movies/games nowadays strive to paint a more diverse picture, featuring female independence and allowing men to show some vulnerability. It helps being aware of contemporary values, or values that our society wants to reinforce, such as empowerment of women, gender equality and inclusion of non-binary people. A young girl can lead a gang of thugs, a muscular man can be the head nurse of a hospital and a non-binary person can be the main character’s love interest. Keep in mind the diversity of the audience you are communicating with. Ideally, we want everyone who is watching our show or playing our games to feel represented and respected. Clothing Choices and Colours

Not all business women wear skirts, not all school uniforms look sexy and not all teenage girls are fashion queens. When designing outfits, my favourite approach is to not ask yourself but the character ‘what are you going to wear today’? If your character has a solid personality they will

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also have a preferred choice of outfit, colour and style. You might think a skirt could look cute on a particular girl but her personality says otherwise. The same goes for colours, not all girls wear pink and not all boys wear blue. Not everyone is fashionable. Does a girl have poor parents? Maybe she always wears sweaters a size too large which she inherited from her older brother – even if that doesn’t make her appear very feminine. How functional is the choice of clothing? Would a female knight really wear armour that exposes her boobs and thus jeopardises her safety? Be careful with this kind of oversexualisation (especially if it makes no sense for the character or in the world’s context) since it can come across disrespectful and cheap. AGE

Seeing a variety of characters of a different age in an applicant’s portfolio is always appreciated by studios. It shows that you can develop ‘the main hero’ type of character, but also consider the wide range of NPC (nonplayers characters) that are being used in a narrative. If you realise that your portfolio mainly consists of very similar portraits of young, beautiful women you might want to consider adding an older man or young boy to expand your range of characters. If you are designing a character that is a lot older or younger than yourself, take some time to research that generation, their lifestyle and habits. What games do kids play these days? Who do they look up to? What fashion is currently in style for the ‘Boomers’? Answering these questions can really help inform your design decisions for an authentic character. Age can also affect people very differently. Some adults never grow up and some kids mature way too quickly. If you ever take a look at one of your old school photos, you will quickly find that some kids appear much older or taller than others even though they are similar in age. That can create a very interesting variety in your character designs, especially if the characters are being developed in a group. BODY IMAGE AND BEAUT Y

Why is the person with the larger body in a movie always the best friend and never the protagonist? Why does the main character’s love interest constantly have to be the skinniest girl in town? These are

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very good questions to start asking yourself when you want to be mindful of body diversity. Including one larger bodied character in your lineup does not instantly make your selection diverse, it also depends on the role and respect that character is given. Way too often larger bodied characters are being portrayed negatively. For example, a lot of characters with larger bodies are presented with low self-esteem, because ‘beauty standards’ assume they are unhappy with their own body. They are also often depicted as singles, since ‘beauty standards’ don’t consider them ‘desirable’. On the other side, we have incredibly skinny women with unrealistic body proportions, creating impossible standards to live up to. As artists, we sometimes have to remind ourselves that the characters we build and the stories we tell can have a great impact on our audience. Symmetrical faces, broad jawlines and puppy doll eyes are not the only ways to depict beauty. The main character does not always have to be a jacked dude and his love interest can be a larger bodied girl who is smart and confident. Give girls chunky thighs, a crooked nose or small breasts. If you want to challenge this particular stereotype, try stepping away from ‘traditional beauty’ for your next design and really think about alternative, more diverse interpretations. ETHNIC GROUPS

We have all heard the term ‘whitewash’ before. It describes the act to alter (something) in a way that favours, features, or caters to white people: such as to alter (an original story) casting a white performer in a role based on a non-white person or fictional character.3 Unfortunately, this has been happening a lot in the past, especially in movies. People of colour and their cultures have been largely excluded for the sake of white mainstream media. Thankfully recent games and films have made a real effort to counteract this practice. Just imagine the impact of bringing different cultures, habits and religions closer to viewers that would otherwise never get in touch with them. That is why I always encourage my students to tell ‘their story’ and integrate parts of their own journey into their art. Maybe you grew up in Japan before moving to Canada or your family still follows ancient practices of a certain religion. These kinds of experiences can really influence your character designs and make them more personal and unique. If you are trying to create an authentic character that is

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not based on your own culture or experience though, make sure to do your research. Connect to people of said cultures, travel to their origin if possible or make use of libraries and the internet – as long as it goes beyond Wikipedia. Extensive research can take some time, depending on the scope of your project. But it will help you avoid shallow statements such as: ‘This is how I see an Indian person through a white person’s eyes’. This also applies to clothing and hairstyles, body language, etc. Lastly, keep in mind what ‘role’ characters are given in a group. Who is the main character, the white boy or the Indian boy? And what message would you send with either choice? SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND PARTNERSHIP

Love comes in many forms, be it heterosexual, bisexual, asexual, homosexual and everything in between. However, for the longest time mainstream media has only been portraying love and partnership in one particular way: the love (and marriage) between a man and a woman. LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other) people all over the world still have to fight for their rights and respect within our communities. Also, partnerships that don’t really fit into our ‘idea’ of a family are rarely portrayed in mainstream media. Such as three single women raising their three children together, a group of friends deciding to share custody over a child etc. As always we tend to fall back onto known, familiar concepts when developing stories and characters. It is just ‘easier’ to pick the most average character to be the main character, someone the majority of the viewers can relate to. But how are we supposed to expand our horizon if we are being served the same ‘dish’ over and over again? And how does it make people feel who do not fit into this idea of a norm? Fortunately, as of late there have been major improvements in the game, film and animation industry to better represent the LGBT+ community. Animated shows such as ‘Steven Universe’4 and ‘She-Ra and the Princesses of Power’5 even feature queer and gay lead characters. As mentioned before, adding one gay character does not always suffice to make your lineup inclusive, it also depends on the role the character is given. For your next project, consider if the main character or their love interest could be an LGBT+ person. Maybe there is not just one LGBT+ person in your character lineup but several. Consider some thorough research about what it means to be

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part of the LGBT+ community and how you can respectfully portray such a character. Avoid overly stereotypical portrayals such as ‘all gay women have short hair and a masculine appearance’ or ‘all gay men have feminine traits and wear pink’. Furthermore, consider stepping away from traditional expectations of partnerships. Maybe the old couple in your story is not married, never have been, never intended to. Maybe the main character is in love with two people simultaneously and instead of competing they decide to enter a polyamorous relationship. Who says you can only love one person at a time? PORTRAYAL OF DISABILITIES

If you want to be more inclusive towards people with disabilities, you could consider adding characters with disabilities to your lineup or even make your protagonist a person with a disability. It matters though, how we portray such characters and what role is given to them: being disabled should not mean being ‘less able’. Characters with disabilities should hold a role of equal importance and respect within the narrative. There are plenty of great examples of characters in animation who have disabilities but are not defined by them. There is Toph from ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’,6 a 13-year-old girl who is blind but also one of the most powerful characters in the series. We also have Hiccup and Toothless, two characters with disabilities who have lost limbs and feature as lead characters in ‘How to Train Your Dragon’.7 Important to note here is that they all quickly learn to live with their disabilities and are never portrayed as less capable than any of the other characters. This does not only make people with disabilities feel more represented and respected, it also encourages people with no disabilities to be more inclusive. As always, make sure to do your research if you want to include characters with disabilities and put yourself into their position as best as you can. Recognize their struggles, how their surroundings affect them and the strength and courage it takes to overcome such hurdles. To conclude this chapter, I have prepared two images of two different families (Figure 5.1 and Figure 5.2): one is a more ‘traditional’, stereotypical family and the other is a more diverse family. None of these families are wrong or unrealistic in their portrayal. I am sure that they each have their place in the context of a story, world or timeline. But take some

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Figure 5.1  Family A. Created by the author (2021).

Figure 5.2  Family B. Created by the author (2021).

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time to study and interpret the message and feeling you can gather from each of them. Figure out which elements appear stereotypical and which ones diverse and why. Feel free to use the checklist below to double check your findings.

CHECKLIST

You can use this checklist if you want to determine whether your design is avoiding stereotypes and has a certain level of diversity by answering the following questions. Of course not all of them have to be applied to one character at the same time. Gender

• Do any of your gender roles and designs appear (too) stereotypical? • Did you consider adding non-binary people? • Is the chosen clothing functional and fits the character’s personality? • Are you avoiding unnecessary over sexualisation? • Are your chosen colours diverse? Age

• Do you have a range of different character ages in your lineup or portfolio? • Have you done your research regarding a certain generation and their lifestyle? • Have you considered an age-appropriate fashion style and any look preferences the character might have themselves? • Have you considered that a character might look/act younger or older than they are? Body Image and Beauty

• Do you have a variety of body shapes in your lineup or portfolio? • Which character is the protagonist and does their body shape appear stereotypical? How can you add a bit of diversity to that character’s physique?

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• Are larger bodied characters being presented respectfully regarding their role within the narrative? • Do all your characters have similar facial structures? Ethnic Groups

• Do you have a range of different ethnicities? • Have you avoided ‘whitewashing’? • Have you done your research? Are different ethnicities and cultures presented authentically and respectfully? • Have you included any of your own cultural background and experiences? • What roles are given to different ethnicities? Are there any main characters who are people of colour, or are they all sidekicks? Sexual Orientation

• Have you considered your main character to be an LGBT+ person? • Do you have any LGBT+ characters in your lineup and if so how many and are they given meaningful roles? • How are you portraying partnerships? Have you considered polyamorous, unmarried couples or other options? • Have you done your research on what it means to be part of the LGBT+ community and how to respectfully portray such a character? Disabilities

• • • •

Have you considered adding a character with a disability? Is that character holding an equal role of importance and respect? Are they portrayed as more than just their disability? What advantages could they potentially have because of their disability?

NOTES

1. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). Directed by Robert Zemeckis. [Feature film]. United States: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. 2. Frozen (2013). Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee. [Feature film]. Burbank, CA: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

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3. Whitewash. www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whitewash. MerriamWebster. Retrieved December 30th, 2021. 4. Steven Universe (2013-2019). Created by Rebecca Sugar. [Animated television series]. United States: Cartoon Network Studios, Warner Bros. Television Distribution. 5. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018-2020). Created by ND Stevenson. [Animated television series]. United States: Netflix, NBCUniversal Television Distribution. 6. Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008). Created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. [Animated television series]. United States: MTV Networks. 7. How to Train Your Dragon (2010). Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois. [Feature film]. United States: Paramount Pictures.

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Mood Boards and References

WORKING WITH REFERENCES

In the last chapters we have been talking a lot about research when starting a new character design. As part of that, gathering a good range of visual references matters as well. This becomes particularly helpful after the brainstorming phase when you start developing your idea further. Let’s talk about another aspect first though: the ‘visual library’. Each person has a unique ‘visual library’ in their head which they have constructed over time. Such a visual library correlates with the amount of visual references you have seen, studied and drawn throughout your life and career. Hence, a senior artist who has spent hundreds of hours studying anatomy and drawing hands might not always need a reference for a pose they are developing. A junior artist might need more references to get the anatomy, perspective, etc., right – and that is ok. A lot of my students have expressed a certain shame when working with references or even copying a character pose. But how are you supposed to know how to draw an arm or hand in a certain angle if you have never drawn it this way before? I feel that using references always improves the quality of my artworks. Furthermore, I am acquiring a new ‘item’ to store into my visual library. Over time that visual library grows and becomes more and more useful for my workflow. Additionally, we can create such a visual library digitally. A lot of artists have a large selection of reference pictures for certain design elements: hairstyles, expressions, clothing, mood, poses, etc. There is a great variety of reference packs that you can buy online or download for free as well. Or – and this is my personal favourite – just take a picture of a family member, a friend or yourself. You want to design a character DOI: 10.1201/9781003243533-6

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that is just about to stab someone with a sword? Give your little brother a kitchen spoon and have him point it at you. That way you can take as many pictures as you want, change the camera angle, lighting and most importantly, you don’t have to worry about copyrights. Here are a few samples for pose references taken from the Drink and Draw Berlin ‘Stream Bundle full figure’ reference pack (Figure 6.1). When working with reference images that you have bought or found online, always make sure to check the copyrights. Are you allowed to integrate them into your artworks? And if so, do you have to credit the photographer or artist? Are you allowed to sell your art if it includes someone else’s art or picture? When I am not sure, I usually do not trace or integrate images into my artwork. However, I do like to find ‘inspiration’ in certain elements of a picture and alter them enough so that they will not be instantly associated with the original image. For example: I want my character to have a fancy hat and I have found a great photo of a black hat with several feathers, brooches and embroidery. Because I am not sure about the copyright of this particular photo/design I might give the hat a different colour and shape, change peacock feather for pheasant feathers, remove the embroidery and add a different brooch in a different location. Voila, we have a new design

Figure 6.1  Pose references (2021). Models (left to right): Hanna Petersen, Bajar Zedensodnom. With permission from ‘Drink and Draw Berlin’.

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that was ‘inspired’ by a reference but developed its own unique look and identity. If you now put both reference and design side by side and they do not look too similar, you have succeeded. You can find another sample of this approach in Figure 6.2, ‘Finding inspiration without copying’. Here I have attempted to create a character where clothing elements and props have been altered or replaced enough so that they are not instantly recognisable anymore. There are many good reasons to work with references, but here is a list of what I feel are the most important aspects: • • • •

Authenticity Believability/Functionality Uniqueness Technical correctness

• Authenticity: As mentioned before, this aspect is very important when you want to develop a character based on an existing context.

Figure 6.2  Finding inspiration without copying. Created by the author (2021). Model: Hanna Petersen. Reference picture with permission from ‘Drink and Draw Berlin’.

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This context can be historic, cultural, religious, etc. For example: A project requires you to design a priest from the 18th century (Italy) for an upcoming show. Unless you have studied this specific matter thoroughly before, I would recommend gathering a good amount of references of portraits, paintings, books (patterns, colour), etc., from that time and location. This will give you a good base for important design elements, such as clothing, religious symbols, hairstyles and accessories. This way – if you are not familiar with a certain location, culture or religion – you can prevent insensitive or false representations. • Believability/Functionality: Imagine being asked to design a character that is a saxophonist. If you don’t play the saxophone yourself, how are you supposed to know how it’s held and where the fingers are meant to be placed? Only a selection of references can help get this design across in a believable manner. Another sample would be designing a knight in full armour. If you have never worn a suit of armour yourself, would you know how heavy it is? Does it restrict movement? How high can you lift your arms with metal pauldrons on your shoulders? I am sure you can quickly find a good amount of references that can answer these questions. This will definitely help with the believability of your design and prevent people from raising an eyebrow at a potentially unrealistic portrayal. • Uniqueness: This aspect refers to our personal visual library. Let’s assume we are designing a dress for a character. We have all seen dresses before, we understand their form and shape. You could most certainly come up with a design that looks like a dress without using references. But will it be interesting or unique? Our visual library only holds so many different versions of ‘how a dress looks’. If you want to create something more unique you might want to look into different sources of inspiration: vintage clothing, fashion shows, form and shapes in nature (flowers, animals), fine art, theatre, etc. You might find great design elements in the shape of a rose or a bird’s feather. The whole idea of this aspect is to step away from your existing image of a ‘dress’ and allow different kinds of inspiration to give this design element a new, exciting form. • Technical Correctness: This one seems rather obvious but it is also one of the most important ones. References, especially anatomical ones, are a vital base of great character design. You can have the most amazing idea for your design but if the character’s hips are drawn in an unnatural angle – that is what the viewer will ultimately focus on. Humans are great at spotting mistakes, especially anatomical ones, since we see ‘correct’ human anatomy every day. So my advice is: always

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get the base right first. Take the time to study anatomy and never shy away from looking up a reference when needed. This becomes even more important when you want to work with different camera angles (low, high, etc.) and you have to deal with distorted perspectives, foreshortening, etc. MOOD BOARDS

When starting on a new character, I always create a mood board first. A mood board is nothing else but a collection of references that I want to refer to while working on my design. Here is an overview of the types of references I tend to include in my mood board: • Personality: Expressions, poses and attitude samples • Physical features: Body types, facial structures and hairstyles • Technical aspects: Anatomical and perspective references (foreshortening, etc.) • Accessories: Clothing, props, weapons, makeup, tattoos, etc. • Lighting/Mood: Light direction, atmosphere and colour palette • Style: Level of stylisation, render quality and shape language I tend to pick 4–6 items for each category. That helps me focus my attention on specific aspects and still come up with some ideas myself. You can add more, but be careful not to lose yourself in the depths of Pinterest for hours. If your board is ‘overcrowded’, it becomes really hard to pinpoint which elements are worth including. Here is a sample of a ‘small’ mood board with a selection of images that I want to use for a specific design (Figure 6.3): In subpart A, you can see a bunch of lighting/mood references. For this particular design, I have chosen dramatic, contrasting and colourful lighting (pink and blue or red and green). I haven’t made a final decision yet but gathered the top 6 references that felt fitting for my idea. In subpart B, are a few expressions that felt fitting for my character concept. I might apply one of those for my design or use them for an expression sheet later on. In subpart C, I have chosen two potential poses, but I can also use these for anatomical correctness and perspective guidelines. If you collect or stage your references well it might save you a lot of time later on when you are trying to bring it all together. For example, in subpart D, I have selected two outfit references that I found appealing.

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Figure 6.3  Mood board (2021). Models: Céline Helen Blankman, Hanna Petersen, Eileen Tretter, Bajar Zedensodnom. With permission from ‘Drink and Draw Berlin’.

I have made sure that they are already in a similar angle and perspective as the pose reference. This means I can transfer certain elements much quicker without running the risk of messing up perspective, drapery and flow within the shape. There are also a few fur samples, which I want to incorporate into the outfit. From here you are free to work with your references however you please. Study, copy or photobash the material, trace it, colour pick (or don’t) - whatever works best for your personal workflow. Keep in mind the copyright notes above though! In Figure 6.4, you can see my final character design based on the mood board that we just discussed.

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Figure 6.4 Mood board-based design. Created by the author. Reference picture taken by ‘Drink and Draw Berlin’ (2021). Model: Eileen Tretter.

I usually start by constructing the anatomical base and perspective, then testing out clothing, props, etc., before adding finishing touches and details. Colour comes last. You might notice that there are some design details like the swords and brooches which appear to have no reference. Since I am someone who mainly draws fantasy and mediaeval characters, my personal visual library has a lot of these designs already ‘stored’. Your visual library might hold other design elements depending on your personal preferences and studies. PRACTISE

A great practice, especially for character design, is studying expressions. To conclude this chapter I want to encourage you to work with the following photo references (Figure 6.5) to create your own expression sheet. You can

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Figure 6.5  Expressions (2021). Model: Bajar Zedensodnom. With permission from ‘Drink and Draw Berlin’.

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simply treat this as a study or make up your own character design and use these references as a base. Select the most fitting 4–6 expressions and apply them to your own character. Pay close attention to how the face squashes and stretches, how perspective alters shapes and what aspects make a character recognisable (nose shape, eyes, cheekbone height, etc.).

CHECKLIST

Here is a checklist of the aspects mentioned above. Using this at the beginning of the mood board creation (or during the process to double check whether you have everything you need) can be really helpful: • Do you have references to ensure authenticity (cultural, religious, etc.)? • Have you used references that ensure believability and functionality of your design? • Does your design feel unique or average? Can you add a more unique flavour? • Have you used anatomical and perspective references? Does everything look technically ‘correct’? Have you gathered references for:

• Personality: Expressions, poses and attitude samples • Physical features: Body types, facial structures and hairstyles • Technical aspects: Anatomical and perspective references (foreshortening, etc.) • Accessories: Clothing, props, weapons, makeup, tattoos, etc. • Lighting/Mood: Light direction, atmosphere and colour palette • Style: Level of stylisation, render quality and shape language

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Style Style can be described as the way an artist expresses themselves. This can refer to the medium, tools and technique of the artist but also how they approach form, composition, colour, etc. Finding your own style can take some time and depends on your personal preferences. Some artists love doing realistic, highly detailed paintings, others prefer quick, rough iterative sketches. Similar to choosing a preferred subject for your art (for example drawing portraits) you can choose a preferred art style and continuously develop and improve it. I have met quite a few artists with a very recognisable style. You instantly know who the artist is just by looking at one of their works. Sometimes it is noticeable in the brushstrokes, the shape of the eyes, a specific colour palette or way of shading. Developing your own style can make for a great brand and can get you hired on specific projects for that specific style, but being adaptable to different styles can also be very advantageous. If you don’t mind jumping between subjects (characters, environment, props, etc.) or styles (cartoony, realistic, etc.) you will have a lot more opportunities to find work. It makes you and your portfolio more versatile, which brings us to one of the most common questions asked: ‘Should an artist be a specialist or a generalist?’ I think to answer this it helps defining your own goals and researching studios/projects that you are interested in. Are you happy drawing in one certain style or would you like to learn something new? Have you chosen a path that you want to follow (for example ‘I want to do realistic AAA games’) or are you open to explore alternatives? If there is a studio you admire, figure out how their concept art department works. Do they hire specific people for specific roles or do they prefer artists who can do a bit of everything? In my experience smaller studios often like employing generalists because they can ‘wear many hats’ while larger studios like to employ specialists to create a team of

DOI: 10.1201/9781003243533-7

Style

‘the best in their field’. Either way, being adaptable and able to draw in different styles is a valuable skill in our industry, especially when it comes to working together with a team of other artists.

WORKING WITH A ST YLE GUIDE

You might have heard the term style guide before. As an artist working in games/animation you will frequently be given a style guide to work with or you might even be asked to contribute to its development. It is basically a guide on how certain visuals are artistically (and technically) treated for a specific game/show. The content of these style guides depends on the type of project and what aspects the art director deems most important. Commonly used are: proportions and scale, shape language, render style and mood/colours. This can define how big a character is in comparison to the environment and what colour themes are portrayed as ‘good’ and ‘evil’ within a narrative, etc. When such a style guide exists it is essential that all artists on the team follow its guidelines. This ensures that the final game or film looks stylistically coherent and that ‘everything fits into the same world’. When that isn’t the case you might have props that unintentionally stand out because they are more detailed than other props. Or there might be a character in the lineup who appears ‘out of place’ because their shape language does not match the other characters. There is a different part during pre-production though that allows a bit more creative freedom. It is the initial part of visual development which focuses purely on creativity and exploration. During that phase artists are often allowed to explore the subject matter in their own style. The goal here is to generate ideas, explore the mood of a show or develop a character’s personality. After the ‘soul’ of a project has evolved the next step would be to discuss a style and look for the project. That is when the style guide development begins. Here are two samples of the characters Ava and Embry from the short film ‘Being Good’ (Figures 7.1 and 7.2). As you can see different artists have drawn them in their own style during the initial visual development phase. The goal here was not defining a style but exploring their personality and attitude. Little differences in outfit, hairstyle, etc., don’t matter at this point.

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Figure 7.1  Ava drawn by different artists (2017). Left: Ava for ‘Being Good’ with permission from Carlos Ruiz; Right: Ava for ‘Being Good’ with permission from Lap Pun Cheung.

Proportions and Scale

Among other things, a style guide can define proportions and scale. This can be realistic proportions or any level of stylised proportions. For example, characters might have an oversized head, larger hands or skinny legs, etc. These kinds of stylisations are often intended to be appealing for different kinds of audiences. Small bodies vs big heads/eyes that imitate the cuteness of babies or puppies might speak to a younger audience. Big bulky characters with oversized arms/hands might appear more aggressive and could potentially be more appealing towards a male teenage audience. The emphasis of certain body parts can also be based on storytelling or underline a character’s personality. A smart character might be portrayed with a big head while a ‘typical’ villain might display very small eyes that appear beady and hard to read. Lastly, a character’s scale and proportions can also matter in terms of visibility. If you are playing a top down game, for example you need to very quickly recognise

Style

Figure 7.2  Embry drawn by different artists (2017). Top Left: Embry for ‘Being Good’ with permission from Alex Negrea; Bottom left: Embry for ‘Being Good’ with permission from Vito Sicilia; Right: Embry for ‘Being Good’ with permission from Cristina Laviña Ferez.

the different types of characters, enemies, etc. The more iconic a character’s shape and proportions are the more likely you are to identify them quickly. Here is a sample of the same character with different scales and proportions (Figure 7.3). Do you feel like one of them seems more appropriate for a certain age group or type of media (mobile games, animated film, etc.)? Is there an overall look that you personally find more appealing than the others and if so why? Learning to identify differences in styles can be very helpful for identifying your own preferences as well.

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Figure 7.3  Different character proportions and scale. Created by the author (2022).

Shape Language

Different shape language can be used for different shows or even for different types of characters within the same show. It can say a lot about a character’s personality. For example: a friendly grandma might be designed with round cheeks, a pear shaped body and circular hair buns while the unfriendly neighbour might have a long, pointy nose, sharp shoulders and long, claw-like fingers. A younger audience might like soft, round shapes and characters that feel friendly and likeable. An older audience might prefer sharper shapes that feel more edgy and dynamic. You can also focus on aspects such as weight, flow and simplification. Do you want your characters to feel sturdy and grounded? Maybe their legs and feet are chunkier, their weight flows from top to bottom. Do you want your audience to focus on the characters’ strength and more heroic features? Keep the feet and legs small/thin and give your hero a large, triangular chest with broad shoulders and neck as a focus. In that case weight and flow are directed towards the upper half of the character. Another important question is: how much do we simplify? Do we simplify the ears, the nose, the amount of fingers? Which parts of the character can

Style

be squarish and which ones do we want to keep rounded (for a balanced design)? What kinds of different shapes do I want to use for my characters in a lineup to differentiate them? As you can see there is a lot of room to explore and define parameters for a style guide. That is why every single style guide is so different. Here is one sample for the same character with two different types of shape language applied to it. Can you read flow and weight in each of them? Where is the main focus and how has it been created? Do the different shapes trigger different responses in you? To practise adaptability to different styles I would recommend picking one of your own designs and drawing it in the different styles from Figure 7.4. You have succeeded if the shape language of your designs match each sample and the characters look like they belong into the same universe.

Figure 7.4  Shape language. Created by the author (2022).

Render Style

When talking about ‘rendering’ in visual development or concept art this generally means adding painterly, 3-dimensional details instead of doing line art drawings. You can aim for a (photo) realistic render or a more stylised render, this is usually a personal preference. Do you enjoy

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painting realistic details or simplified shapes? Do you like to spend weeks on one portrait, getting every hair and freckle right or do you prefer to generate a whole range of characters within that time frame with a simplified, flatter render? You can apply a realistic render to a stylised drawing or a stylised render to a realistic drawing. A personal style can develop over time based on your render preferences. An artist might use soft or heavily textured brushes, they might apply outlines or not, edges might be hard or blurry, etc. You can also choose to apply a different level of render detail to different elements within a design. A character’s head and upper body might display a higher, cleaner level of detail, for example, than their lower body and feet, since we want the viewer to focus on their face. Rendering heavily depends on lighting and light direction. You can choose whether you want your lighting to be realistic or abstract. How many light sources do you have and what are their directions? Do they have different levels of intensity or colour? These are decisions you should consider before starting a render. If you are studying a certain render style it can also help analysing that style first and making a brief checklist of its main characteristics. Have a look at Figure 7.5 which displays two different render styles for the same character portrait. Both of them can

Figure 7.5  Render styles. Created by the author (2022/2016).

Style

successfully get the same idea across but might serve a different purpose. The first one (on the left) is simplified and flat with little 3-dimensional detail to it. It has basic cell-shading which we can often see in cartoons. Due to its simplicity this style can be animated rather easily in comparison to a more realistic render. It is also less time consuming to create, which means an expression sheet would be done much quicker in this style. A cartoon with this kind of 2D look might not even require more detail since this already equals the final look of the show. The second render (on the right) has a lot of painterly detail which might serve more of an illustrative purpose because of its complexity or as a visual reference for a 3D model. If this character was meant to be created in 3D this render style would provide a lot more detail about the volume, planes and shapes of the character’s face than the first render style. That is why some render styles might be more suited for illustrations and visual development, others for ingame content and animations.

Mood/Colours

Mood and colours play an important role for the feeling an image communicates to the viewer. Are we creating a dark, desaturated world or a colourful, friendly environment? How does our character fit into that world? Do they match their environment or stick out like a sore thumb? For example, you could have a playful character that wears bright colours and displays a happy attitude against a dark, gritty environment (or the other way around). Ideally, we want the character to stand out from the environment so that we can focus our attention on them. To achieve that in games we often see characters with more saturated, flat colours (and potentially thicker outlines) while the background displays less saturated colours with more painterly details. Interactive props usually follow the same appearance as characters, clearly stating which assets can be picked up, used, opened, etc. Choosing this kind of style allows the player to focus on the character and the gameplay. There can also be different colour choices between factions and allies/ enemies. Creatures from the forest might only display green and brown colours while city folk are wearing red and silver as a main colour. Allies might be marked with blue outlines and enemies with red ones. That way we can quickly place certain characters within a world’s context and determine whether someone is a friend or foe. We also tend to read some colour palettes as more friendly, for example the priest in white

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and golden robes while a sorcerer in a red and black cloak might appear more threatening. As always, playing with these kinds of stereotypes and turning them upside down can be really fun too. Colours can also change throughout the story and add to the evolution of a character. Maybe a scene starts in a dark room because our character is in a bad place, but as the story progresses they evolve and grow stronger. At the same time our environment changes with them, turning into more happy and colourful settings. Maybe their own appearance changes as well with colours brightening up and becoming more saturated. This kind of progress is often pre-visualised in animation through mood boards. Those mood boards give an overview of the development of the mood of an entire film/show. In Figure 7.6, you can find an example of such a mood board which captures key moments of a story. As you can see neither the character portrayal nor the painting style is 100% consistent. The most important aspect of this visualisation is to get a feeling across for the mood of the scene. Lastly, here is one more sample displaying the use of faction colours (Figure 7.7). The main colour base for the two characters on the left is a dark red, with a strong secondary colour each (beige and dark grey) as well as similar colour accents (blue and gold). The two characters on the right display blue as their main colour with a secondary colour each and similar accents. Grouping characters like this can create a sense of belonging (to a faction/house, etc.) and emphasise potential rivalry or feuds within a narrative.

Figure 7.6  Mood boards. Created by the author (2017).

Style

Figure 7.7  Use of colours. Created by the author (2019).

Conformity

The majority of animations and games are about storytelling. This often includes an extensive world, several main characters, background characters, etc. All of these aspects need to be designed in a coherent manner, so that the audience is convinced that everything belongs to the same world. You need to establish rules of how the world works and stick to them to make it credible. That can be done in storytelling, animation or by other means, but also through visual design. Think of cartoons where petite characters lift up and swing swords twice their size. Had we established realistic conditions as we know them this would obviously seem weird. But if we establish early on that this is ‘normal’ and everyone can do it, we are more willing to accept it. Another example would be that some games like to design oversized armour because it looks more chunky and impressive on screen. Realistically that kind of armour would be way too heavy for a character to wear. If designed in 3D, it also tends to ‘clip’ through geometry. Meaning, armour pieces penetrate into other limbs (or environmental objects surrounding the character) because of their size. This is generally not something we deem appealing or authentic, but

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if we establish it as a ‘norm’ that happens in our world without further consequences we are more willing to accept (and ignore) it. In much simpler terms, conformity means sticking to a unified look and logic. This is especially important if you have different artists working on different characters that are supposed to live in the same world. As an art director I would often check whether mundane elements such as ears, noses, eyes, limbs have the same weight, flow and thickness. It can of course vary from a small character to a large character but needs to remain proportionally correct. Conformity matters in many types of aspects. Do hair and fur have the same amount of simplification? Is texture detail the same? Are folds falling the same way and in the same manner of complexity? In fact, we can include all other aspects mentioned above in an overall conformity checklist. • Are proportions and scale coherent? • Overall • For single elements such as ears, noses and limbs. • Is the shape language unified? • Weight and flow • Simplification vs level of detail • Shapes (rounded, boxy, triangular, etc.) • Is the render style the same? • • • •

Level of realism and 3-dimensional detail Amount of brush textures vs flat colours Outlines or no outlines Lighting techniques and detail

• Are mood and colours consistent? • Consistent mood or narrative based changes • Character/Faction-related colour palettes

This checklist might be useful when you start a project or join a studio working on an existing project. I often use it when I am starting to develop a group of characters. Studios really like to see a selection of

Style

Figure 7.8  Conformity in groups of characters. Created by the author (2019).

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several concepts showing the exploration of a world and its inhabitants. It shows that you are not just drawing ‘random’ characters but are able to work with a narrative. In the end ‘world design’ is often exactly what needs to be done for a game or film. In Figure 7.8, you can see a lineup of several characters that I developed for a mini project. Take some time to study them for their consistency. You might find aspects such as: all of them have lineart, their rendering is similarly simple with little detail, ‘factions’ or groups are recognisable (like the green Goblins or the native Elves) through their outfits and colour palettes, etc. There is a lot of intention in their design. Can you identify a different weight and flow in the characters? What elements feel more emphasised and what purpose might that have? If you want to practise conformity I would recommend picking up the character description at the end of this chapter and designing a character for this particular lineup. Feel free to work with the checklist and take your time to study this particular style. When the character you have created could sit among these characters without standing out as being different you have successfully matched the look. Task

Design a character that fits into the lineup: Each character has a relation in this lineup: a parent, aunt, sister, brother etc. Design a mother for the little Dwarf girl in the pink skirt on the right. Pay attention to her shape language, proportions, colours and characteristics to make her mother easily identifiable. The mother has lived a harsh life, she is sturdy, serious and practical. Dwarves are often stout and squareish but can display some softer features. This mother is clearly not somebody you want to mess with!

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Creating a Character Design Package In this chapter, we will be looking at ‘character design packages’ which are often required to further process a design in the CG pipeline. A character design package includes a selection of artworks that you create in order to make the character’s design as clear and understandable as possible. That means preparing turnarounds, expression sheets, a render, etc., so that the character can be drawn by other artists the same way, built in 3D or animated. If you are working in a studio, you might be given several weeks or months to develop and finalise a character design package, but in our sometimes fast-paced industry you might get asked by a client to deliver such a package within a week. That is why it’s important to discuss the scope (and payment) of a character design package early on, making sure both parties have similar expectations. Let me give you two samples here from actual projects that I have worked on in the last year:

PROJECT 1: ‘ROXANNE’

The client ‘Gizmify Studios’ requested one design of a female character. Their criteria are: ‘original and appealing, feature quality, Sci-Fi themed, ready for modelling’. The character is meant to be distributed worldwide as a 3D rig for animators to use in their personal work. The aim is to come up with an appealing design and provide a clear ‘layout’ to build the character in 3D. The character’s background story is of less interest in this particular case. The client is willing to pay for 1 week worth of work (40 hours), but spread over the course of several months to allow a few feedback rounds.

DOI: 10.1201/9781003243533-8

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PROJECT 2: ‘AIJU’

The client ‘Artstation’ has commissioned me to create an educational video titled: ‘Designing Characters with Personality and Expression’.1 The video itself is going to be distributed on their online platform ‘Artstation Learning’. I have been given free choice of content and a 3-month deadline. That means my aim will be creating an interesting, unique character while demonstrating the workflow of a professional character designer. I have set myself 1.5 weeks to finish the designs before tackling the recordings. As you can see my two clients have very different products in mind, but both of them require a ‘character design package’ that has to be finished within roughly 1 week. In each case, I would send them an overview of the amount of work I would be able to produce within that time frame. Here is what I suggested: • • • • • •

4–5 sketches (including 1–2 feedback rounds for Project 1) Cleanup and flat colour (including 1–2 feedback rounds for Project 1) Lineart turnaround (no colour) 4–5 Expressions 3–4 Poses 1 Full body render

This is a very personal assessment of my own skills. You will have to realistically estimate this for yourself for each project. Over time I have learnt how much I can accomplish in 1 week and which subject matters or styles take me longer. ‘Roxanne’ will be done in a stylised approach that I am very familiar with, which is why I agreed to 1 week. ‘Aiju’ will be slightly more realistic which I know takes me a bit longer, hence the 1.5-week estimate. With those estimates I am also considering quality and by how much I have to ‘compress’ it to hit my deadlines. That might sound a little frustrating, but if you are only being paid for a week, you should make sure to stay within those time constraints. Doing a bit more and showing some extra effort is never a bad thing, but you should always make sure that you are being appropriately paid for your hard work. When discussing a character design package, make sure to also agree on feedback rounds with your client. That way you can both settle on similar expectations and have a base to negotiate any extra rounds (and payment) if needed. It might take a bit of practice to figure out how much time you personally need for this process, but that is ok. I still struggle sometimes to make accurate estimates, especially with new clients.

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Now, let’s have a look at the 2-character design packages step by step. Starting with character descriptions: • ‘Roxanne’ (provided by the client): ‘I imagine her as a kind of Sci-Fi agent/explorer/ranger in the future. She’s an adventurer type, well trained at survival, good at what she does and her sense of curiosity drives her to new adventures while she fulfils her duties. She should feel like she is a social person, not really a “career first” type. She loves what she does but she wants a healthy work life balance. She’s corky and a little goofy, but skilled, smart and physically capable’. • ‘Aiju’ (written by me): ‘Aiju is a young nomadic shaman apprentice. Like a few others of her tribe she can turn into a wolf and has the power to communicate with spirits through “Dreaming”. She is the only white wolf in the tribe though and legend has it that the white wolf will guide their people to “the promised land”. Living in quite harsh conditions, the tribe is now hoping that Aiju will be their saviour. Quite an expectation for a young girl (…)’. From here on I am going to describe my process step by step for each individual project. RESEARCH AND MOOD BOARDS

• Roxanne: The client has provided me with a range of references (which I cannot share here unfortunately due to copyright reasons). They mainly featured some facial references for the character, poses and Sci-Fi samples, like suits, weapons and colours. These references have given me a good idea of the desired look and personality. Since I don’t draw a lot of Sci-Fi in my personal work, I spent most of my research looking up typical Sci-Fi elements, clothing, accessories, weapons, etc. Lastly, I gathered a few references for poses to speed up my process and compiled everything into a mood board. Time spent: 2–3 hours. • Aiju: Since I haven’t been given a character description, the first thing I did was come up with a concept and story myself. I decided to create a shamanistic character that lives in a fictional world, which would allow me to freely design clothing, etc., without having to worry about cultural authenticity. I then spent most of my research looking up references for faces, clothing, tribal and shamanistic accessories and patterns. Time spent: 4–5 hours.

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SKETCHES

• Roxanne: Here are four sketches that I did of ‘Roxanne’ which incorporate a lot of the design elements the client liked (Figure 8.1). I added a variety of clothing options to choose from and made sure the character appears optimistic and confident. The outfit is designed in a rather ‘contained’ fashion, avoiding any dangly bits or overcomplicated layering to make it more animation-friendly. I blocked in some darker areas within the suit to suggest how colour separation could make certain elements pop later on. You will also see that the suits have a nice, intentional balance between areas of detail and areas of rest. I would consider those ‘sketches’ on the more polished end, since I felt it made them more presentable. This can matter if you are only communicating via email and don’t get the chance to explain your quick sketches and scribbles. Tip: Always number your sketches and/ or version so that a client can easily point out which one they like. Time spent: 6 hours. • Aiju: Aiju was not going to have any client feedback rounds which meant I was free to make my own design decisions. She was also not going to be modelled in 3D, so I could use a more complex design for her. That is why I quickly settled on a face and physique that I liked and spent most of my iteration phase on her outfit. There were two aspects I wanted to consider, the fact that she could turn into a wolf

Figure 8.1  Roxanne sketches. Created by the author (2021). With permission from Gizmify Studios.

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and that she lived in harsh tundra-like conditions. I wanted her to be a survivor, wearing traditional, shamanistic leather and fur clothing. It also had to be practical since I couldn’t imagine her turning into a wolf wearing her whole outfit. She also couldn’t afford to rip it into shreds every time, since supplies were probably scarce and precious. So she had to wear something that she could quickly cast off, without having to untie dozens of laces, belts, etc. That is why I decided to go for something along the lines of a long skirt and jacket. In Figure 8.2, ‘Aiju outfit sketches’, you can see that I did a variety of quick, rough sketches over her body base. I usually do those in greyscale since it’s quicker and allows me to focus on values. Where do I want to set strong contrasts and which areas do I want to fade out? Where are we setting our focus? During this phase I also try to find an appealing form, split the character into big, medium and small shapes and create a general flow. You can see that I am not focussing on any detail here, it’s all about the overall look for the character, their silhouette and focus points. Time spent: 3 hours. In Figure 8.3, ‘Aiju hood and mask sketches’, I have already mixed and matched an outfit that I liked and continued my sketches for shamanistic elements. I wanted to test out different hood shapes, headpieces and masks that she would use during her rituals. I was mainly looking for appealing silhouettes in the horns and a strong contrast with the mask, which would allow us to focus on it when she wears it. Time spent: 2 hours.

Figure 8.2  Aiju outfit sketches. Created by the author (2021).

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Figure 8.3  Aiju hood and mask sketches. Created by the author (2021).

Lastly, I made an overview of my final selection to check whether I am happy with my design choices (Figure 8.4). I like the functionality that I have achieved with her clothing, as well as the appealing shape of the fur collar framing her face. The asymmetric flow of the jacket feels dynamic and the repetition of patterns and fur throughout the design

Figure 8.4  Aiju final sketches selection. Created by the author (2021).

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feel consistent. The mask sets a nice contrast and reads well in silhouette – as does the hood. Overall I think I have achieved an appealing, unique design. Time spent: 1 hour. CLEANUP AND COLOUR

• Roxanne: After sending in my round of sketches, the client has provided me with a list of feedback. Character B was their favourite but they wanted a few extra elements integrated, for example specific headpieces, longer hair, chunkier shoes and gloves. I have applied the feedback and did a cleanup of the chosen character for this round. I also provided a drawing for the modellers demonstrating the character’s design and clothing under the jacket. I could have sent that sketch back first before tackling the colour versions, but if I have spare time I try to get as much done in one round as possible. That is why I provided 4 different colour versions, to get a general feeling of what it was the client wanted (Figure 8.5). Since they specifically requested a friendly, confident mascot I went for strong, saturated colours with contrasting highlights. I also made sure to keep the lower body less interesting than the upper body. You will see that most lights and colourful details will appear from the torso upwards. Time spent: 4 hours.

Figure 8.5  Roxanne colour iterations. Created by the author (2021). With permission from Gizmify Studios.

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• Aiju: Based on my final selection, I have now done a cleaned up lineart on top of my sketches (Figure 8.6). That allows me to work out smaller, yet undefined details like the belt, headpiece and boots. It also gives me a clean layered version that I can place colour under. Tip: Always work in layers in Photoshop. If you get feedback and have to do changes, it is much quicker when you have everything structured and sorted properly. Time spent: 2 hours. Next up, colour variations (Figure 8.7). Take a look at the neon version on the left, this is the base I am usually working with. I paint in strong, contrasting colours on separate layers, so that I can quickly select and alter them later on. I also keep the same materials in the same colour and on the same layer. You can see all fur is green, all thicker leather parts (like belt and shoes) are yellow and the two softer leather parts (jacket and skirt) are pink and turquoise. That way, if I want to colour all fur black I can just change the overall colour of that one fur layer. Once my ‘workfile’ is set up I copy the character several times and play around with the actual colours

Figure 8.6  Aiju cleanup. Created by the author (2021).

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Figure 8.7  Aiju colour. Created by the author (2021).

that I want for my character. I have tried out different skin and hair colours as well as different colour palettes for her outfit. In the end I chose the outfit on the right with the lighter fur, since it made more sense for tundra-like conditions. A hunter and survivor like her would less likely be seen in a snowy landscape if she was wearing partly white clothing. I also liked the contrast it created visually to the darker skirt and jacket. Time spent: 4 hours. I personally really like designing patterns, so I spent some time testing out different patterns on her skirt, shoes, etc., and added some tribal markings as well (Figure 8.8, ‘Aiju patterns’). I was trying to find a balance

Figure 8.8  Aiju patterns. Created by the author (2021).

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that felt interesting and would draw attention to her face. I still wanted to keep some areas of rest and not overload the design though. That is why I ended up with the final version that you can see in Figure 8.9, ‘Aiju final’. I liked the darker stripe on her cheeks because of its strong contrast. I reduced the amount of noise of the pattern in the skirt and shoes so that it would be less distracting. I only applied the colour red in shamanistic elements like the belt, horns and mask to create a distinct theme here. Finally, I really liked the idea of having a version with wolf eyes, hinting towards her shapeshifting nature. Once I was happy with her overall look this concluded the design phase. Time spent: 5 hours. TURNAROUND

• Roxanne: After the design is finalised and signed off, the next thing I usually do is prepare a turnaround of the character. That helps me personally if I want to do any more poses and expressions but it will also be the base for the 3D modellers to build the character. That is why accuracy is pretty important during this step. You want to make sure that everything aligns perfectly in the front, side and back view.

Figure 8.9  Aiju final. Created by the author (2021).

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That means if you were to draw a horizontal line anywhere across the turnaround, elements such as hands, nose, knees and chin would perfectly line up. This can feel rather technical and tricky but it can also be a lot of fun. Have a look at Figure 8.10, ‘Roxanne turnaround’, as an example. You can also see here that the client already made his choice regarding the overall colour. Again, we are keeping the lower body desaturated and ‘less interesting’ than the upper body, so that the strong green colour, red hair and glowing blue elements can capture our attention. Time spent: 8 hours. • Aiju: Since Aiju was not going to be modelled in 3D I didn’t feel the need to do a complete turnaround for her. I just wanted a few angles for her face, so that I could do her expression sheet quicker and more accurately (Figure 8.11). You will also see that this turnaround

Figure 8.10  Roxanne turnaround. Created by the author (2021). With permission from Gizmify Studios.

Figure 8.11  Aiju turnaround. Created by the author (2021).

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is overall a bit more loose and I have kept the lines in the background to show what exactly I meant with elements lining up. Time spent: 2 hours. EXPRESSIONS

• Roxanne: There are two reasons for expression sheets. One is to get the character’s personality across, the second is creating a guideline for the riggers to build a flexible facial rig. This matters for animation as well because it ensures that extreme expressions can still be achieved and look appealing. Roxanne required an expression sheet that was testing these extremes. The most common expressions you would have to provide would be sadness - surprise - disgust - joy - anger - fear. Sometimes you might also have two extra versions called ‘squash’ and ‘stretch’ which demonstrate the most extreme facial shapes. Make sure to also add one or two profile views for the whole package. I did a few of those expressions based on the turnaround, which made this process a lot quicker (Figure 8.12). Time spent: 5 hours (including feedback).

Figure 8.12  Roxanne expressions. Created by the author (2021). With permission from Gizmify Studios.

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Aiju: Aiju’s expression sheet was purely based on personality. That is why I was also playing with perspective angles and instead of painting over the turnaround, started sketches from scratch. This process took longer, especially since I added some flat greyscale colours as well for a more appealing presentation. My goal here was to present who this character was, not to provide a technical sheet for modelling. Tip: Always use references. I have used a separate reference for each expression here (Figure 8.13). Time spent: 8 hours. POSES

• Roxanne: Pose sketches can give us a really good idea about personality as well. Does a character appear lively with big gestures or timid and rather still? Knowing this also helps building a flexible rig that allows bigger movements if needed. It also lets you see ‘problem zones’ early on. You might have a character that jumps a lot but has many

Figure 8.13  Aiju expressions. Created by the author (2021).

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layered belts over their hips. If not well adjusted this can quickly look horrendous with geometry clipping into one another or overstretching. For Roxanne I used a few pose references the client liked and we did one quick feedback round as well - which we spoke about and agreed on beforehand. They wanted to get her quirky, happy attitude across as well as her ‘professional’ side. The main challenge here – like in the turnaround – was to get all elements sitting correctly while keeping the right size. Consistency in the main characteristics can be pretty tricky, especially when you’re working on a tight deadline. Sometimes I stop at a point where a pose is ‘good enough’ and gets the idea across. Finding that point is up to everyone personally though. Time spent: 8 hours (including feedback). • Aiju: For Aiju I wanted characteristic poses that display her personality (Figure 8.15). I included some shamanistic and landscape elements and posed her in rather defensive/dynamic poses to underline her survival nature. I also included different versions of her (hood up and down). Again, all of these poses were done with references. They are not numbered because I didn’t expect any feedback rounds. Time spent: 8 hours.

Figure 8.14  Roxanne poses. Created by the author (2021). With permission from Gizmify Studios.

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Figure 8.15  Aiju poses. Created by the author (2021).

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RENDER

•  Roxanne: The final step for a character design package is a render or illustrations (Figure 8.16). This helps a 3D modeller to read the form and shape of the character as well as understand materials if the character is going to be textured. Which parts are soft fabric, which metallic, how sharp are certain edges, etc.? To make this process a bit quicker, I usually pick a pose that I have already done before if the client agrees with it. You might want to purely focus on the character, or add an environment if you want a more illustrative presentation. For Roxanne I simply needed her to read well, so I kept the background white. If you have roughly calculated the time I already spent on her, you would see that I only had about a day left to finish within the 1 week we agreed upon. That is why I did what I would call a ‘quick render pass’ on her. That means I did a basic definition of the shapes, set shading and highlights, but only applied a very simplistic lighting pass. It is enough for the form to read well and be understood but it could have been pushed to a higher quality with an extra day. That isn’t necessarily bad, as long as the render serves its purpose. And in the end the client needs to be happy with it – which they were. Time spent: 8 hours. The last thing I want to share with you is the 3D model that was built based on this design (Figure 8.17). It is always exciting to see how your design develops and translates into 3D which is why I thought it would be great to share this here as well. As you can see these are exactly the poses I provided. Feel free to have another look at Figure 8.14. ‘Roxanne poses’ and compares them to the 3D render. Sometimes design can change and improve during the modelling process.

Figure 8.16  Roxanne render. Created by the author (2021). With permission from Gizmify Studios.

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Figure 8.17  Roxanne 3D model render (2022). With permission from Jacob Ovrick (modelling and texturing) and Gizmify Studios (rigging and production).

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You might find that a certain aspect does not work well in 3D, an element might have to be moved, or the modeller makes a little adjustment to the hair for a better flow, etc. That is often part of the process and allows modellers to also bring in their own judgement and creativity. Keep in mind that in the end the final product is the 3D model, so making sure that it looks its best is the highest priority. Aiju: Aiju’s design was mainly about personality and storytelling, which is also why I decided to include a background in her final render. The best way to approach an illustration in my opinion is to treat it like a movie screenshot. Simply ask yourself: ‘What has just happened? What is going to happen next’? Integrating these kinds of storytelling elements can spark curiosity and tell a story. You can see that I chose a defensive pose for Aiju, she has an intense stare on her face, connecting with the audience directly and there is blood on her hands (Figure 8.18). There is also a bloody circle on the floor, which leaves the question: did she just draw it? Is it her blood or someone else’s? Furthermore, there are arrows surrounding her, raising the question ‘is she being attacked and if so why and by whom’? Again, answering these questions is not the main idea here, it’s simply about generating curiosity. I also made sure that the main focus was on her, which is why I kept the background intentionally simple. The snow and trees are almost fading away in the background, while Aiju stands out due to the strong contrast and amount of detail. Time spent: 16 hours. You can find all of the ‘Aiju’ images as well as a 1-hour tutorial on Artstation Learning. Currently, Artstation Learning is free to access, so if you want to hear me talk about Aiju’s design in a bit more detail or just download the high res images, head over here and select the video ‘Designing Characters with Personality and Expression’ under: www. artstation.com/learning/instructors/jennyharder. This concludes this chapter and my overview on character design packages. I hope this has given you a good idea how to prepare and estimate your time and workload a little. When submitting to the client, make sure to enquire about their preferences and any safety measures. Some clients don’t mind images being sent via email, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc., others might be more cautious. Last tip (especially when working in a bigger studio): label your images with

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Figure 8.18  Aiju render. Created by the author (2021).

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a title, your name, date and project. That way anyone further down the pipeline can reach out to you if they have any questions regarding your design. NOTE

1. Designing Characters with Personality and Expression (2021). Created by Jenny Harder for Artstation. Available at: www.artstation.com/learning/ instructors/jennyharder

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The Render Process In this chapter, I want to demonstrate a step-by-step approach to rendering (painting) an image. This is usually a very personal process, since every artist has different preferences and methods. Some artists like to go straight into blocking out colour and build their image from there, others would rather construct their design with clean line art first. It is definitely worth exploring different techniques and finding something that really works for you. Personally, I admire fully rendered, highly detailed character paintings but professionally, I prefer doing quick sketches and graphic, flat colours. It took me a while to figure that out and admit to myself that I am probably less of an illustrator, but more of a concept artist. That realisation however, allowed me to really focus on finding a role within the industry that was a good fit for me. Ask yourself what brings you joy when drawing. Is it generating quick ideas? Are you happy once a solid line drawing is done? Or do you relish spending a week or more on the ‘perfect’ painting? Rendering a complete image can be a rather daunting endeavour and I have to admit I struggled a lot with that at the start of my career. Just the complexity of it felt quite overwhelming. Only when a friend took the time to break the whole process down for me into a step-by-step approach, it all started to get a bit easier. In this chapter I would like to demonstrate a similar breakdown for you. But before we start I want to highlight that this demonstration is not meant to cover the fundamentals of lighting. If you are looking for an in-depth introduction to lighting I can highly recommend James Gurney’s ‘Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter’1 or ‘How to Render: The Fundamentals of Light, Shadow and Reflectivity’ by Scott Robertson and Thomas Bertling.2 Now, let’s get started and look at a potential render breakdown in a simple step-by-step approach: • Sketch or line art • Base colour DOI: 10.1201/9781003243533-9

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• • • • • • • • • •

Colour variations Setting up a key light Cast and form shadow Ambient occlusion Key light and secondary lights Bounce light Ambient/Sky light Rim light Subsurface scattering Polishing and effects

SKETCH OR LINE ART

I would recommend starting your image with a sketch, even if you are not a big fan of line art. Even just a rough sketch can make sure that you keep your perspective, anatomy etc. consistent while painting. You can overpaint the sketch during that process or simply delete the sketch layer afterwards. Personally, I like doing clean line art drawings on top of my first sketch and I will keep them throughout my render. I also like to block out the overall shape of my character in a single flat colour (on a layer below the line art) as you can see in Figure 9.1, frame A. That makes it a lot easier when you start colouring, since you can simply select the shape, avoiding accidental paintovers into the background. It will keep your edges clean and crisp. BASE COLOUR

In the next step (frame B), I have used the colour blockout as a base for my different colour layers. Each element has its own layer, so that I can quickly go back and adjust them if needed. Meaning, the skin colour is on its own layer, so is the hair, shirt etc. This is particularly important if you work in production. You never know when a client might ask you to change the hair colour of the character, or the colour of their clothing. Having separate, well-structured layers can save you hours of work. As you can see I have already put some thought into an overall colour theme as well, aiming for warmer red, brown and pink tones. I can highly recommend using references for this step. Tip: When creating several colour layers over a base colour blockout, using clipping masks (in Photoshop) can be very beneficial. Clipping masks

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Figure 9.1  Render process: Frames A–D. Created by the author (2022).

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are bound to the visibility of their base layer. I recommend looking up how to use this if you haven’t already integrated it into your workflow. COLOUR VARIATIONS

In frame C you can see that I have applied some colour variations. There are slightly more reddish tones in her cheeks, nose, fingers, elbows etc. The chair and shirt have a faint gradient and there are some lighter curls in her hair. In a more complex image you might also be adding chipped edges, dirt, washed out or stained elements etc. What this does is adding more visual interest to the colour palette. Flat shapes with only one colour tend to look more cartoony, while adding a range of different hues (for example on skin) creates a more realistic feeling. At this stage it is also good to do a value check to make sure that you have a balanced range and a clear focus. This becomes particularly important if your image is more complex with foreground, midground and background layers. A quick way of doing this is placing an adjustment layer above your other layers and setting the saturation level to -100. You should now be seeing your image in grayscale. Turn this layer on and off while you are continuing your work. SETTING UP A KEY LIGHT

This part may be quickly explained but is the most vital to the rest of your render process: setting up a key light. The placement, distance and strength of this light will have an effect on the entirety of the rendering process. Choose your lightsource and don’t be afraid to sketch it into your design as well. This is often done in the form of an arrow which you can see in frame D. With the help of this guideline, you can apply light and shadow directions more consistently. At this stage, I usually don’t paint light itself yet, but focus on painting the shadows first. CAST AND FORM SHADOW

When starting to paint shadows I tend to turn off my colour layers and go back to the flat, grey blockout shape. The reason being, that my colours have lighter and darker values and it can be tempting to apply much darker shadows than necessary. Simply set your shadow layer to a multiply layer and it will sit naturally on the grey base as well as the colour base.

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When you are done, just turn off the grey blockout layer and keep the colour layer beneath it. You will also notice that I have painted my shadow layer in saturated blue colours (frame D). Something worth remembering is that shadows are nearly never grey or black, so applying a tint of colour always looks more realistic. And with the opacity layer option I can lower the intensity as much as I want afterwards. Lastly, I wanted to mention that I have applied two types of shadows here: form shadows and cast shadows. A form shadow sits on the form itself, while a cast shadow appears where an element blocks the light. You can see a sample of form shadow on her arm, where the shape wraps away from the light. An example of cast shadows would be the shadows of the ribbons cast onto the chair. AMBIENT OCCLUSION

In the next step I am turning off the prior shadow layer to focus on another important aspect: ambient occlusion or AO (Figure 9.2, frame E). AO can best be understood if you think of your image as being lit purely by an ambient, indirect lightsource. The shadows are very soft and darkest in the areas that cannot be reached by ambient light. These are usually touchpoints or overlaps. This can be a ring sitting on a finger or a sleeve wrapping around an arm. Applying this technique will give your design a more realistic 3D feel. I usually use a multiply layer for this step as well and choose a more subtle, desaturated colour for my AO pass. Be aware that it can be rather time consuming and might not be necessary for more graphic or cartoony designs. It is very useful though when your character is meant to be modelled in 3D, since the modeller can read and interpret the form much quicker. KEY LIGHT AND SECONDARY LIGHTS

In this step I have cheated a little and simply inverted my shadow layer into a light layer. This is useful if you want to add a tint of colour to the light as well. Maybe it’s a warm yellow light or even a saturated pink. You can also add a few more highlights on top as I have done on the nose, cheek and shoulder (frame F). I have not added a secondary light to this design since I wanted to avoid overloading it. But you can imagine another lightsource sitting on the right side of the image, casting a different coloured light onto the character. Adding more lights can add visual interest but also a lot more complexity.

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Figure 9.2  Render process: frames E–H. Created by the author (2022).

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BOUNCE LIGHT

Bounce light describes the effect of light bouncing off another surface, causing a wider spread of light than its original source. I didn’t want bounce light to take a prominent effect in this design, but decided to include an example nevertheless (frame G). As you can see, it looks as if a warm red light is cast at the character from a low angle. This is caused by a strong overhead lightsource, hitting a (mildly) reflective surface at the character’s feet. This could potentially be something like orange tiles or a red carpet. The colour of that surface bounces back into the shadow areas of the character. This works equally for other elements within your design. For example a green shirt could cause bounce light on the shadow side of a character’s arm or their chin. Using bounce light is a great technique if you are going for a more natural or soft look.

AMBIENT/SKY LIGHT

Ambient or sky light would be cast from something like a sky-dome or diffuse light source. In this case, I have applied the blue light of a clear sky onto the character as an example (frame H). As you can see the light has the same tint as its source and is very soft. This would obviously not be applicable if the character was meant to be indoors, which is why I removed this effect in the end from the final image. This can be very effective and atmospheric though for outdoor scenes.

RIM LIGHT

Rim light occurs when a light source is placed behind a subject, illuminating its outline (rim). Rim light is one of the easiest lighting effects to apply, especially since it almost instantly adds a dramatic feeling. Unfortunately, it is also often done wrongly. Inexperienced artists tend to illuminate the complete outline of a shape instead of following its form. In Figure 9.3, frame I, you can see a rim light sample and how the light follows the volume of the shapes. This is especially visible on the face, where it dips in and out of the jawline. Rim light is usually placed on the shadow side where it creates a high contrast in comparison to its adjacent darker values.

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Figure 9.3  Render process: frames I–L. Created by the author (2022).

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SUBSURFACE SCATTERING

Subsurface scattering (SSS) is the effect that you can see when light hits a translucent material, seemingly illuminating it. The best example here is human skin, such as ears, fingers, nose etc. which glows in a saturated red when light passes through it. This can also apply to other materials of course such as hair, fingernails, wax and leaves. In frame J, you find an example of where I would place SSS within a character design. As you will see it also works very well in areas where light and shadow meet, creating saturated ‘glowing’ transitions. Once combined all together I might lower the intensity of this layer, giving it a more subtle, natural feeling. POLISHING AND EFFECTS

Now, this is the fun part: bringing everything together (frame K). This is when I turn off the grayscale layer and bring my colour layers back in. It might all look a bit ‘too much’ at first, but now you can go in and adjust things such as layer opacity. Push back lighting layers like AO to make them feel more soft and natural. Lower the opacity for your shadow layer (mine is currently at 50%) or even desaturate the colour a bit if needed. Change the colour and strength of your key light layer and play around with layer attributes. For example setting your layer mode to ‘linear light’ or ‘screen’ will give you a very different feeling and look. You can also decide whether a light pass might be too much, which is why I reduced bounce light to merely 20% and completely removed the sky light. Check your values once more and make sure everything sits well together. Do you want to change the overall colour mood with an adjustment layer maybe? There is lots of room to explore and find your personal preferences here. Once I am satisfied with an overall look I create another blank layer on top of all my other layers. And this is where I will manually paint in detail. I might at this point also change the colour of my lineart to make it blend a bit better. You can also paint over it in some areas (for example where rim light touches it) or paint over it completely. From painting out little mistakes, adding highlights, effects, gradients, a simple background, etc., this is where you can polish your image to a final stage. In frame L, you can see my final version. I have spent exactly 1 day on it and aimed for a medium level of detail. Go ahead and compare it with the prior version

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K to get a sense of which elements I have altered and pushed. I have also submitted the PSD file to the online content folder for this book, so feel free to have a look at the file structure there. Finally, here are two versions of the same character (pre-polish), where I have simply altered some layer colours and attributes to give her a completely different look (Figure 9.4). All of these alterations were done in less than 15 minutes, which is why I want to highlight once more how important it is to have a well-structured file when you are working in production. Please remember, that this process is merely a guideline that can help you structure your approach. I have used this step-by-step approach for many years, but nowadays I often blend steps, merge layers or straight on paint in full colour. I suggest looking up render processes from other artists as well, since there is a wealth of great tutorials and guidelines out there. Speaking of which, I invited a good friend of mine, Lars Weiler to demonstrate his render approach here in this book as well. Lars teaches life drawing in Berlin and currently works as a full-time concept artist for Plaion. I thought he would be a great addition, especially since Lars’ render style and eye for detail are at an incredible level of quality. Here is

Figure 9.4  Render versions: frame M–N. Created by the author (2022).

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his artwork ‘Anklebiter the Goblin Knight’ and a walkthrough to his rendering approach (Figure 9.5): My process varies depending on what kind of piece I am working on. Some pieces require a thumbnail sketch, some just a list of characteristics before I dive into painting. The following process revolves around a singular character painting with a white background as a concept piece to develop a character’s design and feel. Image 1

I usually begin my painting with a couple of sketches to figure out the pose and proportions as well as hint at a couple of elements I want to have in the piece. In this case my concept was of a “Goblin Knight”.

Figure 9.5  Render process: ‘Anklebiter the Goblin Knight’ (2022). With permission from Lars Weiler.

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I wanted him in a subservient pose offering his sword to an unknown second person, proudly waiting to be knighted. Since this process is rather rough, I am not too concerned about being loose with my shapes because I’ll certainly adjust and change things down the line. A trick I discovered for myself – to reign in my tendency to use too large of a value spectrum – is to keep my brush at 50% brightness so that I can only paint with a medium grey as my darkest value. Image 2

My second step sees me introducing more design elements such as the armour my little goblin will be lugging around, but more importantly, it’s here that I start figuring out my lighting. You can see an arrow in the upper left corner. That is my light direction. My form and cast shadows will adhere to this light source. The nice thing about actually painting this arrow is that if you flip your canvas to mirror-check your painting, the light source flips alongside the canvas so I won’t get confused when painting on a mirrored version. Image 3

My third step is all about refinement. I try to manage my values, making sure my ambient occlusion shadows are darker than my form shadows. I also render my forms as far as I can without adding actual detail. Once I have applied my colours, I will go into the actual rendering of details. Image 4

Everything on my previous steps was on a single layer. Now it’s time to add some more intricate Photoshop shenanigans. The first thing I usually do is to add a hue/saturation layer to give my painting a coloured base as opposed to the desaturated greys I have been working with. This will function akin to an underpainting you’d find in a traditional process. The next step is to add a soft light layer with some texture to add some grit to the painting and get rid of the typical smoothness digital paintings tend to have. The next step is to add a levels adjustment layer which I fiddle with to give my brightest values a colour tint to make my light source more interesting. In this case it’s a blue-pinkish light.

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Lastly, I add colour by using a combination of overlay and colour layers. Some colours work better with one of the two depending on a number of factors (such as value, underpainting hue etc). The final step, once I am happy with my colours, is to add a simple normal layer and get into the rendering where I add small details, clean up rougher spots and, generally, have fun as the whole piece slowly comes together. Final thoughts

As Jenny has said, processes vary and mine is certainly still changing and it took me a while to get here. This process was the result of going with what’s fun for me while fighting my bad habits such as trying too many things at once – such as painting directly in colour. I am rather clumsy when it comes to handling colour and values at the same time. So adding colour once my values are in place was mind blowing for me. The same is true for having only half of the value spectrum to work with in my sketching phase. It is also immensely satisfying to add those darkest darks once all your forms have already started to look volumetric. They feel earned! Lars Weiler

NOTES

1. Gurney, James (2010). Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter, Andrews McMeel Publishing. 2. Robertson, Scott & Bertling, Thomas. (2014). How to Render: The Fundamentals of Light, Shadow and Reflectivity, Design Studio Press.

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Tips and Tricks In this chapter I would like to share a variety of tips and tricks that really helped me raise the quality of my character designs to a professional level. I have intentionally created a ‘digestible’ overview here, which means some of the topics are very straightforward, others more complex and might require you to do some extra research on your own time. I will be marking each section with a rating from 1 to 4. 1 meaning ‘little to no further research required to apply this method successfully’ while 4 indicates a rather ‘complex topic that requires more research or practice to be applied successfully’. So once you are done reading this book, feel free to treat this chapter as a checklist to further study and practice certain aspects. Make sure to take your time and look at each topic one by one. Trying to implement everything into your next drawing at the same time might feel a little overwhelming otherwise. When I was starting out in the industry I had a checklist (much like the one at the end of this chapter) pinned above my desk for almost a year. It might take a while, but eventually these kinds of design decisions will become a natural part of your process. Design tips and tricks • • • • • •

Negative space, silhouettes and readability (1) Repetition (2) Tangents (3) Lines and flow (3) Straight vs curved (3) Values (4)

NEGATIVE SPACE, SILHOUETTES AND READABILIT Y

When we are designing characters for a game or film we usually have lead characters that stand out, as well as NPC or background characters that are supposed to be more subtle. Lead characters should be iconic which DOI: 10.1201/9781003243533-10

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means that you will recognise them anywhere, for example walking by an advert and scrolling through Facebook. A big part of that recognisability is the character’s silhouette. Have a look at any of the lead characters from Pixar or Disney movies. Even in silhouette you can almost instantly point out who is who. Why does that matter? It’s because we are not just looking at a drawing, it is a personality, it is a brand. Readable design catches attention and can help your art stand out. One aspect that matters in terms of readability is ‘negative space’. It describes the space around and between a subject. Let’s look at a sample here in Figure 10.1, ‘Silhouettes and negative space’. You can see a character here and his silhouette. The character occupies the ‘positive’ space and the white background reflects the ‘negative’ space in this case. Have a look at how the negative space breaks up the silhouette and makes it more readable, for example between his torso and left elbow as well as the tail and legs. The horns, ears and shape of the head of the lute read very well in silhouette too, but we are losing a big part of the design in the middle section. Because of the cape over his right shoulder we don’t have negative space between his arm, body and lute on that side. It makes it hard to read where his arm is and what exactly he is holding in his right hand. I have picked this image because it’s only partly successful and a good sample for ‘picking and fighting your battles’. You might have

Figure 10.1  Silhouettes and negative space. Created by the author (2022).

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an art director who insists on a big cape for storytelling reasons, in that case you would have to make it work somehow. My recommendation would be paying attention to a readable silhouette but not obsessing over it at the cost of important design elements. Let’s look at another sample where we have several different characters (Figure 10.2): Here you can see a few different characters and their silhouettes. Take a moment to compare them to one another. Do they feel iconic? Does each character stand out on its own and cannot be confused with another character? How has negative space been used to make them more readable? Which are the aspects that make them recognisable? Once you start practising this kind of analysis on other artworks it will start getting easier to apply it to your own. My tip for achieving more readable, iconic silhouettes would be the following: • When designing a character, block out bigger shapes first, defining weight and shape language before adding details. • If you have already sketched out a design, place a clipping mask in Photoshop with a flat colour over it to double check the silhouette. Do this frequently while working to make sure your design remains readable. • Create a lineup of silhouettes for a group of characters to make sure they all have unique shapes. • Analyse your own design and ask yourself whether you need to add more negative space to break up a shape or make it more readable.

Figure 10.2  Silhouettes for a group. Created by the author (2022).

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REPETITION

Repetition is a method that can be used to create harmony and a connection within a design. It describes the repeated use of a shape, colour, material or other element which unifies the overall design. This can work for one or several character(s) as well as any potential background elements. See Figure 10.3, Repetition. We have two characters here that clearly have a relation to one another, but how is that achieved? I have created an overview on the right of repeating elements that insinuate a connection. A shows that both characters have identical skin colour as well as matching outfits (repetition of colour). B shows that both of them wear pieces of clothing with a similar texture (repetition of texture). C displays both of them with sharp tooth elements, the woman in the form of an earring, the big guy in the form of an actual tooth (repetition of shape). In D, we can see that both of them have similar tribal tattoos on their chin (repetition of elements). E shows two pink elements: a handkerchief and a purse. The latter has an almost comedic effect in the hands of the big guy, making you wonder whether it actually belongs to him or the woman next to him. Lastly, F shows that both of them have ‘blood on their hands’, making them potential accomplices of a crime. In this case repetition is not only used to connect these two characters but also to tell a story. Imagine, several of these elements were missing. Would we still get the same sense of belonging if the big guy was wearing a completely different coloured outfit and not holding on to the

Figure 10.3  Repetition. Created by the author (2022).

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bag and purse? Would these two characters even feel connected at all? Have a look at another image of a single character and how repetition is used within that design (Figure 10.4). The colour palette in this portrait is rather simplistic, using the same tint of blue in the eyes and the hair (repetition of colour). The tattoos all have the same golden, reflective colour and similar shape language (repetition of material, elements and colour). This was an intentional decision to unify the overall design and look of this character. I could have given them a much larger variety of colourful tattoos, which would have changed the design drastically. In the end, it’s an artistic decision if

Figure 10.4  Repetition in a single character. Created by the author (2022).

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and in what scope you want to apply repetition. I would suggest asking yourself the following for your next design: ‘Am I using repeating …’ • • • • • •

… colours (in outfits, the background, etc.)? … textures? … shapes? … materials (metal, fabric, wood, etc.)? … elements (tattoos, symbols, objects, etc.)? … storytelling elements (dirt, blood trails, etc.)?

Remember: Not all of these boxes have to be ticked every single time. For example, for your next design, focus on applying repeating colours and materials only. After that, include repeating elements such as symbols or tattoos and so on. After a while this process will feel more and more natural and hopefully will become more of an artistic choice than simply a design method. TANGENTS

Tangents are the nemesis of all artists, mainly because it’s so hard to completely avoid them. A tangent is what we call an ‘unwanted connection’. It means that two or more lines (or shapes) interact in a way that insinuates a relationship the artist didn’t intend. See Figure 10.5, ‘Tangents sample’, where you can find two versions of the same image A and B.

Figure 10.5  Tangents sample. Created by the author (2022).

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Image A on the left shows an example with several unwanted connections. You can see that the wall in the background for example touches exactly the hairline of the character, making it hard to differentiate for- and background. Her hair and the bow touch the image’s frame and the shrubbery in the background connects with the character’s arm, creating a rather unnatural feeling. Her left bracer lines up with the bow’s string, making it look as if the string crosses over her elbow. All of these tangents create unappealing or confusing visuals which can be avoided. In image B, on the right, these ‘unwanted connections’ have been fixed to read more clearly and look more appealing: the wall in the background is clearly separated from the character, hair and bow have some negative space towards the image’s frame, the shrubbery looks more natural and the bow’s string is clearly detached from the bracers. Overall this image reads ‘better’ and the artist’s intention has been conveyed more successfully. Let’s look at one more example, since illustrations can quickly get a lot more complex. This illustration features several characters and background elements, which means it gets pretty hard to spot every single tangent right away. Take a moment to find as many as possible in Figure 10.6 and also try

Figure 10.6  Spotting tangents – image A. Created by the author (2022).

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to deduce what exactly makes them unappealing. Once you are done, continue to Figure 10.7, ‘Spotting tangents – image B’, where I have marked a bunch of them in red. Here are just a few explanations why some of them are problematic in terms of design decisions: 1. The tangent in the top left corner: the girl’s foot merges with the cloak. It insinuates that foot and cloak are connected through one line which is not the artist’s intention. 2. The girl’s head is ‘glued’ to the couch, making it hard to place one or the other spatially. 3. The character’s hair, on the top right, is drawn parallel to his collar, making it hard to determine whether that line belongs to the hair or the collar.

Figure 10.7  Spotting tangents – image B. Created by the author (2022).

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4. The character in the middle features an unintentional ‘cross’ in his midsection, which has a visually distracting effect. 5. The character’s limbs and head at the bottom align perfectly with the bedroll, making it almost look as if he was placed ‘in a box’. 6. Several elements ‘merge’ unintentionally for the character at the bottom, like the weapon and his chest piece as well as his weapon and his leg. Finally, here is a colour pass of the prior illustration where I have attempted to fix as many tangents as possible (Figure 10.8):

Figure 10.8  Cleaning up tangents. Created by the author (2022).

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As you can see unintentional connections have been removed, characters have been given negative (‘breathing’) space and overlapping elements have been added to clarify spatial placement. Even though I have put quite some effort into this cleaned up version, I would bet with a 100% certainty that you could still find tangents in this image if you kept looking long enough. In the end, minor tangents that don’t distract from the message of your image don’t matter as much though. You can continuously improve spotting and avoiding tangents as you go. Just make sure to remove any that could potentially convey a confusing or different message from what you intended. LINES AND FLOW

When creating a full illustration or even just a character you always want to be intentional with your focus points. Where do you want your audience to look and how can we guide their attention? How do we make sure they don’t ‘drop’ off the canvas or focus on unimportant things, like background elements? There are several ways to achieve that and one of them is using the lines and flow within your design like invisible laser pointers. Let’s have a look at Figure 10.9, ‘Lines and f low’: In this image, we see three characters in a bathhouse having a conversation. The focus of this image is the relationship between those characters and the overall mood of the conversation. So, where do we want our audience to look? Ideally, we want them to look at the character’s faces and their gestures. To achieve that I have used a very traditional method here that you can see a lot in movies as well: the triangle connection. It means that all three characters are positioned in a way that a triangle forms between their faces, guiding the viewers’ eyes from one character to another and back. That way their attention is ‘trapped’ on my chosen focus points and doesn’t trail off towards background elements. If my viewer’s attention does wander, I can make sure to direct it back towards where I want it to be by using other elements within my illustration. The pillars in the background and the shape of the pools all curve towards the characters or wrap around them. Their lines basically ‘point’ towards my focus point, making sure that the viewer always finds their way back to them. Even the lines of the characters themselves flow back towards the centre and my triangle.

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Figure 10.9  Lines and flow. Created by the author (2022).

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Why is flow and directing attention that important though? Again, it is all about storytelling. You can guide a viewer from a trail of blood towards a bloody glove on the ground to a person standing in the back of an alley holding a knife. You are telling a story step by step within one image. Also, directing attention is very important in film and games when you want to guide your audience towards a certain goal or reveal. When working in games everyone is very keen on using the world to direct the player’s attention to the next quest or NPC. A fallen tree that points up a road, a gathering of spiky rocks, that point upwards towards a flying object, etc. All of this can be used successfully to guide a player through a level and story. Let’s finish this part with one more image where lineflow has been used very intentional to direct attention (Figure 10.10):

Figure 10.10  Using lines as pointers. Created by the author (2022).

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As you can see almost every single line within this design (the swim ring, the shape of the legs, the fins, etc.) guides you upward towards the characters’ faces and the kiss. Applying this method can be really fun and rewarding. For your next design, start thinking about the placement of objects and guiding the viewers’ attention towards your ‘selling point’. How can you direct their attention? Which elements within your design are supportive, which are distracting and how can that be improved? STRAIGHT VS CURVED

Artists that are still learning basic anatomy often struggle to define appealing shapes for limbs such as feet and fingers. They often end up frustratingly round and sausage-like. It is a common misconception that human anatomy is predominantly round, when actually there are a variety of very appealing sharper shapes. It is the contrast of straight and curved lines that adds visual interest and a more natural feeling. See Figure 10.11 where I have demonstrated a sample of the use of ‘straight vs curved’: Hand A on the left has purely been drawn in curved lines while hand B in the middle simply consists of straight lines. Both have a cartoony, unrealistic feel to them since they don’t read ‘natural’ to us. We are too used to seeing a variety of straight and curved lines in our daily lives and nature. Which is why the hand C on the right reflects our reality more ‘accurately’. You can see that it displays curved as well as straight lines which creates a natural, appealing look. That doesn’t mean that you cannot create designs with a majority of straight lines, it can in fact be an intentional style for a specific character or show. However, drawing a

Figure 10.11  Straight vs curved in hands. Created by the author (2022).

Tips and Tricks

character with a complete lack of curved lines might quickly feel static and unappealing. Feel free to try it out and see how far you can push it. Lastly, here is one more image demonstrating how straight and curved lines can create an interesting variety of shapes and contrast within a design (Figure 10.12): As you can see both characters feature straight as well as curved lines within their design. Where and (how) much straight or curved lines are used can be chosen based on subject matter or personal stylistic preference. For example: a tin man might feature more straight lines than a panda bear. A curvy, friendly woman in a dress might have rounder shapes than a stoic man in a suit. VALUES

Values are a whole topic in itself. I would strongly recommend taking some time for further studies to master applying them correctly. For now, I would like to focus on explaining the importance of values and how they can impact your work. What does the term ‘value’ stand for? Per definition

Figure 10.12  Straight vs curved sample. Created by the author (2022).

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value defines how light or dark a colour can be. Similar values create low contrast while different values create high contrast. This is already one of the most important things to remember. We have been talking a lot about focal points and drawing the viewer’s attention. Besides other aspects that we have already touched on (such as lineart and flow) values are one of the strongest factors that create focal points. If used correctly, you can instantly draw someone’s attention to your chosen subject. The best way to control your range of values is by either starting an image completely in grayscale or using an adjustment layer to frequently check your values while working in colour. That way you can make sure that you don’t accidentally create unintentional focal points that might distract the viewer. Let’s look at an example (Figure 10.13): In this image you can see a character that has been drawn with different value ranges. Image A left has a lot of similar values and a very low contrast. This can create a muddy, washed out feeling and lack of focal points. Meaning our eyes have nowhere to hold onto and continue wandering aimlessly. Image B has very different values and a very high contrast (in a lot of different areas). This makes it very hard to focus on any point of interest, because our eyes are quickly drawn from one point to another and find no areas of rest. This can be tiring and also lead to the viewer not being able to pick up on any message or intention you might have for your artwork. Finally, image C has a more balanced approach. There is a decent range of values and focal points have been selected more carefully. For example, since the background is lighter, the dark scarf around the character’s head creates a nice contrast, drawing attention towards his face. The eyes stand out as well in comparison to the darker surrounding values. Meanwhile the patterns in the scarf and trousers have a reduced contrast to be less distracting. Ultimately, we want to use values for a more intentional presentation, to guide the viewer’s attention and determine our focal points and areas of rest. Finally, let’s look at the coloured version D in the bottom right corner. You can see that colour also adds weight and points of interest to our image. While the yellow and blue of the character’s trousers go a bit more harmonic with the green background, the red scarf stands out rather dominantly, adding another level of focus towards the head. The white shirt, which was standing out a little before, has now lost a bit of weight in comparison to the stronger surrounding colours. So while values and colours go hand in hand they can sometimes overshadow one another, especially if we don’t make an effort to regard them separately.

Tips and Tricks

Figure 10.13  Value comparison. Created by the author (2022).

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This becomes even more crucial if you are working on more complex images with different foreground, midground and background elements. But this would be another chapter on its own. Let’s look at one more image with several characters and how focal points have been achieved here (Figure 10.14): Since this image has been drawn in grayscale it was a good opportunity to completely discard colour and focus on values. Take a moment to look at the four characters and find the main focal points within the composition. Tip: It helps squinting your eyes a little. The blurriness will allow you to naturally pick out ‘hotspots’. When you are ready, continue to the next image, Figure 10.15, where I have marked the strongest focal points. The characters’ clothing generally display more similar values, keeping contrast and distractions lower. They also tend to have a value range that is more similar to the background, while meaningful elements such as faces and arms (gestures) have a much stronger contrast. You can see that the light shirt and face of the middle character stand out quite a lot, especially in comparison to the dark hair, vest and background. Even though the character on the left has darker skin colour, they still easily ‘pop’ against the background, which is also supported through the bright, detailed markings on their skin. The female character on the right stands

Figure 10.14  Character group. Created by the author (2021).

Tips and Tricks

Figure 10.15  Focal points through values. Created by the author (2022).

out through a range of semi-contrasting values that make her overall value range interesting and diverse. The little fairy all the way on the right pops due to her overall brightness. Note: pay attention to the woman’s skirt and how a darker gradient has been applied towards the bottom, fading it out more gently and bringing it closer to the background value. In summary: all focal points have been intentionally placed to highlight faces and gestures. As I said, learning to apply this technique successfully takes some time. My advice would be to look up a few more resources that further analyse this method. There are a bunch of great online tutorials as well. EXERCISE

To conclude our chapter I would like to give you a final task. Here is an illustration that I did a few years back, called ‘Forbidden Fruit’ (Figure 10.16 and 10.17). I would like you to take a moment to study it and double check whether I have successfully applied all the methods that have been mentioned in this chapter. I will also be providing a checklist at the end of this chapter, which you can print and use for your own projects as well. This has always helped me a lot at the beginning of my career when it sometimes felt like there was just ‘too much’ to look out for. Just approach it in a step-by-step manner and take your time to internalise

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Figure 10.16  Forbidden Fruit. Created by the author (2019).

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Figure 10.17  Forbidden Fruit – grayscale. Created by the author (2022).

each method. With practice, this will soon feel more natural to you and eventually become a normal part of your process.

CHECKLIST Negative Space, Silhouettes and Readability

• Is the character’s silhouette clear and readable? • Has negative space been used successfully? • Is the character recognisable (iconic)?

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• Are there any areas that are ‘hard to read’? • Groups only: Does each character have a unique silhouette? Repetition

• Has repetition been used to unify and harmonise the design? • What are the repeating elements, colours, textures, materials, shapes, etc.? • Is there a different use of repetition between different characters, or character(s) and background? Tangents

• Are there any unwanted connections (tangents)? • Is spatial layering clear or does something seem ambiguous? Lines and Flow

• Has an intentional focus aka ‘selling point’ been set? • Are lines within the design flowing towards the selling point or supporting it? • Are there any lines or elements that force attention ‘offscreen’? • Where is/are the character(s) looking? • Has any storytelling been applied throughout the design? Straight vs Curved

• Does the character’s personality or style require more straight or curved lines? • Has a variety of curved and straight lines been applied overall? Values

• Does the image work well in grayscale? Don’t forget to squint your eyes! • Have focal areas been successfully set up through values? • Are there any areas that appear muddy or too busy based on their value range? • Have elements like foreground/character and background been well separated through their values?

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Industry Advice and Last Words To conclude this book and the final chapter I wanted to leave some practical advice with you. This might be most valuable for those of you who (aim to) work in the games or animation industry. It is in fact – despite being big – a rather small industry. That means that you are very likely to bump into the same people and work on the same projects together. I think I have mentioned this before but it is not enough to become a great artist to succeed in this industry, but also to be a team player and generally a nice person. A lot of the job offers you will receive will come through networking and connecting to other artists. That is why I always recommend attending industry events where you meet recruiters and fellow artists. More than once I have been able to talk to a recruiter about a job opportunity because I knew someone from an art event or a conference. That doesn’t mean that you should only be out for ‘business contacts’. If you are a student or junior artist, just look around yourself. The artist next to you might be an art director in 5 years. Building connections starts slowly and it should always start with kindness. In the end we all want to work with people we like. If you want to broaden your network, here is a list of events I can highly recommend. • • • • • • • • •

Trojan Horse was a Unicorn (Tróia, Portugal) Promised Land (Łódź, Poland) Lightbox (Los Angeles, USA) Industry Workshops (London, UK) IFCC (Zagreb, Croatia) CG Futures (Melbourne, Australia) Game Developers Conference (San Francisco, USA) Annecy Festival (Annecy, France) CTN (Los Angeles, USA) DOI: 10.1201/9781003243533-11

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I have prepared a 1-hour tutorial on Artstation where I am talking about the pros and cons of attending events as well as networking. You can find the tutorial here, if you are further interested in this topic: www. artstation.com/learning/instructors/jennyharder; titled ‘Industry Events and Networking’. My next advice would be to prepare a portfolio exactly for the type of company or role that you want. If you are keen to be a character designer, make a character design portfolio. If you know you want to do stylized character designs, make sure 80% of the characters in your portfolio match that style. Only include your best work and only pick a range of maximal 10-15 images. Recruiters are busy people and simply don’t have time to look at more than that. Do include sketches, visualisations of ideas and thumbnails. Companies want to see your thinking process, they want to understand how you approach a design. Having polished, fully rendered artwork is also valuable but be careful that your portfolio does not only consist of final renders. Keep in mind storytelling and character personality. There is nothing more compelling than seeing scenes and character interactions. If you are interested in the role of a generalist (and remember there will be a bigger choice of jobs for those) adjust your portfolio to match that. That means including other things besides just character design, like environments, props, mood boards, storyboards etc. You can also broaden your range of style towards something more cartoony or more realistic. I would only suggest avoiding adding that ‘one realistic render’ you did once (and never again), especially if it’s not the same quality as the rest of your work. Make sure to get feedback from fellow artists on your work and do try not to take it too personally. We are here to make mistakes and grow, nothing needs to be perfect from the start. It’s a long (but rewarding) journey. My last point of advice would be making the most of the tools you are given. Starting with cameras and photo references. Why create something blindly from scratch if you can use a reference, that most certainly is going to improve the quality of your work (and save you a lot of time)? If you are curious about 3D, look into softwares such as Blender or Zbrush. If you can learn the basic setup for a landscape with cameras and lighting in 3D you will have the perfect base for a background. Best part: no need to worry about perspective, it’s all done for you. You can test lighting on character models or even use a 3D base for a pose. The possibilities are endless. I hope you have enjoyed reading this book and found some valuable lessons and advice within its pages. Finally, here are two of my

Industry Advice and L ast Words

favourite quotes that I feel perfectly summarise what it means to be an artist. Have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it. – Salvador Dalí

Ever make mistakes in life? Let’s make them birds. Yeah, they’re birds now. – Bob Ross

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Index Note: Page references in italics denote figures. A Age, of characters, 39 Ambient occlusion (AO), 93, 94 Ambient/sky light, 95 Animated films artwork for, 4–6 LGBT+, 41 storytelling, 65 style guide in, 57 Animation/gaming industry advice, 123–125 and artwork, 4–6 and client’s expectations, 7 and concept artist, 1 LGBT+ person, 41–42 and retrospective meeting, 35 style guide in, 57 Art choice of platform, 4–6 concept, 2–3, 62, 62–63 as a product, 2–3 Artist concept, see Concept artist style of, 56–57 visdev, 1–2 and visual exploration, 24 Artstation, 15, 70 Artwork for animated films, 4–6 and client’s expectations, 7 end customer/consumer of, 6 stylistic guidelines, 7–8 and video games industry, 4 Authenticity, and visual references, 49, 49–50 B Base colour, 90–92, 91 ‘Being Good,’ 57, 58, 59 Believability/functionality, visual references, 50 Bertling, Thomas, 89

Blender, 124 Body image and beauty character designs, 39–40 stereotypes, 39–40 Bounce light, 94, 95 Brainstorming methods, 15–22 Briefs, 9–14; see also Client(s) C Cast and form shadow, 92–93 Character descriptions, 24, 68, 71 Character design/designing artwork, see Artwork basic checklist, 3 body image and beauty, 39–40 creating a personality, 24–36 creative thinking, 15–22 and diversity, 37–45 portrayal of disabilities, 42–44, 43 practice for, 53–55, 54 purpose, 1–8 role of concept, 1–2 and sketching, 17 and stereotypes, 37–45 stylistic guidelines, 7–8 tips and tricks, 102–122 Character designer, 2, 70, 124 Character design packages, 69–88 character descriptions, 71 cleanup and colour, 75, 75–78, 76, 77 expressions, 80, 80–81 overview, 69 pose sketches, 81–82, 81–83 render, 84–85, 84–88, 87 research and mood boards, 71 samples, 69–88 sketches, 72, 72–75, 73, 74 Character illustration, 5, 5–6 Character personality, see personality

Character questions and questionnaires clothing, 34 colour, 35 expression, 34 personality creation, 27–36 physique, 34 posture, 34 props/accessories, 34 Cleanup, 75, 75–78, 76, 77 Client(s) and cultural backgrounds, 9 expectations and artwork, 7 feedback from, 10–13 games/animation industry, 7 list of questions for, 9–10 working with, 9–14 Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter (Gurney), 89 Colours; see also Mood/colours base, 90–92, 91 iterations, 11–12 variations, 92 Concept character design/designing, 1–2 conceptual sketches, 2, 3 Concept art, 2–3 render style/rendering, 62, 61–63 Concept artist defined, 1 responsibilities of, 2 shape exploration, 16–17, 17 silhouettes, 16–17, 17 and visual development artist, 1 Conceptual sketches, 2, 3 Conformity checklist, 66 importance of, 66 and storytelling, 65 style guide, 65–68, 67 Copyrights, and visual references, 48

Index

Creative thinking, 15–22 challenging the impossible, 20–21 questioning the matter: ‘What if …,’ 19, 20 quotas, 18–19 random inputs, 21, 21–22 random limitations, 22 silhouette and shape exploration, 16–17, 17 sketching, 17–18, 18 Credible design; see also Character design/designing character description, 24 design considerations and questions, 24 intention, 26 personality of character, 24–27 setting, 24 Curved vs. straight lines, 114, 114–115, 115 D Dalí, Salvador, 125 Design, see Character design/ designing Disabilities, character design/ designing, 42–44, 43 Diversity, 37–45 body image and beauty, 39–40 character designs, 37–45 ethnic groups, 40–41 gender, 38–39 E Ethnic groups, 40–41 whitewash, 40 Expressions, character, 80, 80–81 F Feedback from clients, 10–13 colour iterations, 11–12 during design phase, 10 and render, 11 during sketch phase, 10 ‘Forbidden Fruit’ illustration, 119, 120–121 G Gender and character designs, 38–39 clothing choices and colours, 38–39 roles and expected behaviour, 38 Gizmify Studios, 69 Gurney, James, 89

H How to Render: The Fundamentals of Light, Shadow and Reflectivity (Robertson and Bertling), 89 I Illustration, character, 5, 5–6 ‘Industry Events and Networking’, 124 K Key light, 92, 93, 94 L LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other), 41 Light(s) ambient/sky, 95 bounce, 94, 95 key, 92, 93, 94 rim, 95, 96 secondary, 93 Lines and flow character design, 111–114, 112, 113 and storytelling, 113 M Mood boards, 51–53, 52, 53 character design packages, 71 defined, 51 types of references in, 51 Mood/colours and character design, 63–64, 64, 65 character design packages, 75, 75–78, 76, 77 N Negative space, 102–104, 104 and readability, 102–104, 103, 104 and silhouettes, 102–104, 103, 104 NPC (non-players characters), 39, 102 P Partnership, 41–42 People of colour, 40; see also Ethnic groups Personality character design/designing, 24–36 character questions and questionnaires, 27–36 credible design, 24–27 Pinterest, 15 Polishing and effects, 97–101, 98, 99 Pose sketches, 81–82, 81–83 Proportions and scale of characters and storytelling, 58 style guide, 58–59, 59, 60

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R Random inputs, and creative thinking, 21, 21–22 Random limitations, 22 Readability and negative space, 102–104, 103, 104 and silhouettes, 102–104, 103, 104 References/reference images, see Visual references Render/rendering ambient occlusion, 93 ambient/sky light, 95 base colour, 90–92, 91 bounce light, 94, 95 cast and form shadow, 92–93 character design packages, 84–85, 84–88, 87 colour variations, 92 key light, 92 polishing and effects, 97–101, 98, 99 process, 89–101 rim light, 95, 96 secondary lights, 93 sketch/line art, 90 style, 62, 62–63 subsurface scattering (SSS), 96, 97 Repetition and character design, 105, 105–107, 106 defined, 105 Retrospective approach, 35 Rim light, 95, 96 Robertson, Scott, 89 Ross, Bob, 125 S Secondary lights, 93 Sexual orientation, 41–42 Shape exploration, 16–17, 17 Shape language, 60–61, 61 Silhouettes, 16–17, 17 and negative space, 102–104, 103, 104 and readability, 102–104, 103, 104 Sketches/sketching and character designing, 17 character design packages, 72, 72–75, 73, 74 and creative thinking, 17–18, 18 pose, character design packages, 81–82, 81–83 Sketch/line art, 90 Stereotypes, 37–45 body image and beauty, 39–40 character designs, 37–45 and concept artists, 37–38 gender, 38–39

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Storytelling, 10, 26–27 animations and games, 6, 65 and colours, 64 and conformity, 65 and lines and flow, 113 proportions and scale of characters, 58 Straight vs. curved lines, 114, 114–115, 115 Style, 56–68 art, 56 defined, 56 guide, see Style guide Style guide, 57–68 conformity, 65–68, 67 in games/animation industry, 57 mood/colours, 63–64, 64, 65 proportions and scale, 58–59, 59, 60 render style, 62, 61–63 shape language, 60–61, 61 Stylistic guidelines, 7–8 Subsurface scattering (SSS), 96, 97

T Tangents and character designs, 107–111 cleaning up, 110 defined, 107 sample, 107, 107–108, 108 Technical correctness visual references, 50–51 U Uniqueness and visual library, 50 visual references, 50 V Values, 115–119 and character design, 116–119 comparison, 116, 117 defined, 116 Video game industry, see Animation/ gaming industry

Visual development artist (visdev artist), 1–2 defined, 1 responsibilities of, 2 Visual library, 47 and uniqueness, 50 Visual references and authenticity, 49, 49–50 believability/functionality, 50 and copyrights, 48 in mood boards, 51 practice for character design, 53–55, 54 technical correctness, 50–51 uniqueness, 50 visual library, 47 working with, 47–51 W Whitewash, 40 Z Zbrush, 124