Character Design Process: From Concept to Final Design in Seven Steps
Character design is not just drawing a person. It is a process of making choices that communicate who the character is. Here is my process. Character design is the art of creating a fictional person through visual choices, and it is harder than it looks because every choice communicates something. The shape of the silhouette, the color of the clothing, the posture, the facial expression, each element tells the viewer about the character personality, role, and history. I used to design characters by drawing them and hoping they looked right, which produced generic designs that could have been anyone. After studying character design for a year, I developed a seven-step process that produces specific, communicative designs. Here is the process. Step One: Define the Character in Words Before drawing anything, I write a short description of the character. Three to five sentences covering their role in the story, their personality, their background, and their defining trait. The description forces me to know who I am designing before I start making visual choices. A character described as a cautious, methodical librarian who grew up in a coastal town will look different from one described as a reckless, impulsive smuggler from the same town, and the visual choices should reflect those differences. More guides are on the Draw Perfect Blog.