Character design: creating a character people recognize at first glance

A readable silhouette

1. Step 1The black test

   Fill your character in black. If you still recognize them and understand the pose, the silhouette works.

2. Step 2One unique element

   A hairstyle, a hat, a weapon, a cape: give them at least one shape no other character has.

3. Step 3Different shapes in a group

   In a team, vary the sizes and shapes: a tall one, a short one, a stocky one, a thin one. You can tell them apart even from afar.

4. Step 4Open up the shapes

   Move the arms away from the body, show the profile of the hairstyle: a silhouette where everything sticks together becomes a blob.

Shapes and personality

• Circles feel soft, kind and friendly: perfect for a likable or comic character.
• Squares feel solid, reliable and stubborn: for a protector, a strongman, a mentor.
• Triangles feel sharp, dangerous and ambitious: for a rival, a villain or an edgy hero.
• Mix them: one dominant shape for the personality, another as an accent for nuance.
• The shape shows up everywhere: in the hairstyle, the eyes, the clothes, the accessories.

Details that tell a story

1. Step 1Three colors

   A main color, a secondary one and an accent. More than that, and the character gets hard to remember.

2. Step 2Details with a story

   A scar, a bracelet, an oversized scarf: each detail should say something about their past or their personality.

3. Step 3Easy to redraw

   You'll draw them hundreds of times: keep details you can redraw quickly, and always the same way.

The model sheet

A model sheet shows the character from several angles, at the same proportions. It keeps them identical from one panel to the next.

1. Step 1Guide lines

   Draw horizontal lines across the whole sheet: top of the skull, eyes, chin, shoulders, waist, knees, feet. Every drawing lines up on them.

2. Step 2Front, three-quarter, side, back

   Draw the character standing, arms slightly apart, from these four angles, side by side.

3. Step 3Details on the side

   Add the important details, enlarged, in a corner: an accessory, a pattern, the shape of the eyes.

4. Step 4A few expressions

   Finish with three or four heads showing their typical expressions.

The coach's tips

• Start with a sentence: who is this character, and what do they want? The drawing comes after.
• Make ten quick black silhouettes before choosing: the most original ideas rarely come first.
• Exaggerate a personality trait in the drawing: a shy one slightly hunched, a proud one chest out.
• Avoid details you don't like drawing: you'll end up forgetting or botching them.
• In the app, trace a well-known character, then fill their silhouette in black: see what makes them recognizable.

Practice right now

Once the lesson is read, draw this exercise: it takes about 15 minutes.