Character Design

notes

Shape Exercise

In the character design workshop, Bianca showed us the process of creating characters in ACG industry. Starting with shapes and silhouettes is an efficient way for visualizing the characters. A successful character design often have an impressive shape. The color, of course, also suggests different personalities.

Shape design from Brendan and the Secret of Kells

When designing a bunch of guys, diversity matters in distinguishing between different characters. The last image is the group designs from my short film Guns and Songs. I tried to sketch the diversity of the Peking citizens 100 years ago.

Character design from The Legend of Sealed Book

Bird design from Brendan and the Secret of Kells

Passer-by group design from Guns and Songs

However, to create a new life, it is not only about the pretty looks, but also the questions of who I am, where I came from and where I am going. The core of the characters are their goals and stories.

assignment

My character is a band girl named Sherl Wan, a traveling musician who lived in the early 21st century of China. She wears flared pants, loose fitting jacket and exaggeratedly fluffy curly hair that were the fashion of the time. She played a important role in the band that bound everyone together. The silhouette is a combination of triangles, trapezoids and circles, conveying a sense of both distinctiveness and stability.

Character Concept

The next thing is to simplify the character concept to an appearance suitable for animating. Also, to make it easier to work with other animators, model sheets need to be ready for various situations. These details may flesh out the character as a lively individual.