Character Design / Exercise

 21/4/2025 - 30/7/2025/ Week 1 - Week 14

GUAN YAXIN / 0370687

Character Design / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media

LECTURES

Week 1

artistic style

Is the style of art generally refers to the appearance of visual art works. Artists usually use distinctive brushwork and composition to highlight their understanding on the screen by artistic means and show their own style. Different artists' styles will leave people with different feelings. In visual arts, style is shaped by the environment, closely related to personal experience, history, culture, technology, tools, etc., and it is classifiable and recognizable, which can represent a person, a faction or even a period, etc. At the same time, it is also a visual language, which can show different emotions, perceptions, ideas and opinions of creators, and they are all displayed on the canvas.

Common styles:

realistic–semi realistic style

Japanese manga style

Super Deformation-Chibi

Animation / manga / manhua style

Stylized Cartoon style

Adaptability Artist skill

Adaptability is a useful skill for artists, because it is very important to be able to adapt and change their own styles accordingly. For example, some games tend to be realistic artistic styles, while others tend to be exaggerated artistic styles such as cartoons.

Week 2

World outlook construction

Is the process of constructing a fictional world view, including culture, history and so on. The set characters will live in this world view, and they can choose from favorite books, cartoons, comics, games and so on, or they can be set overhead, even if they look like the world we live in. The construction of world outlook is the basis of concept.

approaches

approach 1：Inside-Out Method

Suitable for existing role setting, theme or plot assumption, etc.

There need to be some premises, and the subsequent settings are based on these premises, and at least one or two key functions should be realized, which will affect the construction of the remaining elements in the world view. Start with the needs of the story, and then continue to clarify the setting and core.

approach 2：Outside-In Method

It is suitable for the time when a relatively perfect world view (including geography, culture, history, etc.) has been built, but the characters and plots have not been conceived.

With a general framework, further design is carried out on the basis of this framework to create more and more details (such as role setting, plot conception, etc.)

Key elements of world building

1) location/geography

Based on medieval fantasy

Based on modern Tokyo

Fantasy based on the future

2) character

race

dress

disposition

interpersonal relationship

Every world has some kind of political structure, which takes care of and governs people, shapes their way of life, maintains social operation and so on. This helps to determine the role's identity, behavior motivation and promote the development of the story and so on.

1) Government:

Power holders: aristocrats, churches, chaebols, etc. The group that holds the system power may control its government.

Political system: constitutional monarchy, federalism, corporate governance, consortium dictatorship and so on.

Legal system:

2) Religion:

Most cultures believe in one or two major religions and influence the overall cultural laws and social norms. Setting up religion can start with law, doctrine, style and so on.

social bracket

Different social classes have a great influence on people's lives and can shape a variety of people.

1) Division:

Classes are generally divided according to certain factors, such as blood, financial resources, magic and so on. Different classes may be mobile or fixed.

2) Food & Drink:

Food and drink, as necessities, can significantly reflect the class differences, which can be reflected by setting food types, food sources, eating habits, taboos and so on.

3) Professions:

By setting different occupational categories and showing the differences between them, we can show different occupations in different classes and show different positions, such as miners, mages, traders and so on.

4) Appearances:

Clothing is the most intuitive way to reflect social structure and economic differences, which can be reflected in materials, colors, patterns and fashion styles.

history

History can enrich the setting of world outlook and influence the plot and characterization of stories.

1) Traumatic Events:

Disasters generally cause direct damage and have a great impact on society and culture. Traumatic events are generally divided into man-made disasters and natural disasters. When constructing these events, we can consider whether they have an impact on the life, ideas, habits and so on of the characters.

2) Power Shifts:

The change of rights will generally lead to the division and reorganization between groups and affect the social structure.

culture

Culture can influence people's values, forms of entertainment and so on.

1) Power:

There is a power structure or power base in the cultural environment, which can be arranged from the aspects of race, gender and class.

2) Art and Entertainment:

Art and entertainment forms are usually derived from the influence of society and are one of the channels to show culture, such as music, painting, dance and so on.

3) Relations:

In a world view, there may be different cultures, and different cultures have different ideas. Setting different cultures to treat each other's views or designing conflicts can enrich the story and make the characters more vivid.

technology

Technology is also a common and necessary element in the setting of world outlook, which can reflect the level of science and technology in a certain area and people's living conditions. The difficulty of design technology lies in the self-consistency of logic, so its complexity is high, such as the power that technology relies on, who invented it, how to use it, what to do with it and so on.

magic

It is not a necessary element, but in some world outlook settings, it may be as high as using or dabbling in magic box technology. Magic has a great influence on life, class and so on. In the settings related to magic, it is generally necessary to consider the people who use magic, props, how to produce, how to use and how to express it.

Week 3

Role type

Protagonist: The central figure of any story, usually an advocate with an idea or a cause, can promote the development of the main plot. The story will revolve around the struggle of the protagonist or the protagonist group.

Antagonist: Generally speaking, one or some people who are completely opposite to the protagonist or an event or organization that struggles with the protagonist or the protagonist group (the force opposite to the protagonist) represents something or wants to achieve a certain goal, and often appears as the opposite to defeat the ambition of the protagonist (the protagonist group).

Symbolic Character: it implies symbolism from the aspects of name design or background story, and generally represents something, an idea, a belief or ideal, morality, ethics, religion and other abstract concepts.

Confidante: Generally, it will be used as a "tool" to explain a character's personality, thoughts or reveal the protagonist's heart, so as to help the audience better understand one or some characters.

Dynamic Character: There are great changes before and after the story. At the beginning, it is a type of person, and at the end, it may be another opposite person. Generally, it has undergone obvious changes and is often accompanied by growth arcs. Some events in the story will affect the characters and lead to some changes, and this change is generally permanent. This type of role often plays a useful role as a foil or implies tension and conflict.

Flat Character: usually a supporting role (or NPC), with few stories and relatively simple personality, most of them serve the plot (meet the needs of the plot) or set off a role or a phenomenon.

Round Character: Contrary to the flat character, the story is full of ink, and the general character is more complicated, with obvious growth and changes.

Foil: Generally, it is used as a contrast to set off another character. They can be allies or competitors, and play a role in the story.

Static Character: almost no characterization is a character who keeps a certain state. It is similar in the whole story, and there is almost no growth and change.

Stock Character: Generally, it is a stylized, typed and stereotyped character, which plays a role in attracting the audience. These tagged characteristics will make them easier to be recognized, or promote the plot, etc., which can be exaggerated in animation.

Role design method

Creative mode

Design the story first, and design the role on the basis of the story.

Design the role first, and then build the background story based on the role.

Step

Research: Conduct information research according to the relevant information of the generated ideas or designed roles.

Observation: Observe, summarize and sort out some elements to facilitate the subsequent role design.

Inspiration: Through the previous research and integration of some fragmentary inspiration

Mood board: Collect enough information or references according to requirements and integrate them logically and regularly. Visually, it often appears in the form of a collage, which helps designers to define the correct and consistent road and complete a better final design.

Silhouettes + Sketches: Draw a rough draft for the role according to the previous creativity or preparation, provide a concise visual presentation, and create a variety of character silhouettes.

Detailing: Refine the existing draft to make the whole character more refined and clear.

Design variations: Compare different design changes, and select the final line draft for subsequent improvement.

Color Studies: According to the original design, the colors are matched to meet the needs of the role background, personality, core and so on.

Pose Variations:Design different dynamics. The dynamic changes of roles can better reflect their personality characteristics.

Final design (final): Complete the detailed and dynamic final design.

Character Silhouette

Character silhouette is an intuitive embodiment of character appearance design, and excellent and highly recognizable character design can be identified from silhouette.

All silhouette figures can be reduced to basic shapes-circle, triangle and square/rectangle.

Function:

Quickly generate inspiration or ideas.

Increase the recognition of the role (improve the readability of the role)

Show the action and personality characteristics of the character (cute, mysterious, strong, etc.)

INTRODUCTION

REFLECTION

Experience

Observation

Findings