From the course: Learning Character Development and Design
Join today to access over 23,200 courses taught by industry experts.
Archetypes
From the course: Learning Character Development and Design
Archetypes
- Characters are often based on archetypes, defined as very typical examples of a certain kind of person. Archetypes display stereotypical personalities, behaviors, and characteristics, regardless of how unique they may seem initially. When used in character design, it becomes a visual shorthand for cultural meaning that can be useful for communicating a particular impression. Archetypes help to give you a place to start when figuring out what type of character you're trying to develop. The classic archetypes in storytelling are the hero, the villain, the caretaker, the innocent, the ruler, the sage, and the trickster. But the most common archetypes that drive a story are the hero and the villain. Let's look at the hero first. If we compare these two archetypal male heroes, created by two different illustrators, we can deconstruct the parts that are similar in each. Both have strong jaws, wide-set eyes, and thick, expressive eyebrows, demonstrating a classic handsomeness. Each have…
Practice while you learn with exercise files
Download the files the instructor uses to teach the course. Follow along and learn by watching, listening and practicing.
Download courses and learn on the go
Watch courses on your mobile device without an internet connection. Download courses using your iOS or Android LinkedIn Learning app.