From the course: Learning Character Development and Design

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Gesture and silhouettes

Gesture and silhouettes

From the course: Learning Character Development and Design

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Gesture and silhouettes

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- The overall body posture of a character speaks volumes about the personality and life of a character. Using human reference for overall body frame, as well as quirky, particular traits that help identify a character's personality creates recognizable forms for the viewer. The character of Goober, by Nico Marlet, demonstrates an awareness of a body gesture and body type that the viewers are likely to recognize. The hunched shoulders, the boxy frame, heavy chin and unibrow suggest a kind of neanderthal character, whose intellect is questionable. The peg leg further implies that he's not such a successful warrior, and his imbalanced gait reminds us that he lumbers through life rather ineffectively. Notice that Nico tries different weapons and mustache-beard combinations to test what will express this character best. At the early stages of design for any kind of character, starting with a silhouette, and then going to gesture drawings, can help define a character more believably. Even a…

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