From the course: Learning Character Development and Design
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Keep it real
From the course: Learning Character Development and Design
Keep it real
- The first go-to source for developing a character's design is to look to available subjects to draw inspiration from, yourself or the people around you. Borrowing elements directly from these sources helps to give your character credibility. Some artists sketch directly from life, while others catalog people mentally, then draw later. I like to document information with photography, then distill what I'm looking at while sketching. When I illustrated the classic tale, "The Wind in the Willows," I used a friend of mine for the character of Mole, because his personality so perfectly fit the character. To make it real for me, I adapted Mole to look as much like my friend Jeff as I could, taking lots of pictures of his facial expressions, stance, and body gestures. His signature brows were a dominant feature that I borrowed, and was especially helpful for creating expressions of emotion. For the character of Toad, I studied the face of Buddy Cianci, a well-known political figure. At the…
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