Designing Creatures / Characters
Hey all.
I'm looking for some tips on character design; coming up with good character concepts, especially creatures (non-human).
I'm attempting to build a character based portfolio and I'd quite like to be able to see myself as a complete character artist as oppose to just ripping off existing concepts. I appreciate that in a production environment the character artist may not be responsible for this part, but for my portfolio, and for just adding to my skillset I'd like to be able to. Ok so I'm not likely to paint the best concept or draw up ultra slick turnarounds, but at least drawing up a likeable, well-thought out character would be something I want to aim for.
One thing I struggle with currently, is creating a character with interest. Even coming up with a theme for something, or a basic idea is pretty difficult for me.
Another huge stumbling block for me is creature design. I often look at work from the likes of Paul Richards, also most of the Dominance War stuff and wonder how the hell the guys come up with creature ideas. Or the characters from Mass Effect say, completely new and unique designs.
Obviously a human is a human, plenty of ref around, it's a well known thing so sketching any form of humanoid can be done intelligently. But creating a creature entirely from nothing, defining their looks, and personality with no previous known existence is a skill I don't even know where to start with.
So any tips? Book recommendations?
I'm looking for some tips on character design; coming up with good character concepts, especially creatures (non-human).
I'm attempting to build a character based portfolio and I'd quite like to be able to see myself as a complete character artist as oppose to just ripping off existing concepts. I appreciate that in a production environment the character artist may not be responsible for this part, but for my portfolio, and for just adding to my skillset I'd like to be able to. Ok so I'm not likely to paint the best concept or draw up ultra slick turnarounds, but at least drawing up a likeable, well-thought out character would be something I want to aim for.
One thing I struggle with currently, is creating a character with interest. Even coming up with a theme for something, or a basic idea is pretty difficult for me.
Another huge stumbling block for me is creature design. I often look at work from the likes of Paul Richards, also most of the Dominance War stuff and wonder how the hell the guys come up with creature ideas. Or the characters from Mass Effect say, completely new and unique designs.
Obviously a human is a human, plenty of ref around, it's a well known thing so sketching any form of humanoid can be done intelligently. But creating a creature entirely from nothing, defining their looks, and personality with no previous known existence is a skill I don't even know where to start with.
So any tips? Book recommendations?
Replies
I just had a thought too. Presumably most characters have at least some sort of basis in an existing creature. Even if it's just minute detail, for example, slightly dog-like features, or the ears of a bat say, and then ref of that creature will help pull in ideas?
Remember that all characters are just constructs of a human after all, and that face to face you can only relate to them as such. So one more time, just sit down, short circuit your brain, draw on a drawing, or collage, or whatever for too long, and just let your mind wander while you listen to some aerodynamic beats. Oh yeah, and don't try to control the experience too much... just make sure you have a reason for why you did something... it doesn't even have to be a good reason, it just has to make sense to you.
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also, as an exercise, I tend to scribble with pure black splotches in photoshop, and then force them to look like something. It helps loosen you up, but you really have to let go and just let things happen.
Honestly the best thing you can do when starting a design is to thumbnail. Link found in the wiki.
It's something i do a lot in both graphic design and illustration, and really helps a lot, helps get initial ideas down on paper and to find something that works.
Also as ferg said, do lots of studies, everything is based off something in the natural world, it's all about shape and form, detail comes later.
About creatures, they are often a mix of animals / objects found in the real world, humanoids with insect features and limbs for instance.
Think about function as well, and environment, where does the creature some from, this should dictate a portion of some of the characteristics of the creature. (This isn't set in stone, but it's advisable for believability)
Latest brief:
ROUND#192, Costume Creature
In celebration of halloween, this round will focus on a creature who disguises itself by wearing a costume of sorts.
What do I mean by costume? I mean a beastie wearing the flayed skin, pelt, or entire carcass of another creature in order to infiltrate, and blend into, a flock of those creatures for hunting purposes.
Design this sneaky creature ,and Show it wearing the costume.
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=199149
Check out the Q&A vids of Carlo Arellano and Anthony Francisco here: http://www.cgmwonline.com/q-and-a.html
Carlo has a method summed up in an acronym that could help you arrive at your original designs: F.A.C.T.S.
Form, Archetype, Character, Tools, Silhouette
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It helps too that you base your designs on reality. If your vision is "too personal" other viewers might be confused and turned off. I mean you can add eyes on knees but you have to determine if this adds to what you're trying to express in your character or would it just freak out the viewer because that's what they'll just zero in on while looking at your design.
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A lot of finished concept art by studios did not start automatically like "finished" pieces. A lot those came from hundreds of iterations made up of rough sketches/ studies/ thumbnails. What you see in artbooks could be the result of years of refining designs. And more than likely designed by committee as opposed to just one person, unless you've got skills like Joe Mad and Paul Richards.
So don't be too hard on yourself if you can't achieve the same level at this point with your current skills.
I think a big problem I see with some beginner modelers is that they want to do their own cool thing and insist on working from their own, often poor, concepts. I was guilty of this myself when I was in school. This isn't to say that you shouldn't try to design your own stuff (because you should already be doing that on the side for practice), but as far as modeling is concerned, it's probably more beneficial to work from a professional concept you really like if you're not confident in your own designs for the time being.
A big part of design is developing a visual vocabulary and understanding of how things work together. There are a lot of established conventions on design that have proven to be very effective so it makes sense to study what has already been done before trying to set the world on fire with bold new ideas.
I was also struggling with this. I agree with everything said so far. What helped me a lot also was looking at animal anatomy books
I was aware of the recommended 'process' for designing characters, in terms of silhouttes and thumbnailing. It's getting something down to become those thumbnails/silhouettes I have trouble with, I guess the earliest of conceptional stages.
As mentioned though, I think I just need to free my mind a little rather than trying to zero in on ideas too early.
Thanks again everyone, some great advice.
Just put some music on and sketched out a base form, then put down random blobs.
1-hot millitary girl
2- baseball girl with something a rope or something.
3- spikey warrior girl with knuckle claws
4- humanoid alien, has mayby some exoskaleton or robotics build in
5- swords girl, pretty plain but easy to tell.
I kinda think I was reading into it too much too early. Almost like it wasn't concepting at all, just drawing a silhouette of something I had in mind already.
I think it could answer a lot of questions you have and give you a good direction on the type of things you should probably do.
http://www.fengzhudesign.com/tutorials.htm
http://animalblog.me/
...and I find it helpful to sketch in pen early on in design, the lack of being able to undo will usually loosen me up.