Improve your Character Art
When we look at an illustration, characters are usually the first thing we see, they give useful information to the viewer. Their size determines the scale of their environment, and their appearance gives clues about their age, social status… You can complete a wonderful painting, but if something is wrong with one character, our eyes will focus on that. To avoid this sad phenomenon, we need to learn how to create more believable characters! Here are few tips to improve your drawing around three themes: context, anatomy and props.
We must think about the context where the character will evolve like the universe, period, and given constraints. If he doesn’t match his background (in every meaning of the word), character won’t fit into his world. We must adapt our design according to information we get: Where does he come from? Does he have distinguishing features?... We should not forget that the character has his own story, but he exists in a wider context. To create a believable story, characters and their environment need to go well together. To learn more about this combination, you can read the article Visual storytelling.
Knowledge of anatomy is very important even if you draw in stylized way. You can break rules, only once you master them. Body proportions and shapes are essential to start building your character. We can think about “Vitruvian Man” by Leonardo da Vinci or the Rule of thirds for the overall proportion theory. Body language and pose you will give to your character tells a lot about his nature. How you orientate his legs or his shoulders will show a self-confident person or, instead, a vulnerable one. If you don’t know anatomy well, you won’t be able to reproduce the posture you are imagining. Observing other people act and sketching from life helps get various ideas how to present your character. In illustrations, you must combine posture and right angle to display him. Indeed, if you want to show how tall you character is, you will prefer to draw him from a low angle than a high one.
There are also key details that show if your skills as an artist. Your way to draw hands reveals how much you know about joints and how they articulate together. The face itself is a complex part of the body. It is important to manage how to draw facial expressions, because thanks to them you will be able to show emotions. Not just by drawing the mouth and eyes in a different way, but also nostrils, eyebrows and forehead. Having a mirror around can help! A tip: you can learn basics face expressions (happiness, sadness…), and by mixing their elements you are able to depict toned emotions.
The character’s body is the most important, but let’s not underestimate how costume and props are significant. Clothes, accessories (jewelry, tattoos, bags, weapon…) participate in bringing your character to life. Every detail you draw should be useful at some point, serving a specific purpose. They are part of the character’s personality; they emphasize the posture already created. Research is essential to imagine every detail of your creation matching the context. For example, will make this character wear glasses bring something to him? Would a cheerleader outfit fit in a European high school? When drawing concepts, references given are the key to create visually the client’s mind. Adding colors and contrasts to props and the character itself, you will deliver an even more precise message… When you start drawing, there is one question to guide you: what the viewer should feel about the character? Below, examples of characters to give you ideas on how to use this post’s tips to your advantage.
