To start some character design, we had a tutorial lesson on how to create silhouettes for character concept art. I had never really heard or seen of this method although I knew about silhouettes and how they are used in art. I was quite curious about how we could create any sort of character design using just shadows and light. We started off identifying different features and aspects of various fantasy characters and then trying this whilst just looking at their silhouettes. There were actually a lot of fo things we could tell about a character just from looking at the outline of their form. For example, dwarves generally have a squat, Celtic shape. Scary characters are identifiable this way because of their pose or stance – and they usually have lots of spikes and angular edges. Strong characters could be seen because of their size and muscle, and streamlined characters were either creatures that could fly, swim, or were some sort of evil minion.

From that point and onwards, we were in photoshop trying out this method. It was pretty simple, I just built up shapes that resembled the sort of character I wanted to make, keeping in mind what kind of lines and shapes could be seen along the edge. The first one we designed collectively was an evil-looking figure, probably a dark overlord. I am very happy with how my first one turned out. My favourite part was adding the highlights because that’s when you can introduce details that give life and personality to the character.

 

 

Next, we were asked to design a fish/warrior character. I wanted to find some inspiration first, so I gathered images I liked off the internet and picked out the elements from each that I wanted to include. I didn’t want him to be a merman with a tail because I wanted him to have the capability to fight on land as well. I think the hardest part was conveying this whilst designing the legs. I found that using silhouettes makes it harder for me to create proportionate characters, and the creature looks a little strange. Still, thanks to the fins and the tail, I think it’s easier to tell that he is not an ordinary human.

 

 

 

I was aiming for athletic, but intimidating when creating his body, but I don’t think I quite achieved the effect. His stance and face look quite menacing however the broad shoulders and short legs make him look too bulky and stout. If I was to design him again, I would focus on making his legs and torso slimmer, to give the impression that he lives underwater. His tail looked great during my sketch, but as soon as I filled it in, it lost its appeal, and you cannot tell that it is a thin filament (fins). To give credit where credit is due, I like that I added extensions to the hands – I imagine they’re part of the creatures metallic armour and they give him claws, and I also like the fins at the sides of his head.

 

 

The third character we were asked to design was a friendly giant. My mind instantly went to the BFG but I decided that I wanted it to be more fantastical and linked to nature since the BFG is more so directed for kids. So, using the images I gathered for inspiration, I started creating the sort of shape I was picturing, using rocks and linking the giant to nature. I think the rounded edges give the giant a soft, innocent look.

 

 

The little people are something I added after I finished drawing the giant, in order to showcase his scale a little better and to make it more obvious that he is benevolent.

I think that this lesson was extremely useful, especially because not everyone in the class is able to design a character with a lot of detail. For me personally, I acquired new skills like being able to experiment with character poses much faster and using the form to showcase what kind of personality a character has, and this will come handy when expanding character design for the fantasy brief and adding some variety and experimentation in.