sam Bosma
Can your character touch the top of his head? how about his toes? could he walk up stairs if he needed to?How about if he was seen from above? would he be recognizable?
Is my character equally interesting super close up as he is far away?
These Q's may or may not be important to your character depending on what it's application is. A character design that is going to be handed of to a modeling department and then animated for a film will have different requirements than a character for a children's book, or graphic novel. As a designer it is essential that you are aware of the needs and limitations of the final application of design.
Here are just a few examples of how a character designed for each of these format may require special features.
Animation
- characters need to work from all angles
- Repeatable shapes - whether able to be hand drawn or true to a model
- If 2D usually less detail or small folds, as they would have to be drawn again (ex: Baguera from Jungle book)
- Eyes up front for expressions (See Remy, or Maximus)
- Workable anatomy - can perform necessary actions believably (ex. has knees, workable limb lengths etc.)
- detail for close shots - (in film, a character will be seen at all sizes, thus detail and costuming should be interesting if the whole character is on screen, if it is shoulders up or just a close up of the face.)
Comics
- easily repeatable from different angles - Drawing can keep the character
- keeps character in different environments and backgrounds
- reads very small - strong silhouettes required
- reads in busy or dark compositions
- doesn't depend on detail for recognition
- longer read time - readers can study image as long as they like - expression
Giannis Milonogiamis
Games
- readable silhouette when very small or seen from behind or top down
- interesting detail - especially on the most seen areas (ex. back of the character)
- big readable shapes
- Audience specific
- Can read in different environments, lighting and during action or with lots of movement on screen.
- Limitations such as poly count, hair, cloth, animation etc.
Live Action
- Character details for up close
- big screen - up close and personal
- Character Elements need to be possible - Costuming, Makeup, Casting etc.
- Character Progression - costume changes
- Often multiple costumes - character needs to continue reading
- Story
Illustration
- More leeway for "fudging" to make things work
- character just needs to work from a few angles
- controlled lighting and environments
- Long viewing time - pos & neg
Sam Bosma
Advertisement - Magazines - Editorial
- Iconic
- colorful
- quick attention graber - only a fraction of a second
- simple read
- effective message
- audience - (children/adult)
- Only has to work once - one angle etc.
- Labeling - symbolism
- Color can be very important
Dennis Zilbur
Logo
- Iconic
- Memorable
- Easily Recognizable
- Color is important - also needs to work in B&W
- Vector image - not too much detail or very many colors. - simple gradients etc.
- Usually cute and friendly - appealing
Dennis Zilber
Dennis Zilber
Scottie Young
Tony Diterlizzi
Giannis Milonogiamis
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