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Posted by:

Finwik

Date:

July 23rd, 2007 2:50 AM

Header:

Character Creation

Bulletin:

-- Character Creation --

I wanted to talk about character creation this week. Now I’m no master, but I do have a few tips you guys might like to hear. I’m mostly going to try to talk about the physical creation of the character.

Shape: Alright, think about you character’s shapes. Try to make those shapes part of the character’s creation every time you draw him or her. If you look at Brond, he’s essentially a cube, with a hemisphere for a head. He takes no time to draw. Capp, his body is a rough wedge, his head is kind of a cube with a triangle on the bottom. Etc. Think about these, and if you use different shapes for different characters, it’ll show in the end. The human eye is lazy, and it reads the shapes quickly without even realizing. Think, “Would my reader be able to tell who this is simply by their silhouette.” Obviously this isn’t necessary for every character. I know Avatis and Jasper would look alike it was just their silhouettes. But almost everyone else you’d be able to identify.

Height: I can’t stress this one enough. If you make all of your characters have different heights, and you’re consistent with it. It will become part of what identifies them. There isn’t much more to say other than to DO this. It helps a lot.

Color: Not as literal as I take it in TroA, color can be very important in telling where a person is from or what they are like. Red is passionate, a person who wears reds and warm colors will often feel powerful or filled with life. There are tons of articles on this all over the place, and it wouldn’t do any good for me to repeat them. But just be aware of it. Color is vital. Hair color can give you instant info on where someone is from as can his or her skin color. Types of clothing combined with popular colors can convey if someone is part of a team, or an organization. Just think of these things as you create your world. It’ll pay off in the end. Chances are, no one will notice all this hard work, but it is there and makes your world tangible.

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