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TIGSource ForumsDeveloperDesigncharacter design where do you start?
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Author Topic: character design where do you start?  (Read 953 times)
Dinobit
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« on: December 13, 2016, 10:03:46 PM »

im really struggling with characters and i need help if i may ask could i get help  Cry
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Moth
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« Reply #1 on: December 18, 2016, 07:46:40 PM »

Take a look at many of your favorite characters and think about what you like about them. Some important things to take note of:

  • How many heads tall are they? A fewer heads tall character has a proportionately bigger head and a smaller body.
  • How are the facial features drawn? The spacing and style of eyes are very important and particular. Jim Henson would let other people construct the bodies of puppets, but he wanted to place the eyes himself, because he understood the importance and particularity!
  • What level of detail is there in the design? It can be very simple, like Mario or even simpler like Kirby, or it can be a more ornate design. More details result in a greater degree of design "noise". This obviously varies from character to character but the average amount of noise per character will change depending on the art style you pursue. Figure out if you like characters with lots of noise or smaller amounts of noise.
  • Google up color theory. Try and learn a little about it. For a quick fix you can google a color scheme generator. Once you have your colors, try to stick to those colors for your design. Generally I think designs visually make more sense when they use fewer colors. I think the very limited palettes of NES sprites are a good example of limited color selections helping to create memorable and iconic designs- many characters were limited to a mere 3 colors.

There are some places to start developing a sense for character design.
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JWK5
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« Reply #2 on: December 19, 2016, 07:34:46 AM »

You should start by answering some questions:

*What function is the character supposed to serve in the game?
     *How does this character relate to the player's character or the player's functions/options?
           *How does this character relate to the game world and the environment or locale they inhabit?
                 *What is their role, what tools and equipment do they need, what abilities do they have?
                       *What is their personality like? What clothes do they prefer? What colors do they like?
                             *Are they important enough that their coloration/design should stand out or should they blend in?

Remember, beyond just being a character in a story your characters are tools used to create the player's gaming experience. You wan't to take into account what their purpose game-wise is. For example, if they are an important character with major information you'd want them to have coloration that sets them apart from the rest of the town (or whatever) they are in. You'd want to place them somewhere that the player is likely to easily cross paths with them or somewhere that stands out (perhaps they are the head priest in the cathedral, the barkeep of an inn that's hard to miss, whatever). You want to create them in a manner that tells the player who they are and why they are there, and most important why the player should care about them at all.
                   
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Dinobit
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« Reply #3 on: December 20, 2016, 02:05:23 AM »

Thank you  all of my internet friends for helping me i study these and apply those questions ect to my character's thanks again and have a great Christmas
  Wink
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