45 Characher Challenge! Part 1

This month I will be designing 45 character concepts for comics games or film. I will do each with the same  basic process:


The 45 Character Challenge is an exercise in large scale designing. It will help generate ideas and good design but also keep the big picture in view. First, you devise how to categorize the 45 characters into classes. I call this the collection. The five classes I chose were, Brut, Females, Hero, Villain, and Chimera. Second, I  design nine versions of each class in order to explore them thoroughly.  For example, nine brutes that are all very different but also share common traits in shape and proportion.

I broke down my process into 6 steps:

Napkin Sketch

Proportion Grid

Archetype Form

Character Form

Lighting

Color


The napkin sketch is a quick little scribble of the proportion and shape that the character will take. It is not a random set of lines. Each line was deliberate. If you look closely at the images on my blog you will see that there is a structure to these character sketches. they all have a common form to them. I make nine for each class. You may need to make several attempts for each one but they don't take long. They don't have to be symmetrical and drawing problems can be left there! like lopsided heads and stuff.

2min each


The proportion grid is where i clean up my sketches. I mirror each side from a center line and generate two new sketches! only this time i have perfect proportions in a grid like fashion, that is every thing lines up on the x and y plain. I choose the best version to describe the collection and move on. I get surprised by the new shape that this part generates and it fuels my inspirations to work on the next strep!. Its very important but super easy.

30 sec each


The archetype form is when I design a persona based on the collection with inspiration of the sketch I just made in the previous step. I might say " Oh this looks like a gun!"  or maybe" well I already explore this type of proportion what else can I explore?" this starts out fragmented as I play with the shapes. After sometime I come up with a basic idea and say "dragon slayer" or "fallen angel" ect. Then I try to push that idea. By the end I have a design that is cool but needs to be matured. I do that in the next step!

2-3 hours each

The character form is the final step in designing the character. I draw the character in a simple way, over and over becoming familiar with the forms. I choose a set of poses and maybe expressions as well as a turn around.   It is much simpler than the archetype form because I can say more with less once I understand the design better. I also remove wacky things that hurt the design or obscure it and replace that stuff with more appropriate things. Lastly, I try to get the essence of the persona by doing research and thorough exploration. In the end I achieve 3 things, simplicity, elegance, and epitome. All essential to great design

1-2 days each

Lighting and color is just rendering in a style!

3- 6 hours each

1. Napkin Sketch: In this step I quickly  jot down a few shapes that initiate the entire process. I am looking for interesting shapes, and proportions. I am experimenting heavily with novice ideas. I do not know anything about the character except what collection or class they may fall into. I chose to do five Collections, each with 9 characters. The five collections are Brutes, La Femme, Hero, Villain, and Chimera.  It is important at this stage to be very simple and exaggerating. I push shape and proportion in order to give a sense of identity to each sketch as they are all build from the same basic structure.the structure I use is based on Frank Reilly's figure construction tool. I modify it to fit my needs. Please feel free to make your own manikin or use my own if you choose to follow along with this challenge.

2. Proportion Grid: This step cleans up the napkin sketch, while at the same time provides a bit of  variety to the initial design. It involves mirroring the left and right side of the napkin sketch and creating two new versions. both now have perfect alignment and proportions as if it is all gridded out. I choose the better of the two new versions that best describe the collection the sketch was design to represent. occasionally, both are great and I cannot decide which one I want to go with. This is due to not having enough familiarity with the persona of the character. please  see Archetype From and Character Form for more information on Persona.

3. Archetype Form: This step is the first of two that develops the Persona of each character. The Persona is the characters soul. It is what breadths life into each figure construction. It is very important to be deliberate and thorough when developing a persona so as to achieve a sense of believability in the character. For more information on persona, please see the Character Form step.  I may start with a title such as "The Venusian Astronaut" and then ask, " what might a  brutish, Venusian astronaut look like?"  This is followed up with a series of form exploration drafts until i end up with something that, to some degree feels like a Venusian astronaut. It is not meant to be a mature design by no means. That is done in the next step, the Character Form. the next following images are Archetype forms for the remaining characters in the Brute collection.

Here is a scale size chart for each character in the Brute collection. Notice that there is a large difference between the shortest (5ft5in) and tallest (10ft5in). This is rather extreme and is subject to change as characters reach a mature design. Part of what the steps up to this point are trying to convey is exaggerated truth. As a result, things can look a bit whacky. In time, the wacky forms with become more elegant.