They say that everything has already been done, but if you look in comics you see new character designs all the time. Some of them are variations on old designs. But many of them are fresh and new.
So, you know it’s possible to create something new that stands out and doesn’t look like everything else.
There are some people that can creates a steady stream of designs, then create unlimited looks based on that first design.But most of the people who are doing that are either employed in the gaming industry or in the movie industry, and they are handsomely paid.
If it doesn’t come naturally to you ,it’s a skill that takes time to learn.
I feel your pain. It doesn’t come easy for me either.
So, what do I do? I do not sit down and start drawing a character to figure it all out.
I start with a characters’ story.
Things that you can look for that will help create the look of your unique character are:
- What time period,or world are they in?
- What country are they from? And what are some of the cultural looks that come along with that?
- What is the characters’ background?
- What are the character’s skills or abilities?
- What is the story about and how does your character fit in?
- How can you use symbols to tell some of that story?
The idea is to have a pretty good idea of what you need to put on the paper and do some additional research before you ever start designing.
Typically what I will do is create a Dropbox file or a file on my computer where I go around and grab inspirational pieces and accessories and ideas or symbols.
I use whatever will allow me to begin to get some concepts together before I start. And then I refer to those while I’m drawing the character out.
One of the great benefits of doing stuff digitally is you can make multiple changes to that character. And present them in different iterations so that you can make decisions on what you want to keep and what needs to go and what needs to be developed further.
I think the more you experienced you are at this process the easier it’s going to go. The less experienced you are in this process the more you need to do your research and be prepared before you get the ball rolling.
It’s also possible that you’re the type of person who can come up with these fantastic designs off the top of their head. It could just completely strike you in a moment of inspiration. I’m sure a lot of the comic characters that you’re familiar with happened exactly like that.
But if you need a little bit of help to get you there, just figuring out who this character is, and where they are, and what they do, will make a big difference in creating a character that is completely unique for your story.
