Letting your imagination run wild is one of the many things that makes art so amazing— and when it comes to being imaginative, what better way to show off your creativity side then by coming up with your own original character portrait? When it comes to character design, our Kitchener children art instructor, Brynn, knows what it's all about! Here is their guide on how to make some of your own!
One of the great things about designing your own character is that you can make it look however you'd like! But no matter what your ideal character looks like, one thing's for sure— the best way to start your journey into the world of character design is by using bold and unique colour choices to be extra creative! Plus, experimenting with dramatic proportions is a great way make your character stand out and to teach yourself about realistic human poses. So, in other words, not only will you have great fun with this project, but you'll also get an awesome learning experience out of it, too!
First things first; to begin with this project, start by deciding which emotion you want your character to convey, whether that be happiness, fear, sadness, or whatever you'd like! Once you have chosen your emotion of choice, express it through their facial expression. A great way to do this is by looking up references online, so that you get a good understanding of what that you're looking to make them look like. Start by shaping the head, and then go on to focus on the eyes, ears, mouth, and nose in order to capture your character's unique features. Think about what makes them special— do they have a big nose, or a small one? Are their eyes wide and close together, or small and far apart? There's so many things that you can do with your character, so get wild!
Once you have the face established, add personality with carefully curated colour palettes, accessories, clothing, makeup, and hairstyles. Let your imagination run wild! Consider how your character would act everyday, and what they would wear on a day-to-day basis. Don't forget to style their hair or add facial hair to complete the look and make them special!
You can finish off by giving your character that extra flair with accessories and clothing that match their personality!
Character designing is a terrific way to develop your skills as an artist, and especially great if you struggle with getting yourself to think outside the box! If this project is something that is interesting to you, check out our Kitchener art classes for kids, where Brynn makes many more fun projects in the likes of this one!
No matter how your character ends up looking, there are so many things to experiment with, the possibilities are endless! So have fun, get creative, and keep making art— you never know what you'll end up creating.
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