designing new characters

[Shanna66]

im in the process of designing a new character for something and it got me thingking, how do other other people come up with their character designs and personalities? so tell me how you go about it

for me i always have a setting first, and a position i need filled by a new character, then i find some music that reminds me of that setting and draw and redraw until i see something i like. while doing that i usually come up with the personality, then wait a day, then come up with colors

i love and hate making new characters, i love making something new but i always hate coming up with a new personality. lately ive just been recycling old rp characters for nearly everything but sometimes i need to make something new because i dont have anything that would be good for the position i need filled in the story or hatever im working on

[Young Master Aibiki]

For me it's usually design first, personality next, and where they'd fit in the story, if at all.

[Xehiros]

The idea will just come to me, then i draw it out.
The key is knowing exactly what you're drawing, good planning helps.

[alfred baramender]

Concept first, personality, base appearance next, more detailed setting, influence in story, research and inspiration, clothing design.

Fiddle around with character for roughly 6-7 years working out a design I like best.

Rinse repeat.

I write and draw my characters so a lot of my process is geared primarily to them as an actual developed character rather than just a character I like to draw.

[Mahiru Suoh]

Character Design

I always found this tutorial to be of some use when considering the design of characters.

Even though, personally, I've only designed one "official" OC, I usually consider the story before the design. I always ask myself some of these questions:

- What is the setting?
- What is the environment/ climate like?
- What is the political & societal views, etc, like at this time?
- How would the character fit into this world?

There's more, but I just like to go through everything, even if I'm just doing the design at this point. For me, design is first initial in-look to what the character's personality will be. Kind of like a loosely based "form follows function" thing.

Sometimes I get a complete visual image for a character by what I call a "brain trigger". A piece of music or a show on TV, and then, for no reason, I have this new character.

[Zhevron]

I... don't really understand questions like this.

I believe it's pretty simple--consider the purpose of the character, come up with a bunch of different designs, choose the one that feels natural--and that's it.

Maybe it has something with the number of points of reference a person has? Honestly, no idea. :T

[Kendaroo]

It used to be that I'd think of a character and then make up a story for it. But nothing ever seemed to happen with those characters. As I looked further into the theories and concepts of storytelling, it's become increasingly natural for me to have a story first and then a character almost immediately appears to fill the role required, and the difficulty becomes getting over my inability to stop experimenting with new visual designs. But the personality, back story, and world already exist, so there's a ton of stuff to draw from.

[Eizoryu]

It used to be that I would just get this idea for a certain visual appearance, then draw it out and give it a name and very basic biographical information. Those never had much done with them, though. They just kind of sit and look interesting.

Nowadays, I need characters to fill roles in stories and roleplays. Many of them I don't draw because my skills with humans can't do them justice, but I do "draw" them with words. So anymore it's that I have a setting and need a role filled. Personality comes after that, then appearances. Though appearances tend to flicker on and off throughout the process. And personalities tend to waver a bit unless I get a solid inspiration or have firm grounding in how that character behaves most of the time.

[God-the-almighty]

Mostly I just do it. I've done a lot of writing the last few years, so it's fairly easy to make a character. Appearance is last on the list of things needed unless it's important to the story. Even so it's slipped into the story rather than being listed. The story itself comes first for me. Often the story will shape the character.

[Kyshay]

Honestly, I just draw what I feel like. Or what comes to me in a moment. I mean, I just started drawing an existing character, thought it looked like crap and ended up drawing a fantasy female who's personality came through to me while drawing. By the end, I usually have their history or can examine the photo and figure them out.

[Akisada Akirou]

I just sketch out a new character and tweek the character every time I redesign them and once I get them into the right pose, facial expression, etc. that shows the characters personality and I'm always giving them a persona every time I make a small change whether it be adding a scar or changing the hair style.

[Cream Puffnut]

I choose one basic inspirational feature, which can be anything, ranging from a necessary position in a storyline to an item of clothing to an accent - and just play with it in my head until I come up with something.
To be honest most of my characters write themselves. I just sit back and take notes. IT'S GREAT.

[Cheshirecat2130]

Shanna66

im in the process of designing a new character for something and it got me thingking, how do other other people come up with their character designs and personalities? so tell me how you go about it

for me i always have a setting first, and a position i need filled by a new character, then i find some music that reminds me of that setting and draw and redraw until i see something i like. while doing that i usually come up with the personality, then wait a day, then come up with colors

i love and hate making new characters, i love making something new but i always hate coming up with a new personality. lately ive just been recycling old rp characters for nearly everything but sometimes i need to make something new because i dont have anything that would be good for the position i need filled in the story or hatever im working on

Are you talking about drawings or video games or novels?

[Shanna66]

Cheshirecat2130

Shanna66

im in the process of designing a new character for something and it got me thingking, how do other other people come up with their character designs and personalities? so tell me how you go about it

for me i always have a setting first, and a position i need filled by a new character, then i find some music that reminds me of that setting and draw and redraw until i see something i like. while doing that i usually come up with the personality, then wait a day, then come up with colors

i love and hate making new characters, i love making something new but i always hate coming up with a new personality. lately ive just been recycling old rp characters for nearly everything but sometimes i need to make something new because i dont have anything that would be good for the position i need filled in the story or hatever im working on

Are you talking about drawings or video games or novels?

characters for anything really

but for me in currently working on a new character for a story my friend is planning on working on. the only reason im making this character is to be the love interest of another character so im trying very hard to give her an actual personality and not just be a boring love interest

[Cheshirecat2130]

Shanna66

Cheshirecat2130

Shanna66

im in the process of designing a new character for something and it got me thingking, how do other other people come up with their character designs and personalities? so tell me how you go about it

for me i always have a setting first, and a position i need filled by a new character, then i find some music that reminds me of that setting and draw and redraw until i see something i like. while doing that i usually come up with the personality, then wait a day, then come up with colors

i love and hate making new characters, i love making something new but i always hate coming up with a new personality. lately ive just been recycling old rp characters for nearly everything but sometimes i need to make something new because i dont have anything that would be good for the position i need filled in the story or hatever im working on

Are you talking about drawings or video games or novels?

Thats awesome sorry I was confussed at what you ment I wish you guys the best of luck. I am curently working on a novel so I know how ypu guys feel
characters for anything really

but for me in currently working on a new character for a story my friend is planning on working on. the only reason im making this character is to be the love interest of another character so im trying very hard to give her an actual personality and not just be a boring love interest