2D Toolkit - Character design practice exercise

Character design fundamentals are concepts of design that transfer across projects and are used in a variety of applications: the creation of cohesion between designs and sticking to a specific theme and setting transcend individual projects and - like perspective or shape theory - can be utilised in a variety of ways.

There are several aspects of character design that I have practised recently, working alongside others to create a character that fits into a wider group. This task tested character design principles: we were given a handful of roles that we were to design characters around, choosing one and basing our character around the principles of said role. 

In this exercise, I was tasked with designing a character who would be the "Brains" of the group. As a group, we then discussed potential styles, themes and settings that our characters could be based around. We collectively decided to follow a science-fiction theme, basing our characters around the subgenre and style of "Retrofuturism" and "Raygun Gothic" science fiction. Looking at the design style of this theme, we then came up with an idea for a setting: that of alien beings stuck on a spaceship, each one coming from a different planet and with different biology yet united under their mutual situation and jobs aboard the ship. 

With my character being the "Brains" of the group, I wanted their intelligence to be visually apparent. Ultimately, this came about with the character bearing a large and conical head, a "third eye" and bulky, technical garb like that of a hazmat suit or scientist. 

Being the brains of the ship and not a particularly violent fellow, I opted to use largely circular shapes in the design of my character: this is most prominent in the head, though also throughout the body in the form of the puffy folds of the suit he wears. I used these shapes to convey a softness in his design, showing that perhaps he is not the most durable nor the most aggressive of the aliens: almost meek or cowardly in form, with a sneering expression in juxtaposition, enforcing his supposed intelligence in showing that perhaps he looks down upon those around him.

Mirroring his eyes I gave my character three antennae. This was mainly done in accordance to our theming, pushing the alien nature of the character forward. I also made sure that the weapon he uses looked similar to these antennae, grounding this aspect of his design to his wider character. He additionally bears a radio device at his side: a translator that is used to communicate with his fellow aliens; another consideration of the setting and theme that the character lives within.

Feedback indicated that in future work I should more carefully develop fabric folds. As such, in future work I will more carefully reference fabric and material folds in clothing.