Chapter One. Basics of Character Design

One Basics of Character Design

This book is about creating characters and bringing them to life. Character creation includes a number of technical tasks, such as modeling, texturing, and rigging, all of which will be covered later. Before you start building a character, however, you'll need to design it.

Design is about making choices, both artistic and technical. It means getting to know your character's personality and then making choices that communicate this personality visually. When designing, you need to make decisions about size, shape, color, texture, clothing, and many other attributes. There is also a technical aspect to character design: well-designed characters are easy to animate, making the animator's job easier and more creative.

Good character design is one of the cornerstones of good animation. Designing your characters properly will make their personalities jump off the screen. Your audience will know who your characters are immediatelyand like them. When you pair a great design with a great personality, the results can be wonderful.