Posted by Sean C on Oct 5th, 2007
Now that you’ve written your concepts down on paper, it’s time to start developing your comic visually, and usually the best place to start is with your characters. They’re the heart and soul of your comic, and they need to be both visually appealing and unique. However, this can be a daunting process; there’s simply so many different routes one can go, but if you take your time and work out your thoughts, then you can make it work.
For this part of the project, I’m going to “re-develop” my old school newspaper strip, Pixel, and will take you through my creative process. I’m hoping you readers will take the advice and cues to help you create your characters.
Let’s start with the face. It’s the most expressive part of the character, the part seen most often, and it needs to be recognizable and distinct. Every face is different and unique, but too many artists draw their characters with the same face. Style is a major factor in design; you need to find something that not only appeals to the eye, but is something you can draw consistently. Do some experimenting and try different things; you never know what suddenly might click and work for you.
Last time, I advised writing a brief personality profile that included some physical descriptions. I’ll skip the personality aspects and go straight to the physical for the profile of Pixel’s main character, Kevin. You’ll see the various styles I could have used, and which one I eventually settled on.
Kevin: …black hair, goatee, shows some rough hair from not shaving, some lines under his eyes, and is best portrayed with a smile or smirk.
Let’s take a look at what we have.
-Sketch one is what I eventually settled on; it’s a style that fits the character, and feels more like my natural style.
-Sketch 2 is more “light” and cartoony. There is more exaggeration, and the look is distinct. This would have been my second choice.
-Sketch 3 uses less line and really exaggerates the chin line and ear placement. It’s solid, but not is necessarily the optimum approach. There are better choices here.
-Sketch 4 reeks of amateur manga, and is my absolute last choice of style; I’d have to lose my drawing hand to resort to this. It’s messy, grotesque, and shows a lack of understanding of some basic principles of anatomy. Pass.
-Sketch 5 is a retro style, which doesn’t fit with the modern feel of the comic I’m trying to produce. While it’s not ugly, it doesn’t work in this situation, so it can go.
-Sketch 6 is very stylized. The bold lines, square heads and features, and the unrealistic attachment of the head to the neck don’t make it a poor style. The work is very clean, but at the same time, too sterile to be lively.
All right. I’ve settled on a design and style. From there, I was able to develop the rest of the main players in my cast using the same method. Ollie and Kate –
Don, the slacker son of Satan, was a tricky design for me. I wanted something that didn’t initially scream devil but rather suggested it. It needed to be able to show happy expressions and still have a sinister look to it. Experimentation was big here, as you can see that I took several different ideas and sketched them out. I settled on the inked version of Don, which I feel properly addresses my needs.
Bear no mind that using religious figures like Jesus or the devil is long considered a cliched cardinal sin of webcomics; if you take a new and unique approach, if you actually think beyond the cliches, then it’s more acceptable. Do something new, and make it interesting. People can forgive a cliché if it’s not a cliché.
Don’t be afraid to mix it up. Consider the tone of your comic, and take that into account when creating your designs. Take this monster. All three designs come from the same profile, but they give off very different vibes.
-Monster 1 is cartoony and kiddie. Good for an all ages comic, but you won’t find blood and gore with him, or at least you won’t believe it.
-Monster 2 tows the line between cartoony and realistic. It fits a more mild tone, but isn’t very dark. For that, you need…
-Monster 3, who looks like he’d rip you apart. Nasty brute – he belongs in a PG-13+ comic.
Not every design will be a winner. It can be hit or miss, but that’s why experimentation at this stage is so important. It can take a number of tries to create something that is both appealing and distinct, and it’s incredibly hard to design something truly timeless. Take a look at what could have happened (and in Superman’s case, did happen) with these popular characters.
Not very pretty, is it? I thought so.
That’s all for this installment; it’s a lot to take in. Just remember that at this point, it’s supposed to be rough. Don’t expect to get clean concept pieces. If you’re having trouble with the art, then don’t fret. I’ll be getting into the basics of comic art next time. Until then, get sketching!
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If you liked that, try...
- The Way of the Geek Guide to Webcomic Creation - Lesson One - The Concept
- The Big Debut Webcomic Review - Horribleville by KC Green
- A New Comic Review and some Webcomic Idol Stuff
- It Ain’t a Webcomic, but that Funky Winkerbean…
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