I want to create a character design sketchbook thats strictly for fleshing out my characters. How do i do that? What do I put in it? Like what type of stuff?
The great thing about sketchbooks is that there are no rules about how to use them— it’s all about what you want from it!
Of course, that can also be a pretty daunting thing, especially if you’re just starting out with it. Here’s a slightly disorganized list of things to consider including in a character design-centered sketchbook in addition to basic design sketches:
Movement and body type gestures/studies
Hairstyle thumbnails and studies
Character turnarounds/reference sheets
The same character at different ages throughout their life
Detail drawings of jewelry, patterns/embroidery, tattoos, and other smaller elements that may not be clear in full-body sketches
Studies of real-life examples of clothes, accessories, weapons, etc. that are similar to what you’re imaging for your character
Annotations/notes about parts of the design, such as clothing/armor materials, meaning or significance of special accessories, the contents of a bag, how a magical items works, the story behind a tattoo or scar… really anything that you want to flesh out beyond the basic visual design
Family trees and/or non-familial relationship charts (e.g. who’s friends, who hates each other, who’s dating, etc.)
Height comparison/chart for the main characters of a story
Drawings of a character’s bedroom/apartment/dorm/other living space
Clothing layer breakdown (as in, how would the character get dressed in their typical outfit, from undies to finished design?)
Obviously there’s no way to list every single thing that you could possibly put in a sketchbook, nor do you have to do everything that is on this list, but hopefully it will give you enough ideas to get started!
gamechangershow
amandla
titsay
jimmyeatworldofficial
yousharknotpass
