On Designing Harry Potter Characters: Snape
I want to share some of my character design revelations with you, specifically about Snape.
I think all of us are used to this image of Snape that is common in fandom: that of a bitter, never smiling person who is always sad or desperate. Curiously enough, this image turned out to be something akin to a collective hallucination after I reread the books. Something like Mandela effect of sorts. I mean, are we talking about the same person here?
"Snape smirked", "Snape's lip curled..."... Snape grinning maliciously is one of the most common images of him in the book, if not THE MOST COMMON. Book Snape is arrogant, triumphant, rude. Absolutely unapologetic. He likes vile things and he even smirked at Filch's petrified cat. That's exactly where the beauty of his character lies: he is genuinely annoying and he indeed likes being a pain in the ass for people. And that's what makes his trauma and his absolute (I repeat, absolute!) kindness all the more heartbreaking and surprising.
Also, Snape is immature in his childish pride and pettiness. Undoubtedly, he is a young man who even acts slightly YOUNGER than his age. Honestly, I don't know where these slow talking, pompous daddy Snapes come from. Snape is a teenager in the body of a grown (?) man. One person said that Snape desiring praise for catching Sirius in PoA is out of character. But it's exactly in character!
And now for the most horrifying revelation: in my opinion, Snape is...extroverted. Yes, you heard me right. He is just a professional and a misanthrope who doesn't like wasting time. Not every extrovert is a party machine and I believe that Snape is indeed too loud, eccentric, arrogant, pushy, stubborn and petty to be an introvert. Introverts are essentially low energy people and Snape is brimming with life! I am not even joking!
And that lead me to draw Severus the way I do it now. Once I discovered that I cam draw him with a weak chin in particular, I never looked back. It just fit his immaturity so well.
So, essential parts of Snape according to Aquamotto are:
-Weak chin, symbolizes immaturity but egotism in the same time!
-Acne and beauty marks galore! His face is still far from that of an adult man. He looks like his face still bears some traces of some potion side effect.
-Obviously greasy hair. Not some fluffy mane like some of you draw, oh no. A head full of tightly pressed greasy locks. (I know how they look like too well because my own hair is greasy).
-Very pale due to working underground but still hellishly energetic.
-Always grinning sarcastically. Always!
-Always full of witty ways to humiliate you, always.
-Classy but garish clothes because he hates his muggle ancestry and he tries to be as over the top as possible when it comes to wizard fashion. Likes second hand robes and wears them with pride, even if they are disgusting. (Maybe even likes disgusting but romantic, frilly fashion!)
-Proud of himself but with a complex inside. Overcompensates complexes with overconfidence.
-Poor personal hygiene because he is obsessed with work and also because his working class past shows itself that way.
-Not very tall, 175 centimeters at max. Body is that of a teenager with a poor posture. Despite being thin, there are some rolls on the stomach. His age can be guessed by this fact and also by the fact he is fairly hairy.
-Beautiful dark eyes, not scary or menacing but rather full of irony, sharpness and even certain mocking cruelty but not evil!
-Openly eccentric behaviour.
