Developing fangan designs are so much fun. Having a sort of gimmick with their talent is a great prompt to jump off of. It’s sort of low stakes designing.
When I design for Rift it is still fun, but it’s with the expectation that because Rift is a comic I’m gonna need to break these designs down to their essentials and plan them out in a way that’s easy to understand for replication. There’s also gotta be sooome level of groundedness in their presentations. Distinct styles, but practical to a degree to suit their world. Although I am trying to incorporate more whimsical exaggeration. Loosen up a bit for maximum expression. But I’m still drawing them over and over again, but in many different poses and angles for my comic.
Fangan characters are much less serious of stakes. They have motivations and a level of depth as any character, but there’s a level of campiness that makes it more simple. They have full permission to be a bit goofy because of the tone of the story they exist in. Their presentation is direct and on the nose (unless subverting your expectations which is still fun!)
Idk, it’s just a fun time. I’ll be posting some of my designs sooner or later. As much as I love Rift I need a break from it sometimes so I can come back to it with fresh eyes and renewed vigor. Working on my fangans is an excellent distraction and great practice for a variety of character designs. Styles, body language, and body type. And it doesn’t need to be too serious.