Ideation

30 Character Sketches, Digital, 2020

This project was for ILLU 351 Contextual Character Design. I began by drawing 30 characters, 10 men, 10 women and 10 children. I then choose and refined the ones which I thought had the most potential.

Refinement

3 Character Value Comps, Digital, 2020

Following feedback, I developed my 3 chosen characters into these black and white comps in which their detail was more clearly delineated.

Color

3 Characters Color Comps, Digital, 2020

At this stage, I added color, making sure to give the colors a cohesive palette that placed them all in the same world. Giving the character’s a sense of texture at this stage was also critical.

Turnarounds

Sheriff Turnarounds, Digital, 2020
Woman Turnarounds, Digital, 2020

Turnarounds give information about a character’s form from all sides. They are also labor intensive.

Thumbnails

Character Illustration Thumbnails, Digital, 2020

In this stage, I develop thumbnails so that I can understand the composition and value structure of my image. I choose No. 23 to take to the final stage. Several other thumbnails have potential to be developed into illustrations as well.

Moodboard

Character Illustration Moodboard, 2020

A reference moodboard is developed to aid in ideation and to serve as reference for color palettes, mood, composition and style.

Final Illustration

Character Illustration in Progress, 2020
The Flying Zephyr, 2020, Digital, 9″x17″

The final illustration is carefully rendered to bring the attention to the heroes and their story.