Character Project

One of the things I've been trying to work on is a character study.  I know for illustration I need to be able to recreate the same character in different positions with different expressions.  So, I've been inching my way through such a project using this character that appeared among my doodles.

Although she seems rather simple, she's a good challenge for me (if you hadn't noticed, I tend to get caught up in details).  Instead, I'm trying to capture a lot with a little less than usual.  I'll share as soon as I can.

Found the Colored Pencils

Easter Vaction and I finally dug through a couple boxes for my colored pencils.

These guys were a quick 2 minute doodle done a while back that I added some color to.

I doodled the picture on the left first and had no plans to do anything else. However, I do need to do some studies that show one particular character in different moods or actions. This isn't for the portfolio or anything, but it's good practice. I wanted to make sure I could recreate the same character from a different angle. I think I duplicated her shape and features well enough. But, I need to take a look at some other artists and see how they handle hair in this medium. I'm not a big fan of how I did it here.

Lamenting My Lack of Illo Time on a Very Special Day

My son and I were going back through the pages of my sketchbook as I am just a few pages from filling it. I really enjoyed my time drawing and painting in this past year, and it's been pretty difficult to find the time lately (or the motivation when I do have the time). But, such is life right now...

I did recently do some sketches of various characters. I've only pictured one of them here (guess I forgot to photograph the other - baby brain). While it's Li'l Red Riding Hood-ish, that's not what was motivating me. I can really get in a rut, drawing things in the same way all the time, so I just wanted to play around and try to do something with a little different "feel." I don't know if I was successful - I don't think I can divorce myself completely.

The figure is always a challenge. I'll do something that I sort of like, and then I'll see other people's work that is different (and impressive), and it makes me want to try a different angle. I guess that goes back to my desire not to pigeon-hole myself by limiting my style. In the long run, I don't know if that's a good thing (I'd like to think it is). But, I think I'd go nuts if I was simply drawing illo after illo in the same style. Exploring and inventing are half the fun!

Anyway, today was a very special day because my youngest turned 6 years old! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOLEY!

More on Character and Style – Depicting Different Ages

While we’re on the topic of character development, the project mentioned in the prior post required me to deal with another issue – how to show a character’s intended age.

My background in fine arts means that I have taken several classes related to the figure. However, there was never any opportunity to really compare anatomical differences between adults and children; we just focused on the (always) adult model before us.

So, that brings me to the main character of the book – a girl about 8 or 9 years old. I dove right in and created, playing with line, texture, and gesture. I was pleased with the result…at first. In time, and with some valuable insight from others, I realized that she appeared much older (and more sassy) than I wanted. Not to mention, I got a little overzealous in creating a shadow at the hemline so she looks a little “hairy” on the legs. Anyway, it was clear a redo was in order and the result is shown below (1st attempt on left; redo on right)



This realization forced me to study more closely what characteristics make a toddler a toddler, a child and child, a teen a teen, etc. There’s the familiar head count – a standard male is about 8 heads high and a toddler is about 4 heads. Everyone else is in between somewhere. And, to tell the truth, I had to look that up – I tend to eyeball it myself.

But, in general, I found younger kids to have larger heads, rounder cheeks, and shorter necks along with their shorter stature. They might also have longer lashes, thinner brows, wider set eyes, and more indention at the corners of the mouth.

A couple of helpful resources that I used was the tried and true “Drawing the Head and Figure” by Jack Hamm, and “Drawing People” by Barbara Bradley.

Considering the Target Audience - The Issue of Character and Style

Recently, I dusted off an old idea that I thought would be a good “assignment” for myself. It’s one thing to invent a character and move on, and another to actually carry them through an entire picture book. My target audience for this project is kids 4-9 years old who are moving into homeschooling – kind of a “get ready for school” book from the homeschooler’s perspective (the issues are completely different).

Anyway, I found myself struggling to determine the style I wanted to work in. I’m drawn toward wanting to do unusual characters (lots of that in my sketchbook). However, they can sometimes come across as a little dark or unsettling. This book is meant to be positive and encouraging, and to represent real-life experiences that kids could easily associate with.

Since I want it to appeal to a range of ages, I figured it should be fun and colorful without being TOO cartoony and babyish. On the other hand, I don’t want anything too serious, “textbookish,” and dull. (Maybe I could have picked an easier first project)

Well, I came up with some characters (done in ink with watercolor washes) that I kind of like. They’re fun and colorful, but I’m not sure if they’re borderline too cartoony. I think I’ll try to do some studies placing the characters within a setting – perhaps then I could see it as more of a whole, and that will help me decide if I should push them toward the “real” a little more.

In this post, I’m showing 2 of the 3 characters – the older brother (aprox. 12 years old) and the youngest sister (aprox. 5 years old). The main character I’ll address in a future post.