Finding your Character
A Shortcut to seeing.
I spent weeks sketching rabbits for my book "Down the Hole"
When I finally drew a pose that made me laugh out loud, I knew I'd found my character. That spontaneous emotional reaction told me something authentic had emerged.
The best character designs trigger an emotional response in both the creator and the viewer. Use reference, study and try things, but let your body be the final test of quality.
TEN MINUTE ARTIST PROMPT
Use your Body
Draw three quick character sketches (a bunny, or some other animal) based on basic emotions: joy, sadness, and anger. Focus on how the emotion shapes the whole figure, not just the face.
Creating characters is a unique process for illustrators, we are director, costume designer, researcher, but most importantly, actor, we need the ability to feel the character before we can create that quality in a drawing!
How do you use your body when creating? Leave a comment!
If you know someone who could use some daily inspirations and encouragement, invite them to join us!
I do use my body! What I found helpful, is to film myself instead of just taking a static picture, that way you can stop at the perfect frame for the pose you are trying to draw :)
Ha! That Joy rabbit is my favorite! Delightful.