Shape Language - Tumblr Posts
Part 2 of cino art tips is some basic tips on shape and silhouette design which are also principles I think about a lot :)
(also i'm so sorry i chose comic sans to write this in idk what i was thinking but i already flattened the layers)
i don't have any other obvious tips off the top of my head rn but feel free to ask anything you are curious about! i love getting asks uwu
It makes me go feral when people who have very shape oriented artstyles draw Aziraphale and Crowley as circles and as triangles
CLOWNS. WITH SHAPES??
Quick lil shape language studys could use more practice looking for tips
Meet the trio
Hattie , Koi , and Jax
some little notes i wrote out last night regarding shape language and how it informs my design choices. shapes are rad
Tuesday Tips- Crowd Characters — When I need to fill a crowd with characters, I usually try to pick a few simple shapes and use those to build a series a characters to complete the scene. I may switch it up by adding a hat, glasses, switching gender, or a slight difference in posing. In essence, the goal is create a variety of characters without spending too much time on each one. That’s why repeating shapes or even entire characters saves a tremendous amount of time. -Norm
Character Design Tips
Some people have asked how I went about drawing the Overwatch cast, so I threw together a list of things I think about when designing characters: shapes, silhouettes, colors, and inspiration.
1. Shapes
There are three basic shapes in my toolbox: round, box, and triangle. If I follow my intuition, each shape conveys a personality. For example:
Round = charismatic, harmless, endearing
Box = reliable, uniform, traditional
Triangle = cunning, dynamic, competent (downward pointing more aggressive)
Shapes can also be combined for more complex characters
2. Silhouettes
Block in the character. If I can still recognize who it is, then it has a strong, readable silhouette.
3. Color
Sometimes less is more. Limit the palette for unity and impact. When working with three colors, keep the 60-30-10 rule in mind. Pick one color to make up about 60% of the character, a second color to make up about 30%, and the last color is about 10%.
When working with just two colors, use the 70-30 rule. One color is about 70%, the second is about 30%.
4. Inspiration
Designs come to mind easier when I’m listening to music, or when I have a mental image of something in mind. For example, I was listening to Klezmer music when drawing Reaper, and I was thinking of a chicken when I was drawing Lucio. It can take a while to warm up, so a good source of inspiration is important to stay motivated.
Beyond that, it’s up to you!
[If you want to see the specific artists I drew influence from, click here to see my influence map.]