Animal Character Design

"Drawing is more thinking than actual Drawing"

When it comes to designing an animal character, consider the following:

1) Research
2) Shape Exploration and EXPLOITATION
3) Function
4) Story
5) Identifying and using necessary landmarks


RESEARCH

Researching and understanding the animal that you are designing is essential in creating a believable and relatable character which will elicit an emotional appeal from your audience.

Understand how this animal moves, its mannerisms and overall characteristics (Ex: a fox is sly, a rabbit is timid, a bear is hungry and lazy).  Understand it's skeletal structure (just as you do for a human) and also elements such as how it's fur grows, wing and feather patterns.  Know it's habitat and how it fits in, also how it adapts (ex: does it change color, loose it's horns etc.)

While internet research and image searches are usefull way's to collect reference, there is no substitute for watching how an animal moves in real life.  Sketchbook visits to zoos and even drawing from video's are the #1 way to study an animal in preparation for a character design.

T.S. Sullivant: Thomas Starling Sullivant (1854–1926)- was an american political cartoonist who depicted animals with greatly exaggerated features that are nevertheless firmly rooted in his understanding of correct anatomy. His "grotesque yet believable"[6] animals were remarkably detailed and anatomically accurate, despite their gross exaggeration, and expressive in the moods, emotions and attitudes they displayed.[7]

Clair Wendling:  Her understanding of domestic feline anatomy and behaviors has aided her in her drawings of bigger cats. It's obvious that she's able to "build a 3D model" in her mind that she can turn and move around into just about any pose imaginable. This is a skill that only comes from many hours of observation:

David Coleman: "“a great designer is a master at strong posing and gesture." knowledge and skill comes from great observation and study.

Interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTH9941dy-U

Here are some videos of David Coleman sketching Leopards at the zoo:

Leopards: part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7tM7u9mYnw&feature=BFa&list=PL5C69725F2DF27A51

Leopards: part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UiyDSEfvzE&feature=BFa&list=PL5C69725F2DF27A51

SHAPE EXPLORATION AND EXPLOITATION

“dont just draw the shapes that are already there, but use them and esploit them to create an appealing design...its a way of exaggetating and emphasizing the existing shapes without losing the integrity of the animal.”

David Coleman

Silhouettes can be a great way to break down an animal's complex shape to get to the essence of it's Design.  Also Simplifying it into its basic Large, Medium and Small shapes.  Figure out what makes this animal what it is, and not a different animal - Ex. what makes a Deer a Deer, and not a horse?  How can I exaggerate these shapes so that even in silhouette, my deer can't be mistaken for a horse?

Remember Heiarchy: Everything that is essential for the Viewer to understand this character needs to come 1st from its shape.  Everything after that (fur, clothing, detail, color) are secondary. "Detail needs to radiate from the core theme"

3) FUNCTION & STORY

In this step, some Q's you should ask yourself is: what role does this character play? what are it's attributes?  What will it do in the story?  How will it act?  How much does it act like and animal and how much does it act like a human?  Does it wear clothes?  walk on it's hind legs? Talk?

These Q's are essential in deciding how stylized your animal character needs to be.

Animal Characters are Anthropomorphized to some degree- meaning they take on human characteristics (or characteristics that we can recognize or relate to) that arn't usually there (If they arn't anthropomorphized then it is not a character design but a drawing of an animal.)

  ANTHROPOMORPHISM

Remember the key to anthropomorphism is REALITY VS. BELIEVABILITY - you've got to sell your version of the world to the audience.

4) IDENTIFYING NECESSARY LANDMARKS

At this point you are ready to start Designing your Character. You should have a good understanding of this animal and a rough Idea of how stylized this character needs to be.  

"Through your own studies from life you'll learn exactly what to streamline, what extraneous details you can lose and what necessary elements you need. Ask yourself what must be present to make the animal character work...?"

 "Necessary Landmarks are not arbitrarily drawn in but carefully designed"

David Coleman