Pro tips for making expressive characters that leap off the page.
(Image credit: Aaron Blaise)
Wondering how to create character designs that are ready for animation? I spent two decades doing just at Disney, and in this article I'll share my tricks for making lively characters that jump off the page.
If you need new tech for your work, see our pick of the best drawing tablets and the best laptop for drawing. In the meantime, read on to learn how to create characters that animate well.
Aaron Blaise
A graduate of Ringling College of Art and Design, Aaron Blaise worked as an animator for Walt Disney for 21 years. He was co-director of Brother Bear and nominated for an Oscar. He has worked in Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Mulan and more hit animators movies. Aaron now teaches animation techniques from his studio, online and regularly gives talks at art and animation events.
Distinct shapes and poses are key to making attitudes readable in character design for animation. You can show so much of this through your silhouettes, even without all the internal details.
I like to push facial and body expressions beyond realism in my character art for animation. A bit of exaggeration ensures the emotions pop and communicate effectively to the audience.
For me, eyes are everything. They’re the heart of emotion, so focus on making their shapes and direction crystal clear to ensure your characters engage the viewer.
I rely on a strong line of action to enhance emotional impact when I create characters for animation. This helps align body language with what a character is feeling.
Understanding the various character types broadens your design abilities. I strive to be able to design any character, from a grumpy old librarian through to cute babies.
Finally, when you design characters for animation, give the animators something to ‘act’ with in your characters. A good example could be a prop, which will help tell the audience who they are.
This content originally appeared in ImagineFX magazine, the world's leading digital art and fantasy art magazine. ImagineFX is on sale in the UK, Europe, United States, Canada, Australia and more. Limited numbers of ImagineFX print editions are available for delivery from ouronline store (the shipping costs are included in all prices).
Get the Creative Bloq Newsletter
Daily design news, reviews, how-tos and more, as picked by the editors.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
A graduate of Ringling College of Art and Design, Aaron Blaise worked as an animator for Walt Disney for 21 years. He was co-director of Brother Bear and nominated for an Oscar. He has worked in Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Mulan and more hit animators movies. Aaron now teaches animation techniques from his studio, online and regularly gives talks at art and animation events.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
