Character shapes

How a figure is built and finished, and the wording for each decision.

Every other group here is about a material or a surface. This one is about the body underneath: how tall the head is, what shape the torso starts from, how the limbs bend, and how the line and the shadow finish it. These twelve are the properties that survive a change of medium, which is why a character built one way reads the same in clay, in ink and in a renderer. Pick one construction and one finish, and they will hold together in any of the other groups.

How the body is built

5

Five decisions about proportion and construction, made before anything is drawn.

Big Eye: Eyes drawn far larger than life, with everything else on the face reduced to make room.

Eyes drawn far larger than life, with everything else on the face reduced to make room.

Bean Construction: A body built from one curved bean shape, so the whole figure leans in a single arc.

Bean Construction

A body built from one curved bean shape, so the whole figure leans in a single arc.

Noodle Limb: Very long thin limbs that bend smoothly but still have a shoulder, an elbow and a wrist.

Very long thin limbs that bend smoothly but still have a shoulder, an elbow and a wrist.

Blocky Build: A figure built from squares and rectangles, with a heavy silhouette and no curves.

A figure built from squares and rectangles, with a heavy silhouette and no curves.

Funny Animal: An animal built on a human body plan, with the species reduced to a few clear signals.

An animal built on a human body plan, with the species reduced to a few clear signals.

How the body is finished

4

Four properties applied after the construction: the line, the shadow and the ramp between them.

Outline Weight: One decision about the line: the same width everywhere, or thick and thin.

One decision about the line: the same width everywhere, or thick and thin.

Flat Shadow: All the shading reduced to one hard edged shape in a single darker tone.

All the shading reduced to one hard edged shape in a single darker tone.

Ramp Shading: Light divided into several flat bands, so a form turns in visible steps.

Light divided into several flat bands, so a form turns in visible steps.

Sticker Character: A character with a thick white keyline around it, cut out and stuck on.

Sticker Character

A character with a thick white keyline around it, cut out and stuck on.

Designed to be reproduced

3

Three kinds of character built for a job rather than for a story.

Mascot: A character designed to survive being printed small, in one colour, forever.

A character designed to survive being printed small, in one colour, forever.

Plush: A character rebuilt as a sewn and stuffed toy, with seams where the panels meet.

A character rebuilt as a sewn and stuffed toy, with seams where the panels meet.

Caricature: One or two features pushed hard while everything else is held accurate.

One or two features pushed hard while everything else is held accurate.

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Other style groups

Drawn traditionsHow a character is drawn by hand, and the wording that gets each tradition.9 drawn styles Anime and mangaThe looks from Japanese animation and comics, and the wording for each one.8 anime and manga styles PaintedThe painting media, and the wording that gets each one out of a model.7 painting media Made by handStyles built from real material, and the wording that gets each one.10 handmade styles Rendered in 3DHow a computer model is made to look like something, and the wording.11 render styles Soft materialsThe surfaces that make a hard form soft, and the wording for each one.10 soft surfaces Gradient and noiseHow a colour transition is handled, and the wording for each one.5 gradient styles Applied overStyles that put one thing on top of another, and the wording for each.4 layered styles Studio looksThe looks asked for by studio name, described by what is on the screen.8 studio looks Technical drawingHow a thing is specified rather than depicted, and the wording for each.7 technical styles

Print stylesPrinting a sheet rather than drawing a character? The same reference, for ink on paper.

A construction decides the shapes a body is built from, before anything is drawn. A finish decides how the line and the shadow are handled afterwards. Pick one of each and they will hold together in any medium.