G's Tip 2: Characters Running

Yes, yes, yes!!! I have yet another tip video to share! I like making these videos better than long tutorials.  They're easy to make and cut to the chase.  Keep an eye out for more!

My First Art Request!!

So I've had the amazing privilege of doing my first art request for somebody! Since I was trying to get back into the swing of things - after losing my nightmare job - I thought I'd open up some art requests, just for a limited time to get my drawing hand back into shape.  Grant that this request is the first of maybe 10!

You can view this new art piece here ---> Hyper Sonic Art Request

I particularly had a lot of fun working on this picture.  Dynamic poses have been a more frequent occurrence in my sketchbook, so I wanted to utilize it.  And baby, it worked out great!

There's just something about Hyper Sonic that I love.  Now this is coming from someone who never played the games, but I've seen plenty of the Sonic videogame and anime franchise to get the gist.  Maybe it's how pure the light emanating from him is.  When I started laying down the flat colors - namely the white and blue - the picture almost pulled me into a trance.  That's the first time that's ever happened.  Most art pieces I finish just look good or mildly impressive - to me at least.  I'm my own worst critic, so don't listen to my opinion!

This was my first time creating a glowing rainbow overlay - especially a rainbow with shiny star things.  Yellow has been used before, but rainbows are a different story.

Needless to say, the person who requested the art loved it! I hope you do too!


Now that I look at the time, it's very late, and I have to be up early for church.  I'll try to post more regularly, but it depends if time is in my favor.

Have a great night and weekend!
~Gigi

Speed Draw: Sonic

New video on my channel! I recently drew a fusion of Sonic and Tails, and made a video of my coloring process and how long it took.  Enjoy!

G's Tip 1: Smooth Shading

In addition to tutorials and speed draws, I'm sharing art tips! Subscribe for more, and don't forget to press that little bell next to the "subscribe" button to receive notifications on my next video!

So while I am mulling over how to begin my next article, I thought I'd share what I think are the best character designs in the history of cartoons.  For this post, I'll be covering both American and Japanese characters - just because both genres of animation have a lot of great concepts.

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#10. Animaniacs - Yakko, Wakko, and Dot

I didn't watch Animaniacs much, but these three zany characters belong on the list.  What is great about these particular designs is how WB kept that Looney Tune appearance (and demeanor).  These three are kind of memorable, and in a good way.  Not sure what kind of animals they are - cats, maybe? - so that's why they're number 10.

#9. Duck Dodgers - Queen Tyr'anhee

Even though she is a bit sexualized, this character from Duck Dodgers is my absolute favorite.  I liked the idea of the Martian characters' usual garb being Egyptian and Roman.  (Very clever, WB.  Very clever.)  The color palette is simple, yet also quite royal.  The stripe over her face almost gives off a tribal vibe, but still no less Egyptian.  

#8. Dexter's Laboratory - Dexter

Okay, way to go, Genndy Tartakovsky! While totally unrealistic, which is fine, Dexter is one of the best and most memorable.  There's something about this simplified design that I can't explain.  It's just....funny.  Again, no words to describe it!

#7. Justice League: War - Superman

Out of all the Justice League character designs, this version of Superman is by far the best! The facial design is more convincing than the JL series, and those muscles actually make him look powerful.  If you haven't seen Justice League: War, you totally should! 

#6. Samurai Jack

Another round of applause for Genndy Tartakovsky! If there's one designer who can pull off abstract characters really well, it's Genndy.  And if there's one thing I like to see in a character, it's idealization.  Very few human characters with realistic design - like Superman from JL: War - strike me as memorable.  Samurai Jack is a great example of abstract character design done right!

#5. Steven Universe - Garnet

Who doesn't love Garnet from Steven Universe? While her design is simple, it's still strong.  Who says character design has to be complex? Oh wait....Japanese anime!

#5. Gundam Wing - Duo Maxwell

Don't kill me - Japanese anime to me is a little more superior when it comes to character design.  From Duo's droopy eyes to his amazing braid and "bangs," this anime character is one of the best! The Japanese take idealized human drawings to the next level.

#4. Gundam Unicorn - Marida Cruz

Few (realistic) female characters are as memorable as Marida Cruz.  The first thing I remember about an anime character is the hair.  And every time I think of Marida, I'm like, "Oh yeah, the fuzzy-haired gal!"

#3. Sonic X - Shadow the Hedgehog

How is it that Japan managed to pull off a character that isn't inherently evil, yet still has a color palette that includes red? If there's one thing you shouldn't make obvious in a character's design, that's if the personality is supposed to be evil.  When you look at characters like Jafar from Aladdin, it's so obvious he's evil.  In Sonic X, it's hard to tell if Shadow has malicious intentions, or if he's just a troubled soul that's going about things all wrong. 

#2. Rurouni Kenshin

While Kenshin's design tends to be a bit more on the realistic side, I put it higher up because of his amazing hair and purple eyes - and the fact that his clothing is a dull pink/rose and white.

And finally, the overall best character design is:

#1. Mobile Suit G Gundam - Domon Kasshu

This is the one anime character that has both the realism and idealization combined into a pretty awesome result! What I love about Domon is his crazy stylized hair; the eyes are super unrealistic; and his body structure is impressive.  (If you haven't seen G Gundam, you should! It takes the cheesiness of the 80s and 90s and makes it all epic!)

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Well, that's it for my Top 10 Best Character Design list! Be sure to follow this blog for more updates on artsy stuff.  

Until next time!

~Gigi

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All images have been found on Google.  I do not own any of them, and they are solely used for the purpose of discussion on this blog.

For my upcoming video, I will be addressing the topic of great character design.  For those who prefer reading about a topic over listening to an entire diatribe, here you go!

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Part 1: Do's and Don'ts' of Character Design

I'm writing these articles from the perspective of my own experience with creating characters.  There's something kind of thrilling about taking a blank page, and putting a brand new entity on it.  Since I was young and discovered that drawing is one of my many talents, I decided to stick with it and hone it. 

Instead of boring you with more details about how my artistic skill grew, I'll continue to share my current experience with drawing and modern cartoons.

First, we'll cover the do's and (absolute!) don'ts' of character design, but I'll put it in a way that highlights both the negative and positive:


What Not To Do and What You Really Should Be Doing

1. Don't just create a character for the sake of filling up your sketchbook.  Otherwise, you'll come up with something like........ugh....UNCLE GRANDPA!

(I can't even!!!! 😠)

Seriously! What is this!? I'm going to go out on a limb here and express how disgusted I am with whoever drew this....thing...!!

Uncle Grandpa is only one of the worst, and certainly there are others that are even more horrifying.  If you watch Phantom Strider's "Top 10" or "Top 5" lists on YouTube, you'll get a better idea of what I'm talking about.  But let's go over the basics of what exactly is wrong with this character:

a. The body structure is just weird! I know it's just a cartoon, but you would think the creators would make it memorable, right? .....Right?? Uncle here only looks like a bunch of shapes thrown together, which is an indicator of weak character design.  It appears that the designer started with a circle, then just added the legs and arms on different days of the week, and finally decided on a face.  Talk about a thought process poorly executed.

b. Uncle looks deranged.  If you're going to create a main character, at least make him/her look pleasant.  I almost don't know where to begin.  Let's start with the eyes: anyone can draw circles for eyes.  The problem with simplified shapes is that it gives the impression that you didn't put too much thought into the character himself.  That's not to say that all simplified characters are bad, but when you stick with the superficial, don't expect it to look great.  When I draw characters, I always begin with eyes, following the idea that the eyes are the window to the soul.  Then I form the character from the head down.  The idea is to provide a great first visual impression, but also a lasting one.  If the first impression doesn't resonate with the audience, then you should either ditch the character or modify the design. 

c. Why the mouth pouch? This is more of a side note, but the mouth pouch is just ugly and does nothing to enhance the character; it just brings him down more.  When creating a character and you are in the process of adding "extras," ask yourself, "What purpose does it serve?" Then move on from there.

d. The head shape is random.  Not only is Uncle's head shape odd, it just doesn't lend itself well to the character's balance (or lack thereof).  Look at it: large squared chin that juts out, pointy head (with a stupid hat), giant ears, just to name a few.  Not to mention, a lack of eyebrows.  Eyebrows are what make your character interesting and basically complete your character - and make them look normal. 

2. Don't draw carelessly!

Uncle Grandpa, Teen Titans Go!, Wolverine and the X-Men: all examples of what it means to be a careless artist.

(Meh...)

In Wolverine and the X-Men, the character designers got a little lazy.  The females are the best example of this.  It looks as if the artists created a base, and then just added various features so we could at least tell the difference between all of them.  (Understandably, if production costs are low, I can see how artists would use a base; but at that point, why bother?)  Only the male characters have the most amount of variety in their physical design.  But even then, the wide shoulders and skinny hips/legs don't work well, nor do they balance the character out.  I half expect Logan's legs to snap under the weight of his bulging chest and Popeye arms.  If I were the designer, I'd fix the balance and give the female characters different body shapes, just to make it interesting.

(Grrr! Who else finds their mindless stares infuriating?)

And speaking of interesting, let's look at Teen Titans Go!, which is a mess all around.  Who, or what, gave the studio artist the brilliant idea of giving the Titans giant bobble-heads with teeny-tiny bodies that look like they're going to break under the weight of the heads? I don't mind if a character design is altered, as long as it's pleasing to the eyes and doesn't look little-kiddish.      

Compare that with the original 2003 designs:

(Seriously, I'm fangirling!!)

  

When you look at the two, you can see which set of designs had the most thought put into it.  And it's not so much thought as it is understanding who you're putting on the page.  If you're simply drawing a likeness of a person, but not looking deeper into your character's soul, then you should probably stop and ask yourself what is his/her purpose - or you will end up with something as purposeless as Teen Titans Go!. 

What I find unsettling about TTG designs is how mindless they look - like no problems in the world, just fun and games (and fart and butt jokes)! I understand the creators wanted to focus on the more humorous side of the Teen Titans, but the 2003 show did it well enough without being offensive. 

Now, being a cartoonist is more than just drawing silly stuff on a page.  I feel this is what gives cartoons a bad rap in the non-cartooning community: many cartoons are indeed silly and pointless (like the three mentioned above), but there are cartoons that are worlds better! Cartoons are one of the ways to make some kind of meaningful connection with people.  And if we as artists/cartoonists only make silly stuff, then we lose that connection.  At that point, we need to take our artistic abilities more seriously. 

I'll use Steven Universe as a good example of serious and strong design.  At first, I was a little put off by the character design, but then it grew on me.  For those of you who don't know what Steven Universe is, here's a sample picture of only a tiny portion of the characters:

Here, you can see that the show's creator, Rebecca Sugar, cared about what her gem beings looked like.  Each gem is vastly different in appearance: Amethyst's short, stocky build; Garnet's tall, womanly stature; Pearl's dainty, ballerina-like body; you fill in the rest.  Even though the characters are kind of simplified, there's still more dimension to them than the dreaded Uncle Grandpa.  Whereas Uncle Grandpa is a mish-mosh of different shapes and noodles, Steven Universe gems have bodies that were thought about before being drawn.  Notice also how each physical design is a reflection of their personality.  In the show, when a gem's physical form is destroyed (or poofed), the gems have to think about what they look like before regenerating; the corrupted gems however (see image below), don't remember what they look like, and as such, their form is distorted and ugly.  It's pretty much the same idea with character design.  To put a twist on the old saying, think before you draw!

(Poor gem...)

Caring about the characters you're creating is the first step in making great cartoons.  Even if your drawings only end up on the comic page, what you want is for people to remember your cartoons after the first read. 


3. Don't draw characters without a purpose.  That's more of a "do" than a "don't", but you get the idea. 

You will find sometimes that your character may not have a purpose right away.  So making a character with a purpose can be tricky. 

Many stories come into play with one question: What if...? The same goes for designing a character.  Below, I'll provide two samples from my sketchbook and explain each one.

Sorry, the photo is a little dark. 

This character, who goes by the name Cynthia Skunk, came to be during my college days.  Here was little ol' me, at age 18, in Character Design class making my first cartoon character.  That was one class I never regretted.  Our first project was to be done as follows: create a character in your sketchbook, and recreate that being as a full-color 3D clay sculpture.  Challenge accepted! (In my video, I will show the initial concepts of Cynthia and how she was finalized.)

This is where the "what if" part comes into play: the first thing I thought of was Pepe le Pew.  Being a Chuck Jones fan, I decided to create a skunk character of my own - a female to boot.  Then I asked, "What if she was Pepe le Pew's love interest?" Then it snowballed from there. 

   

Cynthia's first concept sketch was a little older and sassy, and kind of looked like a male skunk in drag.  The second concept was young, more feminine, and kind of pretty.  The third drawing was what I consider my masterpiece: a combo of the two original sketches, which became the character you see now:

Now for the next picture:

I don't have a full color picture of this little guy yet, but it's on my agenda.

Meet Boo-boo the Elf! This bundle of cuteness arrived in my sketchbook with a purpose almost immediately.  His mission in life is to bring people happiness by using his magical paintbrush to create original works of art.  Basically, he gets messages from Earth about people struggling with life issues; then he comes down from his elven realm and visits with those who are hurting.

This ties into my last point for this article.

4. Don't create without a vision. 

Vision and purpose go hand-in-hand when it comes to drawing characters.  The vision is what you want the character to look like and where you want him/her to go; the purpose is the driving force of the vision. 

If your characters look silly, ugly, and/or deranged, then the purpose behind those characters, other than being an annoying goofball, is almost non-existent or the purpose is not that great or convincing.  But if your characters are pleasing and their purpose is a positive one, then your stories will go far.  

Now that we have established what is behind both good and bad character design, I will discuss next time how to properly design your characters - you know, so they don't look like Uncle Grandpa and Teen Titans Go!

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Disclaimer: All images of trademarked character designs have been found on Google Images, and are only used for the purpose of this discussion.

More art-related topics!

One of my original intents for this page was to post weekly about art-related topics, not just share videos from my YouTube channel.  So this month will be devoted to keeping the blog up-to-date, and a little less sporadic with posts.

Stay tuned!
 

Video Preview

Finally getting to work on this thing! Below is just a sneak preview of my video, which will feature some of my own sketches and maybe some screencaps from some of the best modern cartoons. 

Getting Back in the Groove!!

As the title suggests, I'm getting back in the groove of drawing.  It's been a while since I've really sketched anything, and drew a little something over the weekend - you can view it here on my Instagram.

For my next video, I'll be going through my sketchbook, discussing character design and why it's important to have not only a character that looks great, but is great. 

Have a great Memorial Day everyone, and I'll see you hopefully next week!

April Art Challenge | Day 4 |

Finished Day 4 of my week-long challenge! I ended up skipping Day 3, because Wednesdays lately have been weird.  #weirdwednesday 

April Art Challenge | Days 1 and 2 |

First part of my art challenge week is up! These challenges are so much fun, and they help me focus better! I'll see if I can start drafting a script for my character design video tonight after bluegrass rehearsal - that's if I'm not knitting.  ;)

April Art Challenge (intro)

I'm back in the swing of things, and this time, it's with art challenges!



The idea really came from my mom.  As I mention in my video, I'm an avid....sorry, RABID....crocheter and knitter, and always have trouble finishing projects once I start them.  (I blame my ADD brain!) Mom suggested I pick a skein, or type, of yarn and just make something, but only do that.  Needless to say, it worked, and I'm enjoying doing these challenges. 



So now I'm taking the initiative to put that same effort into my artwork.  In the meantime, I'll be recording my video on character design and the importance of it, especially when it comes to creating something believable.  Stay tuned!

Snow day...

Was hoping to get started on my character design video, but I spend most of my day battling snow! Yep! North Jersey got 24 inches - shoveling that was fighting a losing battle.  My family and I finally managed to make a breakthrough after probably 3 hours of shoveling - during the blizzard no less.  At least we had breaks in between.  But those breaks weren't enough for me to concentrate...especially not with a sick sister in the house who needed some kind of entertainment. 

Hopefully tomorrow morning will be an opportunity to focus on filming. 

You can also follow my Instagram for updates!

Have a good night, folks!
~Gigi

New tutorial coming

After working on some promo art for my Looney Tunes fan comic, I decided to do a video/tutorial on character design.

I usually announce on my Instagram the kinds of tutorials I'll be doing, complete with either video or photo samples of my artwork.  Stay tuned!

Dazed, distracted, and...inspired?

March came in like a lion - and so did my current cold! Worst part is, I got sick on my day off yesterday.  What a way to spend time off of work!

As such, I'm home sick, and trying to keep myself "sedated" so as not to deal with the congestion.  My efforts are failing so far.

The nice thing about being sick and home is I don't have to deal with rotten people.  The bad part is, my head is so fogged up, I'm too tired to even think or be inspired by anything.  I started finalizing a page of a comic, but boredom set in.  Amusing myself with Looney Tunes art on DeviantArt got tiresome kind of quickly.  I don't even have energy to practice my fiddle!

But oh well.  Once I get lunch, I should feel (slightly) better.  I'll be looking through my notes to see which tutorial needs to be done next.  Stay tuned to this blog and YouTube channel for instructional videos and speed paints/draws!

See you next time!

~GigiM

Notes on Pepe le Pew by Chuck Jones

Interesting fact about the creation of Pepe le Pew.  Cartoon characters are a representation of a certain personality trait of artists.  The more characters you create, the more it reveals about your personality.



Thank you, Chuck Jones!!

Speed Draw: Baby Pepe le Pew

Did a little drawing today of Pepe le Pew! This is one of the fastest art pieces I've ever done.  Enjoy!

6. Scribbling Technique with Hard Leads

Getting back into the swing of things with my new tripod! It's kinda tricky finding the right angle due to its size; but hey, it all works out in the end! Enjoy!

Now we're talking!!

See this handy-dandy handsome little thing? Yes! It's a new tripod for my smartphone to record better tutorials with! 

Didn't get the camera I wanted since I'm a little strapped for cash, but my phone will do for now.  The nice feature on my phone is that when the flash is left on in snapshot mode, it'll turn on when recording - which is great considering my bedroom lighting is just terrible.  There will be a day when I record with extra LED lighting, but it is not this day.

All that's left to do is get on a strict schedule and stick to it!