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Digital art > 15 tips for better creature design

15 tips for better creature design RECOMMENDED

By Guille Rancel (ImagineFX) 5 days ago Digital Art  

Build on the basics of creature design to enhance your creations.

   

Creating creature designs and art in general is like a sport. You need to practise
and train if you want to improve. When you draw every day and have thousands
of used sheets of paper and sketchbooks, you learn some tricks to make the Design jobs: nd your dream role
process a little easier.  with Creative Bloq
Draw everything: you’ll get faster and your brain will become a database full of
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references. There are also a few basic tips you already may know, but it’s good
for designers
to go over them again: things like contrast, shapes, lines of action, movement,
perspective. Put all of these techniques together and your creatures will look
alive and be full of personality. For more on process, see our post on art
techniques, or read on for top 15 tips for creating better creature designs. GET WEEKLY TIPS AND
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Create simple silhouettes to get started with your creature design

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Drawing quick and simple thumbnails is a helpful warm-up exercise. There are a
few things to bear in mind, though. I always try to keep the design simple; the
silhouette needs to be easy to read. I use a solid colour and sometimes I draw
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over it with a darker colour tone. In this case I’m concentrating on creatures,
which means I’m free to create di erent shapes, combining object, animal and
human elements.
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02. Don't forget references

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References are vital to designing creatures
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If I don’t feel inspired to draw then I’ll look around for some references. In this
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case, I’ll search for objects that I can either use as part of a creature, or just act
useful?
as a launch point to galvanise me into action. My main reference sources are
mythology, animals and nature and so I’ll draw some objects (African masks, Yes No
runes, a cauldron…) and some animals. My sketchbooks are full of such doodles
and they can easily end up being part of a gure design.

Need a new sketchbook? Check out our guide to the best sketchbooks.

03. Use basic shapes

Simple shapes can become complex characters

What if I start with basic shapes to create my character? All of them can turn into
a creature, right? You might think this is a limitation, but it also forces you to be
extra creative. This approach can be a good method for designing a squad of
characters that work together, like superheroes. These shapes are just one way
to start your designs. Sometimes I break the silhouette by adding elements, or I
leave some empty spaces.

04. Combine basic shapes

How a basic shape design can develop into a creature

This approach can lead to interesting results. One of my previous thumbnails is

a blend of triangles, circles and a rectangle. When I sketch over this basic form I
can see immediately that it’s a one-eyed warrior hare carrying a shield and a
candle. I start with a very simple doodle in greyscale and then add some details
in the colour drawing. This breaks up the symmetry and make this character
more visually appealing.

05. Draw without purpose

Put your references away and just start sketching

Another useful starting exercise is to simply draw without a speci c purpose.

And it’s important to me to do this without references. I don’t expect to create
my greatest piece of art this way, but this can inspire future projects. Maybe I’ll
pay attention to these sketches someday and fresh ideas will come to mind. It’s
also a good exercise to banish the dreaded artist’s block.

06. Think about body language

Body language can convey a lot about a character

If you want your creatures to be expressive then it’s crucial to understand

anatomy and body language. Combine these two key topics and your creation
will feel more alive. I believe it’s vital to understand how bodies can express an
emotion. You can obtain references from plenty of sources: study lms, friends
and model sessions; look in the mirror; or take some photos of interesting
poses. This step is crucial. As a cartoon character designer, I tend to exaggerate
these body expressions with more pronounced curves or shapes.

For more on anatomy and gures, see our guide to gure drawing.

07. Use lines of action

Straight lines can look dull, so experiment with curves and contrast

Using simple lines will de ne the movement of the creature. These are called
lines of action. They’ll vary depending on the creature’s mood and activity.
Straight lines can make your gure look boring or static, so I often use curved
and contrasting lines because they result in more eye-catching body positions.
It’s crucial to draw a range of dynamic poses, because they’re a useful way of
testing your creature’s proportions and anatomy.

08. Keep experimenting

Try a number of di erent variants of a creature before settling on your nal design

Maintain your creativity by revisiting older designs and producing variants that
will work in that universe. Here I’m keeping the same basic shapes and
proportions for the di erent versions. Colours and materials have an important
role to play, too. What if, instead of leaves, he has crystal hair? Or maybe there’s
a constant ame on the top of his head? These variations can enrich your
original concept. Other options include changing the size, age or sex of the
character.

09. Add contrast

Image 1 of 2

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Notice the contrast between the curves and straight lines of these creatures

Contrast is a basic concept that you need to bear in mind when designing a
creature. This contrast can be between colours, shapes, objects and more. I
make sure that I think about contrast in every stage of my designs.

At the sketching stage, when I draw some basic shapes, any contrast between
them will be most obvious during this stage. One creature will be curvy, the
other straight. This can be very rough – there’s no need for details. 

Next, I work more on the sketch, adding details like the ropes and plants. You
can enhance the personality of your creature by adding contrast to the attitude.
In this case, a monster is happy carrying a very serious stone head. I’m also using
contrasting colours for them, increasing the visual e ect and making them
complementary characters.

Colour and texture can also enhance contrast

The nal step is adding additional details such as texture, shadows and a
background. It’s time to paint them all. Texture will enhance personality and give
the gures the spirit of adventure. The background is part of the story, so I add a
path and some mountains inspired by Chinese art.

10. Add an object

You can tell a lot about a creature from the objects it's holding

An object can be a good way to further strengthen a creature’s design. These

props can boost their personality and charisma, and can also enrich their back
story. What are they carrying? And why? Maybe they’re carrying luggage, or
they’re holding a lantern to light the path into a mysterious forest. Depending on
what they have on their back or in their hands you can de ne their jobs or roles
in your narrative.

11. Try di erent facial expressions

Use your own face as a reference when trying out facial expressions on a creature design

Body poses are of vital importance when showing a creature’s emotion, but so
are their facial expressions. Both work together. Try some basic emotions like
happiness or anger, then try less-common ones. By placing a small mirror close
to your work area, or using your camera phone, you can use yourself as
reference. Study how the facial muscles move. Essentially, eyebrows and mouth
will do the most amount of work for basic fantasy creatures. Consider adjusting
the ears while squashing or stretching the main shape of the head to accentuate
these emotions.

12. Use perspective

Avoid symmetry if you can, as it's often dull

Another way to improve your creature designs is adding some perspective.

Symmetry can be very boring, and a simple pose viewed from the front may fail
to resonate with the viewer. So it’s important to work with depth and space, to
give your creature a strong feeling of movement. Try di erent angles when you
sketch your characters, and look for references if you’re struggling. With this
creature, I’ve increased the stroke width in some areas that are close to the
viewer to boost the feeling of depth.

13. Create a point of interest

Focus the viewer's attention 

With some simple lines de ning a direction, you can create a point of interest in
your drawing where you can focus the viewer’s attention. This visual ow leads
the viewer’s eyes in the direction you want. You can even create di erent entry
points and there are a lot of ways to achieve this. Faces and hands are very
expressive, so concentrate your e orts here. Colour and lighting can also help.
Increase the brightness or ramp up the saturation of the area that you want the
viewer to focus on.

14. Tell a story

Props and details add context to your creature design

Does this creature have a back story? And how can you tell? The attitude and
action of the creature will play an important role, even if they’re standing still or
looking at something. The environment plays an important role, too. It helps to
explain what’s happening to your creature. Adding some props and details in the
background will support the story and give context to the gure’s personality.

15. Create an atmosphere

The colours in this piece add something extra 

Lighting and colour are key tools to use when painting creature concepts. You
must play with lights and shadows to create interesting and atmospheric
environments. This will focus the viewer’s eyes to some areas of the drawing.
Selecting a source light and applying the correct shades will enable you to
highlight key parts of your design. Keep in mind that colour, lighting and
shadows are only part of the story. Make the choices that will enhance rather
then detract from your narrative. Carry out colour tests to see which ones work
best.

This article originally appeared in ImagineFX, the world's leading magazine for
digital artists. Subscribe here.

Read more:

10 ways to create better character animations

Top speed painting tips (that work for speed drawing too)
19 best drawing apps for iPad

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