#character sketching

[wizard-legs]

In which snufkin succeeds in calming his nerves on his journey back to moominvalley in the springtime 🍃🌼 (real snufkin yearning hours have commenced) (it’s like. Upside down kinda lol the bottom image is meant to be read first but I was squeezing doodles onto a page)

[eshbaal]

Character Sketching Basics (for total beginners)

I've never really made art tutorials, but I do actually semi-routinely teach digital art classes to local kids in my area. As a result of this, I have also now signed up for a volunteer character sketching workshop for such kids that I am hosting tomorrow.

I figured that since I will have 15 kids there and I can't possibly introduce them to the base concepts one by one, I should make some easy to understand slides that try and teach them the basic thoughts that go behind a good character sketch. Aaaand I figured I would share them here. They are in danish, but I will translate underneath each pic. And before any other of the amazing artists on here start pointing out that this is possibly a bit too simplsitic to be a "proper" tutorial - the workshop is for the 11-14 crowd that may have never heard these things before. That's why it's kept as completely simple as possible. Anyway, here we go:

When we draw characters, we usually talk about three pimary stages - Sketch, Inking and Colors/Shading. That's a lot of stuff to learn, but we'll focus on sketching for today, alright?

A good way to learn how to draw characters is by learning to understand two great tools - the STICK FIGURE and the BASIC SHAPES.

The Stick Figure helps you understand what a body looks like and how it fits together (anatomy), and makes it easier to portray a body in motion. (This also goes for nonhuman creatures - consider the stick figure their "skeleton")

Once you have your skeleton, you can use basic shapes (triangles, squares and circles of all kinds) to build the rest of the body. Your choice of shapes and their sizes can make a massive difference! Notice, how blocky Superman looks compared to the skinny Anne here, even though their skeletons are built basically the same way.

You can also use basic shapes to create some really unique characters, and maybe even tell us something about their personality at the same time. This is called "shape language". Take a look at how some famous characters use very simple shapes. The always friendly and happy Mickey Mouse is round and friendly-looking. With just three circles, he became famous worldwide. The skinny, refined Pearl's body consists primarilly of triangles and long circles - this works really well for a dancer, who is also a bit of a perfectionist. She even carries a spear, which is a pointy weapon that really needs the one wielding it to be precise! Almost every character in "Phineas and Ferb" consists of simple shapes that make them easy to recognize. Phineas and Ferbs' heads consist of just a big triangle and two squares respectively. And with Isabelle and Candace, you can even spot a couple of half-circles!

If you learn how to see these shapes and where they are hiding, you can learn to draw almost any character you can imagine - even the ones that look super difficult and complicated. Shredder here looks almost impossible to draw, but even he has a lot of squares and triangles you can find if you look close enough - and if you drew a solid enough skeleton to start with, so you can tell where certain things are supposed to go on his body. You also use these techniques to draw harder parts of the body, such as hands. It's really difficult, but it'll come to you with practice.

Okay - let's use what we've learned! Pick a character or make something up yourself. Figure out the characters' skeleton. Go ahead and draw them in a different pose, if you want and if you feel you can. Find and add the characters' basic shapes and add them on top of the skeleton to make a body. Add details and start erasing the lines you no longer need.

A FEW LAST PIECES OF ADVICE - Draw softly and loosely. It's hard to erase your lines if you pressed down hard on your paper. - Try not to choose a character that's too complicated to start with. We all gotta start somewhere. - Don't worry about your sketch looking a little messy. After all, it's just a sketch. All it needs to be is a good starting point for when you ink it later. - Your sketch does NOT need to look 100% like the original. The important part is that you can spot how their bodies are constructed, and find all their most important traits. - If there's a part you are having a hard time drawing, take a break and work on something else. Sometimes your brain just needs a little break. - Ask for help! That's why I'm here! - Remember to take breaks now and then. It's good for your hands and for your backs. ----

Soooo yeah. That's my tutorial for ABSOLUTE beginner kids. I hope this will land well tomorrow.

[somnuscomics]

Claire WIP. Lineart. This is based on a photoshoot Maya Hawke did a while back, where she wore this super cute Prada outfit, so I wanted to draw Claire in it.

[lenuxoo]

I love the design and overall character of the Big Bad Wolf! Intimidating and mesmerizing. Traits of a truly good villian. So I had to sketch him but you know "not metaphorically, rhetorically, poetically or theoretically" XD

Say hi on my other social media: https://linktr.ee/lenuxo

[laurenillustrated]

Mystery Inc. but it’s the 1890s

Who had late Victorian Scooby Doo on their 2024 bingo card? Hmm?

The idea came to me when I was thinking about Sherlock Holmes and then remembered the iconic mystery solving gang hehe

[zzoupz]

my first actual contribution. hello mouthwashers

[grape-souffle]

Bros I got SO concerned for her this episode

[jarbaje-dump]

WIP, a mix of a spider and snake's mouth slapped onto a torso. the colors are there to code each section of the mouth, they're not the final colors

[marciaillust]

i like her a bit tormented

[runmienn]

Them🧎

A humble offering to Jayvik nation

[wyrmsfornerves]

Titania & Oberon

[wizard-legs]

Can we hear some love for my favorite cringe-fail wiz(z)ard RINCEWIND in the chat!!! He’s been my role model for going on 7 years now and I don’t know how I’d have gotten here without him (bonus The Luggage doodle for my fellow discheads)

[featherwurm]

I think Councilor Sevika deserves a fucking break (hot bath, good alcohol, decent smoke.) She's kinda... yanno... been through it.

[somnuscomics]

Claire style sketches no.1

Dior pinafore dress overtop of white schoolgirl blouse, with YSL bracelets/bangles and studded ranger boots.

Complimented with a cute bow and sheer crystal-woven hose.

[chaichai-draws]

Personally I think that Telemachus permanently and irreversibly changed Athena for the better, more on that at twelve

[laurenillustrated]

Mystery Inc. meet Holmes and Watson!

I am having a lot of fun with this Victorian Scooby Doo au!!