#which is why it almost broke my art program when compiling references for the stex london revival redesign im planning. Got a lot of ref.

[jekyll-doodles]

Hello 👋 hope you’re doing well.when it comes to designing your characters, do you use references or just know what they look like? Your art is amazing 👍

Howdy 🌻👋

It can depend! In general, I'll usually sketch out a draft of what I already imagined for them like their face and body, any small details I want to make sure I incorporate, the shapes I want to use, the vibes i want them to have, etc.

Then when finalizing the design, I'll sometimes use references to help fill in the gaps and tie the design together into something more cohesive.

If the character is original and not apart of an existing media, I'll typically use more abstract references (foods, plants, fabrics, etc.) If they're for a specific thing, I'll also take notes on what themes or patterns are relevant to the world they're supposed to be apart of. In both cases, if from a specific period and place, I'll try to find clothing references to get an idea of what they could/would/should be wearing.

Sometimes though, I'll decide to go in a different direction then what I already planned, and scrap the references altogether. For example, I had originally planned for the White Lord to have more furs on their outfit, but decided the sleeker look better fit my interpretation.