It’s more a wedge shape and will take more practice to draw from every angle. I hang the jaw down from the egg shape Unlike the anime “seed”, the jaw line changes more radically between a straight on view and the profile. Then, I determine which direction the head is facing by drawing a “cross”, just like in the seed example above. I start the head with more of an egg shape. This is the shape I use for Mike’s head in Paradigm Shift. The second basic head shape I use is based more closely on a more classical human head shape used in American superhero comics: If you imagine the center line of the face curving to the left or right and the eye line curving up or down, you can start to see the head turn in your mind’s eye and use this to draw the head and face from any angle like so: The ears sit on a line that is halfway between the front of the head and the back and their curve starts in line with eyes. From the side, if you draw a line from the tip of the nose to the chin, the lips will roughy fall in line within there. The mouth sits about halfway between the nose and the chin. The tip of the nose sits about halfway between the eye line and the chin. The line that runs through the eyes is roughly halfway between the top of the head and the chin. Take note of how the proportions of the face translate across between the differing angles. This is how I use the seed shape to draw Kate from the front, side and 3/4 view: I use this process for all my comics and illustration, working from rough forms through final image. Using this as my starting point, I rough the entire head, then add in more detail before completing the final drawing. This is the shape I use for Kate’s head in Paradigm Shift. Then by drawing a “cross” dividing the center of the face and where the eyes will be, you can use this seed shape to draw that head from any angle. I draw the seed by starting with a circle (or spherical ball, as I imagine it in my mind) and then hanging a pointed jawline off that circle a various angles. The first is the classic anime “seed” shaped head: I borrow from techniques used in animation to construct a character from more basic shapes underlying the head. In order to draw my characters’ heads from any angle, I use two basic head shapes as a starting point and then squash and stretch them into the approximate shape. This is how I designed the alien characters for the story STRANGER: Also, adding differently shaped hair or other features that can create a unique, recognizable shape can help tremendously as well. Even the shape of the head can suggest a personality-triangular, round, square. The Head & Faceįirstly, let’s look at the head and face because the are probably the most important features for identifying your character and letting him express himself. Having characters with distinct body and head shapes will help make them more recognizable in your story. The first thing anyone will see about your character is the shape his or her outline creates, not the details within. However, by borrowing the rounder head and wide-spaced eyes and combining them with features inspired by a cuttlefish, I was able to create something entirely new.Ī Quick Note on Silhouette Familiar character silhouettes: Batman | Bone | Raina from “Smile” | Totoro Again, I took some inspiration from Miyazaki by riffing off of Sen from “Spirited Away”. I knew I wanted her to look a bit like a Miyazaki character, but I played around with a couple of designs before settling on her final look:įor Candy’s counterpart, Nikka, it took a little more work before I nailed down her design. Here’s some examples of playing around with a character before starting a project. Additionally, working on understanding human anatomy and figure drawing practice can really take your character drawing to a new level. However, it’s not uncommon for a character design to evolve over time in a comic-it certainly did to the characters in Paradigm Shift-but spending the time to work out the character’s overall shape, costume and before starting is worth the effort. Seeing how you’re going to be drawing this character a lot over the course of your comic, it’s a good nail down their look so you can be consistent. Now that you know who your character is, it’s time to draw her. Being the fourth installment of my How to Draw Comics series.
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