Creating an Original Character: Spitfire.

I recently came across a new visual project planning tool for creatives and have been trying it out. One thing about me: I love a good visual organizer, and the inspiration hunt/planning stage is the foreplay of the creation process! So, I'm sure you can guess—I loved it!

The site is called Milanote, for those who are interested. : )

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Every project for me starts with a spark of inspiration. Sometimes that can be song lyrics, the shape of a cloud, an experience, or an emotion, but in this case, it was a sketch I stumbled upon while looking up reference images of different types of dragons and their wings (there are like 12, btw). I introduce to you: Vespertiliu. Talk about inspiration I could relate to! I loved the idea of a central character figure in this style, especially since I'm just getting into figure drawing (realism is so scary to me). I used this as my base and started brainstorming!

I wrote out how I wanted to be represented in this character, what features to add or emphasize, and what I needed to work on before pulling this project off, like hatch shading and body proportions. Once the ideas were no longer just floating around in my brain and laid out in front of me, it was time for my absolute favorite part: reference image hunting! I am a Pinterest whore—it's the proverbial honey pot for visual creatives like me. ; ) After several days of compiling enough images to fill a Webster's dictionary and then narrowing them down to the few "best representing" images you see...I was ready to start actually drawing. LOL

Don’t get me wrong, I had been doing a few daily sketch studies on body proportions, hatch shading, and 3D mesh gridding to prepare. (Did you know the average body is about 7.5 "heads" tall?) I’m also very familiar with DnD character creation, so I found myself getting sidetracked by coming up with backstory ideas for her and envisioning future pieces I could create to showcase the lore. (Shoot me, I'm a nerd!)

Sketch 1 was about laying the base/outline of the figure. I like to save this as its own file, so I can possibly edit or reuse it later. In this stage, I also had to use what I learned about proportions and composition. I wanted her to be the main focus, so she's front and center. I was also a little lenient on the 7.5 heads rule to really emphasize that lower perspective POV.

Take 2 focused on adding detail through hatch shading and creating the 3D effect using a mesh gridding technique. One thing I definitely need to work on (besides figure drawing itself) is sticking to a light source. I kept finding myself shading the edges to give a rounded or curved look, which helps envision a 3D rendering, but there's "no cigar," you know?

Step 3 got down to business. I added a full comic-style, action-movie-esque background to play up the IDGAF aura she was giving off. I also started nitpicking some of the areas I still wasn’t satisfied with, like the stomach (maybe I overthought this one, but boy did this part take the longest for me to be happy with) and the scales. (I bet you didn’t even notice the first ones...)

Side note: I most definitely have the "too much" gene as well as the "over-analyzes all of the time" disease, so I ended up erasing a few of the lines on the ground at this point, too. : ) Did it make any difference? Who knows.

And Finally, we end at Version 4: the final design!

With almost every new project I do, I always finish thinking, "This one is my favorite." This is one of those moments. Not only does she embody "badass," but this piece also really helped my confidence when it comes to creating original characters. I can’t wait to see what comes next, especially now that I have a little experience under my belt!

Thanks for tuning in if you’ve made it this far! I can’t express enough how much your love and support mean to me! Definitely leave a comment with your thoughts on the process, this piece in general, or if you have any questions. You can also contact me directly at any time using my contacts link.

Until next time!

-Mads