Chapter 1 – Silhouette banks and A B C sets

Chapter 1: Silhouette Banks & A / B / C Sets

Created by Sarah Choi (prompt writer using ChatGPT)

Silhouette Banks & A/B/C Sets (30% Deltas) for Costume Concept Artists

From Brief to Package: Ideation → Iteration → Finals → Handoff

When a costume makes it into a shipped game, players usually only see the final look—a single outfit, a skin, a variant. But behind that single costume is often a small ecosystem of drawings: silhouette pages, A/B/C sets, 30% deltas, and version stacks that guided the team from a rough idea to a production‑ready package.

Two of the most powerful tools in that ecosystem are:

Silhouette banks – pages of small, simplified shapes exploring proportion, pose, and overall read.
A/B/C sets with ~30% deltas – curated sets of variations where each option pushes the idea in a different direction without losing the brief.

This article breaks down how these tools support the full costume concept pipeline—Ideation → Iteration → Finals → Handoff—for both concept artists (who initiate and define) and production artists (who realize and maintain).

1. Why Silhouette Banks and A/B/C Sets Matter

In a production environment, costume design isn’t just about talent or taste. It’s about:

Exploring widely without wasting time.
Comparing options clearly so directors and designers can make decisions.
Building consensus on shape, role read, and style before investing in detail.
Creating clarity for production artists who must build, rig, and texture the design.

Silhouette banks and A/B/C sets do this by:

Keeping focus on big decisions first (body proportion, mass, gesture, role read), then refining.
Making variation visible and controlled (30% deltas instead of random noise).
Producing a visual record of decisions that can be reused and referenced later.

They are, in short, your visual prototyping framework for costumes.

2. Silhouette Banks: The Foundation of Ideation

A silhouette bank is a sheet (or many sheets) of small, simplified character shapes focused on:

Overall proportion and gesture.
Major masses (torso, limbs, head, key gear).
Big shape language (angular vs round, blocky vs flowing).

No surface detail, no tiny buckles—just the big moves.

2.1 What a Good Silhouette Bank Does

A strong silhouette bank helps you:

Explore multiple reads of the same brief (heavier, leaner, taller, broader, etc.).
Test role clarity at a distance (tank vs striker vs support, etc.).
Set up a library of reusable shapes for multiple costumes in a faction.

From a production standpoint, silhouette banks are valuable because they:

Give 3D artists an early idea of volume and stance.
Reveal potential rigging or animation issues early (e.g., huge shoulder spikes, extreme skirts).

2.2 Building a Silhouette Bank from a Brief

Suppose the brief says:

“Mid‑tier fire mage from desert kingdom. Agile caster, not heavy armor. Reads clearly as mid‑range DPS, not tank or healer.”

A silhouette bank for this character might:

Try 5–10 different body proportions: tall and wiry, shorter and compact, slightly hunched, open‑chested and confident, etc.
Explore different weight distributions: large staff vs compact wand, shoulder‑heavy vs hip‑heavy silhouettes.
Test silhouette storytelling: trailing cloth (sand‑like), flare at wrists (casting focus), headgear vs no headgear.

Each silhouette should stay small (thumbnail‑scale) so you don’t fall into detail and rendering too early.

2.3 Practical Tips for Silhouette Banks

Work in solid black or a single flat value at first. Avoid line detail.
Keep your canvas zoomed out; judge read at in‑game scale.
Group silhouettes into families: “more grounded,” “more dynamic,” “more ornamental,” etc.
Label them in simple ways (A1, A2, B1…) so feedback can reference them precisely.

Concept artists typically generate these banks; production artists often consult them for volume and intent during modeling.

3. A/B/C Sets and 30% Deltas: Controlled Variation

Once you’ve explored broadly with silhouette banks, you’ll usually pick a few champion directions. That’s where A/B/C sets and 30% deltas come in.

3.1 What Is an A/B/C Set?

An A/B/C set is a small set—often three—of deliberate design options for the same character or costume brief. Each option:

Follows the same core constraints (role, faction, palette, tech level).
Pushes the idea in a distinct direction (simple, medium, complex; formal vs casual; light vs heavy, etc.).

They are not random variations; they’re strategic bets the team can evaluate.

3.2 What Are 30% Deltas?

A 30% delta is a rule of thumb: variations in a set should be about 30% different from one another, not 5% (too similar, wasted effort) or 90% (different characters, no comparison).

30% can manifest in:

Proportion shifts (leg length, shoulder width, head size).
Major garment changes (cloak vs no cloak, robe vs coat, armor vs clothing).
Major motif placement (pattern on hem vs pattern on chest, etc.).

The idea: enough change to matter, not so much that you lose the brief.

3.3 Example: A/B/C with 30% Deltas

Back to the fire mage:

Option A – Minimalist Caster
- Fitted tunic, light draped cloth around waist, slim staff.
- Emphasis on agility; silhouette narrow and vertical.
Option B – Ornate Desert Ritualist
- Layered robe, larger sleeves, decorative collar.
- Slightly broader silhouette, more ornamental shapes.
Option C – Battle‑Ready Firebrand
- Partial armor on shoulders and forearms, shorter robes, rugged boots.
- More blocky silhouette, suggests combat readiness.

All three share:

Same faction language (desert textiles, similar palette).
Same role (mid‑range caster, not tank).

But each pushes the idea 30% away from the others in silhouette, density, and mood.

4. Ideation → Iteration → Finals → Handoff: Where These Tools Sit

Let’s plug silhouette banks and A/B/C sets into the pipeline explicitly.

4.1 Phase 1 – Ideation: From Brief to Silhouette Bank

Inputs:

Design brief (gameplay role, narrative, faction identity).
Reference boards (genre, culture, materials).

Concept Artist Responsibilities:

Extract clear visual questions from the brief: “How agile vs armored?” “How formal vs practical?”
Generate silhouette banks exploring multiple answers to those questions.
Group silhouettes into families and mark 3–5 strongest directions.

Production Artist Viewpoint:

Glance at early silhouettes to spot potential rigging/animation issues.
Provide rough feedback: “This cape length will clip a lot,” “These shoulders might block head turns.”

The goal at this phase: land on a promising silhouette direction (or two) that honors the brief and is feasible in production.

4.2 Phase 2 – Iteration: A/B/C Sets and 30% Deltas

Inputs:

Approved silhouette(s) from Phase 1.
Updated notes from art leads and design.

Concept Artist Responsibilities:

Develop A/B/C sets of costumes over the chosen silhouette(s).
Keep each variation within the brief but push different aspects: formality, coverage, ornamentation, asymmetry, etc.
Use ~30% deltas so stakeholders have real choices.

Production Artist Viewpoint:

Evaluate A/B/C options for modeling complexity and reusability.
Flag one that’s a pipeline nightmare vs one that’s efficient (e.g., modular pieces, reusable base mesh).

At the end of Phase 2, the team chooses a primary direction (sometimes merging favorite elements from multiple options) and locks the major structure.

4.3 Phase 3 – Finals: From Selected Option to Production‑Ready Concept

Inputs:

Chosen A/B/C direction (or hybrid).
Notes from dev, narrative, and production.

Concept Artist Responsibilities:

Refine the chosen direction into a clean, detailed concept:
- Front view (and often back/side).
- Material callouts (cloth vs leather vs metal, emissive areas, etc.).
- Pattern guides, color keys, accessory breakdowns.
Use knowledge from earlier silhouette and delta explorations to ensure final design is clear and consistent.

Production Artist Viewpoint:

Begin planning topology, UVs, and material budgets based on final concept.
Ask questions about ambiguous areas before they become expensive to change: “Is this trim embroidered or printed?” “Is this metal or hard plastic?”

Phase 3 ends when the costume concept is final enough to move into 3D with minimal guesswork.

4.4 Phase 4 – Handoff: From Concept Package to Production

Inputs:

Final concept sheets.
Supporting documents (silhouette pages, material references, notes).

Concept Artist Responsibilities:

Assemble a concept package that includes:
- Final orthographic views (front/back, side if needed).
- Detail callouts and texture/material references.
- Key silhouette and A/B/C pages as context (optional but very useful).
- Notes about gameplay read, faction rules, and any “do not change” elements.

Production Artist Responsibilities:

Interpret the package into a 3D model and textures.
Use silhouette and A/B/C history to understand what must stay and what can flex.
If changes are required (e.g., silhouette tweak for animation), reference earlier variations for inspiration and communicate back.

Handoff is smoother when the visual decisions made in earlier phases are documented, not just living in someone’s head.

5. Using Silhouette Banks in Production: Not Just a Concept Tool

Silhouette banks aren’t only for the early concept stage—they’re also:

A reference library for future costumes in a faction.
A tool for LOD thinking (what survives at distance).
A way to communicate intent across departments.

5.1 For Concept Artists

Reuse silhouettes across characters to maintain faction cohesion.
Track which silhouettes have been used for which roles (tank, support, etc.).
When briefed on a new skin/variant, start by checking if it fits an existing silhouette or needs a new one.

5.2 For Production Artists

Use silhouette banks to check if the 3D model matches the intended read from all angles.
At LOD review, shrink character screenshots to silhouette scale and compare to bank.
If a variant shares a base silhouette, reuse rigs and portions of the mesh where possible.

Silhouette banks thus become a shared vocabulary between concept and production.

6. Structuring A/B/C Sets for Clear Decisions

Not all A/B/C sets are equally helpful. Some common mistakes:

Too similar: A, B, and C differ only in tiny details (belt buckle shape), making it hard for stakeholders to care.
Too divergent: One is a knight, one is a streetwear DJ, one is a scuba diver—no sense of a unified brief.

6.1 How to Design Useful A/B/C Sets

Anchor to the same brief.
All options must clearly fulfill the same role and narrative space.
Pick 2–3 axes to vary.
For example: coverage, ornamentation, silhouette width, symmetry, or formal vs practical.
Plan your deltas.
Decide in advance: A = baseline, B = +30% drama, C = −30% drama but +30% practicality.
Present together.
Show A, B, and C side by side at consistent scale. This helps stakeholders see differences quickly.

6.2 Documenting A/B/C Decisions

When a direction is chosen, write a short note:

“We chose B for its stronger mage read and clearer faction motifs, but we’re taking A’s simpler leg design for better animation.”

This note is gold for production artists—they understand which parts of A and C are still fair game for reuse or future variants.

7. Communicating Across Roles: Concept vs Production Needs

Silhouette banks and A/B/C sets only matter if they actually help teams talk to each other.

7.1 What Concept Artists Need from Production

Early feedback on whether extreme silhouettes are feasible.
Clarity on poly budgets, texture limits, and rig constraints that affect silhouette and detail.
Honest signals when a chosen A/B/C option would be a technical headache.

Concept artists can invite this by:

Sharing silhouettes and A/B/C sets in review channels, not just final renders.
Asking specific questions: “Which of these is easiest to rig?” “Are these sleeves too wide for current animations?”

7.2 What Production Artists Need from Concept

Clear hierarchy of what is non‑negotiable (role read, emblem, signature silhouette) vs flexible (trim density, small accessories).
Access to silhouette and A/B/C history to understand why choices were made.
Callouts explaining materials and construction, not just pretty renders.

Production artists can request this by:

Asking for silhouette bank exports and A/B/C context when a design is confusing.
Flagging ambiguous areas early: “Is this sculpted metal or quilted padding?”

When both sides treat silhouettes and sets as shared tools, fewer surprises pop up late in production.

8. Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

8.1 Skipping Silhouettes and Jumping Straight to Detail

Result:

Beautiful painting, poor role read.
Hard to modify when lead wants a silhouette change.

Avoid by:

Making silhouette exploration a formal gate before adding detail.
Keeping silhouette thumbnails pinned next to your detailed work.

8.2 Treating A/B/C as Decoration, Not Real Options

Sometimes an artist clearly favors one option and half‑heartedly creates two others.

Result:

Leads feel railroaded into one choice.
Little actual exploration.

Avoid by:

Designing A/B/C options you’d be genuinely excited to develop.
Using 30% deltas to push ideas, not just change small props.

8.3 Ignoring Production Constraints in Early Phases

Result:

Stunning but impossible silhouettes.
Last‑minute simplifications that break intent.

Avoid by:

Inviting production voices at the silhouette and A/B/C phase.
Keeping a simple “constraints checklist” next to your ideation sketches.

8.4 Poor Documentation at Handoff

Result:

Production guesses at intent.
Variants and skins drift away from original logic.

Avoid by:

Including silhouette banks and A/B/C notes in concept packages.
Writing short notes on what each major design choice is doing.

9. Practical Workflows and Habits

9.1 A Simple Daily Practice for Silhouette Strength

Warm‑up with 10–20 tiny silhouettes of a character type.
Work in 2–3 minutes per silhouette, no detail.
Group them after and note: which reads best as the intended role? Why?

This builds your instinct for strong, readable shapes.

9.2 A/B/C Template for Costume Variations

When you get a costume brief, you can quickly set up a structure like:

A – Baseline: Most logical, balanced answer to the brief.
B – Bold: Pushed silhouette, more stylized or dramatic.
C – Practical: Slightly simplified, production‑friendly version.

Within that, remember:

Share structural decisions (e.g., cloak vs no cloak) across some options so the comparison isn’t chaotic.

9.3 Handoff Checklist for Concept Artists

Before handing a costume to production, ask:

Did I include a representative silhouette sheet?
Did I share the final A/B/C context and explain why we chose what we chose?
Are material callouts clear (including emissives and transparency)?
Did I mark what is non‑negotiable (emblems, role reads, color zoning)?

9.4 Intake Checklist for Production Artists

When receiving a concept package, ask:

Can I see the core silhouette clearly from all crucial angles?
Do I understand which A/B/C decisions are off the table vs still flexible?
Where do I need clarification before modeling?

If something’s missing, ask early, not mid‑model.

10. Exercises for Concept and Production Artists

10.1 For Concept Artists

Silhouette‑Only Lineup
Take a character brief and design 12 silhouettes. Reduce to a lineup of the best 4. Then design A/B/C sets on top of your favorite 1–2 silhouettes.
30% Delta Challenge
Pick one costume and create 3 variations where you consciously change ~30% each time: either proportion, main garment types, or motif placement. Label what changed.
Reverse‑Engineering Exercise
Take a finished costume from a game you admire. Sketch what you think their silhouette bank and A/B/C set might have looked like. What deltas can you infer?

10.2 For Production Artists

Silhouette Read Test
Grab a few existing models and take screenshots at gameplay scale with lighting off. Flatten them to black silhouettes and check: does the role read clearly? Where might different silhouette choices have helped?
Constraint Feedback Practice
Take a concept with an extreme silhouette. Write a constructive note back to a hypothetical concept artist explaining what elements are challenging and suggesting alternatives.
Variant Planning
Choose a base costume. Based on its silhouette, sketch (even roughly) 2–3 variant concepts that keep the same rig and most topology. Use this to discuss with concept artists how to build variant‑friendly base silhouettes.

11. Closing Thoughts

Silhouette banks and A/B/C sets with 30% deltas are not extra “nice to haves” in the costume concept pipeline. They are core tools that:

Let you explore broadly, then converge effectively.
Make review conversations clearer and more focused.
Help production artists understand and preserve your intent.

From brief to package, these tools keep you anchored in the big picture—shape, role, readability—before you get lost in trim and texture. Whether you sit on the early concept side or the production side, learning to create, read, and leverage silhouette banks and A/B/C sets will make your work more efficient, more collaborative, and more resilient under real production constraints.

Keep coming back to this question at each stage:

“If I shrink this costume down to a silhouette, and lay its A/B/C variants side by side, can a teammate instantly tell what changed, why it changed, and what stays true to the brief?”

If the answer is yes, your pipeline is doing exactly what it should.