Table of Contents Character Design

Table of Contents: Character Design

Created by Sarah Choi (prompt writer using ChatGPT)

Character Design for Video Games

Table of Contents

Written for aspiring artists, indie studio artists, and AAA professionals. Each unit is scaffolded with clear projects for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced / Expert.

Part I — Orientation & Foundations

Unit 1 — The Character Concept Artist

Sub-units: Roles across indie / AAA, deliverables, collaboration map
- Ch.1: What character concept art solves (readability, emotion, gameplay)
- Ch.2: Deliverable types (silhouettes, orthos, turnarounds, pose / expression sheets, callouts)
- Ch.3: Reading briefs & asking the right questions (role, fantasy, faction, player fantasy, constraints)
- Ch.4: Production constraints 101 (metrics, cameras, rating / platform limits)

Unit 2 — Drawing & Design Fundamentals for Characters

Sub-units: Form, proportion, perspective, composition
- Ch.1: Gesture & line of action for clarity
- Ch.2: Proportion systems (head counts, Loomis / Reilly, stylized grids)
- Ch.3: Constructing forms (boxes, cylinders, planes) & foreshortening
- Ch.4: Composition for character reads (1s / 3s / 5s) and group shots

Unit 3 — Anatomy & Construction

Sub-units: Skeletal, muscular, landmarks
- Ch.1: Bony landmarks & functional anatomy (mobility ranges)
- Ch.2: Torso, shoulders & hips — stacking for believable posture
- Ch.3: Limbs & joints — elbows, knees, wrists, ankles
- Ch.4: Body mass variations & believable weight

Unit 4 — Heads, Faces & Expressions

Sub-units: Craniofacial structure, features, emotions
- Ch.1: Planes of the head & feature placement
- Ch.2: Eyes, nose, mouth, ears — variation & stylization
- Ch.3: Expression sheets (FACS-informed) & appeal
- Ch.4: Aging, scars, asymmetry & identity

Unit 5 — Hands, Feet & Interaction

Sub-units: Structure, gesture, grips
- Ch.1: Hand block-ins & common grips (hold, push, pull)
- Ch.2: Feet & footwear — weight and stance
- Ch.3: Interaction with props, devices & creatures
- Ch.4: Pose readability and tangents

Unit 6 — Hair, Fur & Groom

Sub-units: Massing, flow, materials
- Ch.1: Hair / fur forms as ribbons & clumps
- Ch.2: Beards, braids, dreads, curls — readable systems
- Ch.3: Stylized grooms vs realistic — keeping volume
- Ch.4: Headgear integration & collision awareness

Part II — Costume, Equipment & Materials

Unit 7 — Costume Design Foundations

Sub-units: Garment types, fit, pattern logic
- Ch.1: Tops, bottoms, one-pieces — closures & seams
- Ch.2: Drapery families (fold types) & stress maps
- Ch.3: Layering systems (base / mid / outer) for climate & role
- Ch.4: Cultural / historical cues with respect

Unit 8 — Materials & Textiles

Sub-units: Cloth, leather, synthetics, hard surfaces
- Ch.1: Weaves & knits — stretch and hang
- Ch.2: Leathers & composites — stiffness and crease logic
- Ch.3: Plates & hard inserts — readable protection language
- Ch.4: Wear, weathering & laundry logic

Unit 9 — Armor & Protective Systems (Depiction)

Sub-units: Light / medium / heavy, fantasy & sci‑fi
- Ch.1: Anatomy‑aware plates & straps
- Ch.2: Mobility reads (gaps, overlaps, bellows)
- Ch.3: Hazard / class signifiers & faction motifs
- Ch.4: Non‑combat protective gear (PPE, exo‑suits) as role cues

Unit 10 — Equipment, Carry & Interface

Sub-units: Belts, packs, holsters, UI
- Ch.1: Carry systems & attachment logic
- Ch.2: Readable access & reach (what hand grabs what)
- Ch.3: On‑body UI & diegetic indicators (lights, icons)
- Ch.4: Collision, cloth sim & rigging considerations

Unit 11 — Color, Pattern & Livery

Sub-units: Palettes, trim levels, faction identity
- Ch.1: Palette engineering & contrast for class reads
- Ch.2: Patterns (camouflage, tartan, prints) and moiré risks
- Ch.3: Livery & numbering systems
- Ch.4: Accessibility (color‑blind safe sets)

Unit 12 — Accessories, Props & Creature‑Adjacency

Sub-units: Jewelry, eyewear, tools, creature partners
- Ch.1: Readable scale & materials in small items
- Ch.2: Attach / detach choreography & states
- Ch.3: Companion creatures & harnesses
- Ch.4: Personalization vs production consistency

Part III — Species, Archetypes & Style Systems

Unit 13 — Body Types & Inclusive Design

Sub-units: Diversity in silhouette, mobility, and ability
- Ch.1: Height, mass, proportions — beyond one ideal
- Ch.2: Mobility devices & prosthetics — integrated design
- Ch.3: Gender expression & presentation across styles
- Ch.4: Respectful research & avoiding trope traps

Unit 14 — Non‑Human & Hybrid Anatomy

Sub-units: Humanoids, digitigrade, tails/wings
- Ch.1: Alternate limb plans & center of gravity
- Ch.2: Tails, wings, fins — balance & pose
- Ch.3: Creature‑human hybrids (readable logic)
- Ch.4: Costuming non‑human forms

Unit 15 — Classes, Roles & Gameplay Reads

Sub-units: Hero, support, tank, striker, healer, NPC tiers
- Ch.1: Role silhouettes & stance language
- Ch.2: Readable power sources & cooldown cues
- Ch.3: Economy characters (vendors, crafters, quest givers)
- Ch.4: Enemy hierarchies & color / shape telegraphy

Unit 16 — Style Systems: Stylized ↔ Realistic

Sub-units: Shape, edge, value, palette rules
- Ch.1: Proportion caricature & appeal
- Ch.2: Material simplification & PBR handoff
- Ch.3: Edge control & brush economies
- Ch.4: Style drift — diagnosis & correction

Unit 17 — Genre Toolkits

Sub-units: Fantasy, Sci‑Fi (hard / soft), Cyberpunk, Historical, Horror, Post‑Apoc, Whimsical
- Ch.1: Genre logic & reference scaffolds
- Ch.2: Visual verbs per genre (float, throb, clank, rust)
- Ch.3: Cross‑genre mashups with coherence
- Ch.4: Faction dialects within a genre

Part IV — Production & Collaboration

Unit 18 — From Brief to Package: The Character Concept Pipeline

Sub-units: Ideation → iteration → finals → handoff
- Ch.1: Silhouette banks & lineup pages
- Ch.2: Proportion passes & A / B / C sets (30% deltas)
- Ch.3: Turnarounds, orthos, pose & expression sheets
- Ch.4: Final packages: what to include and label for 3D / rigging / animation / narrative / marketing

Unit 19 — 2D / 3D Hybrid Methods

Sub-units: Blockouts, sculpt bases, scans, photobash ethics
- Ch.1: Speed blockouts & mannequin posing
- Ch.2: Sculpt base for cloth & hard‑surface checks
- Ch.3: Lighting renders for paintover & material IDs
- Ch.4: Scan / kitbash collaboration & pitfalls

Unit 20 — Partnering with Design, Animation, Tech Art, Narrative, UI & Audio

Sub-units: Metrics, motion, story, interaction
- Ch.1: Metrics (reach, grip, cloak lengths, collision zones)
- Ch.2: Rigging / skinning considerations (joint ranges, deformation risk)
- Ch.3: Narrative beats & costume changes across the story
- Ch.4: UI hooks (portraits, icons) & audio motifs (foley cues)

Unit 21 — Posing, Acting & Camera

Sub-units: Staging, lenses, readability
- Ch.1: Hero, neutral & T / A poses for packages
- Ch.2: Cinematic posing & lens language
- Ch.3: Group shots & lineup spacing
- Ch.4: VR / AR, isometric, and unusual cameras

Unit 22 — Color Scripts, Beats & Wardrobe Arcs

Sub-units: Emotional arcs & costume progression
- Ch.1: Beat boards & relationship charts
- Ch.2: Palette evolution across acts / biomes
- Ch.3: Seasonal / event variants & marketing skins
- Ch.4: NPC crowds & spawn pools — variety with cohesion

Unit 23 — Customization, Modularity & Systems

Sub-units: Heads, hair, outfits, palettes, decals
- Ch.1: Slot systems & dependency maps
- Ch.2: Mix‑and‑match without clipping
- Ch.3: LOD, performance & memory guardrails
- Ch.4: Documentation & naming that downstream teams love

Unit 24 — Optimization & Accessibility

Sub-units: Budgets, readability, inclusion
- Ch.1: Texture / material budgets & atlases
- Ch.2: Silhouette + value checks for color‑blind safety
- Ch.3: Readability at speed and distance
- Ch.4: Inclusive UX: subtitles, icons, contrast, font pairing

Unit 25 — Scans, MoCap & Photogrammetry (Collaboration)

Sub-units: Directing capture & integrating scans
- Ch.1: Wardrobe for capture (markers, fit)
- Ch.2: Scan cleanup & paintover notes
- Ch.3: Face rigs & expression coverage planning
- Ch.4: Legal / likeness / consent considerations

Unit 26 — Marketing, Key Art & Figurines

Sub-units: Poses, renders, print
- Ch.1: Key art angles, lighting & props
- Ch.2: Box art silhouettes & SKU variants
- Ch.3: Figurine / merch considerations
- Ch.4: Trailer shot checklists

Part V — Advanced Practice & Professional Growth

Unit 27 — Advanced Narrative Character Design

Sub-units: Time layers, culture & “voice”
- Ch.1: Before / after states (injury, weathering, upgrades)
- Ch.2: Micro‑clues: stitching, patches, trophies
- Ch.3: Hero characters & setpiece moments
- Ch.4: Symbolism & subtext without cliché

Unit 28 — Case Studies & Reverse‑Engineering

Sub-units: Shipped games & art tests
- Ch.1: AAA constraints — what changed the art
- Ch.2: Indie ingenuity — scope vs vision
- Ch.3: Art test walkthroughs & rubric alignment
- Ch.4: Remastering a legacy character: a full teardown

Unit 29 — Portfolio, Careers & Ethics

Sub-units: Targeted portfolios, communication, contracts
- Ch.1: Sequencing a portfolio for recruiter flow
- Ch.2: Writing callouts & case notes that show thinking
- Ch.3: Collaboration skills, feedback loops, leadership
- Ch.4: Ethics of reference, consent & cultural respect

Unit 30 — Sustainable Workflow & Creative Health

Sub-units: Time, energy & lifelong practice
- Ch.1: Sprinting personal projects
- Ch.2: Study plans (daily / weekly / monthly)
- Ch.3: Preventing burnout & building momentum
- Ch.4: Communities, mentorship & teaching