How do I create a character. Interesting character in the book

The character is the main figure of any animation, so he should be given a lot of attention. a large number of attention. In this article, you'll find tips from the pros to help you create vibrant, believable characters, and you'll also get a look at how Pixar creates cartoon characters.

1. Focus on facial expressions

Tex Avery, the creator of Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny and other beloved characters, never neglected facial expressions when developing his characters, and this made them popular.

Depending on the nature of the character, his emotions can be either pronounced or slightly hidden, therefore, when developing your hero, think about his personal qualities and, based on this, work on his facial expressions. A great example of the work of the legendary Tex Avery was a wolf whose eyes popped out of his skull when he was agitated. On the other hand you can put Droopy, who seems to have no emotions at all.

2. Make your characters special

When Matt Groening created The Simpsons, he knew that he had to offer viewers something special, something that would be different from other TV shows. Therefore, he decided that when the viewer was flipping through the channels and came across a cartoon with yellow-skinned characters, he could not help but become interested in them.

Whoever your character is, try to make him as little similar as possible to all the heroes who preceded him. It should have interesting visual qualities that will be unusual to the viewer. Like yellow skin and four fingers instead of five, for example.

3. Experiment

Rules are made to be broken. At least that's what Yuck thinks. When he creates his characters, he doesn't know who he's drawing. “I listen to music and draw the result, which depends on my mood: strange or cute characters. I always want to draw what interests me. Later I finalize the character,” he says.

4. Understand who you are drawing for

Think about your audience. For adults and children you need to choose completely different instruments interactions, colors, and characters.

“A custom character usually means there’s more space within which I need to fit it, but that doesn’t mean there’s less creativity involved. Clients have specific needs, but they also want me to do my thing. I usually start with the main characteristics and personality of the character. For example, if the eyes are important, then I will build the design around the face so that the main detail stands out,” says Nathan Jurevicius.

5. Explore

“Never work without materials, always look for something to build on. Take photographs of people that can be a good basis for your work. For example, their clothes, hairstyle, face. Even if your character is not human, think about where he got his DNA and go from there. Once you start working with examples, your work will become clearer and more engaging.” – Gal Shkedi.

6. Start simple

“Always start with simple shapes. Squares are good for strong and tough characters, while triangles are ideal if you want to make the character intimidating. Well, if you want a friendly character, then use smooth lines.” – Jorfe

It is worth remembering that no matter how complex a character is, he consists of simple elements. Starting simple, you will gradually layer elements and eventually get a complete image.

7. Technique is not the most important thing

Sketching skills will help you a lot if you want to represent a character in different poses and from different angles. And this skill requires practice. But to create a credible and atmospheric character, these skills are not so important.

“I try to get into the character, highlighting his quirks, combining them and working on them. I draw a lot different options one character until I'm happy with one of them.” – Nick Sheehy

8. Make up a story

“If you want your character to exist in more than just a cartoon or comic book, then you should take the time to come up with a story for him. Where he came from, how he appeared, what happened in his life - all this will help create integrity. Sometimes a character's history is more interesting than his current adventures.” – Pixar

9. Hone your character

Interesting appearance doesn't always make the character interesting. His character is the key, the character must be consistent in his emotions and actions. Pixar believes that character should be strong unless you're deliberately making your character boring.

10. Environment

Another Pixar rule is to work on the character's environment.

“If you want your character to be believable, then make the world around him believable. Think through your environment and make it work to your advantage.”

And in this video you can follow the process of creating the characters of Karl and Ellie:

There are different approaches to creating a hero, algorithms for how to make a character interesting for the reader. When we were preparing this post, we remembered Alexander Molchanov, who wrote in his “Screenwriter’s Primer” that a hero should have: a secret, a flaw, a treasure and a goal. And if a hero has these qualities, we want to be like him and this is a good hero for a film.

Or, for example, James N. Fry in the book “How to Write a Brilliant Detective” indicates that the hero of a detective story must have the following qualities: courage, professionalism, special talent, ingenuity and intelligence; and besides, he must have a wound, he must be an outlaw and perform selfless acts.

We can recall other lists of this kind.

However, they all have a key flaw: they are aimed at formalizing the qualities main the hero of the work and they are inflexible. When you look at such a list, you want to exclaim: “What, all 62 heroes in the novel should be like this?” It doesn’t ignite... However, you can’t do without a methodology, at least if a structured approach to developing a work is close to you. (Someday we’ll tell you in detail about the character cards we use...)

The answer was found in a lecture by Paul Brown.
He suggested that a hero should have five striking qualities. This amount is enough to create volume for the hero. The qualities can be any. But when you set yourself the task of coming up with five qualities for anyone, even minor character, you willy-nilly specify and understand this character.
Paul Brown suggests going further. Any character is interesting when he has a “second bottom”, when he hides something. A person never presents his real “I” to others; he hides it under a mask. Well, and the scenario approach: it’s always interesting to follow a person when he has some kind of strangeness, an amazing bright feature.

So we have five qualities:
- Quality 1;
- Quality 2;
- Mask (what the character presents to others);
- Hides (this is the character hiding from everyone);
- Weirdness.

The system turns out to be flexible and defined at the same time.

“Can a hero have more than 5 striking traits?” "Yes. especially the main characters. Five is the minimum that gives depth.”
“Is it necessary to define the Mask, the Strangeness, the Hidden Feature?” - “No... and yes. In this case, the character will be more psychologically reliable, and therefore interesting. And his Strangeness will ensure that we remember the character.”
“Do these traits affect how characters interact?” - "Yes. When two characters communicate, they present Masks to each other; they get nervous when it seems to them that their Hidden Trait is being touched..."

Examples from our development:
Character 1:
He evaluates himself soberly, without unnecessary illusions. And generally honest.
A deep understanding of people beyond one’s age (wisdom beyond one’s years). Incl. prevents him from getting involved in adventures.
Mask: obedient son.
Hides: A categorically negative assessment of the decisions of the authorities (father).
Strangeness: Despite the fact that he is older than the other teenagers, he does not take command (including because in battle, thoughtfulness will make him a bad commander).

Character 2:
Performs the role and assignments exactly within the established framework.
He ignores his wife (necessarily long-distance relationship), but always refers to his marital status, the presence of children, when he doesn’t want to do something.
Mask: outwardly very calm, reasonable, serious.
Hides: sensitive, that his father knocked him out and knocked him out quite early.
Strangeness: Acts as if he is much older in age (walks leisurely, speaks “correctly”).

Character 3:
Fierce charismatic (iron adherence to the law is a consequence of self-restraint).
Eloquence.
Mask: everyone is subject to the law (that’s why I took the option “you’re a king, bypass the law” so painfully).
Hides: Humanism whenever possible (hides this carefully, but looks for loopholes in the laws).
Strangeness: Subtle high sensitivity with external state rigidity.

Good luck using the approach and - interesting characters!

I decided to summarize all the useful tips that famous illustrators recommend for creating high-quality and recognizable characters. The main thing about a character is his recognition and readability. Accordingly, without a clear silhouette, it is difficult to achieve this. Therefore, the first thing to do is fill the character with black and check how it generally looks like as a spot. For example, here are a few silhouettes - of course you will recognize them immediately.


Denis Zilber works very cool with the silhouette, for example, the sequence of drawing his character and you can clearly see how he changed his pose in favor of the readability of the silhouette.

Lots of options

You shouldn’t immediately draw a character and concentrate on only one image - it’s better to draw several different concepts and choose the most successful one. In any case, you can take interesting details from the rejected options.

Simple forms

It’s easier and more correct to start drawing with simple shapes - ovals, pears and cylinders and only then build up the required volume and details on them. Drawing from shapes allows you to simply find the desired pose or angle without changing the entire drawing. And despite the fact that very often you want to go into details, initial stage stick, cucumber - this is our everything)

Unusual details

A character can be memorable not only for his figure, but also interesting things complementing the image. For example, if you remember Harry Potter, then these are glasses, an owl and a scar in the form of a lightning bolt. I once saw a book cover design where these three things were drawn and the title of the book was not written and I was one hundred percent sure that it was Potter.

Correct proportions

Usually, if a character is smart, they give him a bigger head and big glasses; if he is a jock, he will have broad shoulders; romantic girls will have big eyes and long eyelashes. All these things make it easier to read the character's image without thinking. You need to remember the ratio of body parts, because... proportions create a character's character. For example, a large and pugnacious hero will have a small head, a wide chest, shoulders and legs, and a mouth and chin that will protrude forward. Cute characters will have baby proportions: big head, oval body, high forehead, and small areas of the chin, mouth, eyes. Knowing these things, you can already achieve certain effects.
For example, almost all Disney princesses look cute due to big eyes and a small mouth.

The environment is also important

Understanding where exactly the character will act and work can greatly simplify the work. This is especially important when the character is “fitted” into a ready-made place. In some mysterious forest, goblin and sorcerers would be more appropriate than, for example, a horse rider or an African animal.
I love the Bikini Bottom example - it's the perfect style for SpongeBob and his friends, and they match it perfectly.

Why and for whom is the character created?

For some company selling travel packages, it is better to make the character simple, but for games they usually develop complex and detailed heroes. However, if a person is just walking down the street and sees a complex character, most likely he will not look at him.
Here is a Euroset character who can be easily changed and made to do anything and who can often be seen while passing by another salon.


But the hero of Warcraft, where people sit for a long time and the atmosphere and every little detail is important.

And finally

It’s always interesting not just to look at the characters you like, but to analyze them and highlight their characteristic features. Once you know the basic techniques, you can quickly learn how to create interesting characters that fit the task.

Do you know any important points, which should be taken into account when creating characters?

Heroes and characters play a key role in the narrative - we look at the world through their eyes, we live with their feelings, we empathize with them throughout the story. However, in order for the image to be complete and “alive”, you will have to work hard on it, inventing and writing out all its elements.

So, What does the image of any character consist of? Two main parts - appearance and inner world. And each of these parts, in turn, consists of several interconnected elements.

Creating the appearance of the hero

1. Visual appearance.

Common elements of the visual image are the color of the eyes, hair and skin, height and weight, build, facial features, the presence or absence of any limbs, gait - stooped or with a straight back. Additional items – unusual shape ears or lips, hairstyle, scars, lameness, glasses, moles, mustache-beard, freckles, etc.
Appearance is a sign. And our consciousness is filled with stereotypes that respond to signs. Just as with the iconic word “apple,” we imagine the image of the fruit and its taste, and when describing a hero, we associate his appearance with his character.

For example, many will immediately consider a plump and short man to be a good-natured person, a red-haired and green-eyed woman to be a passionate and freedom-loving person, a limping black-eyed man with a scar to be definitely a bandit, a blue-eyed blonde to be a short-minded angel. And so on.

When choosing the color of eyes and hair for a character, we not only focus on our own ideal, but also subconsciously attribute to him the traits of a stereotype. And you can play on this, making the plump “good guy” the main villain, and the blond angel the imp, surprising readers with the surprise of perception.

2. Clothes and shoes.

We dress ourselves based on our character traits (in everyday life), out of necessity (season or work), out of fashion, out of national characteristics or features of the subculture (emo or goths). We dress and shoe the characters according to the same principles. And we also choose the color and cut of clothes and shoes, accessories like scarves or hats.

To knowledgeable people, clothing and its color will tell a lot about us - about our character, preferences and fears. When working on the image of a hero, knowledge of psychological characteristics - at least color range- can be very useful. It is also useful to study local subcultures - they are symbolic, and based on them you can create something of your own.

3. Auditory and kinesthetic (tactile) perception.

TO auditory perception First of all, it concerns the timbre of the voice. And you can play on the correspondence and inconsistency of voice and appearance, diversifying the image and surprising the reader.

Auditory perception of an image also includes all sounds made by a person: coughing, grunting, sniffling, exclamation, laughter. And a person who tirelessly sniffles or blows his nose causes a certain emotional reaction, which will complement the image. As well as the vocal characteristics of national speech characteristics - the well-known dialect “okanye” or “yakanye”, “swallowing” of the last syllable, etc.

The whole range human emotions reflected in the voice - in a surprised exclamation, in a rise in tone when angry, in a stutter when embarrassed, in a cry when dissatisfied, etc. The Russian language is rich in descriptions of emotions, you just need to choose the right ones for your character.

Kinesthetic perception – these are feelings from a person. Smells, intuitive perception, aura sensation. There are well-known common expressions - “he gave off an aura of danger”, “he had heavy energy, and he was overwhelming.” And there’s no need to talk much about smells, and that’s understandable. And you shouldn’t neglect these sensations, they are an integral part of the character and

Literary course "Creating a hero"

Suitable for those who are starting to write a book, and for those who want to finalize and “revive” a ready-made hero.

In 14 days you will receive all the necessary theory and step-by-step instructions. practical tasks. At the end of the course you will have in your hands full story hero. You will recognize his motives and come up with bright plot twists, which will show the development of the hero’s character in the best possible way.

4. Emotional and behavioral reactions.

Facial expressions, gestures, changes in movements or complexion - all this beneficially complements the character's appearance. Without them, he seems cardboard, drawn, unreal, lifeless.

Emotional reactions – this is, in fact, an emotional response to one’s own or someone else’s words, to behavior, to an unexpected meeting, to the feelings that one character experiences for another, to the attitude towards what is happening.

Thus, characters turn pale with anger, red with rage, pink with embarrassment, and green with melancholy. They smile joyfully or maliciously, wince with displeasure, squint in suspicion and make grimaces, teasing.

Behavioral reactions– this is visible behavior: in gestures or movements, habitual or changing in different situations.

Habitual reactions- these are mechanical movements, those that the person himself no longer notices, but does constantly.

Some people like to twirl a strand of hair around their finger, some like to pinch their earlobe, some like to scratch their nose or heel, while others reinforce their words with gestures and waves their hands when speaking. This also includes gait and sitting - on the sofa or at the table (often found: “habitually lounging on the sofa” or “habitually sitting up with your feet in a chair”).

Changing reactions– these are changes in habitual actions or in actions depending on situations.

Thus, a person slouches when there is a cold wind, shudders and looks around when shouted sharply, shakes a finger or shows a fist, stretches or rubs his tailbone after sitting for a long time, speeds up his step when he is late, etc.

Of course, in the initial description of a character, all these elements cannot be taken into account, but they can be gradually developed, weaving them into the plot on occasion. But first they need to be invented and collected into a single image. It can help with this - for yourself, for those around you, for random passers-by.

Any person is already, consider, a ready-made character in a work, from whom you can copy the appearance. Just like borrowing the inner world that will be discussed.

We invite you!

Daria Gushchina
writer, science fiction author
(VKontakte page

Agree - everyone can describe Sherlock Holmes, but not every reader knows as well all the twists and turns of even such famous works like "The Hound of the Baskervilles" or "The Sign of Four". Jack Sparrow, Robinson Crusoe, Rodion Raskolnikov are examples from the same series. Strong, memorable characters make the book more lively and interesting. How to create such characters - read the article.

Get to know your character

Who would it be easier for you to introduce into your plot - a well-known friend or a new colleague from a neighboring department? Of course, the first option is more preferable, since the bright character is the one about whom you know more. Therefore, you must know more about your hero than you tell your readers - that's the first rule. How to put it into practice?

Write a biography

This requirement applies to all more or less significant characters in the work, and especially to the main character. A biography can be written in free form or complete it in the form of a questionnaire. Be that as it may, try to depict the life of each character in as much detail as possible.

Study the hero in different situations

To get to know the character's character better, use the method of screenwriter Alvin Sargent. While working on the next film, he placed his characters in different situations, which, although not related to the main plot, nevertheless helped to better understand the characteristics of the characters. Subsequently, he may or may not include these scenes in the script.

Think about what your hero would do in the face of an incurable disease or sudden luck, what he would do if he lost Good work or vice versa, achieving unprecedented success. The more such situations you come up with, the more vivid your understanding of the image will be.

Prototypes

Many outstanding book heroes had their own prototypes. These include the already mentioned Sherlock Holmes and Robinson. This is very convenient since you already have lion's share information about the character. You can of course take advantage of this literary device, but there are two dangers to beware of.

The first is that the prototype (or its environment) may recognize itself in the description, and not everyone may like this, especially if you do not display it with the best side. There have been cases in history when offended readers filed lawsuits against authors.
Another problem that may arise with a prototype is the inability to give it the qualities that the plot requires. On the other hand, some writers do just that, playing on contrast and giving it unexpected character traits. This makes the character more memorable.

Bad vs Good

Most authors make "good" characters the central figure of the story. On the other hand, the forbidden fruit is sweet, and therefore authors such as Patrick Suskind in the novel “Perfume” choose not the best representatives of humanity as heroes. But, no matter what side your hero is on, he must be interesting to the reader- only in this case will it be well remembered and attract attention.

Another useful technique can be the contrast between positive and negative qualities in one hero, as we see in The Godfather.

Hero Evolution

Everyone knows how difficult it is to change yourself and your life - that is why stories about development or degradation are so successful. The same should apply to your work. Throughout the story, your hero should gradually change. Going through trials and overcoming obstacles, he will acquire new qualities or become worse. This should not be an overly radical transformation - it will not look very believable. In genres such as detective or spy action films, the characters usually remain the same, but their evolution in the form side effect The plot only adds additional charm.

Summary

People remember much better bright characters, rather than elaborate and twisted plots. To create a compelling character, you first need to know him well. To do this, write a biography and study his behavior in different situations. You can also use prototypes, but be careful not to substitute them. It doesn't matter whether your hero is good or not, the main thing is that he is interesting and evolves over time.