Process: The Ghost Who Eats

What started out as a quick sketch of an overweight Phantom…

…developed into a visual narrative with the character. Adding some context, acting and an interesting or humorous situation can breathe life and interest into a character design. Give your character purpose and intent, don’t just have them stand or sit “normally”. Think about who your character is and what makes them tick. What do they want? What do they fear? How do they react in certain situations? I find it useful to map characters onto people that I’ve come into contact with – whether it’s a person I see in a public place or a friend or acquaintance.

Developing the sketch further resulted in the image below.