How do you go about character design?

[Wyldercat]

Ooh, love this topic!

Although I haven't applied these methods to this game in particular so much yet, I typically like to start with a personality concept for physical "shape" aspects (face shape, height, width, etc.), story role for items/details (armor, scars, teeth structure, claw size, clothing), locomotion or animation specifics for patterns/designs on skin/clothing/fur (this is more for concept art or my animated OCs however), and lastly, aesthetic choices and motifs for color scheme and/or ambiance.

So for physical traits, if I want to create a kind, lighthearted character, I'd go with rounder shapes, or at least softer edges or gradients, and maybe a light, unsaturated color scheme. Maybe some brighter parts to represent quirks. Not to ramble too much, but I overthink things waaaaaay too much, tl;dr.

[turtlies]

What initially inspires a new character?

A lot of things, for me. Usually I get inspired by something I'd see in a movie, book, etc, and try to make a character off that (like if there's a relationship between two characters that I find interesting, I might try to sorta mimic it with some different characters, and then see where it goes from there.) Other times even small things like a mood, a picture, or a color scheme can inspire me. Other times I think of character traits and such that I haven't seen often that I think would be unique, and I try to make a character off of that. Otherwise, inspiration comes from a lot of different places for me.

What goals do you have in mind for your characters? A full story? Casual interactions?

My goal is mostly to just create a universe and story around them, and to fully flesh them out. Give them relationships with other characters.

What makes a good character to you?

In my opinion, a good character is one that's unique, and you can see that the creator has put a lot of thought and care into their character. But if I got specific, there are certain guidelines that I feel are necessary for an aesthetically pleasing and not-cliched character. I personally base good characters off a good color scheme and a 'realistic' design (obviously, not like being a 100% realistic grey wolf or something like that, but having appropriate accessories, manes, etc etc that would fit with that character design. But just a design that makes sense---for example, my character Torskite who's a mostly optimistic, friendly canine always wears a necklace with rocks on it, which makes sense, since she's down in caves all day just studying rocks and enjoys doing that. But, it wouldn't make a lot of sense with her character to have her wearing a giant black spiky collar just because I like the spiky black collar; her character would never want to actually wear that. Not the greatest example but hopefully you get what I mean lol). I'm basically just going to second everything that Chillout had mentioned in their post about character design a few posts before me.

Do you judge other characters harshly or are you pretty lenient?

I'll be completely honest, sometimes I do tend to judge other people's characters. I don't as much nowadays, since not everyone's going to think of good characters the way I do, but I did definitely go through a time where I was pretty judgemental, so I'm trying to move past that. I mostly just try to think of characters I wouldn't personally make as just being different and interesting.

What do you like in physical design elements? Do you pay more attention to color or form?

Obviously I have exceptions to all of these, but generally: I like a small amount of colors that are used evenly across the character. I tend to go by a rule of never using a color or design only once on a character---it has to repeat somewhere else, otherwise it just bothers me a little. I also usually tend to have realistic colors, yet unrealistic designs, and I usually like having just a splash of an unrealistic color added in. I like big markings (like big splotches or just a full color on the leg or something), not small, detailed, or intricate ones. I tend to lean towards canine characters that are either average sized or smaller, I don't have too many gigantic characters. I don't use accessories too often, but I do love necklaces on characters. I also love long manes on characters (well, if im honest, it's because it's easier to draw characters with hair covering one of their eyes so I only have to focus on drawing one good eye ).

I tend to pay more attention to color than form, though both are important---but colors are fun.

Do you make a character in the creator before having a story in mind or the other way around?

I go for at least some sort of vague personally before starting, I don't usually make just character designs. After I have a design down, then I usually try to fully make their story.

[FlyingGrass]

What initially inspires a new character?
Some of the characters I've made were created because I've thought of a power or story that I'd like to roleplay as a character with.


What goals do you have in mind for your characters? A full story? Casual interactions?
I plan a full story made by casual interactions.


What makes a good character to you?
The color, shape and backstory. Mostly the backstory.


What do you like in physical design elements?
Everything.


Do you pay more attention to color or form?
I pay attention to both equally and a lot. I choose what look suits the story/powers I've thought of.


Do you make a character in the creator before having a story in mind or the other way around?
Sometimes I think of a story then create a character with that story, and sometimes I create the character before I create the story. I rarely write a proper bio as I just add the story and then whatever else will fit.

[ephemeral]

what initially inspires a new character?
oh, something i see, for sure. occasionally i get an idea for a backstory from a song. however, when it comes to physical design, it all boils down to things i see or think about. one of my absolute favourite characters is a stray dog, but his design came from - you guessed it - a dog i saw on a snapchat story. things like that is what inspires my characters, physically. when it comes to development, a few different things come into play. one being personal connection, something i find relatable (and hopefully other people do, as well). the second being a motif or general theme. another oc of mine has prevalent themes of religion and his struggle with it. that's what drives him, essentially. is doing this a sin? is liking this a sin? different motifs that are deeply personal help me make a proper character. meaningful relationships and specific events that shape them are parts of backstory i try my best to include.

edit: of course i forgot to include this. another character inspires me. i'm looking at you mccree you gave me this cowboy aesthetic and i'm going to fulfill it

what goals do you have in mind for your characters?
always, always, always development! i don't like 'flat' characters. i go after dynamic and 'round' characters all the time, and i strive to find different ways to improve their development, whether it be through writing a story about them or through rping them. my real goal behind characters is to eventually write a successful story with them.

what makes a good character to you? do you judge other characters harshly or are you pretty lenient?
i probably sound like a broken record, but i really enjoy interesting development and the way they interact with their surroundings. i like the interactions with the characters around them and with their environment, and design is always a good bonus, because the two are intertwined and equally important. i admit i sometimes judge harshly, but i'm usually pretty lenient. the only time i judge is when they have a very 'flat' backstory and little to no development. there's always room for improvement.

what do you like in physical design elements? do you pay more attention to color or form?
well, i think physical design is important. a flashy character is no good. most of my characters are simple, and i really like simple colours as well, like earthy browns and warm greys. form is also important, i think, because the way a character is shaped does have an impact on how they act and react to things. it's still fun to break those stereotypes, though.

do you make a character in the creator before having a story in mind or the other way around?
it's both! sometimes i make a character then figure out a story. other times i have everything else in mind but the design. however, i feel like the latter of those is harder for me to deal with. i like planning characters, but when it gets down to it, it's really hard to make a character exactly how you imagined it to be. you'll always be comparing and it won't be what you want.

[cigaretteahegao]

Creating characters would have to be my second most favourite thing to do in FeralHeart.
Usually, when creating characters, it's when I'm inspired to create something to represent what inspired me- Some examples would be songs or places (I've even created characters to represent drinks!). A character with vibrant or different colours usually catches my eye immediately. I don't usually judge characters- It's their character, what do I have to say about it? As long as their happy with it, I don't see the problem with their character. Very few of my characters are actual characters. Most of my characters are just characters I can have fun playing as, while chatting with other players online!

[angelcake12]

Good question. I tend to think about the character before I think about the story. Sometimes, although rarely. It is the other way around. I guess according what I am making them for. As for the judging characters harsh or not. Hmm, I don't like judging others. So, any look to me is fine. Sides, creativity is amazing and I love seeing what people come up with. Design wise. I tend to want to balance the colors. Example is my main character. Caleb. I used brown and white. So, his markings are dark brown. His tail tip is darker. His paws is white like his underpelt. His hair is black, but I balanced that with a spike color (white and black) and strobe glasses. For his red eyes. I sometimes use a rose to balance that but sometimes I like the pop of his red eyes. His horns is to help balance the pop of the eyes mostly though. As to what inspires me..I guess music. I always draw art to music. So, my sister playing pop music. I was inspired to make a pop culture like character with fantasy designs like I normally draw. Although, he was gonna be made for a tribe reason. As soon as I heard the music. I scrapped the idea and came up with Caleb now. (His markings around his body are tribe markings though, but because it fit the look.) Form though is also important. If I made my oc to wide or large then it would take away from his equal size to his friend and be harder for pics. (the one I took pictures with) But, if I made it to small then he would not be a adult wolf or teen like I had planned but a pup. Then,  again it would be hard to match the heads for pics. At least to me.  Goals that I think of before I create them is. Balance my look. Think of what I created them for. And that is pretty much my goals. Why I did it and balance.  A good character? A good character is one you feel comfortable with. One you feel has succeeded your goals. If you feel awed by them or something more. Like 'Hey I made a pretty good character' then you made pretty good character.

[Foxfall]

What initially inspires a new character?
More often than not, my characters for designs from old drawings, stories, or rps that I did in the past. Eventually, I hope to create some "1st Gen" characters for FH, but I'm still too awkward to dive into any role plays here.
What goals do you have in mind for your characters? A full story? Casual interactions?
Thus far, I have mostly casual designs, although I've been designing the color scheme and preset for a full story character of mine. For now, though, she's merely four different ClipStudio Paint files. One day... One day...
What makes a good character to you?
A "good" character is one that the creator feels. One that dialogue and actions just resonate with them. Whatever it is, whatever the personality, if the creator feels it's right and puts in the care, it's a good character to me.
Do you judge other characters harshly or are you pretty lenient?
I'd say I'm fairly lenient. Ultimately, a character that's "bad" is probably just underdeveloped or the creator isn't used to their personality. They'll improve with time, whether they know it or not.

What do you like in physical design elements?
I really like consistency in the palette design. Colors that are cohesive (not necessarily realistic, though) make all the difference. A blue and green character with a gradual yellow or orange fade? Yes please. Of course, size and weight can really make an impactful difference too. A slight change in height can make a character seem more powerful or more delicate, depending on the weight.
Do you pay more attention to color or form?
Honestly, both. One can really alter the other. Black is a slimming color, so a well-muscled character that's all black somehow seems smaller than one that is a gray shade. Although, not gonna lie, I do really love colors~
Do you make a character in the creator before having a story in mind or the other way around?
The other way around. Stories before characters. I allow their past and personalities to have at least some mirroring easter egg in their design.

[wodans]

Speaking from my own experience of creating any characters, sometimes they are inspired by already existing characters or story ideas,
the face-claim (if human) I want to use. It goes about trying to feel unique and original enough or maybe having the character relate to
my own life experiences or stories (which again, goes more toward human characters rather than the handful of dogs and wolves I have).
I like for them to be outcasts and loners, with a redemption arc of seeking peace of mind or companionship within the pack they've chosen
to make their family. Usually, a bad guy becomes good or vice verse, because it's a really fun story/character to have for your own.

As an artist, I like to draw my animal characters as much as I can, given them a background and a story from pieces I feel inspired to make.
Sometimes the ideas come later? I don't know. For example:

I have this character as a loner and a wandered, and once I was inspired by these photos that I referenced/manipped, I began to make a story
behind why this wolf, this animal was crossing a river. Maybe he was searching for something, someone, making an annual migration path or a
test to his own endurance. I can never be sure where true inspiration comes from, but I always want to be sure that I'm able to flesh them out
before I go on ahead and roleplay them. However, sometimes it helps to wait for interactions to know how you want this character to react or
talk to other characters, see where a subconscious part of me wants to go. But it's also super easy and helpful to bounce ideas off of friends and
RPG/roleplay partners, especially if you're making characters that will late be close or working together.

[Vespian]

I've been meaning to post here earlier but at the hour of first seeing it, I was quite tired. Now I am back and will probably answer this in sections.

What initially inspires a new character?
When Vespian crafts a new character, it's usually out of muse. The ideas come to me without warning, without consent, and I am left nursing the ideas until I can harbor them no longer. I never make characters because I have to or because the role-play I seek to join calls for it. If I did that, there would be no love put behind that character's creation and I more often than not end up scrapping them once the role-play falls.
Some characters of mine have approached me in one, or some, of my lucid dreams. They are quite hideous and grotesquely beautiful. I recall my character, Vespian, giving me a couple of bad frights, crying and trembling once awoke but those whom dwell in my dreams end up becoming the most memorable and the more enjoyable once I have them written out and assigned to the specifics.
Others, like my characters, Sul Oren and Hermesiel, I have crafted through the muses that come to me uninvited and sometimes in the most bizarre of situations. While they are definitely of the more simplified than those creatures in my subconscious, I've developed an attachment to them nevertheless.

What goals do you have in mind for your characters? A full story? Casual interactions?
All of Vespian's characters have a full story written behind them no matter how detailed or simplified it may be. I'd have it not any other way. To have a character with no set background history is an incomplete character in my eyes. Upon creation, all of my characters already have a concept of what their history tells. Some a bit more intricate than others.
Hermesiel's tells the story of a young wolf whom was destined to be Alpha until a rogue pack attacked his pack and shattered his peaceful life. He endures terrible scars and a case of PTSD of his deceased/murdered mother as a result. I hope that through future role-play interactions and settings, Hermesiel will come to accept her death and gather the bravery of overcoming his mental trauma.
Yusei's story, on the other hand, tells the tale of a clone brought back into existence from an extinct specie called the Lutphen. Yusei spent most of his life in a lab, created in a test tube, raised in a dog crate. His story is a sad one and sadder still as he is just a clone, able to expire at any given moment in time. He is very weak and very unstable with a weak constitution and the inability to do certain tasks. I hope to make Yusei gradually experience the good in life and live happily until the day comes when he is to die.
Those are but mere examples. With each character comes a story I must see to the end.

What makes a good character to you?
Lore, properly written lore. I couldn't care less on what the character may look like nor how they may act. What I care about is how they are developed, built, and what story they are to tell. I enjoy seeing dedication and love put behind characters. Not characters made on a whim then blatantly thrown away to rot. I like seeing characters put into use, characters that will not end up so easily abandoned.

Do you judge other characters harshly or are you pretty lenient?
I won't fib, I do tend to be a bit of a stickler but never will I voice it to anyone for it is not my right to enforce my own opinions onto another when the character in question isn't even my own. Every character's owner are known to be proud of their work, as the saying goes, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," so who am I to intrude on that?

What do you like in physical design elements?
I do not have a set preference. However, I've always been attracted to naturalistic colors. Characters of the rainbow haven't exactly gained my favoring before, or ever. I can make exceptions, though. I like realism with a bit of fantasy, something I haven't seen before or scarcely. It's originality that leaves me impressed.
I'm a tad bit vague on this answer, sorry.

Do you pay more attention to color or form?
As many before me have stated, both. One without the other, or one lacking while the other excels, leaves the character with a sense of inbalance in design and that can severely mess with my OCD.

Do you make a character in the creator before having a story in mind or the other way around?
The other way around, actually. All of my characters have started out as vague ideas and muses in my head before I was to place them on the drawing board or the lab table.

Me hopes I've answered these decently well and have gotten my point across without bewilderment.

[Rogue]

My characters usually end up being products of whatever music I happen to have had on repeat for the past couple of hours, haha ^^'

As for appearance I usually wing it... which is probably why they end up looking like carbon copies of each other with only slight changes like size and colour.