Keep track of your creativity and learn to sketch characters with Caio Martins

Turn your sketchbook into a paper lab for character design

Whoever thinks that ideas are born ready to be shared is dead wrong. Every spark of creativity must be polished again and again, built little by little, and improved until it reaches its final version, especially when it comes to projects involving the conversion from analog to digital.

Caio Martins (@caiorfmartins) is a visual artist specializing in character design and storyboarding who has worked for studios like DreamWorks, Netflix, and Disney Jr. Today he is sharing some tips for working with your creativity on a sketchbook using a simple guide:

It all starts with the first drawing. Look at it, pay attention, and determine what details you like the most. Is it the curve of the eyes? Repeat those strokes, apply them on a second iteration.

Now try to use another color. Caio used red in the example. Explore other alternatives, try to make some changes in this version. In this example, the artist also decided to use a different hairstyle for his character:

Now use the black pen over all the strokes and details that you like and want to keep.

In your next attempt, you can experiment with changes in the character's silhouette. If it was short in the beginning, this time make it tall. If it was very thin, try adding a little weight.

While applying these changes, take the opportunity to test with different clothing and accessories, so that you have more options to choose from on the final version.

Another interesting exercise for character design is to try changing the ethnic features. What would your character be like if his or her skin was a different color? Try to recreate it by changing physical characteristics and accentuating the necessary lines to achieve it.

Now you have a variety of options from which you can choose the details that you like the most. However, in each of the versions, there must be some “anchor” elements, details that, regardless of how many modifications you have made, continue to maintain your character associated with its original personality.

As you can see, in the exercise that Caio has done, these elements are two accessories: the magnifying glass and the backpack. Thus, it does not matter if the character ends up being tall or short, thin or fat, one ethnicity, or the other. These are elements that keep the essence of the character.

Finally, choose the version that you like the most.

If you want to learn more about how to bring animated characters to life, sign up for the Character Design for Animation with Photoshop course, in which you will learn about the tools and techniques to master this creative process from start to finish.

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- Sketchbook: 5 Great Masters Who Sketched
- The Importance of Sketching Every Day