How to Design a Character in Illustrator: A Simple Guide

Creating a character in Adobe Illustrator doesn’t have to be complicated. This guide will walk you through the process step by step, making it as simple as possible for you to bring your character to life.

Sketch Your Character

Start with a basic sketch. It doesn’t have to be perfect; this is just to get your ideas down on paper.

Why Start with a Sketch? Starting with a sketch is the foundation of character design in Adobe Illustrator. It’s the initial step where you lay down your ideas, even if they’re rough. Think of it as a blueprint or a draft. It doesn’t need to be detailed or refined; it’s just a starting point.

Materials You’ll Need:

Paper and Pencil: Traditional sketching tools are always a good starting point. They allow for quick changes and are easily accessible.
Digital Drawing Tablet: If you’re more comfortable with digital tools or want to directly sketch within Illustrator, a drawing tablet can be handy.

Steps to Sketch Your Character:

Brainstorm: Before you even put pencil to paper, think about your character. What’s their personality? Their background? Their physical attributes? Jot down ideas or create a mood board.
Start with Basic Shapes: Every character can be broken down into simple shapes. Circles for heads, rectangles for torsos, and so on. Begin by drawing these.
Add Features: Once you have your basic shapes, start adding in features. Draw the eyes, nose, mouth, and other facial features. Add limbs, clothes, and accessories.
Refine Your Sketch: Now, go back and refine. Adjust proportions, redraw any features that don’t look right, and add more details.
Consider Your Character’s Pose: How is your character standing or sitting? Are they in motion? The pose can convey a lot about your character’s personality and mood.
Use References: If you’re unsure about how to draw something, look it up! Use photos or other art as a reference to help guide your sketching.

Good examples for getting references for your sketch:

Cartoon Characters: Think about classic cartoon characters. They often have exaggerated features and are made up of simple shapes. This can be a great starting point for beginners.
Real-life Inspirations: Use photos of real people as a starting point. This can help you get the proportions and features right.
Other Artists: Look at how other artists and game art studios approach character design. This can give you new ideas and techniques to try. You can find custom 3d character designers here.

It’s a character model sheet from outsourcing design studio RetroStyle Games

Set Up Your Workspace

Before you jump into Illustrator, set up your workspace. Check out the tools you need, such as the Pen Tool and Shape Tools.

Steps to Set Up Your Workspace:

Open Adobe Illustrator: Launch the software on your computer.
Choose a Workspace Layout: Illustrator offers several preset workspace layouts tailored for different tasks. For character design, you might find the “Essentials” or “Drawing” layouts most useful.
Familiarize Yourself with Essential Tools:
- Pen Tool: This is your primary drawing tool. It allows you to create and edit paths with precision.

Shape Tools: These tools let you quickly add rectangles, ellipses, polygons, and other basic shapes to your design. They’re great for creating a character’s basic structure.

Customize Your Toolbar: If there are specific tools you use frequently, you can add them to your toolbar for easy access. Conversely, remove tools you don’t need to declutter your workspace.
Set Up Panels: Panels contain various options and settings for your tools. For character design, panels like “Layers”, “Swatches” and “Brushes” might be particularly useful. Arrange them in a way that’s intuitive for you.
Save Your Workspace: Once you’ve set everything up, save your workspace layout. This way, even if you switch to a different task and change your layout, you can quickly return to your character design setup.

Trace the Character

Import your sketch into Illustrator and use it as a template. Use the Pen Tool to trace around your character.

Steps to Trace Your Character:

1.) Import Your Sketch:

Open Adobe Illustrator.
Go to File > Place and select your sketch. This will insert your sketch into the Illustrator canvas.
Adjust the sketch’s opacity to make it lighter, making tracing easier. You can do this in the Transparency panel.

2.) Lock the Sketch Layer:

In the Layers panel, create a new layer for your tracing.
Lock the sketch layer to prevent any accidental edits.

3.) Start Tracing with the Pen Tool:

Select the Pen Tool from the toolbar.
Begin tracing the outline of your character. Click to create anchor points and drag to adjust curves.
Remember to close paths to create solid shapes.

4.) Refine Your Tracing:

Zoom in to focus on detailed areas.
Use the Direct Selection Tool to adjust anchor points and curves for precision.

Add Basic Colors – Once your character is traced, start adding colors. Begin with flat, basic colors—don’t worry about shading just yet.

Create Depth with Shading – To make your character pop, add some shading. This gives depth and dimension to your design. Shading not only adds a 3D feel but also brings out the character’s features more prominently.

Steps to Add Shading:

Select Your Character:
- Use the Selection Tool to choose the part of your character you want to shade.
Choose a Shading Color:
- Pick a color slightly darker than your character’s base color. This will be your shading color.
Use the Gradient Tool:
- The Gradient Tool allows you to blend your base color with the shading color, creating a smooth transition.
- Apply the gradient where you want the shading. Typically, areas away from the light source will be darker.
Adjust the Shading:
- Use the Gradient Annotator to adjust the direction and spread of the shading.
- Remember, consistency in light direction across your character ensures realism.

Add Details and Personality

This is where your character comes to life. Add facial expressions, clothing, and accessories to make your character unique.

Facial Expressions:

The face is the window to a character’s soul. Adjust the eyebrows, eyes, and mouth to show emotions like happiness, sadness, or surprise.
Example: For a happy character, curve the mouth upwards and raise the eyebrows slightly.

Clothing:

Dress your character according to their personality or the role they play. A business character might wear a suit, while a casual character might wear jeans and a t-shirt.
Example: For a beach setting, give your character shorts, a t-shirt, and flip-flops.

Accessories:

Accessories can add depth to your character’s backstory. Glasses, hats, jewelry, or even a backpack can tell more about who they are.
Example: A character with a camera around their neck might be a photographer.

Review and Adjust

Take a step back and review your character. Make adjustments as needed until you are satisfied with the result.

Save and Export Your Character

Once you’re happy with your design, save your work. Export your character in the desired format.

Practical Tips for Character Design in Illustrator (H4)

Keep It Simple: Don’t overcomplicate your design with unnecessary details.
Be Consistent: Ensure the style is uniform across your character.
Use Layers Wisely: Organize your work into layers for easier editing later on.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

Overuse of Colors: Too many colors can be overwhelming. Stick to a cohesive color palette.
Ignoring Anatomy: Even stylized characters need to follow basic anatomy rules.
Not Using References: References are essential. They guide your design and keep it grounded.

The Importance of Character Design

Character design is more than just creating a pretty picture. It’s about crafting a personality, telling a story, and engaging your audience.

Bringing Your Character to Life

Designing a character in Illustrator is a rewarding process. With patience and practice, you can create a vibrant, memorable character that tells its own story. Remember to start simple, gradually adding complexity as your skills improve.