Character reference sheets are IMPORTANT for any comic!

[AureliusSnow]

Hey everyone! Wanted to post this here because I'm really happy with how it came out and I don't want to get my subscribers excited just yet.

I have been working on character reference sheets as to prepare for my comics, and it got me interested in how everyone else does theirs. It's something that I've struggled with in the past but I am more than happy with what I eventually came up with!

This is Kanties Scarlette and she is the main character for a comic that has been on hiatus for three years now! After planning things throughout those years I now can finally get her back out there!

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Full character ref:

Without wings/tail:

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Please do also say something you like (or HELPFUL critique) about her as you post your own below!
Thank you for reading!!

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~ Aurelius Snow ~

[BLTX]

I'll post two different types of model sheets. One, of my main character's angles, and two of a height comparison chart.

You're character meanwhile, looks really nice, and unique!

[river121693]

I absolutely agree. Character sheets a re absolutely essential for me. Helps so much with same-face syndrome

[Mallory]

I actually don't use character sheets in Engram heavily. Here's what my Bicentennial Gal character sheet looked like:

And my main space ship (who is also a character):

I started drawing the comic after this and just referred to the previous pages for any angle that's not here. IMO some people get too caught up in drawing a bagillion character sheets and never end up drawing the actual comic, haha.

Now, for my new project, because I'm pitching it to publishers, I DID draw character sheets (because it's an expectation for the pitch packet). And sure, they're nice to have (mine are mounted on cardboard so I can hold them up to the screen), but I probably could've eventually compiled the same information from just drawing the characters in the comic, without the extra work.

At the end of the day people should just do whatever works, but to me it's just extra work before the pages. The only exception is if I'm struggling with a character - then I'd do studies of them to get a feel for how to draw them.

[AureliusSnow]

Height charts are definitely a must!! Love how simplistic your characters are. Must make comic creation p easy for you and I love that for you.

[AureliusSnow]

Agree. I drew different eye shapes for all of my characters to avoid same face syndrome.

[AureliusSnow]

To each their own my friend! The ship looks like a bird and I love that

[Caro]

I’ll just doodle em a couple times and jump in tbh! The only time I do proper character sheets is for work. Right now the comics I’m working on are pretty simple though so its a lil easier

[descendantsofether]

So I'm not an artist myself, but I have pretty good ideas of what I want my characters to look like when I ship them off to my artists for production. Here's the kind of stuff I ship to them.

Not really comparable to the incredible work you all do, but this is the best I can muster while having about as much artistic talent as a drowning fish.

[IzzyBloom91]

For me, I do have Character References of my characters; not so much to find out what they look like because I draw them so much that I can do it with my eyes closed. The reason I have it is to be able to capture the exact color they have. That way all the panels are the art of their scene is the same... unless the atmosphere changes like sunset or night. which is still the same I just change the settings to cool color and warm colors depending on the settings.
This Character is my Main Character Xepholen from my Webcomic Infinite Strike

if you wish to see more of him, come and check out my webcomic, Recently update. And don't forget to subscribe. I would appreciate it

Infinite Strike | Tapas

[smokesalty]

I don't have detailed ref sheets, but they do the job.

The Commune | Tapas

[iHateFridays]

Lol I have more simple ref shets and then more elaborate ones XD

These are for my fanfic haha

Home Again [Poptropica fanfic] | Tapas

[Lensing]

Here is a good homepage to compare the height of your characters and you can easily make a height sheet with it
https://www.heightcomparison.com

[EverydayWonderlander]

I made these back when I was considering working with a colorist, but these are super useful for me as well.

This one is just of the characters without any extra bells and whistels. They change outfits over the course of the comic, so it was useful to specify the ~shapes~ involved. I also made notes of what colors they wear most often. Though, I still have sticky notes on my monitors with things like "did you freckle Hain?" and "Do they have their rings/necklaces on???"

These are the recurring outfits that they'll be in. I had to blur a few out because spoilers, haha.

@descendantsofether actually included something I think is really important for comics with combat - weapons ! My early comics (I'm talking "vanished with Smackjeeves and Inkblazers" early) had a serious problem where I'd design a weapon and never keep a reference around. Depending on the genre, weapons/magical apparatus can constitute characters on their own.

These refs include assets from the CSP store, but the actual designs of the weapons are a little bit different. I use the 3D models mostly for perspective - I'll have to get off my butt and learn Blender soon though

[AureliusSnow]

Dude I love that for you!! You're havin fun and that's all that matters

[AureliusSnow]

These are some solid references! I'd suggest you mess around on sites like piccrew or other character creation sites to really envision them!

[AureliusSnow]

LOVE that early anime art style you got going on!! Reminds me of YuGiOh (sorry if spelled wrong)

[AureliusSnow]

I'm subscribed to you!! I LOVE your characters and themes and I'm honestly inspired for my own cult I'm working on! You had no right making Anopheles THAT fine tho goddamn

[AureliusSnow]

IMPORTANT!! Thank you sm!!

[AureliusSnow]

Poptropica was my childhood!! You're doing Gods work my friend