Do you create character references for every single one of your characters? Or only a few?
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Jan '19last reply
Jan '19- 35
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I'm working on it right now, but I'm planning on doing them for every character once they're introduced to my comic
I've been meaning to do the same thing with my characters for the longest time. Especially with the DRGN characters.
In term of design, currently I only have one and is outdated. I want to redo it but ref sheets are boring to do 
Most of characters that have complex outfit have at least a drawing depict the full clothes, but it's rather ref for the outfit not the characters themselves.
In term of character bio, I have most of the major cast noted.
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ive only finished one proper reference sheet for a single character out of a total of over 20 but i do plan on having ref sheets for everyone. mostly to keep base colors on model since no character really has one "main outfit" and because I've a habit of forgetting at least one major detail when drawing someone 
I do a ref, but never a ref sheet; I'm too lazy for that, really-
I just draw them in simple stance so I have a reference for their colors and default outfit and write all of their info on a separate file.
Alternate outfits are just hell though.
I personally do, even minor characters sometimes. After that I show them to my illustrator and she actually draws them for the light novels.
I usually open up a new file to design a character and that just ends up being the dedicated reference page. Usually it's quicker for me to just go back to a previous page though because it'll have been in the "Recently Opened" tab and I can just immediately open it. I ought to organize my references better tbh...
I would say that I do make concept sketches of moooost of my characters? Where I sketch out a few different designs and decide which one I like best. And usually once I get concept sketches I'm happy with, I use them as my own personal reference. (Or I'll use whichever drawing of them is most recent if said sketches are too old, lol)
As for full reference sheets with the color palettes and whatnot, I'm not sure I've ever done that tbh.
I haven't made any references in over 6 years. |D
I'd really like to start creating refs again eventually though. I have so many characters that need new refs.
Something I have recently begun to do. But mostly it's sketches, nothing too finished. I also practice turning them into pixel art sprites as well, usually in one simple pose.
I did for 2 of my main characters, and got too lazy to continue for the other 3 xD;; I do more like what was mentioned earlier, and usually ref recent pages. And even then, that's more for minor characters. The main group i know well enough to draw from memory xD
well I mean.. that was the plan... sadly I didn't get past the 2 main characters D: I really should make character sheets.. I'm introducing quite a few new characters so I should hop it..
I don't have proper character sheets for my characters because I have so many of them and they change outfits quite often. Instead I have quick sketches of all the outfits and colour maps that I use instead. I've also had most of my characters for a long time, so I've gotten very used to drawing them by now, so character sheets don't really feel like a necessity to me.
References are useful when there's a lot to remember but I don't think in comics they need to be as detailed as say, in animation. Especially if there's only one artist and it's you.
I didn't do any. I'd probably gain time if I did. But I'm still evolving with the design of my characters so it will wait until I've found their permanent appearances.
And more: they'll frequently have changes of clothess so...
ha! no.
i used to have character sheets for my two MCs, but as my style and their designed evolved the character sheets would fall out of use and need updating, and i didnt really need them anymore. other characters will get a sketch or two before i get to work on them, and therell be various references to hand, but nothing as formal as a character sheet.
No but I actually need them.
I've made simple refs, so they'll be sketched full body with a coloured headshot to get the colours right, I felt like my characters will be changing clothes a lot so I didn't bother (Edit: made like a sheet with possible character outfits but even then they're just sketched). The problem now whenever I want my ocs commissioned or I'm doing a trade I don't have a set ref to send to the artist so I compile panels from my comic and hope that's enough.
I'm actually making better reference sheet right now.
I only do charasheets when I'm asked explicitely for them, otherwise... nope O_o" It stops me frim drawing on my manga... quick scribbles/outtakes/etc inbetween, okay, but I personally don't see much of a point in charasheets oo
I'm also no friend of long descriptions of said character next to the charasheet, I love finding all that stuff out in the story itself =)
Not unless I want the character drawn by other people.
But for my own reference I just go back to previous pages.
I only have one reference sheet, and I really should make another one, cause I can't continue looking back at older pages as references XD
I do character sheets, backstorys, and a short story for each character in the book I'm working on, but do none of that for my short stories.
My reference sheets are only for major recurring characters and tend to be little more than a quick basic front on drawing to get the general shapes and then colours dotted around so they're consistent and then a height guide. Given 90% of The 1st Rule characters wear a uniform outfit references for each character aren't generally needed.
I do one for every chapter pretty much. I use them for clothing, since they change their clothes a lot, and one specific character does their hair different a lot as well. They also function as my palette. 
Ah, after reading through some of the other replies, to add onto my own:
while I don't really do outfit/pose reference sheets for my chars, I absolutely use the heck out of Photoshop's color library things. I have one of those for each character to keep the colors consistent and be able to reference them quickly. If I didn't have access to that tool, I would def have to have a ref page of some sort to color match off of.
I'm cant' say for EVERY character but at least the majority
doing a reference sheet is a good way to see the character and their design/style. most of the time if i wasn't redraw them ill do a character sheet but other than that ill be too lazy and just draw them in an illustration/ concept way instead.
I don't have any. I only did the "they look like this" sketch once, then changed it once and that's it. I even chose the colors during the first chapter!
And for a few months now I'm trying to make a new reference sheet, but I know it is useless now, because this guys will be older in just 3 chapters. So of course I sometimes forget small things like the patch on main hero's forehead, next day I come back to this page, draw it while I'm cursing... 
So, i think, it is not so necessary, if your characters don't have any really complicated design.
I don't do anything too fancy. Just a vague "This is how they look like" headshot that's nice enough to post everywhere. I have a ton of notes and stuff that I keep to myself.
Personally, I don't think everyone needs to make one for their comic, but if you're just getting used to drawing the characters, it's a great help when starting out on a new comic. I think we all know that character designs can change in really subtle ways the more we work on our comics XD
But I will say, they make for some pretty great behind-the-scenes content.
