Do you design a character first and then think of a story or get the idea of a story and then design the character?

[GGOkumura]

I personally prefer creating a story first and then design the characters accordingly. Helps me know how I have to have them look, in order to fit in with the setting and such. Though, I've had friends who designed the characters first and then created a story.

[Rhonder]

I've had it happen both ways, but it's more typical for me to have the story idea first and then design the characters afterwards. One thing is that I've never been much of one to create a bunch of OCs independently of specific stories- usually if I'm making characters it's for a specific story or universe. I feel like folks who do more independent/stand alone character creation might trend more towards making stories that fit their characters rather than the other way around.

[AmazementComics]

One thing is that I've never been much of one to create a bunch of OCs independently of specific stories- usually if I'm making characters it's for a specific story or universe.

Agreed. Similarly, I create the story and then the characters always come after. It's the whole reason why I created an entire universe of comics that coexist in the same fictional world.

[simonitropunk]

My main character story came in a dream that I had. She looked really cool and wanted to see how she looks like if I sketched her out. Ever since her first design, I was like... this is it!

From there, ideas started to flow so, naturally, and decided to do plenty of sketches before going out and start a comic for this character and her story.

[CarltonIsaac]

Yes. Story first, then characters wherever required in the story..

[linaket]

Usually the main characters come to me first, then I build in secondary characters and story around them.

[ble]

The story I guess.

I don't take too much in the design process, I just go with the first design most of the times, then episodes/chapters later I regret my bad choices in hair/clothes design lol

[DasIstWunderblyat]

For primary characters:
Character design - story plan- use story to revise character design - develop them alongside each other.

Secondary and tertiary characters: revolves around story plan for main character so story plan first then design

[Rhonder]

I don't take too much in the design process, I just go with the first design most of the times, then episodes/chapters later I regret my bad choices in hair/clothes design lol

I'm super guilty of this too It's a blessing and a curse that I'm pretty bad with consistency, as I just let myself make improvements as I go. On the plus side, that means with enough time/episodes I can eventually get the designs to a good place... but on the other hand that means that some elements continually change episode to episode (or sometimes even within the same one) somewhat frequently.

I definitely see why professional works spend more time in pre-design trying out different options... It would be nice to reach this step before starting but I just wanna gooooo haha.

[BreakingChalk]

I make a character first.

Though I kind of have the idea of what the character is going to do in some placce or their personality, I don't have a story for them yet.

It just came out easier for me to make a story for the character once I already have a design, even if it changes while developing the story

[GGOkumura]

I'm guilty as well! And I have character sheets but rarely ever use them.

[rajillustration]

I draw the character first, and then feel like dreaming up the world around them later, if the drawing just really grabs my attention.

[KhanSpring]

I create a character first, then start writing the story and as I go further I reshape the character /characters.

[Tanako]

Well characters first then story for me at least. Ok let me explain further. usually I have an idea. then I create faces to the characters of the story then dive in and create the scenes. just brief ideas on what's going on. nothing too detailed because changes may be made as story progresses. but yea. character creation and story most times are congruent.

[AmandaJ-art]

I design the characters first. I just sketch out different designs and pick what I like the most. Then I build their story. I've never thought about doing it the opposite way.

[joannekwan]

I've had both happen.

Characters have popped up in my head, and they sit around until I come up with a story for them.
Other times I think of a story premise first, and then design characters for that world and plot.

[WoollyPAR]

I usually come up with their story and personality first. On rare occasions I'll have a design in mind first and I build a personality and story around their design.

[Siromany]

I feel like depending on what you start with first completely sets how the story is going to feel. My previous comic it was more centered around the lore of the world and the story itself. I had the story and character roles, and I developed characters to fit those roles, so that's entirely what they were. The characters now looking back to it feel secondary to me. I still like, developed them, but they were just so intertwined with important events in the story that it felt to me like the story motivated the characters, not the other way around. I also have a problem of world building and becoming lore obsessed that the story may become boring or hard to get into for just casual reading. We're introduced to a number of characters before being introduced to them as characters.

The comic I focus on now is extremely character focused. I first created it by just playing with the concept of two specific characters, designed them, and then made the story around them. It's a different experience, but I still have some elements of (overly complicated) world building in it, but it's not necessary to know EVERYTHING to understand the characters.

Though like, when you have your main set of characters and story, eventually you'll get both characters you need to make for the story, and characters that just kind of pop up on their own and completely change the story, and for me, for the better.

Also just a side note, I have a hard time just having oc's that don't get fitted into a story. I GOTTA have a story, even if I never share it.
(sorry this is lengthy i got excited ;n; )

[rmdooley]

Story shapes the characters

[TheDoublekey]

Strangely enough... it depends. Sometimes, I imagine the story first and later have to come up with the design. In that case it becomes much more difficult for me to imagine how I would like the character to be, though.
In other cases (like the manga I'm creating rn), I take the designs from older drawings and try to imagine the story. In this case, the work becomes much much easier .