The worst character design advice

Doesn't a kink basically mean "something unusual that turns you on"? Because most kinks are weird AF lol.

To the question how it's affecting me? It's not actually, everyone is free to like whatever they like, I think I'm free to think some kinks are disgusting or disturbing. Though vore isn't harmful as far as I know, badly drawn vore is kind of popular on DeviantArt for some reason? I wrote it in bad design choices because it's very unappealing to the majority of our population, and I just don't understand vore at all.

But then again, I probably like stuff that other people would find weird or offsetting. So I'm sorry if I offended you or anyone. u__u

Nah you didn't! If anything, I appreciate your understanding. Honestly, before my girlfriend, I would have probably hopped right on conversations poking fun at it. But the day she realized she liked it she literally came to me almost crying because she felt so bad? She felt like a freak and like there was something wrong with her. And that was such an eye opening moment for me because it made me realize "why should she feel like this?" She's not gonna go around leaving creepy comments, she's not gonna look at people and go "god I wanna eat them." She might just draw it occasionally or favorite some vore pieces and that's about it. Why should she feel ashamed of that? She's not hurting anyone.
And that's kinda how I feel about all unusual kinks. You're right, everyone has every right to find kinks weird or disgusting. One of my friends just confessed they like omorashi, which is something that can literally make me gag, but unless they come over and piss on my couch or something then? Uh, whatever. I might unfollow if they draw it a lot or something, but it's their account to do what they want with and it's not like they wouldn't tag/warn for content like that.
Unless it's something that could be potentially dangerous like pedophilia or non-con, whatever? That's how I've always viewed it. :'D

Moooost people aren't showing their mom their Tumblr and DeviantArt. You're correct in saying there's always a chance IRL family and friends could find it, but they could just as easily (probably more easily) find someone's nudes on Tumblr, and that's not really shamed beyond maybe...slut shaming. Maybe considered dumb, but nobody's really making fun of them.
They aren't really gonna find other artists of that fetish if they don't post them publicly, but really even then it's still not that hard to avoid? Like yeah, you might see it on the front page of DeviantArt or in your favorite tag on Tumblr, but you'll find plenty of other garbage in those places too. That's not exclusive to weird fetishes. If you stumble upon a page that has a lot of it, simply click away, just like you would for the page of an artist with a style you don't like.
You're right in saying you're at risk of getting mean comments whenever someone posts something "weird" online, but I don't understand the benefits of being the one making the mean comments.

By the way, I feel bad for getting this thread off topic, so in attempts to throw it back on track, here's some more great character design advice:
If your villain has some animal to represent them, it must be something considered evil, like a snake. Respectively, heroes should be something like a lion.

'Anatomy isn't important, just being creative is important'

Wrong. My anatomy class was the best thing that ever happened to me. I thought it was silly because I was drawing cartoons. But honestly you can't be a good character artist on any level without a basic understand of the human body. Bottom line.

Remember, if you are making a protagonist for an anime-inspired work, the protagonist has to look like the anime equivalent of your average joe (i.e Kirito from SAO, that guy from School Days)

• The side characters are more important because they’re your MC’s support. Without them, your main character would be nothing. So make sure to use all your time designing supporting characters. They must look cooler than the MC!
• When designing your characters, feel free to trace the designs you like from other characters in other famous works within your medium. Then mash the designs together. (Please don’t ever do this. )
• When you design a bloodthirsty villain, make them a 5 year old girl. It’s more sinister if she looks like she’s from Glitter Force.

Glitter, belts, ribbons and spice, I call upon the 90's for bad character advice.

A character's visual appearance must not only embrace but give away 100% of their personality, because readers don't want to spend time figuring out who they are. A magical girl should only wear one colour in her whole outfit, preferably pink, avoid 'cool' colours because they are not as feminine, but it's ok if it's a tough tomboy character or a bookworm. You can further emphasize their personality by giving them Japanese names that directly mean their colour or elemental power! Try "Hikari", for a light themed or yellow magical girl, "Midori" for your tough green tomboy or "Sakura" for a pink/ love themed main character.

A main hero should have big spiky hair, it makes him visually distinct from the whole cast because we see many main protagonists that look this way. If you want your audience to fall in love with him, you can consider drawing him one of two ways. Maybe he is fighting for the love of his life, who is a maid, because a soft feminine maid makes the audience feel very sympathetic. Make sure to draw her a lot with her hands clasped around her chest, which will show that she's innocent and pure. He should look stoic and uninterested, but he actually isn't, you just can't tell past the constipated face because his life is really hard because the maid keeps getting captured and he's ready to retire and become a jaded alcoholic, the sequel. The other way I suggest is to make him really cool and happy and friendly, this is great if you don't want pretend he has a personality.

Villains need to show they are obviously villains, otherwise readers might be confused. Put some hard jagged edges and tatters in their clothes because villains are allergic to looking good. Unless he is rich, though. In that case make him look like a handsome prince but with a sinister smile, so you know he is up to no good. If you want to emphasize his character more, give him a tesla cybertruck and an instagram influencer entourage. You know he is lonely and miserable this way, because the models are being paid to be there.

"blindly follow trends and do what everyone else is doing when it comes to characters design"

I was coming to say that! I think this is really the worst for me; I don't mind awkwardness or illogical choices so much; but all these characters looking the same because it's exaggeratedly inspired by a few trendy comics... Rhaaa!

Make sure to add gleams on big tits. As if they've been drenched in vegetable oil. That's how they all look irl.

I just choked on my coffee. Thanks.

Characters are templates, never try to expand beyond them when writing, nor drawing. Thats too complicated and make readers confused. Stick rigidly to these templates
Fat-will talk about eating for 90% of their dialog, the other 10% are them saying their tired from physical activity like walking up the stairs

Tsundere-twin tails, copy of the design of your most popular animu, Violent and always accuse the MC of being a pervert and physically assault him like its 2000 all over again. Should be the main love interest despite the abuse which will not stop even with a confession.

Yandere- pink hair, once again copy design of your most popular animu. Same as tsundere just with more stalking and illegality. If male, dark hair, no facial hair and with with a shit ton of money that will be poorly explained on why he has it.

MC- only matters with genre. In romance make them so in uninteresting design they might as well be a background character with a personality being none existent (your audience will be distracted by the personality making them unable to insert themselves, that is not good). In any other genre make their design the most complex and overly complicated because as I said your readers are dumb and will never know whose the main character. Sprinkle in flaws that have actually no effect on anything whats so ever.

Emo, I mean "depressed"? nah everyone else sees them as deep and wise. Short tempered? nah they only lose thier cool to those who deserve it. Have a freakish trait like......Wings*gasp*? Nah everyone else finds it sexy.

Stick to these templates and never explore anything else outside of these. Design and writing should be copy and paste of things more popular.

Draw old people exactly how you would an 18 year old, except they have itachi-lines underneath their eyes. It's really convincing.

Make your characters likes and dislikes an obvious given, vague, and can apply to anyone

-Example-
Likes: Food that tastes good, fun things
Dislikes: Boring things, feeling sad

But seriously, I see this a lot in character descriptions

Overthink every single (useless) detail.
Make a huge character description sheet detailing every tiny detail.

Height, weight, favourite this and that, blah blah.

I'm sure it's more interesting to read those long paragraphs instead oh, say, showing the character's personality through the comic/novel itself. It's not like readers need to understand how the characters act through actions. No, they need a large block of text repeatedly telling you how awesome/kind/whatever that character is.