I sometimes struggle with translating other artstyles to my own, especially when they break the conventions that I'm used to following, and this is one of the times that I'm pretty stumped on how to interpret her features. Any help appreciated!
(Character is Ashley Campbell from Sally Face)
“Anime is heavily stylized and simplistic, so it makes sense that they can’t break the art style for a single character” yeah until it’s some random uggo side character with the wildest facial features you’ve ever seen 😭 Animators/designers absolutely have the capacity to make characters ugly or unconventional looking, but choose not to because they can’t fathom having a major role in their story being played by someone who isn’t marketable or pretty to look at.
So many animes have the opportunity to represent realistic features, many of which their fanbase actually have, but literally just refuse to either because of laziness or lookism. It irks me so bad, especially for L, for whose character I feel that it would make a lot of sense for narratively/thematically (Light, who represents charismatic manipulators in contrast with someone who is genuinely offputting both in appearance and social skills, but opposes his immorality).
If you can’t stand to create the rep in the first place, then at least don’t disrespect your audience by calling perfectly attractive characters “ugly.” Either commit or don’t, it’s really not that hard.
I’m looking for design clashes more than technical advice. I know there are plenty of flaws (and noticeable skill gaps) from drawing to drawing, but I want to get some feedback on how to best alter their design before I commit to updating them.
I enjoy character design, but I feel that mine are sometimes lacking in uniqueness and do not often follow rules of shape language, recognizability, or storytelling. I do think that I captured a fitting vibe for each of their personalities, but as a whole they don’t really feel unified by any single characteristic or aesthetic. They’re all just random people in a lineup.
If details of the plot would be helpful in understanding the feeling I’m going for, all of these characters are meant to be in a Danganronpa-style killing game run by an elitist cult. They all have ties to this group in some way, mostly familial, and have differing attitudes on the ethics of their situation. Some feel a sense of entitlement to winning, while the main character (far left) and some of his allies are attempting to dismantle the system from the inside.
And while we are on the topic of the main character… I think I dislike his design the most. He has a vaguely grunge fashion style, but I don’t feel like it’s befitting of his personality nor gives the sense of an “important” character (although he is meant to be slightly reserved and unassuming). He does have scarring on his face, although it is a bit hard to see due to the way it was drawn.
Any advice appreciated! And I apologize in advance if Reddit decides to crop this in a way where half the image is covered.