Sophia - Final Design
This is the final design I came up with for Sophia. She's a 10-year-old girl, living independently in a treehouse she built, in close proximity to her best friend Joey, a bear that she adopted when it was just a cub. She's got a very assertive personality, perhaps best demonstrated by her ability to handle what is now a nearly full grown bear.
Development
The first thing I tried to do was work out what sort of style I wanted to draw with, whether it'd be more realistic or more stylised. Apparently I forgot to scan that page of my sketch pad in, but this image here is of the page after I decided.
These doodles were my assuring that the basic model I'd decided to base my character around was capable of all the necessary body language and posing to make a convincing character.
The segmented image there was from when I was briefly thinking about how it would all fit together as a 2D puppet in Flash, but I decided that at that point that it was probably worth having a character first before working out the technical details.
These doodles were my assuring that the basic model I'd decided to base my character around was capable of all the necessary body language and posing to make a convincing character.
The segmented image there was from when I was briefly thinking about how it would all fit together as a 2D puppet in Flash, but I decided that at that point that it was probably worth having a character first before working out the technical details.
Given the exaggerated size of the head, I figured that the hair would probably be one of, if not the, key distinguishing feature of the character.
I experimented with a few styles inspired by existing cartoons, before having a go at some variations that I felt better fitted the style I wanted the character to be in. I eventually decided on the dual pony/pigtail style.
I experimented with a few styles inspired by existing cartoons, before having a go at some variations that I felt better fitted the style I wanted the character to be in. I eventually decided on the dual pony/pigtail style.
With the colours of her clothes, I wanted it to contrast somewhat with her personality. The way she acts and talks sometimes is likely to come across as somewhat masculine, and I felt like I ought to balance that out a little bit in the colours she wears - but keeping them in line with what she herself would choose to wear.
I eventually settled on the bottom row centre colour scheme as the one that I felt did the job best.
I eventually settled on the bottom row centre colour scheme as the one that I felt did the job best.