How to Draw a Dragon

Making Characters

I actually have no ocs (original characters) whatsoever, but I thought I might as well talk about making them. I guess I'm leaning more towards the graphics design and movie making part instead of the personal character part though, so don't rely completely on this!

1. Clichés
Don't design a character that looks precisely the same as the characters of around 15 609 784 of the population. Try to see what other people seem to always do and try to avoid it. Try to tweak your design so it stands out with a unique flair.

2. Exaggeration
Sometimes, exaggerating an important part of a character will make it stand out more. This works especially well when you have a cartoon style.

3. Colour
Colours can carry lots of connotations, such as white being pure and peaceful while purple can be mysterious or magically royal. And sometimes, using certain colours just look really cool. So experiment!

4. Accessories/Clothes
Gives a recognizable feature to a character or adds an interesting thingy. Why are they wearing it? you may have to consider.

5. Backstory
Make your character have a good backstory, but remember not everyone has a tragic life. I see most people make sad backstories for all their characters which I find somewhat... cliché? Anyways, make a believable backstory for your character!

6. Personality
We all have good days and bad days, and everyone is flawed. Remember a kind person can also get mad, and a negetive person can still feel happy. If you happen to want your character to have a uncheerful feel, design them so they have a sort of unhappy expression - droopy eyes, mouth curved down at the corners...

7. Art style
Scratchy hard lines and dark contrasting shadows can make a character seem creepy. Soft thick round lines look fluffy and cute. Think about how to draw your character as well!

8. For example:
The pic above (Can't find who did it. I didn't draw it of course!) is a good example (though it's not a character). The sharp jagged teeth and sharp jagged lines used in the art makes the dragon seem scary. High contrast increases a sense of tension, and etc. Plus, it looks really cool!

9. I can't think of anything else
But once again, this is more about movies or graphics! If you're happy the way your character is, keep them that way. And don't stress about naming them. Names can be important, but aren't as important as the visual or story aspect of a character.