Concept Art Tutorial 05: Character Design with Storytelling

Hey guys! This is my fifth installment in my concept art tutorial series. Thank you for all the likes and comments on my previous articles. I appreciate all the support.

Ever since I came back from Comic Con and met Ryan Meinerding, I've been kind of itching to do some character design. In case, you don't know who Ryan Meinerding is, he is the HEAD of visual development at Marvel Studios. His artwork is absolutely awesome! He has been responsible for setting a new standard of art and design in this industry. I got to talk to him for bit, and see a little demo drawing spiderman at his booth, and was totally inspired.

What I'm going to show you guys today is called the Teen Titans Project. I was revisiting my portfolio, I decided to touch up some of the my illustrations I made 5 years ago. Back in 2012, my friend was developing a fan-made superhero film that he was going to launch on Kickstarter. I worked on some of the costumes designs for the film. As I was touching up some of my old paintings, I had so much fun that I decided to just redo the designs with the new skills I've developed for the past 5 years.

First up is the character Deathstroke. This is the design I did back in 2012. He is the big bad villain in the story.

WHAT'S WRONG: The problem with this illustration is that you can't really tell that he is the bad guy. He just looks like a ninja dude with some tactical military gear. It's not a bad start, but I need to adjust his pose so he looks more menacing and evil.

THE STORY: This is much better! Here you can clearly see he is a bad guy. I changed the pose just so slightly (more hunched over) so he looks like he is gonna kill you. I added a little bit more texture all over and introduced a "high tech" form language into his designs. As for the graphic layout, you can see that I'm emphasizing the name of the character, included a brief subtitle, inserted some early sketch iterations, a ghosted close up of the face, and a cast shadow. It's not perfect, but those small edits made a HUGE difference over the former.

BREAKDOWN: Here I am showing you how I used "photo-bashing" to enhance the illustration. I'm taking bits and pieces from other artists and photo assets, combining it with my own illustration, and adding a transformation layer on top to make it my own design. Is this considered stealing? Well... photo-bashing is a common practice in the industry and you could say nothing is completely original and everything is a remix. However, I do want to acknowledge that I did take elements from the Arkham Origins Deathstroke Design. Whoever created that version did a super great job and I want to at least cite my sources.

On to the next character! This is Raven. You can tell that she is some sort of sexy sorceress character.

WHAT'S WRONG: This character is supposed to be dark and brooding, but the pose and outfit feels very flamboyant and "Las Vegas." The costume pays homage to the original Raven design used in the comics (classic superhero style). But, I want to change it so the look feels a lot more modern, subtle and reality driven.

THE STORY: Based on my research, this character is half-demon, so I wanted to really incorporate gothic and dark elements into the costume design. Raven uses a form of dark magic and is a fantastical character, but I wanted the costume to be more modern so she is relatable as a person (similar to the way Marvel redesigned Scarlet Witch in the Avengers). Raven is also a very beautiful character, I was debating whether or not draw her with her iconic hood. The hood is an essential element of her design because it mimics the shape of a "raven's beak," but I didn't want to cover up her enchanting face. In the end, I just decided to show both versions! I learned to be more flexible in the layout and just do whatever I needed to best convey the story and design of the character.

BREAKDOWN: You can see a lot of the real world elements I'm using. For the face, I used a photo from the cosplayer @jinxkittiecosplay. Yes the character is obviously wearing a lot of makeup, but I didn't want her to look like she was trying too hard. She is certainly not trying to impress you. I have a lot of friends who are into the alternative indie punk-rock culture, lots of tattoos and piercings etc... and I was thinking of them as well I designing her wardrobe. With this modern outfit, I definitely could she her walking around at an Indie/ Punk concert or something.

This is the Flash! You probably have heard of him.

WHAT'S WRONG: Overall I like the design. There are some sharp unfinished angels in the arms and legs... but it's not that big of a deal.

THE STORY: I am definitely trying to ground him in the real world. I used to run cross country and track and field in high school, so I have a good idea of what kind of clothes allow you to run fast. The CW TV show "The Flash" uses leather for the costume, and the Justice League version of the Flash wears armor. Neither of those design would allow you to move fast in real life.

My favorite part of this design is the lightning bolt I shaved into the side of his head. Most classic Flash designs have a lightning bolt earpiece, but I think it's very dangerous to have a sharp lightning bolt plastic/ metal object protruding from the side of your headpiece, ESPECIALLY while you are running at high speeds. I'm paying respects to the original design, while interpreting it in a modern fashion. :)

BREAKDOWN: Here you can see all the tech fabrics and athletic gear I'm incorporating in this design. What's really important are the shoes I created for him. Running in boots is really not comfortable. Instead, I designed a running shoe that incorporates ankle protectors (like basketball), compression socks (like soccer), and velcro straps so to make sure his shoes never fall off. It's a common practice for athletes to duck tape their shoes to their ankles during obstacle course races such as Tough Mudder, because they don't want their shoelaces to untie during 12 miles of running. I'm incorporating that level of practicality into this design.

You can also see I'm using Justin Bieber as the face for Kid Flash *LOL*. I imagine his personality to be likable and talkative, but also kind of annoying at the same time. He is wearing polarized lens in his visor to shield his eyes from the lighting his creates, but to look cool because he is trying to impress the ladies.

This is Robin - Batman's former sidekick. He is now leader of the Teen Titans!

WHAT'S WRONG: I created this design in 2012 shortly after the Dark Knight came out, and I used a lot of Batman armor as inspiration. Unfortunately, there is a complete disregard of any storytelling or personality in this design. It's just Robin with some armor slapped on... I needed to tell a more compelling story.

THE STORY: Robin is a very talented fighter, but no where near the level of skill and experience of his mentor - Batman. Only a teenager, Robin exhibited signs of impatience and arrogance. One night, Robin went out alone to take on the Joker, and his arm was severely burned during a chemical attack. The acid burned through many layers of tissue and bone, Bruce had to eventually amputate Robin's arm... and replace it with a bionic one.

The story I'm trying to tell is a personal one. The struggle of being a freelance concept artist is real. I've experienced signs of mild arthritis in my hands from drawing too much, and I try my best everyday to take care of my body and do exercises to improve my mobility. I've made my fair share of mistakes in the past, and I really try to see where I can learn and improve. I am continuing to work hard, be humble and be patient in my journey of being a professional concept artist.

BREAKDOWN: Robin looks is a pretty cool looking fellow. He is someone you could see at a bar or working out at the gym. I really like the way the illustration turned out, and it's because I drew a lot of inspiration from other artists such as Jo?l Dos Reis Viegas, Nick Robles, and Boss Logic on their interpretation of Robin. Without their artwork, there is no way it could have looked this good. I took bits and pieces here and there, and put my own spin on it to craft a narrative that was personal to me.

This is Superboy Prime. You probably have all heard of Superman. But, Superboy Prime is simply an evil superman from an alternate universe, where he is a psychotic and murderous villain.

WHAT'S WRONG: Basically it's superman in a black leotard with a tattered cape. You can't even tell that he is a bad guy. There is nothing quite unique or interesting about this design.

THE STORY: Superman is a very mild mannered and polite citizen. What does it mean to be a "superman" from an alternate reality? I wanted Superboy Prime feel like a douchebag or a bully that we all know or have experienced. I explored options such as portraying him as football jock, college fraternity bro, or those hipsters with those big beards. In the end, I decided it would be very fun and interesting if I based this character on Conor McGregor - the UFC fighter. I thought it would be very fun and interesting if the alternate reality version was him was not only evil, but also a foul-mouthed, arrogant super villain. I think it would make for a lot of comedy and entertainment!

I'm am a huge fan of McGregor, and am thrilled about the boxing fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather coming up. Metaphorically speaking, McGregor IS Superboy Prime. He is the champion an alternate reality, coming over to challenge the undefeated champion from the boxing ring - Floyd Mayweather. I think this is a very apt comparison.

BREAKDOWN: Again I'm trying to ground this into reality. I'm using a surfing wetsuit for the base costume, combat boots from Marvel's Thor, and referencing French Epaulets where the cape attaches to the outfit. I love the aviator sunglasses he is wearing because it really differentiates this design from the traditional superman. Overall this character is full of confidence and thinks of himself as the ultimate fighting champion.

Thank you so much. I hope you guys enjoyed this tutorial. Honestly, it was more of a concept art "breakdown" rather than a step-by-step tutorial. I think I focused a lot more on the storytelling aspect, rather than the technical/ artistic side of things. I honestly had so much fun creating these series of illustrations. Maybe it's because I'm not a character design specialist, so I didn't take it "too seriously"?

I think over the course of creating this series of illustrations, I learned that whether you like it or not, if you are an artist, your mood and emotions still influences the final outcome of your work - to a certain degree. When you are having fun, the artwork will look fun! To create true artistry, you have to channel your emotions and life experience onto a page. Its sounds so vulnerable to suggest that the quality of one's work is susceptible to the state of one's emotions, but I think the same is true with singing, acting, dancing or any type of artistry. You need to get to know yourself and be in touch with your emotions.

If you are interested in reading some of my other Concept Art Tutorials, here are some below. Or please like my Facebook page: Theme Park Arts where I post daily updates on my concept art progress. Have fun and good luck!

Concept Art Tutorial 01: Pokemon Go Theme Park

Concept Art Tutorial 02: Pokemon Go 4D Show

Concept Art Tutorial 03: Doctor Strange Inspired VR Game

Concept Art Tutorial 04: Ogre Village

Contact: [email protected]

Portfolio: www.chris-chien.com

Facebook Page: Theme Park Arts