making your oc not suck (this title is a joke do not panic)
TLDRIn this video, Lavender Town discusses how to create original characters (OCs) that are engaging and feel real. The video emphasizes giving characters multiple hobbies outside their main job, a history that influences their present, and imperfections to make them more relatable and unique. It also suggests considering their likes and dislikes, including specific patterns or items that can serve as a signature for the character. The host then puts this advice to the test by designing a character step-by-step, incorporating elements like ballet, a love for insects, and a preference for espresso, to demonstrate how knowing a lot about a character can inform the design process and make the character feel more authentic.
Takeaways
- 📚 Give your character more verbs: Consider hobbies and interests outside of their main job to make them feel more fleshed out and relatable.
- 🎨 Include a history: Think about how their past experiences, from childhood to teenage years, influence their current behavior and appearance.
- 🧩 Add imperfections: Subtle imperfections like chipped nail polish or a birthmark can make a character feel more real and unique.
- 🔍 Consider likes and dislikes: Knowing their preferences for food, patterns, and media can help in designing their personality and appearance.
- 🌟 Develop signature traits: Having a character associated with certain items or patterns can be a powerful way to remind readers of them.
- 🎓 Incorporate their education and upbringing: A character's background, such as attending private school or having a strict upbringing, can influence their present behavior.
- 🩰 Reflect their hobbies in their appearance: A character's activities, like ballet, can be shown through their posture, clothing, and accessories.
- 🧬 Use physical markers to tell a story: Scars or birthmarks can add depth to a character's story without overwhelming it.
- 👻 Connect their interests to their appearance: Show a character's love for horror movies or gaming through subtle clues in their clothing or accessories.
- ☕️ Include current favorites: A character's current likes, such as a preferred drink, can be used as an easy way to incorporate their interests into the design.
- 🌈 Use color palette and style to reflect personality: An earthy color palette with pops of color in specific areas can reflect a character's taste and background.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video?
-The main topic of the video is discussing ways to develop original characters (OCs) in a manner that makes them feel more fleshed out and interesting to audiences.
What does Lavender Town suggest as the first step in creating a well-rounded character?
-Lavender Town suggests giving characters more verbs, meaning additional activities or hobbies outside of their primary occupation, to make them feel more fleshed out.
How many hobbies does Lavender Town recommend giving a character outside of their job?
-Lavender Town recommends giving a character two to three hobbies outside of their job to make them feel more like a real person.
What is the significance of giving a character a history?
-Giving a character a history helps to understand how their past experiences, even from different ages, might affect their current behavior and personality, making the character feel more real.
How does Lavender Town approach the character's physical appearance in relation to their history?
-Lavender Town suggests incorporating elements from the character's history into their physical appearance, such as straight teeth from braces or specific hairstyles, to reflect their past.
What is the role of imperfections in character design according to the video?
-Imperfections, such as chipped nail polish or a birthmark, add realism and uniqueness to a character, making them feel less generic and more relatable.
Why is it important to know a character's likes and dislikes?
-Knowing a character's likes and dislikes helps to build their personality and can be used to create associations with the character, such as a signature food or pattern that reminds the reader of them.
What is the advice regarding the level of detail when listing a character's favorites?
-The advice is not to go into excessive detail, such as listing every favorite thing down to the type of tea. Instead, focus on the basics and key associations that can be used to represent the character.
How does Lavender Town demonstrate the application of the advice given in the video?
-Lavender Town demonstrates by creating a character from scratch, using the advice provided to determine the character's job, hobbies, history, imperfections, and preferences, and then drawing the character based on these decisions.
What is the purpose of the character's physical stance and posture in the design process?
-The character's physical stance and posture, influenced by their hobbies like ballet, contribute to their overall appearance and help convey their background and personality traits.
How does Lavender Town suggest incorporating a character's interests into their design?
-Lavender Town suggests using subtle clues like novelty earrings for a bug enthusiast, specific clothing patterns, or logos of favorite games to visually communicate the character's interests.
What is the final recommendation Lavender Town gives to the viewers about character design?
-Lavender Town highly recommends getting to know a lot about the character before designing them, as this knowledge can significantly influence the design choices and make the character feel more specific and real.
Outlines
🎨 Developing Character Depth Through Hobbies and History
The first paragraph emphasizes the importance of giving characters more than just their primary occupation by incorporating hobbies and interests. This approach helps to flesh out the character, making them feel more real and relatable. The speaker suggests that knowing a character's hobbies can guide their depiction, including their poses and accessories. Additionally, considering the character's history, such as their experiences at different ages, can influence their current behavior and appearance. The example of a 21-year-old character is used to illustrate how past interests and experiences can be reflected in their current design, making them appear more nuanced and less cliched.
🧍♀️ Adding Realism with Imperfections and Personal Preferences
The second paragraph focuses on character imperfections and personal likes or dislikes as a means to avoid generic characters. Imperfections such as chipped nail polish or imperfect hairstyles can make characters feel more authentic. The speaker advises against drawing characters with perfect hair or clothes unless that is part of their personality. It's also important to know a character's likes and dislikes, including favorite foods, patterns, and media preferences. These can serve as signature elements that remind the audience of the character even when they are not present. The speaker then demonstrates how to apply this advice by designing a character based on a set of predetermined characteristics and preferences.
🦋 Character Design Process and Visual Clues
The third paragraph details the process of designing a character with a specific set of traits and interests. The character is a student studying insects with a background in ballet and an interest in gaming and horror movies. The design incorporates visual clues about the character's hobbies, history, and preferences. For instance, the character's ballet background is reflected in her posture and hairstyle, while her interest in bugs is shown through novelty earrings. The character's practicality is suggested by her socks over tights and her choice of footwear. The speaker also includes a subtle nod to the character's love for espresso and plaid, and incorporates a birthmark and a scar as imperfections. The character's design is brought to life through an earthy color palette with a pop of color in the cap sleeves, reflecting her interest in plaid.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡OC (Original Character)
💡Verbs
💡History
💡Imperfections
💡Hobbies
💡Faves (Favorites)
💡Ballet
💡Insects
💡Scar
💡Birthmark
💡Gaming
Highlights
Creating well-rounded original characters (OCs) involves giving them more than just a job, including their hobbies and interests.
Two to three hobbies outside of their main job can make a character feel more like a real person.
Considering a character's history, including their experiences as a child, teenager, and baby, can influence their current personality.
Physical traits like scars, injuries, and birthmarks can add depth to a character's backstory.
Imperfections such as chipped nail polish or imperfect hairstyles make characters feel more human and relatable.
Characters should not be drawn with perfect hair or clothes unless their personality demands such perfection.
Knowing a character's likes and dislikes, including favorite foods and patterns, can inform their design and behavior.
Associating a character with specific items or media can serve as a signature and help in their recognition.
The character's job as a student studying insects is combined with ballet and gaming hobbies for a unique profile.
A character's past, such as a scar from childhood or a strict upbringing, can be visually represented in their design.
Imperfections like a noticeable birthmark and a ballet-inspired hairstyle contribute to a character's uniqueness.
Preferences such as liking espresso and horror movies can be subtly integrated into a character's appearance.
The character's posture and stance, influenced by their ballet hobby, can be a distinctive feature.
Practical clothing choices like field-ready shoes and socks over tights reflect a character's activities and background.
Incorporating a character's interests into their attire, such as novelty earrings or a gaming logo, adds layers to their personality.
An earthy color palette with subtle pops of color reflects the character's interests and background.
Designing characters with a detailed understanding of their history and personality leads to more informed and consistent design choices.