FIRST CHARACTER DESIGN JOB

Hello! It’s been such a long time.

Life got busy to say the least. A week ago my first Character Design job came to an end and I just wanted to speak a little about my experience without breaking my NDA.

The first thing to say is that I did not apply for .a position I had seen online, it was based on a recommendation from someone I already knew - networking is so so important!

The role itself was very insightful:

• The first thing I was surprised at was how long was spent looking for references and how particular the Creative Director was about the references to make sure the ideas were fresh. This helped me to be more critical and is definitely something I will be taking into future roles as well as my personal work.

• Secondly, most of the drawings I was proud of were overlooked in favour of drawings I just added to make up numbers. This is why so many people say don’t get precious about your drawings.

• Thirdly, simple is definitely better.

Apart from the above there were a lot of things I realised I need to improve on (there is no hiding place for weaknesses in the industry) like anatomy, posing and expressions.

To remedy these I have started by going back to Life Drawing and buying an anatomy book recommended by a friend which seems to suit me better than others I have tried in the past.

Looking forward to more learning and growth!

Until next time, God bless!