Mastering Character Design: Design with Intent and Purpose

by Caroline Hu

Overview

This book is a comprehensive guide for artists looking to master character design, no matter their chosen style. It offers practical insights into the core principles used in animated projects, helping you understand how to accurately draw and construct shapes, as well as the key elements of design. The content covers not only human anatomy but also extends to animal forms, offering strategies to depict both with precision and with expression.

You’ll learn how to draw essential features like eyes, lips, hands, and legs – both for humans and animals – while also delving into the way shapes convey musculature from various perspectives. The book emphasizes the importance of shape and size variation and how to achieve a strong, clear silhouette.

Above all, this book teaches you how to draw with intent and purpose. It focuses on making thoughtful decisions about each line to ensure clarity and informativity, while also guiding you in creating designs that are dynamic and full of life. With these skills, you’ll be able to design characters with intention and draw them in a way that feels both effective and engaging.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032985053
Publisher:	CRC Press
Publication date:	09/05/2025
Pages:	148
Product dimensions:	10.88(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Caroline Hu has been in the animation and creative business for way too long, specializing in character design and storyboard, having worked at various studios, such as Warner Bros. and Disney. At night, she is an animation professor, a martial artist and a parent. She lives in California with her family and her two smokin’ hot rods.

Table of Contents

1. What is Character Design?, 2. Drawing With Purpose and Intent, 3. Thumbnails, 4. Anatomy and the Importance of Figure Drawing in Character Design, 5. Ages, 6. Expression Sheets, 7. Clothing – Using Research, Reference, and Inspiration, 8. Design Styles, 9. Animals, 10. Turnarounds, 11. Final Stuff