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Characters

Our character style uses abstract realism, combining simplified forms with realistic proportions. Storytelling is grounded in real-world situations, using anatomy that respects the natural human and animal structure.

A street scene of different characters. There are 2 women talking, a mother with a pram, a police man, and an elderly man playing basketball

Composite illustration of human characters, front view with props/items.

Drawing characters

Human design

Our geometric character system is built from three core shapes: circles for heads and hands, rounded rectangles for bodies, and curved paths for limbs.

To ensure a lightweight feel and realism for human characters maintain a consistent gap between the head and torso. In some cases, facial hair may overlap this gap, which is acceptable.

An illustration of deconstructed character parts, including a head, torso, arm, and glasses, arranged within a plastic model kit sprue frame.

Representation

We use a colour palette that includes a variety of different skin tones. Be sure to represent a diverse range of people in your illustrations, bringing individuality to characters through:

  • age
  • hairstyle or headwear
  • clothing and religious dress
  • varying body sizes and shapes
  • showing disabilities

Avoid relying on clichés or reinforcing misconceptions.

A collage of different characters including a female mechanic, a woman wearing a hijab, a man with a beard and a father holding a baby

Facial features

We deliberately refrain from depicting eyes or other facial features. This ensures that the focus remains on body language, mood and the overall atmosphere of the scene, rather than on a characters particular traits or expressions.

An illustration of a woman with a circular head and rounded body looking left. She has no discernable facial features.

One concession to detailing on the face is the inclusion of spectacles.

Creating arms

Arms are drawn with the path tool using Bézier curves to create the desired shape, with a circle for the hand. Vary stroke width to match the body type, and ensure the hand diameter matches the arm width exactly.

An arm with a circle for the hand showing the width of the arm matching the diameter of the hand.

Body language and interaction

Storytelling can be hinted at through interactions between characters. Even with simple forms, subtle gestures and overlaps can effectively communicate narrative and human connections within the scene.

A man in a wheelchair with a dog on their lap and a vet petting the dog.

Animals

When drawing animals, start with basic geometry. Avoid strokes unless they are essential for the readability of the shape, for e.g. the stroke on the elephants ear. For larger animals, use rounded eyes to ensure they feel ‘alive’.

A variety of small and large animals. The butterfly and bee do not have eyes but the larger animals like the elephant, dog and frog do.