Character Creation Process (Patreon)

Since I have two brand-new characters, I thought I would sit down and talk about my process.

I've been watching my favorite old movies lately, and I kept getting this idea for a love story between Hollywood actresses in the 40s. 

To start with, I always pick a face reference. Some of you can probably tell who they are from the initial sketches, but this is just the base! I also gave them both temporary names to make this easier to explain:

For Cecil, I wanted what used to be called the femme fatale; an outdated term for women that were usually seductive, beautiful, and dangerous. I chose Hedy Lamarr, Rita Hayworth, and Gene Tierney as other references to use. Cecil will be a redhead like Rita, but styled in darker clothing and makeup like Hedy and Gene. 

For Sloan, I went with Lauren Bacall, Katharine Hepburn, and Marlene Dietrich. Lauren was fascinating, because usually she was styled to be more feminine, yet her energy was very masc to me. You would have to watch her movies to see what I mean! Katharine and Marlene should be pretty obvious. Sloan sweet-talks the studios into letting her wear suits whenever possible (which is probably what Katharine did)

I wrote down a few visual notes for each:

Cecil has auburn hair and thinner, softer brows. A rounder face, downturned lips, and a beauty mark. Dark blue eyes with long lashes. Body type similar to Marilyn Monroe.

Sloan is a brunette with shorter hair. Fuller, arched brows. Square jaw and strong cheekbones. Cupid's bow lips, sleepy hazel eyes, and drooping lashes. Has a taller frame with strong shoulders. 

So from here, I begin to combine all the references I have for each character. I try to piece together the features that match how the character looks in my mind. Sometimes I stick pretty close to the references, other times the character has a mind of its own and does most of the work for me.

That's the next step. We'll have to see how much those initial sketches change!

Would anyone be interested in a second part?