Character Design - Freelance Cartoonist Portfolio
I have been a character designer and freelance cartoonist for hire for over 3 decades in my career. More specifically, I have been a full-time freelance cartoonist for hire since I started my business in 2001. I’ve have immense insight and invaluable experience with understanding your objectives, target audiences, and creative needs. I have not only been a character designer, I’ve worked with licensed characters such as Barbie, Swan Princess, and King Features.
A freelance cartoonist that is also a character designer creates the physical appearance of cartoon characters and business mascots from scratch. To do this type of work, the freelance cartoonist must be highly creative and skilled at visually depicting perceived or chosen personality traits and attitudes of imagined cartoon characters or business mascots. The character designer brings together a collection of physical attributes, stereotypes, fashion, expressions, body language, and more to visually tell the character’s story. A freelance character designer must have a breadth and depth of knowledge and skill in order to make a believable and relatable character.
Character Design Process
The overall process of character design is very complex. Although every freelance cartoonist has their own creative design process, there is no “one way” to design a cartoon character or business mascot. Here, the designing of the character is a collaborative process between the freelance cartoonist and character designer (myself) and the client. The designed cartoon characters’ success will be judged by the audience’s understanding of the character’s personality and attitude at a glance, and the client’s overall happiness with the designed character for their purpose.
The success of the final cartoon character designed relies heavily on the client’s ability to know and be able to communicate what they want. So I collaborate with my clients by educating them, discussing all the possibilities, and exchanging ideas. Typically, if you like what you see in the Character Designer Portfolio below, you will love the cartoon character I will design for you!
The character design process begins with a discussion between the cartoon character designer and the client. Often the client knows what they want to convey with the character but they may, or may not, have thought through the specific details such as what they want the character’s physical appearance to be, or the perceived attitude they want the cartoon character to project…so this leads us into the different design project steps…
Project Design Steps
The character designer’s objective is to dive into the creative unknown and pull together the best design that matches the client’s character description. So this freelance cartoonist and character designer begins with a series of questions in an attempt to see the cartoon character through the mind’s eye of the client. And just as important, to learn who the client’s target audience is.
The questions begin with whether the proposed cartoon character will be a human, animal, or object. Realistic, stylized, or anthropomorphic. The questions delve deeper into both physical and emotional attributes about the final character being designed. And still other questions involve the cartooning style the client wants the character to be illustrated in for their purpose. Once this freelance cartoonist and character designer has a sense of what the client wants and who the character is, she will begin her creative process of sketching.
Once I have achieved the “wow factor” I look for, I will present that sketch to you for review and feedback. This is the time we would revise and fine-tune the character. Then I would illustrate the final art in either a vector or raster program, and again, submit another copy to you for review and feedback. Then this is the time we may revise and fine-tune the color. And once the project is completed, I will give you a document that transfers the copyright of the character to you!
Human Character Design
Some of the physical and emotional attributes that may apply to the final cartoon character might involve age, gender, ethnicity, physical fitness, attitude, intelligence, style, fashion, and the list goes on. Some of these attributes may also be defined by your target audience or the message you are trying to convey with the final designed cartoon character.
Much of the appearance of the final character being designed might rely on who the client wants the character to portray; such as their customers or their employees. Often both of these categories should flatter the customer or employee and project intelligence, strength, likeability, and more to the viewer. For example, if you provide plumbing services, you wouldn’t want the character designed to to have a fat belly, be unshaven, look ignorant, or draw his clothing in such away that it shows a butt crack; although this is often the common stereotype (albeit negative) for this type of cartoon character.
The entire character design process sounds complicated because of the enormous number of possibilities. But actually it has proven to be an exciting and fun experience! With an experienced freelance character designer like myself, I can walk you through the various discussions needed to whittle down the list to the most important character attributes, while guiding you toward the final character depicting exactly what you want it to represent to your target audience.
Animal Character Design
When it comes to animal character design, there are three main possibilities. The first option is that the animal character designed will be quadrupedal (walk and move) like the real animal on four feet. For example, a cartoon cat is a four-legged cat. It walks and acts like a real cat.
The second option is whether the cartoon animal character being designed will possesses human like qualities, also known as “anthropomorphic” where a four legged animal like a cat, stands on two feet (bipedal) and walks like a human. The animal character could also wear clothing in this option.
The third option is a combination of the two options above. With this option the cartoon animal can still be a quadruped, but could also possess only “some” human qualities. For example, the four-legged cat could still walk on all fours, but have the ability to smile, talk, or have gestures like a human.
Even after these options are determined, the character designer and the client still have much to discuss and to choose from in regards to the appearance and personality of the animal character being designed. An experienced character designer like myself will have no problem guiding you through the entire process, discussing your target audience, narrowing down options, and then designing a character that will be perfect for your purpose.
Anthropomorphic Character Design
Anthropomorphic means “possessing of human-like qualities”. The amount of human-like qualities can vary greatly like whether or not to give an object arms and legs, or no limbs at all.
Similar to designing human and animal cartoon characters, designing anthropomorphic characters may involve physical or emotional attributes to varying degrees such as age, gender, ethnicity, physical fitness, fashion and more. They certainly possess human-like gestures and expressions to varying degrees as well. And once again, like designing human and animal cartoon characters, anthropomorphic character design includes all of the necessary attributes to define their personality and attitude.
The cartoon character’s persona will also play a role in designing your anthropomorphic cartoon characters; like whether you want the final character designed to be friendly and intelligent versus funny or goofy. Like other cartoon characters, their personas will be influenced by your target audience or your purpose for them. So whether you need a character designed to be your business mascot, show prominently in your logo, or represent your company branding, I’m the experienced character designer you should hire because I will be invested in your success!
Cartoon Drawing Style
The cartoon drawing style for the character being designed is another consideration to think about. There are numerous cartooning styles. Some examples to consider would be whether you want a character designed in a Disney style, Comic book style, Nickelodeon style, Anime style, a unique stylized look, or any combination of cartooning styles. As a life-long freelance cartoonist, I have worked in all these different illustration styles throughout the years. Or if you prefer, you can bring me a sample of a drawing style that you like, and I will use that style while designing your character.
It helps to provide visual reference of the type of cartooning style you want. This also applies to any visual reference you can supply regarding fashion, hair styles, poses, expressions, and any of the other attributes. These references will influence the character’s direction and aid the character designer in targeting exactly what you want.
Note: For comic book style examples, see Comic Book Style Illustration.
Sequential Cartoon Characters
Not all freelance cartoonists for hire are created equal because not all freelance cartoonists can illustrate the character designed into sequential poses. It takes a higher level of skill to be able to illustrate the same cartoon character in a different pose or expression and still have it look like the original or same character designed.
You may wonder why illustrating sequential characters is an important skill set for a freelance cartoonist and character designer. This is important because you may want your business mascot in a different pose in the future. So you need to make sure the cartoon character being reposed is NOT being altered which would result in it looking like an entirely different character once completed.
Chances are, the freelance cartoonist with the higher level of skill to sequentially design characters, will also have a deeper breadth of knowledge and experience as a cartoon character designer. And I am one of those experienced character designers and I would love to work with you to design your character.
