To help with the creation of my character I did some analysis of the art style I’m trying to emulate as well as some general reseach on good character design.
Here’s my analysis/notes on the 2XKO artstyle – I was also able to find a helpful resource covering the creation process of the games designs:
2XKO’s characters and designed to be bold and expressive. Their proportions are highly stylised each with a distinct recognisable silhouette.
Bright, bold, high saturation colours are used in a majority of the characters designs, making them pop from the comparatively desaturated backgrounds. They are easily spotted on the screen in the action of the game. Cel-shading is used with black outlines adding detail to the figures and their props.
Visual effects drop the outlines and when animated tend to show movement with heavy use of smear frames.
Bringing League Champions to 2XKO’s Art Style – Super Art Power Hour Ep. 11, Riot Games (YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBnBQ7zs2_k)
- ‘As concept artists our main role is to try and make as many large swings as possible’, make many expirations to find the best outcome.
- Certain feature are ‘expensive’, eg, a cape will give a lot more work to animators working on that character.
- Shadows and line work are a big part of the style, too many details becomes too visually noisy.
- In fighting games you want people to track the hands and feet and distinguish the other parts of the body easily, the design should be working to help with this.
- Always consider proportion and silhouette, fighting game characters are always moving.
- Fighting game characters are ‘larger than life’, ‘everything on them is double the size, they have double the muscle mass, they have double the personality’.
For my character design research I looked at a number of resources:
Axis Studio’ head of character on what makes a character good, 80.lv article https://80.lv/articles/axis-studios-head-of-characters-on-what-makes-a-character-good –
- Successful characters ‘tell a story’. People enjoy and are interested by a good hook – something that gives the character life.
- Technical execution is just as important as a compelling concept.
- Consider shape language, is the character heavy or light, make them bulky or streamlined.
How to make Capcom fighting characters, page (book, https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Make-Capcom-Fighting-Characters/dp/1772941360) –
Page 12
- ‘The characters of the Street Fighter series are a lineup of incredible super humans brimming with personality, but also with something comical that makes them hard not to love.’
Page 22
- The importance of ‘applying a rationale’ in fighting games, part of the appeal of fighting games is ‘the “head canon” that unfurls as the character you’re controlling clashes with the enemy’.
Trent Kaniuga, What every character designer needs to know! (YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGtR14xSV-E) –
- The most important aspect is the purpose/ function, what is your design going to be about?
- Consider the world they live in.
- Does the design match their story?
- Themes – what’s the first thing you want someone to notice?
- How will the character be viewed – consider from what angle the player will be looking at the character the most.
This research will definitely be valuable in assisting me in my creative process and help me attain a succesful final outcome.
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