Character Design Sheet
A reader should know something about your character before they speak. Design the silhouette, shape, costume, props, and expression so the character carries meaning on the page.
Success criteria
- I can design a character whose silhouette is recognisable.
- I can use shape language to communicate personality or role.
- I can choose costume and props that reveal something about the character.
- I can explain my design choices in a short rationale.
Model character
Mara is a twelve-year-old lockpicker in a city where every door is watched. She is cautious, practical, and secretly sentimental.
| Design choice | What it shows | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Narrow, angular silhouette | Alertness, speed, a life of slipping through gaps | She reads clearly even in a small panel or from a distance. |
| Oversized coat with deep pockets | Concealment and self-reliance | The pockets suggest tools, secrets, and a life without a fixed home. |
| Short, uneven hair | Practicality; she cuts it herself | It hints at independence without a long backstory speech. |
| One bright red thread on her sleeve | A small attachment to her family | The colour is the only warm accent in her design, so the reader notices it. |
| Hunched shoulders | Defensive posture | Her body language contradicts her confident dialogue. |
| Lockpick worn as a hairpin | Her skill is always with her | The prop is functional and characterful, not decorative. |
Shape language
Round shapes
Often read as friendly, soft, safe, childlike, or naive. A round character can also be smothering or false, especially when the story contrasts softness with threat.
Angular shapes
Often read as sharp, dangerous, quick, or intelligent. Too many angles can make a character feel villainous, so mix shapes to avoid a flat design.
Your character sheet
Silhouette
Draw the character as a solid black shape. Can you recognise them without details?
Full figure
Draw the character from head to toe. Show posture, costume, and one prop.
Face and expressions
Draw four expressions: neutral, worried, angry, relieved. Keep the face recognisable.
Colour palette
Choose three main colours and one accent. Label what each colour suggests.
Design rationale
| Question | Your response |
|---|---|
| What is your character's role in the story? | |
| What three words should a reader use to describe them? | |
| How does the silhouette show those words? | |
| What does the costume reveal about their life? | |
| What does the main prop reveal or foreshadow? | |
| What colour carries the most meaning, and why? |
Checklist
- My character has a clear, readable silhouette.
- My shape language supports their personality or role.
- My costume and props reveal something about their life.
- My colour palette has a purpose.
- My character is original and does not copy a published character.
- My rationale explains choices, not just labels.
Use original designs. Do not trace or copy published characters, costumes, or logos.