Toolkit 2 Character Design: Facial Expressions, Props and Sidekicks

 In this character design session, There was a clear focus on facial expressions, props and sidekicks. These topics were covered to help establish more substance for our personal projects. 

The session covered spectrums of emotion and how they can be combined to create exact expressions for any scenario. Peak emotions at the highest point of the scale should be left for the most pivotal points in a story. This idea was explored in humans and animals, but I found it challenging to generate emotion on creatures with unusual facial structures. 

Props were explored through a prompt I received. I was tasked with generating props and objects for an Aztec character of my creation. The images above show a mask and shield design for a hypothetical Aztec Princess Mononoke. Both prop designs are embellished with conventional Aztec patterns and accessories such as feathers and geometric shapes. 

Finally, I worked on the sidekick character for my personal project designed to represent a maggot. The contrast between my humanoid beetle protagonist and this sidekick make an effective duo. Despite his small size, I see this sidekick being a loudmouth constantly getting into trouble. I developed on my projects story by introducing the idea of a mining setting, with both the sidekick and the hero starting the story in this environment.