Creating a Character from Scratch: Starting with the Head

Creating a character is one of my favorite parts of animation. There is something satisfying about taking an idea from your head and slowly turning it into something you can actually see.

For this character, I decided to document the process from the beginning and share how the design develops step by step.

Starting with the Head

I started with the head and focused on getting the basic shape and structure right.

At this stage, I intentionally left out the eyes and mouth. I wanted to first get the overall shape of the head looking the way I wanted before moving on to the facial features.

It might not look like much yet, but these early stages are important. The shape of the head, the proportions and even small adjustments can affect how the character eventually looks and feels.

And honestly, this is one of the fun parts of character design. You start with something pretty simple, then gradually add details until a personality begins to emerge.

For now, we have the head, but there is still a lot missing.

No eyes.

No mouth.

No glasses.

Just the foundation.

I’ll be adding the facial features in the next stage and sharing that process as well.

Part 1 of the character creation process: The Head.

Stay tuned for Part 2.