hey girl, okay so listen. I have a folder on my phone called "art inspo" and it's 90% just screenshots of random drawings I found at 2am. It's a problem. But I've been going through a serious phase with character design drawing ideas, specifically these retro cartoon girls and moody pencil sketches, and I have thoughts. Lots of them.
I'm not an expert, obviously. I failed my first figure drawing class because I kept drawing the hands too small (classic). But I've been filling sketchbooks for like six years now, and I've figured out what actually works when you're stuck staring at a blank page. So this is my very biased, slightly chaotic guide to drawing characters. Take it or leave it.
Why I'm obsessed with drawing the same face over and over
There's this weird thing that happens when you draw the same character base like fifteen times. You stop worrying about whether the nose looks right and you start actually styling them.
I did this with a green off-shoulder top and a ladybug pin. I drew the same girl with pink hair, blonde curls, box braids, a hijab, glasses, brown hair, black hair, and wild curls. And honestly? It was the most fun I've had drawing in months. Because the face is the same, but the *vibe* changes completely.
That's the secret nobody tells you. Consistency in the base lets you go absolutely feral with the details. It's way less stressful than trying to invent a new face from scratch every single time.
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