The Language of Colour in Character Design

Abstract

Character design plays a significant role in any type of media. Movies, animations, and games are full of characters we all love and recognize because of unique colour choices in their designs. Colour not only helps to create an eye-catching hero but also to emphasize their personality, tell about their past, hint if they are a villain or main protagonist of the story. The aim of the study was to create a better understanding of the way colours work in character design, and how to use it correctly in order to make a hero more appealing and memorable. In this thesis the author discusses various topics regarding colour in character design, covers the aspects to consider while creating a colour palette for the hero. In the research part of the thesis such topics as fundamentals of colour theory, colour symbolism, cultural aspects were discussed. The production part of the thesis includes the designs of two main characters and one enemy. The author made all the colour palettes based on a research part of the thesis. Before producing the final designs, the author made experimental sketches to create better-looking and more suitable palettes. The thesis covered significant aspects of colour usage in character design. The author created three designs using the learned information successfully - the palettes reflected characters’ personalities and backgrounds well

Character design plays a significant role in any type of media. Movies, animations, and games are full of characters we all love and recognize because of unique colour choices in their designs. Colour not only helps to create an eye-catching hero but also to emphasize their personality, tell about their past, hint if they are a villain or main protagonist of the story. The aim of the study was to create a better understanding of the way colours work in character design, and how to use it correctly in order to make a hero more appealing and memorable. In this thesis the author discusses various topics regarding colour in character design, covers the aspects to consider while creating a colour palette for the hero. In the research part of the thesis such topics as fundamentals of colour theory, colour symbolism, cultural aspects were discussed. The production part of the thesis includes the designs of two main characters and one enemy. The author made all the colour palettes based on a research part of the thesis. Before producing the final designs, the author made experimental sketches to create better-looking and more suitable palettes. The thesis covered significant aspects of colour usage in character design. The author created three designs using the learned information successfully - the palettes reflected characters’ personalities and backgrounds well.