Randomly Generated Concept Character Designs

If you have ever delved into creative or artistic realms for long periods of time it is inevitable that you will have encountered the notorious “Artists block”. This is a place of uncertainty and inhibition where we just can't get motivated to continue exploration. Where we lose a grasp on fresh ideas and seem to get stuck. This is especially true in the area of character design. Sometimes however, we just need a spark of an idea. A word, characteristic, or personality trait which sends our minds racing into imaginative designs and different ideas. It can be a requirement for a certain tool or weapon the character uses, or a career the character has. Luckily for us, we have different generators and guides online that are efficient in sparking our imaginations such as the one we will be using today.

Essential Questions

• How can this increase our conceptual abilities as artists, is working within constraints useful?
• How is this randomly generated character trait sheet different than another person giving their opinions? Is it beneficial?

Goals

1. To successfully generate a "Character concept" on Conceptstart and utilize it to create a character.
2. Create at least a front and side view of the character developed, this can be expanded upon if time dictates.
3. Share with others your character design and see if they can understand what traits you were trying to implement, share the randomly generated sheet afterwards.

Access to a smartphone or computer

A sketching pencil

A drawing pad (preferably 8.5 x 11 inch or bigger)

There is a free Character Idea Generator we will be using for this instruction, it is called “Conceptstart” and will generate multiple facets of randomized character information which you will then implement into a character design.

Click on the link provided to access the character generator we will be using.

https://www.conceptstart.net/character-design-gene...

You will see the box just like the one above (except the information will be blank and “Generate Ideas will be green”)

Before pressing generate, make sure to un-check the mark “Time Frame” and “Deliverables” since I will provide these in this specific instance. Also, the free version of this generator allows only 10 generations of character ideas before you need to sign up. Try to get a design you can work with with your first generations of a character!

Take a snapshot of your trait table so we can compare traits to the character afterwards.

Start sketching out your ideas on your pad of paper with the inclusion of all of the traits developed by the generator. You may be out of your comfort zone here but this is where your imagination and creativity can go crazy! Students are advised to share ideas amongst each other to give ideas on how to represent traits in drawing form.

Without showing your trait chart ask a person you know to view your character and have them try to answer what traits this character represents. See how well you designed your character in representing the traits given to you!