When you guys are drawing OCs, obviously I'm sure you start drawing with some kind of vague image/idea in your head, but how clear is it as you start drawing them? Do you just kind of draw and instinctively let the pen guide their design in a subconscious kind of way, or is it that before you start marking down parts of their design, you are of full awareness of what it's going to look like? Thanks
>>7923381Human imagination is very limited and anyone who tells you otherwise is either a lying poser or some rare freak of nature. It's so limited that when you look at reference in front of you, for example, and then look down on your paper to draw the reference, your brain already forgets the image of the reference within mere seconds. Only when dreaming human imagination is really good. So to answer your question, no, I do not have the image in my head before drawing. I mostly just start with a vague idea in my head. What kind of pose, what kind of perspective, maybe something special about the character design, etc. But most of the image happens on the fly. Once you start working, new ideas will spawn. So even if you have no clue what you are supposed to draw, you still can create cool images. You just have to start with something. And you need to have a reliable process and visual library, etc.
>>7923381i have an idea in my head yeah. right now im imagining a nerdy guy with a blonde mullet scratching beneath his shirt and you can see the curl of his knuckles above the collar. he has freckles on his tummy and cheeks. and he’s standing in a kinda contrapasto pose i can see it but its faint and i wonder how much am i seeing vs how much am i just telling myself am i seeing. EH but its gonna be gone the moment stylus touches screen anyway
>>7923409Helpful post, thank you>>7923483When you start drawing, do you pause for a second and visualize say like, his eyes before you start drawing them or do you just start drawing and hope something coherent comes out?
>obviously I'm sure you start drawing with some kind of vague image/idea in your headNot really, often I'm just throwing down shapes seeing where it leads me. But then I end up drawing similar stuff out of habit anyway
>>7923381i don't image anything. i jsut draw random anime girls, and if i like one its a new oc
>>7923381The answer is different depending on who you ask.I for example typically know what to draw before i draw. Granted my drawings are not good but they at least give they idea of what i am trying to draw.
>>7923499>When you start drawing, do you pause for a second and visualize say like, his eyes before you start drawing them or do you just start drawing and hope something coherent comes out?NTA but I personally don't visualize everything before starting. I just got used to drawing eyes a certain way over all the years, and I just trust in myself that I get them somewhat right again. There is a lot of trial and error and exploration involved when drawing. Lots of erasing, especially on the face and hands. And that's pretty normal even for pro artists. You just need a vague idea for the basics of the image and then you have to trust in your taste and drawing skills that you get it done in an acceptable way.
>>7923381>drawing OCsdo people seriously think this way and believe they are actually drawing?
>>7923381I feel like if I did do this, drawing would be far more boring.
look for a flash image/idea and think about it, then adapt it
>>7923381Usually I have a general image pop into my head. I can see that my character's height, general colors, with a certain hairstyle maybe and a certain aesthetic. I doodle exactly what I see in my mind as well as I can, it's bits and parts that looks like shit. I then use it as a reference and draw an improved version next to it, looking up references of certain vibes if needed.Other times I doodle random stuff and go "Wait that's nice" and it turns into a character. On rare occasions I have no idea what my OC would look like so I just look up tons of references for their vibes and try a bunch of times until I get something I like.
>>79233811. Sketch the rough idea I have in my mind2. Realize that my idea kind of sucks and is missing crucial details3. Spend an obscene amount of time on Pinterest and Danbooru searching for references4. Implement parts of the references that I feel fit the themes the character represents5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until it looks good>>7923587People nowadays use OC to refer to characters in general, not only fancharacters. I object to this usage of the term, but it is what it is.
>>7923499>>When you start drawing, do you pause for a second and visualize say like, his eyes before you start drawing them or do you just start drawing and hope something coherent comes out?I have the picture in my head, then I start drawing, and it (the one in my mind) vanishes line by line as I find what I drew doesn't match up to what I had in mind at all
>>7923381I design by having a base inspiration (Something basic like "cells" or "the sun") and then start building from there, adding and subtracting things I like or think would look interesting, often fine-tuning the character's personality too. Like sketching to a finished piece: I may have an idea of what I want, but must put the lines on paper first, then make aesthetic decisions from there on, and so forth. But most importantly, nurture the courage to have fun and go ham with experimentation, it is necessary to discovering your own personal design philosophy.
