Original Character Design & Turnaround Sheets

A good character design does more than look appealing in one picture. It has to read clearly as a silhouette, stay recognizable from every angle and survive being drawn by other people — a comic colorist, a 3D modeler, a Live2D rigger or a future version of you. Our original character design service creates that foundation: a considered design and a set of clean reference sheets that keep the character consistent wherever it appears.

Who this service is for

This service suits anyone who needs a character to be used, not just admired:

• Indie game developers who need playable characters, NPCs or mascots designed before modeling or sprite work begins.
• Comic and webcomic creators who want a cast that stays on-model across hundreds of panels.
• VTubers and streamers who need an original persona designed before handing it to a model artist.
• Writers, studios and brands developing mascots, pitch bibles or animation proposals.

Designing original characters has been part of the studio’s DNA for a long time — you can see some early examples in our original artwork archive.

What you get

Each project begins with exploration: loose sketches that try different silhouettes, costumes and proportions so we can find the strongest direction together, rather than polishing the first idea. Once you choose a direction, we refine it into a final design and build the reference sheets around it.

• Turnaround views drawn at consistent proportions — front and back on the entry tier, plus three-quarter and side views on larger packages.
• Expression sheets showing how the face moves: neutral, happy, angry, surprised and any expressions specific to the character.
• Color callouts with hex codes for skin, hair, eyes, clothing and accessories, so every artist uses the same palette.
• Detail callouts for props, jewelry, hairstyles, fabric and materials that are easy to get wrong.

Sheets are delivered as layered PSD files plus flattened PNG and PDF versions that are easy to share.

A note on VTuber projects

For VTuber clients, the usual route is to commission the design and sheets from us, then take them to a specialist model artist or rigger. If you already know who will build the model, tell us early — we can follow their preferences for poses, views and file layout so the handoff is smooth.

Styles and options

Character sheets are deliberately clean: clear line art, flat or lightly shaded color and neutral backgrounds, so nothing distracts from the design itself. The design can lean anime-influenced, Western cartoon, semi-realistic or stylized for a particular game art direction. Useful add-ons include outfit variants, additional props, pose sheets for animators, chibi or sprite-friendly versions, and a single fully rendered key illustration. A cast of characters designed together will share a coherent visual language.

Strong designs rely heavily on color choices; if you want to understand the reasoning behind our palettes, our article on colour theory for illustrators covers the basics.

Usage rights: personal vs commercial

Because most design work is intended for a product, this service is quoted with commercial use in mind. A personal licence lets you use the sheets for private projects, roleplay and social media. A commercial licence covers games, comics, streams, merchandise and other paid projects. Where a project needs exclusive control — for example a game studio planning trademarks or sequels — we can quote a full copyright transfer of the artwork. Your story and character concept are always yours; the licence relates to the artwork we create.

What we need from you

• The character’s name, role, personality and backstory, even in rough notes.
• The world or setting: genre, era, technology level and tone.
• Visual references or mood boards, plus anything you definitely do not want.
• Technical constraints: target platform, sprite size, poly budget, or a model artist’s requirements.
• The intended use and licence, and any fixed deadline.

Timeline

A single reference sheet typically takes 10–12 working days, a full turnaround around 14–16 working days and a production pack up to 20 working days. Time spent waiting for feedback is not counted, and cast projects are scheduled in stages.

If you only need one finished illustration of a character that already exists, a custom character portrait is quicker and more affordable. For a project with a world as well as a cast, consider pairing this service with our concept art and environment illustration service. Ready to start? Send your brief through the commission request form.