Character Design Based on Keyword Prompts

An exploration of character design based off of keyword concepts. I had chosen "rebel" and "caregiver" as a starting point. From there, a few adjectives were randomly generated to illustrate concepts of the character.

I knew right away I wanted to do an older person whom was grandmotherly and someone you would want to go to for advice. I had a rough concept floating around in my mind of a cool latina abuela type (drawing hair and clothing inspiration partially from Frieda Kahlo) that thrived in the free love hippy lifestyle of the 1970's.

A mood board was assembled to get a general feel for the age and particular style elements I wanted to reflect in this character. I wanted to find images that reflected a stylish person who dresses youthfully and stays true to the ideas of free love. The daisy motif is a nod to the 70's love child—I wanted her to have something displayed on her that ties her to her past without being too dated or stale feeling.

Once I got a good feel for the design elements I wanted to include, I drew a series of action poses to further explore the adjective keywords of this character. She has a knack for fortune telling (through her crystal ball and tarot cards), knows how to align your chakras, loves yoga and her garden, and is proud that she still fits into the same bikini she wore when she was young.

Finally, a simple monotone value study allowed me to nail down a look that felt good, I settled on a partially line-less style, with option simple shading as needed.