Christophe Young
Art Director and Co-Founder at Ready Set Concept
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Night Owl

This project was done as a benchmark example for my 2024 Character Design Masterclass students. It outlines a process we commonly see (ideally) in many videogame studios - from creating a design brief with art direction notes to preparing final design deliverables for production. I hope it can also serve as a template for people launching their own personal character design projects!

You can follow my work on Bluesky or support me on Patreon. I also have a couple 1-on-1 mentorship spots available for next month!
https://linktr.ee/christopheyoung

Final design turnaround as outlined in the brief. Using a cutaway to clarify the coat design under the backpack.

Final design turnaround as outlined in the brief. Using a cutaway to clarify the coat design under the backpack.

Final design callouts as outlined in the brief.

Final design callouts as outlined in the brief.

8. Colour exploration. I am pulling directly from my initial colour references and tweaking the colours to find harmony.

8. Colour exploration. I am pulling directly from my initial colour references and tweaking the colours to find harmony.

8. Colour exploration. I am pulling directly from my initial colour references and tweaking the colours to find harmony.

8. Colour exploration. I am pulling directly from my initial colour references and tweaking the colours to find harmony.

7. Costume design iteration process. The first pass is only to flesh out the initial thumbnail. The next passes refine the design and help balance the details.

7. Costume design iteration process. The first pass is only to flesh out the initial thumbnail. The next passes refine the design and help balance the details.

6. Mask exploration. This is the focal point of the character so I start fleshing out the design early.

6. Mask exploration. This is the focal point of the character so I start fleshing out the design early.

5. Portrait exploration can help anchor the character's personality and add dimension.

5. Portrait exploration can help anchor the character's personality and add dimension.

4. Initial silhouettes and shape exploration. I'm pulling directly from my shape references to try a wide range of different costume ideas.

4. Initial silhouettes and shape exploration. I'm pulling directly from my shape references to try a wide range of different costume ideas.

3. Designing a project template and logo to present all the work professionally. Clarity in visual communication is key.

3. Designing a project template and logo to present all the work professionally. Clarity in visual communication is key.

2. Initial reference gathering. These are used to establish a few design strategies to get the concept rolling.

2. Initial reference gathering. These are used to establish a few design strategies to get the concept rolling.

1. Character brief and art direction notes. Yellow are the mandatory deliverables. In blue are areas left to the concept artist to explore and help establish. References on the right are baseline examples of the archetype we're shooting for (very basic).

1. Character brief and art direction notes. Yellow are the mandatory deliverables. In blue are areas left to the concept artist to explore and help establish. References on the right are baseline examples of the archetype we're shooting for (very basic).

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