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Character Designer

Everything you need to know about the job of a character designer including required skills, responsibilities and salary.

Student work by Mikhail Macaranas

What does a character designer do?

A character designer (or character artist) is a type of concept artist who conceptualizes characters, showing action, anatomy, and costumes from different perspectives that define and actualize them. They interpret a character's personality and physical traits from a brief into an expressive illustration, using subtle cues of facial expression, pose, gesture, posture, etc.

A good Character Designer will have a keen eye for detail in human expression and the ability to understand the story of a character. Creating memorable and iconic characters is often based on simple shapes and ideas — think of Mickey Mouse’s round ears and how instantly recognizable they are.

Part of a Character Designer’s role is to imagine the character from different perspectives, showing action, anatomy, and unique expressions that define the character and bring it to life. In 3D animation, these articulations of a character will first be used in the 3D modeling process, then later in the animation itself. In 2D animation, these will be used as reference points from which to animate, and Storyboard Artists will refer to character design to express the story.

Character designer job description

The role of a Character Designer is to visualize and develop the look of animated characters for film, television, and video games. They work from the script or storyline to turn descriptions into images, to give form to personality and characteristics.

Breathing life into abstract ideas is the primary focus of a Character Designer. They excel at creating fun and iconic characters that will animate well and will resonate with players and audiences. Drawing ability is key, and personal style will factor heavily in the execution of concept art. 

Role & responsibilities of a character designer in film and video games:

  • Liaising with scriptwriters, designers, and developers on the look of the character/s and what style they are to be drawn in (such as anime, comic book art style, or realism, etc.)
  • Researching the look, style, and genre of the film or game
  • Developing various versions of the character looks and other design ideas
  • Infusing characters with personality using visual cues, unique expressions, and distinctive body language
  • Create characters that are relatable and possess human traits that will engage an audience
  • Understand the character’s role in the script and draw it accordingly
  • Collaborate with directors and other concept artists to create a visual consistency with other characters, and overall look of the animation or game
  • Revise artwork according to feedback and teamwork
  • Create model sheets showing characters drawn from different angles and showing different expressions
  • Can tackle a creative challenge head-on, and enjoys problem-solving with the team regarding design issues
  • Working with Storyboard Artists on how to incorporate the concept art into scenes and sequences
  • Adhering to production schedules
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How much does a character designer make?

The average salary of a Character Designer ranges from USD $64,000 to USD $116,000. (Source: Glassdoor)

To learn more about this field, visit: What is Digital Illustration? or What is Concept Art?

$64k Jnr. Character Designer
$116k Snr. Character Designer

Skills required to become a character designer

Character designers must excel in taking direction, visualizing from abstract concepts, and communicating their ideas. They produce the initial designs and set the tone for key imagery within a film or video game. 

Employers may look for the following skills in character designers:

  • Strong drawing skills, with a specialization in character design
  • Ability to draw in a variety of styles
  • Knowledge of anatomy and zoology, costuming, physical settings, and history-related references associated with a character
  • Solid awareness of facial expression, pose, posture, gesture, and movement
  • Visual storytelling skills
  • Solid understanding of visual language - texture, color, dimension, scale, perspective, shade, composition, depth of field, proportion, spatial awareness, etc
  • Good communication skills, ability to explain concepts and support artistic choices
  • Technical drawing skills
  • Excellent time management skills, ability to consistently meet deadlines
  • Team player, skilled at working independently
  • Knowledge of the animation and/or game development process

What software and tools do character designers use?

Character Designers may work with physical materials such as pencil, paper, ink, chalk, mixed media, etc to produce their primary sketches, or create completely digital art using computer software. Eventually, all artwork will be presented digitally. The software used will depend on whether the project is in 2D or 3D.

Character designers may need knowledge of a combination of the following software:

maya
TOUCH

Maya is a comprehensive 3D animation software used for creating detailed models, animations, and visual effects. It's popular in film, TV, and game development for its powerful tools.

3dsmax
TOUCH

3ds Max is a professional 3D computer graphics program for making 3D animations, models, games and images. It is developed and produced by Autodesk Media and Entertainment.

maxon_zbrush_box
TOUCH

Maxon ZBrush is a digital sculpting tool that combines 3D/2.5D modeling, texturing and painting

photoshop
TOUCH

Adobe Photoshop is a raster graphics editor developed and published by Adobe for Windows and macOS. It was created in 1987 by Thomas and John Knoll

illustrator
TOUCH

Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics editor and design software developed and marketed by Adobe

harmony
TOUCH

The largest animation and gaming studios from around the world choose Harmony to produce the highest quality animation, setting the standard for creative storytelling.

How to become a character artist


Download software 

Download free digital art software like Gimp, Krita, Sketchpad, FireAlpaca, and ArtWeaver to start practicing. 

Practice 

Sharpening your skills helps you grow and become more confident and reliable. 

  • Develop a solid understanding of art fundamentals—line, color, light, values, shape, composition, and perspective.
  • Be observant of real-world references like people, creatures, and places which you can use as inspiration. 

Build skills

Build the skills companies are listing on job sites. For more support, enroll in a reputable course. CG Spectrum’s concept art courses include mentorship from award-winning industry pros, an industry-led curriculum, and career services. 

  • Learn how to interpret a brief and execute feedback
  • Familiarize yourself with the VFX and video game pipelines and how your work will be used
  • Regularly practice art fundamentals and digital painting techniques

Watch trends

Online tutorials, webinars, etc., can keep your skills fresh. 

Attend conventions 

Use conventions to network, meet likeminded people, and be inspired. This is how award-winning Illustrator Eric Wilkerson got his first professional book cover illustration commission after college graduation. 

Network

Networking is vital to getting your name and skills recognized and meeting experts who can offer advice or even jobs. Familiarize yourself with the industry and build your community—publishing houses, authors, and illustrators. 

Share work

Social media is great for showcasing work, building an audience, having your work shared by others, and seen by potential clients and collaborators. 

Presentation

Your portfolio is how you will market your services. Make your work presentable and user-friendly to impress prospective clients. 

Collaborate

Know someone designing a game who needs character art? Collaborating with your peers is not only fun, but it can also help you create more polished work for your portfolio. 

Intern

Internships at VFX, game, or publishing studios can help you break into the industry. It’s one way to gain hands-on experience, network, and experience studio life. 

Join competitions

Practice your skills and create portfolio pieces by participating in contests on platforms like The Rookies and ArtStation.

For further info on the skills and qualifications that will help you break into the illustration industry, why not check out our comprehensive guide?

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Ready to Start Your Film & Games Journey?

Download our course guide to see how we can help you on your pathway to your dream career.

Tips to break into the character design industry

Your portfolio should show you understand the foundations of art while also establishing your own personal style. According to professional Illustrator Eric Wilkerson, your portfolio needs to demonstrate consistency while ensuring it’s tailored to the right audience.  Other tips include: 

  • Quality over quantity! Revise older work to meet your current standards
  • Only include your best. Work in progress is fine
  • Seek inspiration from professional artists’ portfolios
  • Center on one art genre for cohesion
  • If using a PDF, add chapters for easy viewing
  • Use a platform that allows you to update your work easily (e.g., ArtStation, The Rookies, or Behance)
  • Aim for a clean, intuitive, gallery-style website with enlargeable thumbnails
  • Don’t overcrowd your homepage —5 images max
  • Optimize your images and ensure they load properly
  • Present each piece with a brief explanation (concept, rationale, brief)
  • Show process, sketches, roughs, and reference
  • If necessary, create mockups of how your art would look in various formats
  • Triple-check for errors (layout, framing, spelling, etc.)
  • Get feedback from at least 3 mentors or industry pros before publishing
  • Feature both your commercial and personal art
  • Keep your ‘about’ page concise; it can be less formal
  • Share your finished portfolio on your social channels


Additional resources to help you get started as a concept artist:

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Industry Pathways

Tyler James, Curriculum Manager and Mentor of Concept Art & Illustration at CG Spectrum talks about his 18-year journey in the game industry. Passionate about fantasy from an early age, Tyler tells us about his early roles as a 3D character artist, to concept artist, and art director on projects like Neverwinter Nights 2, Hunted: The Demon's Forge, Rift, and Hex. Tyler also shares invaluable insights about building characters, facing imposter syndrome, and collaborating with world-class teams.