Basics ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What do we think about when we hear cute creatures?

Big eyes, small mouth, fluffy maybe?

What about the opposite, small eyes, big mouth, puffy

They both work right? It's all about how you arrange the elements in order to make it look cute

 

 

Here I start with the overall shape.

One creature I want it to have a big head and small body

The other one I want it to have a small head and a bigger body

Keep it simple. Cuteness comes in a simple, easy-to-read outline of the character

Details (like fur texture. glow, and texture) will only enchant the shape we already made

If the overall shape is not easy to read, having extra details will only make it harder to distinguish the shape.

Always leave the details for last, first focus on having a good base

 

Where to start---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Circles and triangles - easy shapes to read and more memorable. You can find them in most creatures

Square shapes can also look cute, just use them sparely because they remind you of a harsh material (cubes, bricks etc)

 

For proportion have a balance of 40%---60% (+/-20% according to you liking) of a main thing in relationship with another main thing. Let's say 60% head proportion and 40% body proportion, or 70% eye size and 30% mouth size. Or vice-versa. any combination will do.

 

Just be mindful that if you make 50%-50% the elements will compete with each other, and there will not be any focal point or main interest to catch your eye. And also it might look a bit spooky (If you're going for a horror-looking character, try this route)

 

As always test things out. see how they feel, switch between them and play around.

 

 

Add flair -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Personality is important, and its probably the first thing you notice in a creature - grumpy, flirty, bored, hyper, indifferent, confused, etc

Make use of colors to express a certain personality type

Here I used blue and purple- neutral cold colors because I wanted a grumpy character

And using pinks and yellows- very happy colors to express a loving character

 

Emotions can be shown easily

uplifting emotions - positive emotions, pull you up

down personality - negative emotions, pull you down

Of course there are other emotions, but the basic is elements/lines/face features going up, or down

 

Note that you can have any type of personality and emotions, and can still have a character looking cute. Play around with simple and easy to read shapes and proportion balance, then buid up the character.

Extra -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other things to consider when designing or drawing a cute creature

 

Long elements:

• tails, legs, neck can give the impression of something elegant, majestic. think of a fox or an Egyptian cat. Maybe not the first cute thing, but you can make it work into a memorable design

• the downside is, this can also look a bit goofy, and it's easy to see why. Adding long elements means the character needs to be witty and smart to handle it. Just think how hard would it be to walk and how easily one can trip

 

Chonky:

• it always looks cute and huggable. and it usually in rounder shapes.

• downside, sometimes it can look very heavy, or a burden for the character. It all depends on how you use it

 

Not chonky:

• well this one might be tricky to make it look cute, but same as with long elements, it might show class, elegance and superiority, I will go back to egyptian cat example or Doberman Dog.

• just be minfull on when and how to use it, because the character can also look sickly

 

Human elements:

• such as outfits, or making a biped creature.

• this can make or break a character. You don't want it to look too human because it might not be cute anymore

 

Size is important

• small things are usually cuter, but you can switch around and make it a giant, if the character already has a cute outline this tipe of change will not affect it

• you might need to add an extra object, so that the size of the character, can be easy to read

 

Other species

• of course it doesn't have to be pet-looking characters, try making a cute fruit or a robot. The base line is the same for any type of creature

• combing too many elements will make the design hard to read or understand. Keep it simple

 

 

As always, be mindful of the design and where you want to go with it, the first impression it gives you if it looks right, or maybe just change a few elements on it. Leave details for later.

test things out and have fun!

 

Thank you for stopping by!

~Tsu