5 Reasons Your Character Designs AREN'T Cute (And How to Fix It)

The basics of how to design a cute character are probably one of the most well covered ground in character design. It’s the same advice over and over, and you’re most likely familiar with all of those ideas. But does that automatically mean that everyone that applies these ideas get universally successful cute characters? Well that’s why we’re here today. There’s 6 things that can still prevent your characters from being successfully cute. So let’s fix them.
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[@cuttlesquish6723]

I think animal crossing is a great example of how greatly character design affects likeability. The villagers only have one of 8 personalities, but players often treat two of the same very differently.

[@taylorfireflame]

Elise can rot

[@muffin_the_metalhead3488]

i love Bones the most. he looks like he has no thoughts in his head. best boy.

[@KaliTakumi]

Honestly 😂

[@Nexils]

I really like Cheri, but Pippy (if that's even her name, I kinda forgot already) kinda threw me off. She behaved just like Cheri and I was like 'who are you and why do you think you can replace one of the others?!'

[@sirduncebag6190]

i dont play that game lol, i can never get examples like that lol

[@GiulianaBruna]

I don't know why I assumed that the horrible characters painted on daycares walls only were a thing in my country. All humanity shares that trauma and that's beautiful.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Shared terrible experience 💫

[@cosmicspacething3474]

I was never scared, just confused by them. I always knew something was off about them...

[@Haruki-_]

Same I but I just felt uneasy when I looked at them

[@cl0p38]

Where are you from? It's EVERYWHERE here

[@eddyalienstudio7227]

I remember at my local park we used to have a wall painted with Sonic and the Powerpuff Girls on it and it was really well done... until in 2010 the council got rid of it.. guess it wasn't traumatizing enough

[@nixarrowman78]

Technically cute and visually innofensive is what gave us boss baby.

@Darling Vexa Art the character or the movie?

[@RidleyKraid187]

But Boss Baby is neither of those things. The baby isn't cute, it looks like you know who, and that is visually offensive...

[@TV---kn2rl]

They take it too extreme, the exaggerated eyes freak me out.

[@TV---kn2rl]

@Darling Vexa Art Even if they're not the ones who designed Boss Baby? Haha well I shouldn't be surprised, Twitter is a hotspot for irrational anger right?

[@silhouettoofaman2935]

Barf...baby barf, specifically.

[@LuckySketches]

The one dislike is from a knock-off Mickey Mouse painted on the side of a daycare.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

His torment is unyielding

[@laurencarter1616]

*you stole my name*

[@LuckySketches]

@@laurencarter1616 My family has had this name for generations. *This heist goes deeper than you think.*

[@laurencarter1616]

@@LuckySketches well, long lost sibling, *we meet again*

[@dreams.5558]

@@laurencarter1616 y'all get along so well..., LONG LOST SISTERS!

[@kimuires]

Baby Yoda is genius because they combined the cuteness of babies and elderly people successfully

[@_lily_garden_]

I REALLY want baby yoda to give me a cookie.

[@sprokitt66]

And animals. Clear tortoise vibes

[@Fujoeyshi]

@@sprokitt66 frogs

[@mysingingmonstersfan1023]

@@_lily_garden_ *i don’t think that babies do yoga but ok*

[@_lily_garden_]

@@mysingingmonstersfan1023 sorry misspelled it

[@catboywizard]

You talking about forced, saccharine cuteness instantly brought Gideon from gravity falls into my mind. A cute and inoffensive character design on its own, but accompanied by that nasty, obsessive and deceptive personality he becomes a very interesting character despite being intentionally very dislikeable. It's cool how these character design tips work both ways!

[@Apollo_G]

Yeah I also thought of Gideon

[@insertusernamehere3173]

Indeed

[@Sipsipsippinonlambtears]

_Takes off glasses_ I haven't heard that name in years...

[@Jummmpy]

@@Sipsipsippinonlambtears ,

[@couragew6260]

I thought the same thing

[@captainstroon1555]

If big head and big eyes were enough to make a character cute, the colossal squid would be the cutest animal out there, objectively.

[@shinypie1111]

I fucking love colossal squids Not saying I’d go anywhere near one though. They’ll tear my body in half like a kitkat bar

[@michaelyu2744]

I mean their eyes and heads are large but compared to the size of their own body it's kinda normal proportions for a squid, so maybe something like a tarsier would be the objectively cutest by that definition instead.

[@wannabewyvern]

@@michaelyu2744 tarsiers are pretty cute though

[@jaydentt]

gargantuan leviathan

[@exister._.5086]

when you search up the wrong squid game 😳

[@RisingSunfish]

Your point about kids who try to be cute vs. kids who are cute organically is so spot-on. There's a cynicism behind artificial cuteness, and that's what makes it ugly. When it comes to character design, I call this the Littlest Pet Shop Effect. That's also why I'm not 100% on board with the conventional wisdom on Them Big Ol' Eyes. First off, dot eyes are almost always cuter IMO. There's a reason you can get dozens of Pokémon plushies with Ditto faces. And of course, Kirby. But when I think of cute big-eyed characters, their eyes tend to be mostly pupil, or at least rather dark. Baby Yoda of course, but also Baby Groot, the Eevee family, movie!Pikachu, Stitch, Lucas the Spider... of course, this has to do with the fact that a larger pupil-to-sclera ratio is typically what we see in other mammals. Cats are a notable exception, but the contrast between a wary cat's slit pupils and a happy cat's dilated pupils just adds to the charm. This is used to great effect with the dragons in HTTYD, as a shift in the pupil size signals to us immediately when they're menacing vs. when they're happy. But then, there are wide-eyed characters with smaller pupils that still appear cute to most people. That said, I think this design type tends to be more used for comic effect, and in tandem with a more distinctive personality. To go back to Pokémon, Slowpoke, Psyduck, and Magikarp all have big eyes with tiny dot pupils, which immediately communicates vacancy. They're not necessarily that cute in a vacuum, but the way their eyes emphasize their dopey haplessness makes them very endearing. I guess this circles back to your point on purpose and appeal: characters whose cuteness is a result of multiple organic elements will always be more appealing than characters who are made to be cute to sell themselves.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

dang Littlest Pet Shop syndrome is a great name for it

[@metra8604]

i love this, more people need to see this!

[@Vulppix]

I hate the new beanie baby stuffed animal designs with the huge sparkly eyes because their cuteness it’s so fake feeling

[@xxAryAryxx]

I absolutely agree, "big cute eyes" a-la-Littlest Pet Shop have a 100% chance to cause me to find the character ugly. If you try to push down the viewer's throat that the character looks cute, that's the easiest way to make the viewer actually hate it.

[@RisingSunfish]

@@Vulppix Eurgh, yeah. Again, the old ones with the bead eyes and little smiles were perfectly cute!

[@veggsbacon1891]

Cute characters are, well, cute definitely. But too much cuteness can really sway me away from it, even to the point of disliking. Moe girls for example; way too many of them nowadays, BUT some works like Lucky Star.

[@AZ-ty7ub]

It worked in Lucky Star because they still felt like and were written like, you know, PEOPLE. They had fleshed out personalities that reminded me of my own friends, whereas a lot of other moe is the same UwU kawaii over and over again with no chatacter

[@senpaithehandsomelad7732]

Me too but an example of a exception for me was maho shoujo madoka

[@veggsbacon1891]

@@senpaithehandsomelad7732 Ah, that's also great! 👍🏽

[@AndrewColomy]

This is the effect overly cute girls toys have on me. Overdoing aspects of chibi actually makes some things look really ugly.

[@epilepticstarz]

K-on is also a good example.

[@sylvanshroom]

I will not stand for this anti Pietro propaganda smh

[@Koopaboo101]

@@allym6933 I stan that

[@miiirky1904]

Ikr?! Pietro is so cute!

[@MangoMagica]

Yeah he’s one of my favorites, I love my gay disaster clown

[@preciousbirdpob6371]

Me neither, Pietro is one of my dream villagers and it's so sad to see him be called ugly or scary 😭💔

[@ellenbrooks8061]

I love him too ❤️

[@Stargazer_Pie]

The “cute” kid in the thumbnail looks like one of the body snatchers from Spongebob that hated mayonnaise

[@IBobI]

you’re right, and I hate it.

[@insertusernamehere3173]

Oh my god... _you're right_

[@stupidchannelwithstupidvid8750]

spongebob found them cute.

[@toastedbun9672]

Now I imagine it's head opening halfway and just going *"RAAAAAAH!"*

[@alexanderthegreatii1341]

One krabby patty, hold the mayonnaise

[@PurpleAmharicCoffee]

LOL Surprise dolls fall into the uncanny valley for me, usually I like chibis but those things look like they're about to eat a part of my soul.

[@jellynut5903]

Finally someone who talks about lol dolls not being cute and those disgusting poopsie slime surprise unicorns aren't cute

[@essenceofherbal4125]

@@jellynut5903 why do those kind of toys exist? They just feel wrong ._.

[@jellynut5903]

@@essenceofherbal4125 ikr

[@scootermcpeanuts6699]

Same goes for shopkins. Honestly there’s so many toys with these massive uncanny looking eyes.

[@roargasm.dotwav]

i used to love those things when i was like 11

[@turtswing]

This video reminds me why I love the Ugly Cute trope: a character may have sharp teeth, huge eyes and look overall like a gremlin, but if you embue them with personality, this character becomes incredibly appealing despite not looking conventially cute. It is indeed the reason, like you said, why Baby Yoda and Stitch work so well. Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, as a series, was able to create a lot of adorable characters that had unique traits to them that aren't inherently cute, but were deeply tied to their personalities.

[@tacitgamingfanREAL]

Enter Eduardo.

[@daniellel230]

Reminds me a little of 2-D from Gorillaz

[@PluslePlayzYT]

I just thought of spamton. He’s not necessarily cute, but everyone loves the little cash grab gremlin

[@lucidstarx3456]

@@PluslePlayzYT from deltarune?

[@PluslePlayzYT]

@@lucidstarx3456 yep

[@lewisoliverleo]

I'm so invested in the character development in Brookes' Cardigan Arc

[@user-hx2rs4re8y]

Kkkkk that's hilarious, same!

[@elinorc]

I too have noticed his impressive assortment of cardigans

[@moseyonover733]

The reason Disney babies have never been cute to me.

[@allisonstraffon2808]

For some reason I absolutely hate the kids and baby’s from coco melon and little baby bum, I just absolutely despise their faces and ESPECIALLY their heads. I honestly am repelled from bobble heads on a character in an attempt to make them cute.

[@claricelee7173]

What about tarzan ?

[@Anonymous_Gambito]

They look like weird aliens, and so do all of those big headed bid eyed characters. I want nothing to do with those lollipop looking asses

[@stupidchannelwithstupidvid8750]

So you don’t like baby yoda?

[@stupidchannelwithstupidvid8750]

@@allisonstraffon2808 is coco melon and little baby bum Disney?

[@wynautwarrior2161]

This reminds me when Jazza tried to make this cutest character and failed because in his words "You can't have cuteness in a vaccum".

[@stupidchannelwithstupidvid8750]

You can suck up a hamster in a vacuum and hamsters are cute, so what’s his point?

[@MimikyuCookie]

@@stupidchannelwithstupidvid8750 ok but how long will it live?

[@stupidchannelwithstupidvid8750]

@@MimikyuCookie Why does it matter of how long will it live? Do you have necrophilia with the dead?

[@MimikyuCookie]

@@stupidchannelwithstupidvid8750 no. I’m just taking into account that dead hamsters probably aren’t considered cute.

[@stupidchannelwithstupidvid8750]

@@MimikyuCookie that depends on the stage of the hamster’s death, is it freshly dead? Is it decaying? Is it fully decayed? Is it mummified? Is it alive?

[@danielsurvivor1372]

8:38 So true. I was wondering why everyone looses their minds over "cute" pop figures while for me, they looks boring, not cute

[@RisingSunfish]

I know Funko collectors IRL, and they don't really collect because the figures look cute, but because of the range of characters. The fact that they have the same basic structure and appearance adds to the unity of the collection, regardless of how it looks in a vacuum.

[@deliciouslycrispyfrog2053]

@@RisingSunfish I believe that nendoroids are a much better alternative to funko pops. Sure they’re quite expensive, but they’re SO much cuter and they also have a wide range of characters so it’s worth the money. Funko pops are so cheap looking and drab, idk what the appeal is

[@RisingSunfish]

@@deliciouslycrispyfrog2053 the appeal is the 95% of characters who aren't available as nendoroids lol

[@noroads7126]

@@RisingSunfish Yeah, and if Nendoroids were to ever attempt to tap into that 95% market, the workload would be so bad they'd have to give up uniqueness for efficiency and resort to using formulaic designs like Funko. Ya just can't win.

[@potatistatis6709]

@@deliciouslycrispyfrog2053 I assume the major appeal is the price. You can get around 5-8 Funko pops for the price of 1 Nendo. But the nendoroids look so much better.

[@demonheart13]

I miss when the villagers weren't always so docile. I miss when they said things that were actually memorable or villagers that warmed up to me. Apollo's and Whitney are my favs, but they basically bullied me in wild world until I earned their acknowledgement. I was so proud of myself that the "mature" villagers liked me. They are still my two favs, but mostly for nostalgia, my new horizon favs are Zelle and Kids. Really, the smug persona is just amazing. even though they also sing your praises from day one. At least they are trendy.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Yeah, I do miss the old personalities, and the challenge of eventually winning Wolfgang over.

[@Apollo_G]

I like Audie because she canonically commits tax fraud

[@arcadenate]

@the hevy I like new horizons more overall, but maybe that’s because I didn’t play new leaf as much, but the personality changes were something that really bugged me. Wish they were a bit “edgier”?

[@thedestroyasystem]

@@Apollo_G yoo fellow nb

[@stupidchannelwithstupidvid8750]

@the hevy You’re probably right, they removed that beaver builder guy because he made children cry.

[@terriblycharismaticduck2717]

I don’t even have this issue but I’m watching it in case I ever need it.

[@radioactivebirdj.1845]

Terribly Charismatic I'm not even an artist

[@Neon99]

Same I always watch these just in case

[@CaptainCretaceous91]

Boy Scout motto: Be prepared.

[@mollyaustin676]

Biko is such a charming character; he's got this kind of floppy eared bull dog look to him that makes him appeal to cuteness in the same way a dog would, so his design actually gives that endearing feeling without having to lean on the "cute aesthetic." Like you said with baby Yoda; it's a more genuine cute because it reminds us of something we already love!

[@iambeavis762]

shaun

[@lexycocoa9979]

To me characters can only be cute if their NOT trying to hard to be cute.

[@ARCtheCartoonMaster]

I guess I must have succeeded, since I didn't realise how cute my Adele character is until others pointed it out.

[@DeeTimmyfan]

That's why I don't like anime.

[@andrewaftontheandroidhedge2780]

like to me skags from borderlands are cute wen there not attacking the player and just existing

[@ultaedits5751]

I see kirbo in the background and it's cute

[@randomlad1157]

"Lack of interest" *zooms in to baby Yoda* Baby yoda: •^•

[@juandominguezmurray7327]

Yes! A huge difference in cuteness between funkos and nendoroids.. nendoroids are the best! (But much more expensive lol)

[@deliciouslycrispyfrog2053]

the price is worth it 100%! Because you get high quality figures that are super cute and are also posable, which is such a plus

[@spacechase9705]

I looked this up and as soon as I see the VERY first image on google I just thought "Yep these are superior"

[@L0rdOfThePies]

Funko pops are souless and cost too much...funko dont deserve their license with all the sub par bad products they put out

[@tacitgamingfanREAL]

The problem is, Nendos are mostly anime, so they don’t leave a lot for most other people to enjoy.

[@mainspringeverwound]

Honestly if you know how and where to shop Nendos really aren't that much expensive either.

[@legendeOfDragon]

When I saw the title I immediately thought of a game I once played: Yonder. I specifically remember that there were those rabbit creatures that are supposed to be the “cutest” animal in game. They had huge heads, big eyes and small feets and all I thought was “they are not cute at all” For me the cutest animal in the game were those fox ferrets creatures. They had a long body were the head seamlessly connects into it, short legs and small dot like eyes. And they were so adorable! Way more adorable than the supposed “cute” rabbits XD

[@dagnytheartist]

I had to look it up to see what you mean. The first thing I saw was the foxes, which *were* cute! The rabbits weren't as ugly as I thought (I guess I assumed that they would be the total opposite of cute lol), but they were a little unsettling. The big black eyes are probably the biggest flaw. They look like funkopops XD

[@legendeOfDragon]

@@dagnytheartist Yeah XD They are just large balls with big eyes XD

[@shytendeakatamanoir9740]

@@legendeOfDragon Now, DQ Slimes are also balls with big eyes, and they're really cute. But they also have more personality, wich those ones seems to lack. I also saw image of that big Mouse thingy from that game, and they look way cuter to me, because their design tells a lot more than "cute for the sake of cuteness" .

[@lev7509]

Some games intentionally have overly cute characters as a way to express sarcasm.

[@spacechase9705]

The Fabbits aren't cute, but they are adorable. There IS a difference.

[@Xylophlow]

i feel like i have the literal opposite problem, I try to make a horror character but it somehow always ends up kinda cute (usually in a weird way) ._. Edit: thanks for the art advice lol, this was kinda just a joke xD (but i still can draw non-cute things)

[@dragoniraflameblade]

Maybe lean into it?

[@guynamedrick4419]

Try to make them cute then you will make an abomination like mine :)

[@Xylophlow]

when i try to make them cute, they end up sort of cute but kinda cliche, but when I try to not make them cute, they end up c u t e.

[@ShadowRipple]

Add something unsettling like a lot of scars or missing limbs and couple that with dark expressions and smaller details, posture also helps and don't add any shine to the eyes, or make them one colour without visible pupils. Copying directly from horror pictures for practice puts some kind muscle memory or something similar. I'm not an expert, this is just what I think could help.(Sorry if you didn't want to read a whole paragraph)

[@Xylophlow]

@@ShadowRipple ive tried that lol. it STILL ended up kinda cute ._.

[@redboy3643]

Anime often goes for this large, glassy-eyed look where they try to squeeze as much detail as possible into the iris. Yet, to me they immediately feel more emotive and 'human' when the iris shrinks, or its detail is removed to the point of just being a solid color. Couldn't really tell you why I feel that way though, it's just an instinct thing I guess.

[@trickydiagram5267]

So it isn't just me who thinks that.

[@wowisntitanamazinglyamazin9550]

@Sentiental honestly if you want an anime style thats closer to realism, I'd recommend Junji Ito. The people he draws are just very visually appealing and the eyes are still anime eyes but toned down

[@juicygoof]

A character I feel written cute in the wrong way perfectly is Lil Gideon from Gravity Falls as he uses all these archetypes of a character being self aware rather than genuine, which complements the fact that he’s a liar and manipulator as shown through out the series and is a part of why Lil Gideon is one of my favorite villains ever.

[@bluefish239]

I have the opposite problem where a lot of my characters are cute and it's not really intentional? Oh except for when I end up drawing something creepy, but its easy when most of the serious monsters I have are kind of body horrorish...

[@mnurkose7316]

I would say, experiment. Most artists on the internet never go out of their comfort zone and always try to make their drawings appealing. Even if they're very talented, and could probably make it work, they will never draw something even slightly unattractive. Which isn't really a problem with an illustrator, but it is if you're a cartoonist. I used to be like this, I would always try to draw characters very attractive, and never give them "flaws." But in my stories I see now that that artstyle and mindset didn't make sense. So I changed my style completely, and I can honestly say that I am happier with my work.

[@chiara9767]

In the past few months I've been absolutely *obsessed* with non-cute-looking characters having unbearably cute personalities. Like, imagine a huge, intimidating, bear looking guy who loves flowers and wants to open a flower shop? I love it. (Yes, I'm referencing an actual webtoon I am OBSESSED with.)

[@guinealover6674]

What Webtoon are you talking about? It sounds adorable and I want to read it.

[@tebthecat1141]

@@guinealover6674 The Strongest Florist. I can attest to the mc being a lowkey teddy bear xD

[@redkhaos5]

I don’t have the creativity to make characters, I like to make fan art more, but I love your videos and tips so I’m here watching it anyway =]

[@SirMasi]

Don't sell yourself short! Creativity is a skill that can be trained, not something you're just born with. I bet you could do it if it's what you want 🙂. Brookes' video on "derivative-proofing your characters" has some good advice. Of course, no shame in sticking to fan art if that's what you actually enjoy. Whatever works for you!

[@redkhaos5]

@@SirMasi Thank you for the nice message and tip!

[@FuzzyWuzzy132001]

If you say you can't do it because you're not creative enough, youre not seeing it right. Being creative is not just about imagining something. You need to research, collect references, put down your ideas, look at others. You need to ask questions to yourself like: -what do you wanna draw? I want to do an archer. Then search for archer references poses and bows -how do you want it? You want to do it in cartoon or realistically? Then you need to do some studies about it -why do you want to do it? Is it for a comic, an illustration, character for a logo? Just like one of the commenters said, it needs training. It's something you can learn with experience, like any other thing really. Knowing a bit of art history, painters like leonardo or picasso looked at others' works to develop their own style as well. I also used to draw only fan art too because that's the only thing I knew how to do (badly). I still like doing fan art from time to time but when I started creating my projects, the satisfaction felt so much better

[@burgerwithcurlyfries]

so much of fanart is your own interpretation, it's absolutely creative!

[@a.j.morrow5533]

8:35 I've been saying this for years! I don't know why people collect these ugly things. Collect Nendoroids instead.

[@YoshuaYoshoka]

Yeah, Nendoroids are cute asf, Funkos just look ugly and creepy at worst for me.

[@djcoolbeat6934]

Get lowkey offended UvU lul.

[@snowyyzoe]

I just looked them up and they are cute but...way too much for a figurine honestly

[@nicholasbatson-jay768]

I just prefer funkos

[@snowyyzoe]

@Simple Weirdo Hmm are they affordable?

[@KatelynJewel]

I disagree about the hamster villagers. I understand how Rodney may look ugly and even a bit creepy to some people, but I have him on my island and I find him adorable. I consider him to be more ugly-cute, and I personally think this makes him a more interesting as it kind of gives more personality to his design. He and Katt (another ugly-cute villager) are my two favorites.

[@angelac.e.589]

Le Ham! Praise the Lord! I have found another Rodney believe!

[@BudDinktrap]

I never understood why Rodney was so disliked... I personally like his smug looking face lol

[@LimeLoaf]

Bet you don't know which villager I like

[@legendeOfDragon]

The issue I have isn’t that the characters aren’t cute instead THEY ARE ALL CUTE!! I probably just make my characters too simple, I need to learn more complex design

[@chiaraj1003]

I've got the same problem. I tried to draw someone more menacing, and got the feedback "He looks cute", like no! Stop! Be scared! We'll get there eventually though

[@legendeOfDragon]

@@chiaraj1003 someday!

[@pepitocovid-91]

@@chiaraj1003 Some... day-

[@pepitocovid-91]

I also have the same problem aaaa

[@chiaraj1003]

@Cadaver Bidding Um... I mean, thanks, but you know, I just want to draw non-cute humans X'D But if I ever do delve into more horror stuff, I'll be sure to take your advice! And another problem regarding my art style is that my eyes are already really small, so yeah. Thank you nonetheless! I'll be sure to take the advice when I can!

[@CaitieLou]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one that finds Funko pops to be unappealing and soulless. For the life of me I can't figure out how they've become so popular. Are people just so desperate for any kind of merchandise that is styled after some video game or TV show that they're fine with the designs being so lifeless?

[@CharacterDesignForge]

There’s a bit of a complicated history there that undercuts the much more diverse Vinyl toy boom of the late 00’s, which funko has almost completely diluted- as a fan of that movement I can’t help but be salty

[@coffintears5821]

Is it bad i actually like the designs of funko pops?

[@sweettarts1285]

@@coffintears5821 no, people have opinions

[@worstusernameintheworld9871]

@@coffintears5821 I personally don't feel any need to collect them, but I also like how soulless they are. that's my personal preference tho, maybe people enjoy more lifelike stuff

[@sekiro_the_one-armed_wolf]

I find it entertaining how they get simplified into the same general shape while keeping defining features that let you know what the character is. Never found them cute, just kind of cool. Like how you’ll see anime characters drawn in a different anime’s art style but it’s still obviously that character.

[@remnants9974]

I loved Stitch as a kid, definitely a cute design. Yes, I think contrast helps to make a design interesting, since the fact that he also has an "edge" to him makes him even cuter in a way.

[@blondbraid7986]

Great video! One of the design trends I hate the most is the fact that nearly all female main characters and/or romantic interests in big animated movies all look like the same Disney princess in a different wig and costume, because when everyone has the same heart-shaped face with huge eyes and tiny nose and mouth, it looks cute, but doesn't convey anything besides cuteness, and there's nothing to make their faces memorable, and so much emotion is conveyed through the face. Even when the filmmakers want to make a point that this girl is different from the old-school princesses, and she's not just another generic pretty face, they still make her look like one, and that just makes it so much harder to connect to the character as her own person. I've remember seeing concept art for an animated series where I legit could not tell how many female characters there were because I couldn't tell if most of the images showed different female characters or one girl with a costume swap.

[@snakewithapen5489]

Yeah same bruh, it's really obnoxious. I miss back in 2-d animation when the princesses all had individual facial structure and traits, i don't hate disney's 3-d animation but i do hate how all the recent character models have the same round heart-shaped face, big shiny eyes with the same shading, and teeny tiny button noses. All the women in the frozen movies are practically the same character model just with different hair.

[@joined_shores_art]

I just got rid of that problem by stopping the focus on european beauty standards. It changes so much. Mine are the only characters with bigger eyebrows in my friend group for example, that already let's them stand out. People know which ones are made by me and that's honestly really cool. Glad they are seen as pretty too.

[@V4sil]

Sometimes its also funny to take something wierd or even creepy, like a deep sea creature or something like that and try to make a cute version lol.

[@metra8604]

indeed, i once saw someone make slenderman cute and it was hilarious

[@spacechase9705]

(Takes Anglerfish) Alright, time to drain you of your nightmare fuel in order to make both you cute, and my masterpiece scarier. (The camera pans to a machine containing several pods, the largest of which has tubes running from the smaller ones into it, containing the world's scariest creature) Someday, nobody will laugh. MY CREATIONS *SHALL* BE SCARY! THEY SHALL! I AM READY TO MAKE MY MASTERPIECE! MY ULTIMATE WORK! MY FIRST CREEPY DRAWING!

[@flexibleincarnate7064]

Muffet

[@somethingwithbungalows]

@@flexibleincarnate7064 yeh she’s a great example! Including many other things from that game too

[@istolethispfpsorry485]

A good example of a cute child character is Greg from Over the Garden Wall.

[@HMNCLunar]

And that's a Rock Fact!

[@hannahstarinieri1351]

Yes! His round little bod and big eyes are so adorable

[@sweettarts1285]

Y E S

[@reeeeeeeeee7192]

When you talked about character that is “knowingly cute” I thought about the blue haired girl from saiki k 💀

[@okaysoanyways2645]

She is so annoying

[@lucidmoth1023]

@@okaysoanyways2645 I think she's hilarious-

[@vericvoidal]

lmao teruhashi

[@biscuitsnlimes3382]

Understandable

[@Beano5]

Yeah but teruhashi is right

[@pikazillalikefromflipnote]

Whenever I think of unconventionally cute character design, I can't help but immediately think of post season 1 Ed, Edd n Eddy. You have characters like Eddy who looks both greasy and smarmy, yet he's also short, fat, hyperactive, and brightly colored. Ed who looks inbred but is also endearingly innocent and ditzy. Even characters like Jimmy who are meant to be "the cute one" have not so cute elements added in like the sickeningly white skin, huge retainer, and Charlie Brown patterned baldness

[@--.._]

Ed and Edd in particular are adorable imo!

[@asinussum]

I feel really called out with this. I recently wanted to treat myself by drawing a page full of cute kittens. Half of them looked like fresh from lovecraft...

[@sebastianbronowicki7073]

This is what happens when you draw cats from saturn

[@craftygamerones9494]

This makes me admire Amy from Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2. Amy’s interactions and faith in Gamma was always so honest, genuine, and sweet.

[@jaimedelasmontanas]

i've discovered that making characters that are similar to animals tend to give you an upper hand in the "cuteness" level automatically, not always but in most cases, something in which creating a human like character doesn't happen often. this may be me but honestly it's more appealing to look at something that's like "animal" in a cartoon than something that's a "human".

[@shinypie1111]

Probably because most animals are fluffy. We usually associate fluffiness with cuteness.

[@StilvurBee]

ehehehehehehe

[@StoutShako]

There's this one person in my friend group who has this child character who she constantly draws with eyes literally taking up 2/3rds of her face, with huge anime eyes, completely void of pupils. And while she's always gushing about how cute she made that character, it awakens a very primal fear in me every time I see them. I don't know how to tell her that her character looks like she'll eat my face, and tbh, I probably never will. Also the little girl is supposed to be 6, but is drawn with straight up baby proportions in a way that makes me think the artist has never seen a 6 year old in the wild before.

[@jackeroni216]

We all have that one villager we have an Irrational Hatred of... (I'm looking at you Hippeaux)

[@shinypie1111]

chops I rest my case

[@mnurkose7316]

Your timing is uncanny... This was posted RIGHT when I needed it. Also, how do I avoid lack of interest? In my story the character in question is a minor character, but in almost every episode. I don't want her to be a forgettable character, but at the same time I have no idea how to give her more personality because she's literally a baby.

[@burritowyrm6530]

basically she baby?

[@mnurkose7316]

Yup! I guess she counts as part of the main cast, since the story is about two sisters and this one's the third.

[@Neon99]

Give he some sort of charming quirk type thing?

[@mabelpines2330]

My advice is give her some opinions. Is there something she has an irrational fear of? Something that always gets her to stop crying? Maybe an unusual toy or object that she needs to calm down? What about the babbly names she calls people? Working on personality starting from what the character is like tends to help me figure out how to design them uniquely.

[@blurob1326]

give her some unique trait or something

[@emmik946]

Brookes Eggleston: *Discusses the cuteness of animated characters* Kirby in the background: *Watching intensly*

[@temtem8110]

One of the cutest characters I’ve ever seen is Captain Amelia from *Treasure Planet* . She has an interesting design which largely resembles a cat. She even shows some cat mannerism and behavior. This alone made her incredibly appealing. Meanwhile, crew member Scroop from the same film is a terrifying arthropod. Captain contrasts with him and other crew members because she’s one of the very few people who looks like a mammal and appears to move effortlessly, without her body appearing to be heavy, sticky or cold. So, despite being a dominant, strict person she seems charming and endearing. The contrast between her harsh personality and kitty appearance contributes too.

[@--.._]

I'm not a furry and I'm genuinely concerned why I find her attractive and adorable at the same time! The film's character designs are top-notch! That pink flying blob called Morph was also objectively cute, but its personality is a trouble-maker xd Don't get me started about the crewmates, they all have very interesting designs as well!

[@ARCtheCartoonMaster]

Honestly, Captain Amelia is one of the best Disney characters out there, and with a brilliant design to match.

[@metademetra]

So that's why the Minions are so annoying after prolonged exposure

[@islandko2402]

I see a Kirby plushie.

[@whoops7340]

No you don't

[@Crono1020]

8:33 Finaly someone agrees with me about the funko pop's

[@GunGryphon]

Would trying to make a character seem dwarfed relative to their challenges be a good reason to skew toward cuteness?

[@HudsonHistorics]

I took pause at the idea of Stitch being cute... But you are correct, he is a good combination of scary and cuddly- The Child, absolutely perfect!! Well rounded video with clear direction! Thank you Brookes!

[@shadowdroid776]

I love seeing things that shouldn't be cute be cute. I mean, Mitty from Made in Abyss is perfect in my eyes. It's why my child character is horrifically deformed.

[@fiaghost4759]

An example of a character that actively tries to be cute and funny and ends up looking artificial is Gideon from Gravity Falls. But it's the goal, he's supposed to be repelling, since he's the villain. You can use artificial cuteness to make someone annoying

[@austinreed7343]

See also Monokuma.

[@ddoodah]

I have this character I made at the beginning of this year, and I've been working on his character design ever since then. Before I never really realized how important it is to work on the character design first before figuring out the story. Before I thought I could just wing it and get it right on the first try. Your videos have really helped my improve in my process of character design!

[@skullchimes]

took me years to develop a cute character I wanted to use as some sort of mascot for myself, it's not easy work

[@cloudshifter]

Well explained. If you look at characters like, Stitch, owl house Demon, Veigar, bunny from holy grail and many more you will see that being cute is only one aspect of their personality and sometimes the characters themselves don't want to aknowledge that side of themselves everyone else labeled them as cute. The contrast between their personalities intentions and look is what makes them cute and interesting characters.

[@cookieskoon2028]

A few years ago one of my followers on a now very dead tumblr asked me why I liked giving my cutesy characters fangs so often. At the time I had no idea how to articulate to them why it made them much more endearing. Well, here we are!

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Totally!

[@pixellated-turtle1164]

For some reason, I think The Owl House managed this quite well when the Owlbeast shrinks down, it probably seemed cuter seeing as it had been portrayed as a monster for the rest of the show.

[@foriwillconsidermycatjeoffery]

when feeling lost--draw something "ugly-cute!" I always find those drawings the cutest, lol.

[@ConfettiCasket]

One of my cutest characters is all triangle and square shapes. I dont think he has a n y circles. Even has big square 3d glasses where you can't see his eyes.

[@angrybidoof847]

"The human sculpt " shows sonic

[@evenaxin3628]

While watching this I decided to try to create the cutest character I could despite the weird way my brain works and I think I've done it! The character is a curious little line moving around a 2D world.

[@cativo1000]

brookes: *ranting about baby yoda* the baby yoda plushie in the background: 😔

[@quartexgames9834]

Anime cliches: Allow us to introduce ourselves

[@toadboydude5015]

The spoon of sugar analogy made me cringe but you're so right

[@kintallo5617]

Me: *designs a half-orc for D&D and gives him strong, stern features* Other folks: Aww! He looks like a sweetheart! I bet he gives great hugs! Me: ... Not what I'm going for, but okay!

[@senthesanguinesinner9]

I actually recently used this video to help with a character design. The character/fursona that you can see as my icon (Sen) isn’t necessarily cute. I wanted a more devious, mildly sinister, yet still almost welcoming design. But I made a later piece of Sen looking cute, almost chibi-like, in a cardboard box like a cat. What I’m getting at is that you can make any design cute with some tweaking.

[@CreativeWitchArt]

This reminds me of a character from a show called Aggretsuko her name was Tsunoda she was suppose to look cute where she was fake even characters mention it how she use her cuteness to use her boss to get out of work

[@markguyton2868]

I think my biggest issue is lack of purpose since I draw all the time, but don't actually post or do anything with them. I want to do things with them, just not sure what or where yet.

[@bluesolace9052]

Maybe get a Twitter or deviant art. If you fear art theft just form a group of friends into similar art interests who you can get critiques from. Or I guess maybe do comics. What kinda stuff you draw?

[@markguyton2868]

@@bluesolace9052 Mainly cutesy stuff and the occasional SHMUP ship.

[@enimo9241]

Same

[@HippyDipps]

I love everything that was said in this video, and I think it can also be taken for things that aren't necessarily cute but also in general character design, when making emotions, how you should not over-complicate things or oversimplify. You should have enough language to communicate to viewers the emotion while not going into the uncanny valley where something seems off about a certain detail. I used to have problems with doing this, but as of late: after studying a lot more with animation, and also looking through good designs, and their concepts I've learned past this! Sackboy from Little Big Planet also had a time where his design looked creepy, but afterward, with the same relatability you stated, it made his final design cute! Since he doesn't talk in the games, more emphasis was is put on the head and hands, wide mouth small eyes, Almost reminds me of a little emoticon!

[@_lily_garden_]

Can we just appreciate that this video is exactly 10 minutes long?

[@watchermagic5325]

Yes, please tell us more about the art of cuteness! I found this really interesting.

[@yourlocalgrubdog3345]

I know pikmin isn't the most popular thing, but you do have a olimar plush in the background soooo Pikmin does cuteness in a very interesting way. A lot of enemies are cute, but still just alien/weird enough for you to recognise they are dangerous. They also take care in making sure all pikmin are cute in their own way so that you feel the most pain possible when you let the poor things die. And Olimar himself! They took a balding, middle aged man and made him cute as well. He's also proof you don't need to follow all of the "rules" to cute characters, as he manages to be cute without the big round eyes (though he does still have many other baby/chibi proportions...) There could be ways to further break these down but I think my point is clear. Pikmin uses it's cuteness in interesting and effective ways and I just adore it to bits.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

Absolutely. I cant remember where, possibly on stream, I was saying a lot of these same things. Some of my favorite characters

[@ultimateprogamer5843]

I believe that a character to that is an example of good Cute Character design is Hat Kid from A Hat in Time as she is very expressive without being overdone she is greedy and a bit self centered and likes to joke around.

[@eri6970]

I really love this kind of videos where people talk about the technical side of the things & more generally aspects about a concept

[@rachellynncreates2703]

It’s so funny because I am constantly telling my child to stop trying to be funny That she’s funny when she’s herself but when she tries... it’s just not.

[@emilymonahan5232]

Thats..just mean lmao you should encourage her

[@dashad1099]

@@emilymonahan5232 Well this is a mom. You guys defend those people-

[@emilymonahan5232]

@@dashad1099 wdym lmfao? first of all, whos 'you guys?' second of all, i dont defend moms who arent supportive of their children xoxo

[@ZZZ-xq9pk]

Dude... she's a child kids like being given attention and making people laugh theres no need to be so harsh on her for it.. I'm pretty sure most kids are bad at jokes just let it be that sounds so hurtful for her

[@rachellynncreates2703]

Yeah... you guys completely missed the point. I encourage her to be funny. I also encourage her to stop trying to be funny. When she’s herself she is funny. When she over does it because she’s trying to hard instead of being herself that’s when I tell her to stop. Being natural: funny. Trying to hard: not so much.

[@katiebrice1894]

I feel like people who adore baby yoda also like sphynx kittens (whixh are cute)

[@snakewithapen5489]

Sphinxes are great, i know some people say they're ugly because they're wrinkly but imo they don't have to be fuzzy to be cute, they have the same cattish face and eyes and funny big ears.

[@mikanviola]

Bingus

[@shinypie1111]

Fun fact: Most cats can use their fur to stay cool during summer and warm during winter. However, sphinxes have no fur, so they can’t do this. In other words, sphinx cats need good homes so they can warm up/cool down.

[@bridsara8398]

I've just discovered your channel and it's great . Can I just say I love how you sound cuz for once i dont zone out while watching this cute character design tip , tutorial thing. I've watched a billion vids on art stuff , tutorials and what not and boy do I zone out so thanks for not sounding Boring as hell .

[@marial.n.b.1262]

ANOTHER GREAT VIDEO, I LOVE THAT AWKWARD PAUSE AT THE START WHERE IT NEEMS LIKE YOU WHER GOING TO JUST SAY STREIGHT UP "NO!" BUT ENDED UP SAYING "LETS TALK ABOUT IT.", IT MAKES ME LAUGH EVERY TIME.

[@CharacterDesignForge]

UPDATE: Biko, who I mentioned in this video, the main character of my animated series, is available to give you healing as a plush, only until 11/6/22! Grab it to directly support the development of my animated series Stormfellers! www.makeship.com/products/biko-plush

[@spectenix]

I think The Knight from Hollow Knight is a good example too. Many people who played the game (and some who haven't) find the little vessel adorable. On one hand, it has several things you'd expect of a cute baby-like character. Big eyes, big head, a tiny simplistic body and the lack of a voice, expressing only through simple movements. Yet it has other things that work against what you'd expect and makes the character more interesting. The Knight is quick and clean, it's not clumsy. It has horns, wears a cloak and carries a nail. Why would your standard cute character carry a weapon? That's what makes a good cute character

[@bleedingbellybutton9403]

Could you do one on how to make characters creepy? :3

[@PRGME7]

:,,: {|} {|} O \_____/

[@McBehrer]

4:55 ooh, I like him though. He seems like a good friend

[@marianamora4203]

Omygod! THANK YOU! I do not understand how funko pop figures became so popular when they are neither cute nor appealing in their shape language or design!

[@sekiro_the_one-armed_wolf]

Because they are cheap and readily available

[@sekiro_the_one-armed_wolf]

Along with a way larger character roster than any other brand of figurine makers

[@marianamora4203]

@@sekiro_the_one-armed_wolf ah, capitalism strikes again!

[@femoman]

This is why I like to make use of the 'ugly-cute' trope. Characters who have all the traits that would be considered ugly, but applied in a way that makes them look kinda cute. One such character I've designed has the appearance of a little girl, short smol proportions, skirt and stockings combo, big soulful eyes, pigtails, little nose, big smile, etc. But she's also a goblin, so she's got the odd skin and hair colour, webbed fingers and toes, pointed teeth, tacky baggy sweater, flat serpentine nose, crests under the eyes and massive ears that stick out to the sides. But the combination of features, at least as far as the feedback I've received implies, is that it is a pretty well balanced combo of ugly and cute.

[@guppyfishbein2984]

Why does youtube only recommend your old videos to me!! I'm subscribed but I just found this video by chance!! Also, wonderful video and super super good advice! I'm feeling inspired...

[@CharacterDesignForge]

I really wish I knew the answer to that question!

[@lain5179]

This video is amazing, and it honestly reminded me to that meap character in phineas and ferb, they tried way too hard to make the cutests being ever and it ends up being annoying to look at and honestly not even cute at all. Its like just because they tried to make it extremely cute following all the rules step by step they really messed it up.

[@MissNonaNuki]

I'm so happy that you brought up Limberg from Animal Crossing as an odd 'uncute' character. He's one of my favorites precisely because he's not a typical cutesy sweet character in the series. I have a fondness for the grouchy grandpa or uncle kind of characters.

[@15acesplz15]

The example about kids being genuinely cute vs purposefully cute is great to me as a daycare teacher, because most kids do both! My toddlers all like to smile and bat their eyes when they're misbehaving, but they're much more cute when they do something unassuming like give a crying classmate a forehead kiss

[@iwantedtobethatanomaly2270]

There are many characters that have that forced cuteness in them. Most of them are those talking animals that are the main protagonist's sidekicks.

[@sonicmario64]

I happen to be a cartoon artist who likes to draw anthropormorphic animal characters all the time, which I've been able to draw for as long as I can remember, especially since I tend to suck at drawing humans in my original style. Whenever I draw an animal character, I often tend to make them very cute and relatable due to it being a style that I find most appealing, and I've even been able to improve my style quite a bit over the years after being able to draw on a regular basis as long as I find the inspiration to do so. Perhaps the main reason for me only drawing animal characters is because I've always found them to be a lot more appealing and stylish than cartoon humans, the latter of which can be drawn rather ugly depending on the artist who created them, and that's especially true during an era with modern cartoon shows that have absolutely no anthropomorphic animal characters as its main cast at all (such as "The Loud House", "Steven Universe", "The Owl House", and "Amphibia", to name a few). But, other than that, it kinda makes me glad that I'm able to come up with my own material to entertain myself if there's nothing available of my interest, and if had the talents to create my own animated cartoon series with the kinds of characters that I like, I totally would.

[@apocalypseofplush]

I feel like Drawn to Life makes its characters cute to really hit you HARD with the dark storyline the game has. You don't wanna see this adorable little long-eared fox-people (called Raposa) suffer from the things that happen to them, so you decide to help them out in their time of need.

[@rurihime4965]

In Portuguese at least (I don't know if it's the same word on other languages) raposa literally means fox

[@apocalypseofplush]

@@rurihime4965 yep

[@gorb5340]

My little sister likes these LOL dolls, and despite having all the features one may find cute; big eyes, big head, small features, they creep me the HELL out... What I find strange is that I find some characters that AREN'T designed to be cute, cute. For example 2D from Gorillaz. He's got alot of features that one would find creepy or unsettling but his personality and the way he acts makes him loveable, which I find interesting. He also kinda has that funny monke face which can be quite endearing, despite having no pupils, and weird teeth.

[@Just_Skyla]

Funny enough, I made a character not intending to be cute, but I shared it online and everyone thought it was cute

[@Fancy-Arts_Crafts]

can i see it?

[@iputapipebombintoyourmailb6210]

what i don't like about cuteness is the reaction of the other character to the cute character seems forced (or it just me how pissed off it is) like say aww over nothing but visual

[@SnoFitzroy]

4:30 I know it's literally the point, but OH MY GOD. HE'S SO ADORABLE. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I simply NEED to see more of this adorable green boi

[@ch0colatec0ff33]

I think a good example for a good "cute" character is Raz from psychonaughts. Hes a simple yet clever design, taking a style a lot like Jordan Vasquez, an "ugly" style, and made him incredibly appealing. Theres a lot to his personality that pushes that. Setting a squirrel on fire. He'll say "see you in hell!" (Hes 10 btw) but hes also trying his best to help people