Level Up Your Character Design with Knight Zhang

[@ProkoTV]

Join the biggest online art community and learn alongside other artists by creating a free account on Proko - www.proko.com/signup 👈

[@oscaralbertobazalarcastill7741]

gracias esta muy bueno...

[@hhehehe]

how do i make a reference sheet like your one? is there a website for that?

[@Kuro.mangaka]

I can't do digital art, so how do I this?

[@foundLostkidsshows-cw8iq]

thank you for making this video this will help me to make clothing for my character Comic manga book pls make more this is really help full not lying

[@ProkoTV]

@@foundLostkidsshows-cw8iq Glad it helps!

[@deadly.deadpan]

Man, sketch after sketch my mind was blown. She is crazy creative and her visual library is impressive.

[@MrDeerbomb]

Also her shading techniques for different material too (even as niche as jello-ey texture)

[@goldturbo98]

Yes

[@MegumiHayashida]

Are we not gon talk about the fact that her name is Knight?? Bruh she's obviously the main character!

[@yopomdpin6285]

Plus colored hair, more proof of her being the main character

[@Feuryy]

I was just about to say that. It’s such a badass name.

[@adroitws1367]

its real name? not pseudo name/pen name?

[@Gaengar]

Adroit ws it’s her preferred name online and irl (so not birth name)

[@benimaro88]

@@adroitws1367 her pen name are arucelli and her real name even cooler

[@sinixdesign]

Truly great video, Knight!

[@caze0018]

@10:30 inspo from you?

[@atriiio4244]

more videos for 2021? :DD

[@wiktorbudzinski7364]

What is this a crossover episode?

[@AndrewMaksym]

Can you do more videos on painting gem like materials and anatomy? thank you

[@UkuleleVillain]

Hey Art Dad

[@triptripp1873]

I've kinda noticed that whenever I'm trying to nail a character down, I try to sketch alot of ideas for them, but end up going back to the first few ideas that I came up, bc they usually are the onces that are closest to my vision

[@LinkEX]

You mean because this was also the case with her sketches? Maybe a variation of the 80/20 principle applies if the idea is already in the subconscious: The first 20% of your drawings have an 80% chance to contain the best ideas.

[@Gnome0003]

@@LinkEX thank you for this 20/80!!

[@freddy7694]

Or, consider this: 20% of bathroom visits are poopoo 80% of bathroom visits are peepee

[@ธนาเดชศุภนัทนพร]

It’s like Going in full circles

[@Shabazza84]

Maybe because the early ones hold most of your feelings as opposed to later versions where the head takes over.

[@foyo5497]

Whats even crazier is that (I believe) she is in her early 20s. First came across her work when she was 17 and was blown away.

[@SMBShippuden4]

I think she's like 18. but idk I never heard of her until today.

[@foyo5497]

@@SMBShippuden4Her Twitch bio says 22. Which sounds about right because I started following her around 2015.

[@kenny_ki]

how is that crazy? (genuine question, sorry if i sound rude)

[@foyo5497]

@@kenny_ki Its all good. Crazy because its rare that we come across someone who has such a great command of illustration at such an early age. The fact that she had mentors from the age of 7 and went to an art high school seems to have had a great effect on helping her hone her skills. Artist becoming pro level before the age of 20 is happing more than before though. But still very rare.

[@freddy7694]

@@foyo5497 someone sounds jealous...

[@lawgx9819]

"i wanted to become a character designer not a historian" -probably some artist somewhere

[@animatorireenie8319]

Me, who was a huge history art even before starting art: 👁️👄👁️

[@imlivinginyourbasement6157]

*Hey stop talking abt me okay? I can hear you-----*

[@muraismybby4617]

@@imlivinginyourbasement6157 literally

[@Frostfern94]

Me when I had to learn the history of architecture for my art projects

[@random1744]

@@imlivinginyourbasement6157yay another person trapped in my basement! That was surprisingly easy :D

[@MewSakura12]

Really interesting to hear her touch on the responsibility of artists when researching and using aspects from different cultures. It’s something I’ve been struggling with myself. Can’t wait for her class101 course! Thank you for having her proko!

[@MaxIronsThird]

There is no such thing as cultural appropriation. If you think something is cool, just use it, not even swastikas are off limit.

[@tsukasa67]

@@MaxIronsThird 100% agree with this. I can get behind figuring out what certain aspects of cultural design and aesthetics mean and using them properly. You wouldn't use a cowboy hat to show that someone lives, works and adventures in the icy tundra after all. However maxi is right in that there just isn't such a thing as cultural appropriation. Use various aspects of everything to enhance your art and make it grow. Nothing is off limits.

[@lekhanhtrangtran5739]

There is no culture appropriations, but like Knights said, artist shouldn't treat culture as mere aesthetic. Simple example is design a character in ancient east asia robe, such as kimono, but get the wrong overlapping flaps. Left on right: living, right on left: dead. unless it was intentional, or else it would be really confusing if someone noticed it.

[@rockon8174]

@@tsukasa67 yes you can put a cowboy hat on a character that works in the tundra. You can see that in Sabre Rider and the Star Sheriffs anime!

[@rockon8174]

@@lekhanhtrangtran5739 Culture is aesthetic! The designer who doesn't see this will definitely be overlooked with a designer that does.

[@Storse]

Knight is such a cool name wtf

[@eldrickzero4885]

her siblings are named; Bishop Zhang, Rook Zhang, and Pawn Zhang. Her mom is called Queen Zhang and her father is named King Zhang.

[@ZephyrinSkies]

@@eldrickzero4885 XD I'd feel bad for the one named Pawn

[@sir6379]

Thats what my uncle named his dog lol

[@SlayPlenty]

@@ZephyrinSkies there are 8 of them too

[@alceusrydan6237]

@@ZephyrinSkies feel bad? The pawn can be promoted to a queen. If anything the pawn is the main character aka "the chosen one" with greatest potential.

[@willowoodz]

i ADORE the way knight explains how cultural appreciation differs from cultural appropriation. using cultural concepts as a means to deepen the meaning of your characters, rather than decorating the aesthetic of your world. what an inspiring woman-- i hope to be like her one day!

[@bleachedout805]

It's more in defense of mindful designs that tell a story rather than an explanation of cultural appropriation.

[@khv12345]

@@bleachedout805 that links to cultural appropriation though

[@weetdoog]

exactly it was nice of her to touch on that

[@weetdoog]

@@sorryifmycommentwasmeanwro2065 huh?

[@nazninsultana9248]

@@sorryifmycommentwasmeanwro2065 what does that even mean?

[@MilanMovies95]

everything she said about costume design is good and all, but i ended up being in awe at her draftsmanship the whole video. shes truly amazing!

[@saucydoodles9604]

I know! No thumbnail sketches, no rough loose sketches to block out the shapes, just pulling fantastic drawings in dynamic poses out of thin air. An absolute beast.

[@ev.l9791]

Man I'm now realizing how boring my characters designs are lmao. But now I feel like I have a lot more motivation to work on them! :D

[@yanjinsurendagmid618]

i feel you man i suck too

[@troy954]

I'm trying to redesign my characters but I get tired easily from just sketching

[@spag5296]

@@troy954 I know right! A small page of sketches drains so much energy out of me

[@troy954]

@@spag5296 phew I thought I was the only one! It's such a shame I wish I could draw more. I get so tired after just a few sketches, That I cannot draw again until the next day.

[@spag5296]

@@troy954 I know right! A little suggestion I can make is to draw loosely like in the way you can see Sinix do it in his video about 'Tempo'. I find that has me thinking less and going with the flow

[@matthewf.3491]

Time to draw 500 hands, god aint gonna snap his magic fingers for me, I need to improve.

[@JayDay04]

That's the spirit!

[@ayostap6700]

I'll be joining you. Good luck

[@rainbowdashinajar4290]

I'm doing the same! good luck to everyone practicing hands/feet

[@Ransome1690]

@@rainbowdashinajar4290 For me it's hands, feet, faces, failure, RAGE QUIT! take a two day break so I don't slam easel through wall, try again.

[@rua6997]

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!

[@Naomi-rf1bl]

She must have practiced for so many hours to get that good 😭

[@windtoons5295]

@Sandra S wow!

[@LinkEX]

@Sandra S 'Tis early practice makes the master. So we have some catching up to do if we want to get to her level.

[@j_rikuu2123]

i learned since i was 9 and yet im not good at cloth folds

[@funnyswangoosething5088]

Linnea Wongseeda Svensson it’s not really about how long you’ve drawn but when you take art seriously.

[@arthur5238]

@Linnea Wongseeda Svensson haha dw im 22 and got my degree in video game production but i feel like i’m still trash so keep working we got this!

[@jayelex6583]

making me feel like an npc while she has the name knight

[@炸弹-c5h]

LMFAOOOOOOOOOOO GOD

[@TheEveningDeath]

Bro... same though... why couldn’t my name of been “Light” or smth- LMAO

[@anib8863]

@@TheEveningDeath The last character named Light kinda lost his marbles.

[@Version_Object]

@@anib8863 👀💬

[@ธนาเดชศุภนัทนพร]

Yeah We’re all NPC In Others Players life

[@ughyouagain]

i’m pretty young and when i see art like this it makes me so exited because i know i can get this good :DDDDDDD

[@lowercase_ash]

Yes you can!!! You got this, and that's such a great attitude to have. Gold star, budding artist

[@sammysgoldenhour]

We believe in you! :3

[@kronosrogers1182]

SAME!! I'm 14 and so excited to get to this level of skill!!!

[@shro_okee]

that's the spirit!

[@lalovegiselle]

This made me smile :)

[@NATA5II]

God every time I see Knight’s work I remember how far behind my skills are.

[@pedrogonzalezidk]

☹️

[@katet8639]

Stop brining yourself down. Pushing you to do different things helps. I used to do the same like you, by comparing me to these amazing artist that had years of experience. Eventually I took a break, came back and feel more free to do more advanced drawings. Tips, don't push yourself too much! And always try to finish a piece you were already working on even if it's not "good" because every different day, you will get different views on how to finish or better your original idea. Good luck 🤞 (excuse my mistakes in my comment)

[@whereaboutsunknown3822]

Same here

[@americo9999]

@@katet8639 yeah, thanks for the insights, can't wait to improve my figure drawing

[@kevlar8352]

@@katet8639 This is the advice I was looking for! Thanks Kate

[@emuemujin5906]

Why is no one talking about how freaking beautiful her artwork is like I cantt

[@barabara9855]

there are plenty of comments about that

[@loadsheddingzim]

Why no one is talking about how cute SHE is, is BEYOND ME

[@detectivenora]

Everyone is talking about that

[@JustAGuySlayingDragons]

I like your pfp, cute pink pusheen :3

[@paintergus9406]

I love her vocab, keeps me in tune and interested in what she's saying :) She's deff a reader.

[@LittleSprout73]

Suddenly my OCs feel very plain...

[@angelicfruitloops3664]

I can relate..👁👁

[@suvie2341]

i feel u

[@giuseppecapici581]

Peppa Is that you

[@obsiangravel]

Good thing is your ocs are yours and you can change their design however you want

[@troy954]

I am currently redesigning all 30+ of my characters and the hardest part is finding color scheme

[@mediacrash256]

Knight is a teaching and design genius, I honestly learned more in 15 min from her than I learned in years of studying elsewhere. It's not about her drawing (which is great), it's about how she explains it.

[@joeportland559]

I FXCKING LOVE THIS! Zhang said everything I needed to hear. Thank you for having her. She explained the missing pieces to the approaches i should take or naturally take but never understood why I was doing so. I have a crush now.

[@neo-filthyfrank1347]

On that bloated hippopotamus? How??

[@izzyw3558]

@@neo-filthyfrank1347 Wow I tried to be constructive in another reply to a negative comment of yours in this video but you’re just being nasty for the sake of it and/or are super salty/jealous of her loveliness and awesome work.

[@yvesdorsi4458]

Holy cow man, She's absurdly good...

[@LinkEX]

Seriously though, every quick sketch looks at least like an intermediate phase of a final character design.

[@snoozuu]

ive watched a lot of character design videos during my time as an artist,, and this has to be one of the most helpful ones ive seen. also very beautiful sketches !!!

[@neo-filthyfrank1347]

If THIS was one of the most helpful ones you've seen I'd hate to see the worst

[@ZurditaDinamita]

I love the detail that she even thinks some type of ost for the character ("Kawaii Grunge/Glitch EDM", so on point, lady!)

[@beshooketh9333]

1 Functional vs Fantasy Historical vs Fictional (visual) 2 Process Research: boards evoking the tone, fashion, aesthetics, colours Writing notes Draw it out to explore ideas Poses to show personality 3 character design To show characters via visual Personality, textures, purpose Blocks of colours - 40-60% different saturations/shades of one primary colour - secondary clothing, medium-shape decor: similar hue eg deep b + brighter gr or warm reds + golds and purples - opposing colours for accents, smaller details 4 props Weapons, backpack, jewelry, books What's the significance of these props? Storytelling

[@soulvz]

Thank you

[@helenmartin1395]

Tysm

[@banananacentral]

I was seriously moved in an emotional level. I've been looking for something like this topic, and this video went over and beyond what I expected, it dove deeper into design than anything else I've watched or seen so far and the explanations were very helpful! Thank you Proko for inviting this lovely lady, I'm gonna follow her now.

[@tobias5843]

I always sort of knew these things in the back of my mind, but I didn't know how much I needed to hear it. I've always had a struggle with clothing design and being either too complicated or too simple with no real direction. Thank you for making this video it's been really helpful

[@mangolie21]

I'm already in love with this woman's art. I love how all her drawings are so dynamic and all the details! This helped me a lot, I'm gonna grab my sketchbook real quick

[@batoshiinoart1235]

I absolutely loved the interview that Proko and Marshall had with Knight, as well as this one! What a fantastic video! Would be awesome to see y’all work together more!

[@duuyanxxD]

After watching this I feel super inspired to delve into the entire process of designing a character!

[@toxicdermyillunary4103]

Research is so fun that I actually become somewhat of a medieval (Europe, China, Japanese) enthusiast (Architecture, History, Armor, Weapons, etc). Anyone should try it, especially those who want to make a design that is semi-realistic/functional to all-out functional.

[@tristanneal9552]

Your ideations/sketches are insane. I'm lucky if my end result looks as good as your hastily made brainstorms, top tier talent

[@hai_hayamii3204]

This video really motivates me to improve my character’s design and do more research on my oc’s design. The way she explains this topic makes it motivated and a little easier when creating designs in general

[@babynyxe4784]

This video filled me with motivation!! I realized I haven't been putting much thought or work into my character designs. I never like them much but after this video and seeing all the research, sketches and images that she put into her character I was like wow, I've really been slacking off. Gonna go draw until my wrist cant move now

[@applepie-sq8mm]

this is hands down the best video on anything character design related I have ever watched

[@southpaw3524]

She is my biggest inspiration! How on earth could a human dislike this content? Thank you so much for sharing this gem @KnightZhang & @Stan+ Proko- Team!

[@neo-filthyfrank1347]

I dislike this content, the video's hardly informative at all

[@kalinjones3626]

@@neo-filthyfrank1347 can you please stop? I know seeing people mad is so funny haha but at this point your just being a jerk. Your hypocritical and give no exceptional criticism to justify your claim that this video sucks. I hope you can find more enjoyment in life then feeding off of people’s anger because it just makes you seem insecure.

[@neo-filthyfrank1347]

@@kalinjones3626 1. No I'm not going to stop 2. I HAVE explained my points elsewhere 3. Yes making idiots mad is funny

[@kalinjones3626]

@@neo-filthyfrank1347 eh I really don’t care have a good day

[@neo-filthyfrank1347]

@@kalinjones3626 Yeah you better run away

[@silvervixen007]

Her costume designs are literlally perfect omg

[@eldaniels6730]

i really like this idea of collecting reference images that invoke the mood you're going for. I also do this, just collecting random images and organizing them into a board on pinterest. It's a good way to gather a lot of reference for the subject in mind. This is also the only method where i approve of using AI art and it works really well

[@khunagueroagnis2558]

Just when I needed this video! Thank You!!!!!

[@Dbzlatino27]

Bro this its the definition of talent i mean just look how good its she at the age that she have

[@nathanhollow0]

Definition of talent + hard work. She's been drawing on photoshop like 12 years

[@Dbzlatino27]

​ @nathan Im not taking away the fact that she must have work hard to reach that level but even althougt ,no matter how hard and smart you work most of the people aren t gonna be able to be that good so fast at that age like her, that its where talent take place

[@mroscar7474]

Me: I need to work on doing my character design sheets Proko: I got you fam

[@AstenRegis]

This is one of the best videos I’ve seen on KZbin in a while! You explained everything so well, your artwork is fantastic, really enjoyed this video from start to finish!

[@BologneyT]

If I had been told this a decade ago my art would actually be where I want it to be. If I had been told these things 20 years ago, WHO KNOWS what I'd have done by now! Instead, I gave up, because no one could tell me what I needed to be doing. THIS, is what I always needed to know. Especially the initial part about ways of starting a character when all you have is a feeling.

[@DuskyGamingz]

This was so helpful you cant even imagine, definitely going to put more time and thoughts in my upcoming character designs!!

[@weiao7156]

my favorite guest yet, such beautiful art and useful information thank you!

[@cab88888]

Man, that girl is a monster. Amazing work.

[@sa-rah3217]

This is the best explained art video I've ever seen , I like how it's forward and not long without meaning , every word is interesting and helpful thank you so much I love it

[@SkarletShadows]

Arucelli "general rule of thumb": "different shades & saturations of a primary color" - "40 to 60% of the character" "somewhere in a similar hue family" - "secondary parts of the clothing & medium shape decor" "opposing pops of color" - "reserved for accents & smaller details" Example: "deep blues with brighter greens, or warm reds with golds and purple."

[@EL_Newman]

She’s such a brilliant artist! Thanks for the video Proko!

[@afmbshiri1008]

hello thank you so much for this video, im crying watching this because I have been in a slump with my hobbies and I dont feel like im doing good at any of them, but in a span of minutes i have been enlightened with how i can organize my thought process about the ideas for my drawing. I have been taking so much time modifying the design of my character that im drawing these past few days and it's makign me feel ill questioning why i cant stick to one, I keep doign alterations. It might be very obvious knowledge about the line between funcitonality and fantasy, as well as takign time to ideating and starting from trads and putting notes, but I think hearing it from an articulate and informative video helped me a lot to makemy ideas reach composure. You are very articulate and you make me feel like it's not hard to learn and grow to our full potential if we have people like you in the creative space. Youre like a professor to me that helps me navigate my difficulties in the thing that I love doing because of all the information you fully articulate in an effective manner. You indeed embody the characteristics of a Knight!!! Thank you very much! I think I have found another great channel to subscribe to ^_^ Have a nice day Knight!!

[@marcusaureliusregulus2833]

Her voice is so smooth and pleasant to listen to

[@Haizou]

This made my mind blown like holy i aspire to have this woman’s creativity..thank you for letting us see the importance of research and expanding our library

[@REIQ]

Sweet Video Knight!

[@freddy7694]

I'm poor and black

[@welkin1080]

this video is so great, i’ve watched it i think 4 times and still find it so helpful

[@blue_knight]

so exciting to see my favourite artist on proko!! such an awesome video, so inspiring. thank you so much aru

[@imanalligator1510]

I come back to this video every once in a few months. Still love it. Still learn from it.

[@philroydias5366]

Why would someone dislike this masterclass of character design. Awesome video Knight😍

[@ThucNguyen-si2rf]

Knight if you are reading the comments, I just want to say holy shit your art skills are so polishedddd. You have a good sense of when to let go of certain concepts and redo it all over again! That final character design in the first half of the video was satisfying and I really adore that you didn't tell us steps on what to do but rather, how you could possibly get there and what goes on in the language of design in historical terms! It was great to hear you give us so many options! I def feel more motivated to start studying art stuff :) you've had a lot of experience and thank you working with the proko team! this was very 10/10

[@asiabellanova408]

Truly brilliant analysis on the different tendencies that determine style choices for illustrators, this view really helps me to orient myself more clearly in my attempts to find a more personal and original style, and to understand myself better as well! :)

[@antnauman]

And here is me, trying to draw a normal nose.

[@michhudson6485]

same 😤😔

[@barabara9855]

noses are weird bro

[@lowercase_ash]

Weird noses can make a character fun tho :)

[@rkaiser1015]

Wow... This was the motivation I need to draw. I have poor technique and I don't have the basics pinned down (I kinda learned on my own by drawing manga models and such), as a result I began to quickly discourage whenever I needed to find a proper design for my characters. This video is absolutely inspiring for me, for that I need to thank you Knight! I finally feel *happy* picking up a pencil again!

[@Hwuahn]

I remember watching this video a while back, and apparently got bored of it back then, but it suddenly popped up into my recommended again a couple months later(which is today), and now that I’m watching it- I find it so so *extremely interesting* compared to the first time I saw it *it’s crazy how in a span of a few months my mind has changed on viewing character designing, I’m glad I’m watching this video again with more of a wider knowledge in these arts~*

[@frank4245]

This is so amazing! Thank you for sharing a very meaningful video!

[@redspine2859]

The way she nods and shakes her head is oddly comforting. Very nice video !

[@BingBangPoe]

Your art is so clean and smooth, Zhang. It is mesmerizing to watch. Thank you for that, Proko.

[@ahero4357]

I love the artstyle and her visual library,definitely going to be one of my goals

[@jjw_llwd]

I am so glad I was able to follow Knight since her days in Art Amino ! I'd love to take her Class 101 soon

[@damionbartholomew4623]

That was the most in depth video on character design my eyes have ever seen! I am blown away by the amount information she knows not to mention her jaw dropping art. wow..

[@sefatsilverlake3816]

Absolutely amazing, the sketches are so clean and the poses so balanced, I keep grinding for the day I can draw like this. Also loved the young Amir at 9:50, as someone who loves costume design it didn't surprise me she knows bride stories.

[@cielex]

This is the best video "tutorial" for character costume i´ve seen in my life, I´m totally using this tips

[@houndgirl7365]

Thank you for this video. Since 2018 I have delve into bringing life to people's characters asking for quarks and how they are. I actually did a sketch for one person's wolf like creature who loved to eat EVERYTHING so I drew him 1. Trying to stuff a giant rock in his gullet and 2. Him successfully swallowing it. I've been further wanting to push my visual narratives since I'm arting for my fiance who is a dnd freelancer. I want to come up with complex characters with multiple layers. For instance I made an assassin of a certain species who had a certain creature companion that secreted poison that the assassin used to coat his weapon. My clothes are kind of bland, but I'm going to work on it. Thank you again for showing the depths one can go into when it comes to character creation and thank you so much for expressing the IMPORTANCE of knowing a cultures significance in order to use it in a design. I'm native and we see appropriation quite frequently. For artists to know that certain objects such as a war bonnet/head dress isn't just a fashion trend is important there is cultural significance behind it. That is where appreciation vs appropriation come into play and I can appreciate the fact you brought that point up in this video for ALL cultures. As they all have some form of significance in wealth, status, ceremony, decade, etc. Thank you again for this video!

[@nicochan0822]

She explains this so clearly and interestingly!!! watching her drawing and listening to her talking is very useful!!!

[@BenJi2DxD]

Oh my god she is so good, I knew her from IG...but maaan. How can you be so young and so good...I'm both inspired and depressed at the same time. I'll forever regret that I didn't study art when I had to.

[@neo-filthyfrank1347]

Don't worry, you wouldn't have made any money anyway! :DDDD

[@BenJi2DxD]

@@neo-filthyfrank1347 Okay, but I actually work for a lot of money as an artist right now :/

[@neo-filthyfrank1347]

@@BenJi2DxD inb4 isn't a lot of money

[@BenJi2DxD]

@@neo-filthyfrank1347 I'm not sure what this means, sorry. What's weird to me is that you're talking to a random person on the internet, telling them what they can or can not do.

[@neo-filthyfrank1347]

@@BenJi2DxD What it means is I strongly believe you are not making "a lot of money as an artist right now"

[@lordofgraphite]

the amount of concise actionable information, eloquently presented in this video, is incredible

[@gian.4388]

3:12 Woah, didn't expect to see Jade here lmao Good to know Beyond Good and Evil is still loved by a lot of people

[@TheDeathby2]

Knight Zhang is one of the best artists I've ever seen. Just like, wow. She is crazy good and passionate at art and is even good at communicating her thought processes, too. Serious artist goals.

[@xony8261]

YEEESSSSSSS I NEEDED THIS

[@tytotech9498]

This was actually a MASSIVE help! I've been trying to improve my costume designs and this got me to rework how I use references, and even got me to retry pinterest, and I've gotten some of my best character designs from it!

[@CelestialMonstR]

just dropping a comment to appreciate you including Beyond Good and Evil's Jade.. because she really was avery unique and telling design that gets looked over a lot

[@Dayjaoseymour]

This was a very imformative video and really help me think more about costumes and their full context behind a character! I have ADHD but the flow of this video held my attention the whole time which rarely ever happens!!! Ty ty ty

[@awebtoonreader4979]

This is such a good video, and you're so right about functional vs fictional, and historical vs fantasy!

[@mari_golds-bleeding-ink]

Whenever I feel burnt out over my avatar design, (been in the works for about 5 years with over 10 different iterations,) I like coming back to this video, it really kicks up my motivation and gives me new ideas to try, and I feel like I’m finally getting towards something that represents my sense of style and hobbies fully without leaning too much on my inspirations! Her art work is wonderful by the way, and I love the way she lays out those spreads with all the concept sketches!

[@Lon7faktor]

Thank you for such content. Despite the fact that I am not an English-speaking person (average level of understanding) everything was very clear, the video inspired and helped to solve an important issue. :)

[@Thesmus]

thank you for this. it's easy to forget that designs doesn't just go on the spot, it takes time and careful research until you find the thing you are looking for. i have many characters that i've designed that i repeatedly draw and looking back from the first to the last, i see slight to huge changes. but i tend to forget those times, cause i was too focused on creating a perfect design. like, yes, i do sketches and thumbnails, but i'm too impatient to even consider doing more. i tend to not take my time and just try to pull it on the spot. which is why i tend to get a bit unsatisfied with most of my works, with the few times only when i really took more time on them. so thanks, kinda needed this, especially cause i want to try entering a contest about character design :)

[@andrewcheng2852]

Amazing as always Knight! Really glad you're sharing some wisdom!

[@LilMeYT]

Her art is mesmerising!!! Also so complex. Really impressive!!! 😍😍😍😍

[@terrawr_BYTES]

Whenever I try to design characters that have complicated designs like these, my question always ended up being, "how do you load a character with details and patterns and stuff like these designs do?" Because that ended up being the surface level takeaway I see whenever I try to reference a character design. I understood the fundamentals of silhouette and shape language but never knew how to fill in the rest of the character. Watching this I realised I never delve into aesthetics and fashion. All I do is look up how others approach a certain type of character and copy off details I like, or try to make up my own to fill in space. I also tend to draw a few versions just to get attached to the very first design only to regret my decisions years later :') So uh, thanks for the video to get me thinking what I've been doing wrong, haha.

[@chippyscribbles]

I've written down 95% of what she said. It's so jam packed with useful information! I've been looking for a good intro to costume design.

[@doofs]

hell freakin' yea!!!! I've min-maxed myself super hard into character designing, I think its my favourite aspect in illustration just because the creative process involved. I LOVE visual story telling. Definitely going to apply your tips on big, medium, and small shapes, pulling/limiting influences to geographical location, as well as your tip on two reference boards. super boring/common/useful tip incoming, but I try to focus super hard on the shape language and forcing silhouettes to an extreme - even if it's somewhat comical.

[@lillauser9483]

Extremely good tips, with an amazing work

[@ranguy1379]

For one character, she's making sketches right and left like they are nothing. I would be trying to get my first sketch look right for days and then would be horrified if someone asked me to start over again. Lol and people say I'm good at drawing. I feel so pathetic. She's so good.

[@yamihere5569]

I guess it depend on what your goal is when sketching. For what she shows in her video the goal is to try as many combination as possible to find the right design/way to portray your ideas! There is no need for it to look right or even half finished, it just need to be put down as to figure it out! I did went through a phase when I was younger where I would spend more time perfecting one sketch too and it was a bit hard to unlearn, but switching to multiple quick sketches really helped me improve and make my more finished drawings quicker to finish! So I'd definitely recommend it to you as well uvu

[@ranguy1379]

@@yamihere5569 I get it, thanks

[@shatteredscry]

Read Art and Fear. It's an amazing book that reflects on the struggles and insights of artists, poets, musicians and more. It saved me from trying to perfect a single stroke and evolved into a full sketchbook, where the improvement I wanted to see reflected, as I was more relaxed and not stagnant on the perfect drawing.

[@fluffyphoenix8082]

I'm super late to this (this video just barely showed up in my recommended!) but I feel you on this. when I see people doing millions of concept sketches for one single character to truly refine what they want, it makes me feel like I can't do anything. :/ I try not to feel this way because everybody has a different workflow and some things will work for one person that won't work for another, but it can be frustrating. I have some health issues that make it hard for me to function, so doing any art piece at all is a HUGE timesink and commitment for me, and I don't think I physically *could* do what this woman does. recognizing your limitations can be so important but also disheartening...

[@HinataElyonToph]

@@shatteredscry i might give it a read. Who is the author?

[@madjidchouarbi3921]

As we, in europe, barely have access to US comics but superheroes one, I relly loved to watch your amazing drawings. Your art is really close to the feeling and technicity of the best realistic French comics. Bravo !!!

[@JoshAshConceptArt]

WOW! That was so incredibly informative and inspiring, thank you so much for the time and work put into this!!!

[@ytblol7307]

God damn it was so incredibly clear i never loved a vidéo more

[@cj-bi7hz]

A personal preference in character design, is I always give at least OME theme to them, usually a nick-nack. Jupiter always wears stripes a corsets, Momo likes bunny key chains, Keres never wears sleeves, Eira likes bell bottom sleeves and thigh socks. I think its cause I love clothes lol

[@applepie4177]

you do not know how many times I have watched this video, its the single best thing ever

[@Shalomferreiradrawing6322]

hellow... Quero agradecer muito pelo seu vídeo e pela excelente explicação estou a meses tentando construir meu personagem e não conseguia, depois que vi seu vídeo minha mente abril e já estou desenvolvendo. obrigado a todos pelo excelente trabalho e conteúdo.🥰

[@klawzee]

Absolutely love this! Its packed with tips and clear directions to explore the complexity of character design. Please, more of this kind of video!

[@copesupply]

it felt like a whole college semester in one video