Custom Character Design Services for Brands

DesignBub creates custom characters for brands, games, books, campaigns and animation projects. We develop the visual idea from silhouette and personality through color, costume, expressions, poses and production references, so the final character can stay recognizable beyond a single illustration.

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ConceptShape & Personality

SheetsPoses & Turnarounds

UseBrand • Game • Story

Sketch • Define • Refine

Character work can include concepts, turnarounds, expressions, pose references, costume ideas, props and layered artwork according to the production need.

Character Design Overview

A character is a system of visual decisions, not just one polished drawing.

A memorable figure communicates before a line of dialogue is written. Proportion can make a person feel imposing or approachable. A silhouette can suggest speed, weight, confidence or awkwardness. Clothing can reveal profession, environment or status. Even the way a character stands can tell the audience whether that person is guarded, impulsive, disciplined or playful.

Our character design services are built around those decisions. We develop an original visual identity for the character and then document the parts that need to remain consistent when the artwork is reused. That may be a simple mascot with several poses, a game hero that needs front and back references, or a book character that must stay visually stable across many scenes.

The scope changes with the destination. A promotional mascot does not require the same reference pack as a character intended for 3D modeling. We define the work around the next production stage rather than selling every client the same character sheet.

Design Before Rendering

Why character development is different from commissioning one illustration.

One image can hide design problems.

A dramatic pose may look convincing even when the proportions are difficult to reproduce from another angle. Hair can cover an unclear costume shape. A weapon can hide the hand. Perspective can disguise the exact length of a limb. Those issues matter much more when the character is expected to appear repeatedly.

Character development exposes the design to different views and situations. The goal is to create enough logic that another pose still looks like the same person or creature. That is why reference sheets, expressions and turnarounds can become valuable production assets instead of optional decoration.

The role determines what deserves attention.

A cereal mascot may need simple forms that survive small packaging sizes. A fantasy protagonist may need layered clothing and equipment. A mobile game enemy may need a silhouette that is readable on a small screen. A children's-book character may need a face that remains expressive without becoming difficult to draw twenty times.

Rather than adding detail automatically, we decide which visual features carry the identity. This keeps the design distinctive while making it practical for the medium where it will actually appear.

Character Design Services

Different character needs require different kinds of design work.

The scope can cover one character or a broader production reference system.

Custom Character Design

Original characters developed from a written brief, sketch, story concept, brand personality or visual direction.

Original Concept 02

Mascot Character Design

Reusable brand mascots with clear proportions, color rules and a personality that can support marketing artwork.

Brand Mascot 03

Game Character Design

Heroes, NPCs, enemies and faction characters shaped around gameplay readability and the intended production pipeline.

Game Art 04

Creature Design

Original monsters, animals and invented species with anatomy, silhouette and environmental logic behind the visual form.

Creature Concept 05

Character Turnarounds

Front, side, back and selected three-quarter references that clarify construction for illustration, modeling or animation.

Reference Sheet 06

Expression Sheets

Facial ranges designed around the approved structure so emotion changes without losing the character's identity.

Expressions 07

Pose Sheets

Body-language references that show how posture, gesture and weight distribution communicate personality.

Poses 08

Costume & Prop Design

Outfits, accessories, weapons and signature objects developed to fit the same world and visual language.

Details 09

Character Model Sheets

Organized reference packs combining the approved design, palette, views and selected production notes.

Production

Shape Language

Silhouette and proportion create the first layer of personality.

Before materials, facial details or rendering style become important, the outline of a character already carries information. Rounded forms can feel softer or friendlier. Long narrow shapes can create elegance, fragility or speed. Broad compact forms can suggest stability and strength. None of these meanings are absolute, but they give the designer a vocabulary for steering the first impression.

Silhouette exploration is useful because it lets us compare ideas quickly. If three concepts only differ through tiny costume details, they are probably not genuinely different directions. Strong early alternatives can change body proportion, head shape, clothing mass, stance and negative space before the design becomes expensive to revise.

We also consider scale. A figure that looks distinctive at full-screen size may collapse into visual noise as a mobile-game unit or small mascot icon. The intended viewing size influences how much information the design should carry.

What we test early

Head-to-body ratio, shoulder width, limb proportion, stance, hair mass, clothing silhouette, signature accessories, large color areas and the relationship between the character and any important prop.

These larger decisions usually contribute more to recognition than tiny surface details, so we prefer to solve them before spending time on polish.

2D Character Design

Artwork that can range from simple vector forms to detailed concept painting.

2D character design can support mascots, books, games, comics, advertising, social content and animation. The appropriate rendering level depends on the job. A vector mascot may need clean edges and a limited palette. A fantasy concept may need material studies, layered clothing and more complex lighting. A children's character may rely on a few distinctive shapes rather than surface texture.

If the character will later be rigged or animated, the reference work can be prepared with that future use in mind. Actual rigging, frame-by-frame animation or 3D production is quoted separately unless it is explicitly part of the project.

3D-Ready Concepts

When another artist needs to understand the character in space.

A front-facing painting can be beautiful while leaving unanswered questions for a modeler. How far does the hair extend behind the head? Does a shoulder plate wrap around the arm? How thick is a belt or backpack? Where does a prop attach?

For projects moving toward 3D, the concept pack can include additional angles, detail callouts and material notes. DesignBub can create those visual references, while sculpting, retopology, texturing, rigging and final 3D animation remain separate production stages unless contracted as additional work.

Mascot Character Design

A mascot has to stay useful after the launch artwork is finished.

A brand mascot often appears in more places than the original brief suggests: packaging, social posts, sales material, signage, stickers, presentation slides, web graphics or short animations. That makes repeatability important.

Our mascot character design work starts with the personality the brand wants to communicate. A financial service might want approachable confidence without becoming childish. A snack brand may want a louder expression range. A technical company may need a character that makes complex information feel less formal while still fitting a professional visual system.

The mascot does not need to be a literal version of the product. An invented creature or abstract personality can sometimes create a more flexible brand asset. What matters is that the character has a recognizable silhouette, controlled palette and enough visual rules to remain consistent across future artwork.

Game Character Design

Readable characters for worlds where the player needs to understand role quickly.

Heroes, NPCs and enemies need visual separation.

Game character design is affected by camera distance, screen size, gameplay role and technical resources. A detailed costume may look impressive in concept art but become unreadable during play. Several characters with identical body shapes and color distribution may be difficult to distinguish even when their faces are different.

We can explore silhouette, equipment, faction cues and costume structure so the player receives useful information before reading a label. The visual language can also consider whether the asset is intended for a mobile title, 2D game, isometric view or a later 3D pipeline.

Main characters carry more identity than one splash illustration.

A protagonist may appear in menus, promotional artwork, dialogue scenes, thumbnails and merchandise as well as gameplay. The design therefore benefits from recognizable anchors: a distinctive head shape, color relationship, accessory, garment or silhouette that survives changes in pose.

If the story includes progression, costume or equipment variants can reflect that development intentionally. The visual change should have a reason inside the character's world rather than looking like unrelated redesigns.

Creature & Monster Design

Invented anatomy feels stronger when the form has a reason to exist.

Creature work allows unusual shapes, extra limbs, fantasy materials and impossible proportions, but the result still benefits from internal logic. A burrowing creature might require a different body structure from something built for flight. A heavily protected monster may move differently from an agile hunter. An aquatic animal may use its silhouette in a way that makes little sense on land.

Creature design services can include silhouette studies, anatomy direction, head explorations, surface treatment, color variations and turnarounds. The project does not need to be scientifically realistic; it needs to feel believable inside its own visual world.

We can also distinguish ordinary animals, companion creatures and major enemies through proportion and visual emphasis so each type communicates a different narrative role.

Concept Art

Explore before committing to the expensive version.

Character concept art is where multiple ideas can be tested quickly. Early drawings may compare body type, hairstyle, costume shape, face structure or props without rendering every surface.

This phase prevents a common production mistake: polishing an idea that has not actually been solved. Once the stronger direction is chosen, time can move into clean artwork, color and the reference material the next stage requires.

Production Reference

Turnarounds, expressions and poses remove ambiguity for future artwork.

Character Turnaround Sheet

A character turnaround sheet shows the same design from several angles, usually including front, side and back. Its job is not dramatic presentation. It clarifies how the hair, clothing, body proportion, props and silhouette continue around the form.

Expression Sheet

Expressions test emotional range while keeping the face recognizable. The sheet can include emotions that actually matter to the story or brand rather than a generic checklist. A serious protagonist and an energetic mascot may require very different ranges.

Pose & Gesture Sheet

Body language reveals personality beyond the face. A pose sheet can establish how the character stands, points, reacts, runs, presents information or holds an important object, giving later illustrations a consistent movement vocabulary.

Costume Design

Clothing can explain world, role and personality without a paragraph of text.

Outfits can suggest era, climate, profession, status, culture or personal habits. For game characters, costume variants may also communicate faction or progression. For brand mascots, seasonal outfits can expand campaign use while the underlying identity stays stable.

We consider how layers sit on the body and how complicated the outfit will be to reproduce. A design that works only from the front is not ideal when the character needs to be animated, modeled or illustrated repeatedly.

Props & Accessories

Signature objects can carry as much storytelling as the costume.

A device, tool, weapon, bag, book or product can quickly establish what the character does. Important props can receive their own detail views when another artist needs to understand the construction.

The object should also belong to the same visual world. A highly realistic prop attached to a simplified cartoon character can feel accidental unless that contrast is intentional.

Color Development

A palette needs hierarchy, not just attractive swatches.

Color can connect a character to a brand, environment, faction or emotional role. We look at large color areas first, then accents. If every area is equally saturated or similar in value, important features can disappear when the character is shown smaller.

Approved colors can be documented for consistent future use, especially when the character will appear across campaigns or be handled by multiple artists.

Style Development

The art style should fit both the audience and the amount of future production.

A painterly character can work beautifully for a key illustration while becoming inefficient for weekly marketing posts. A clean vector style may be easier to reproduce but unsuitable for a dramatic fantasy world.

Line quality, shading, texture, proportions and rendering depth are selected with the intended use in mind rather than following a style simply because it is fashionable.

Publishing & Sequential Art

Characters that appear repeatedly need consistency without becoming difficult to draw.

Children's Book Character Design

A book character may run, sleep, hold objects, interact with other characters and appear from completely different angles across the story. Simple forms can be an advantage because they allow expression and movement without forcing every illustration to repeat unnecessary detail.

For recurring characters, a reference sheet can document proportions, palette, key facial features and selected poses. This makes it easier to keep the figure recognizable across many pages and helps future illustrators understand what should not change.

Comic and Webtoon Character Design

Comics create a different kind of repetition pressure. A hairstyle, fabric pattern or accessory that takes several minutes to redraw can multiply into hours across a long series. Strong silhouettes, efficient costume details and clear expression rules are often more valuable than maximum complexity.

Comic character design can also consider how the cast reads in panels, how faces remain distinctive in close-ups and which visual traits should survive simplified or fast-drawn scenes.

Animation & Production Handoff

Character references should answer the questions the next production stage will ask.

Characters intended for animation need designs that support movement. Tiny decorative elements may look harmless in a still image but become expensive to animate repeatedly. Joint areas, clothing layers and props should be understandable. A 2D rig may require layered artwork, while a 3D modeler needs clear spatial reference.

DesignBub can prepare concept and reference material for those downstream stages. Rigging, frame-by-frame animation, 3D sculpting, topology, texturing and final character animation are not automatically included in a design package. When they are required, they should be quoted as separate production work so expectations remain clear.

This distinction also protects quality. A character sheet should not claim to be a game-ready 3D asset when it is only the visual specification for one.

Originality & Responsible References

References should explain preferences, not become instructions to copy another character.

Clients can share artwork, games, films, illustrators and brand examples to communicate taste. We use those references to understand qualities such as proportion, mood, rendering depth or visual complexity while developing an original combination of features for the new character.

Original Direction

The final character should have its own silhouette, facial structure, costume logic and identifying features instead of becoming a near-copy of an existing property.

Client-Supplied Assets

Logos, photographs, reference drawings and other supplied material should be assets the client has permission to use for the project.

Usage & Ownership

Commercial usage, source-file delivery and ownership transfer should be stated in the project agreement. Third-party fonts, brushes or licensed assets can carry their own separate terms.

Character Design Process

From an undefined idea to a character another creative team can actually use.

Production depth changes by project, but the sequence below keeps major decisions in the right order.

Brief

Clarify role, audience, personality, medium, style and required deliverables.

Reference Direction

Organize useful inspiration around mood, era, materials, proportions and visual language.

Silhouettes

Test body shapes, stance and large costume masses before committing to detail.

Concept Sketches

Develop selected directions with face, clothing, hair, props and stronger construction.

Refinement

Standardize the approved design and solve proportion or continuity issues.

Color

Build the final palette and material treatment around the approved structure.

Reference Sheets

Create the agreed turnaround, expressions, poses, outfit or prop references.

Final Handoff

Prepare approved artwork and source/export files according to the contracted scope.

Character Design Pricing

Choose the amount of character development your project actually needs.

Prices are starting points in USD for one character. Final cost changes with rendering style, number of concepts, views, expressions, poses, costume complexity, props and production requirements. Complex 3D modeling, rigging and animation are separate services unless specifically quoted.

Focused Concept

Character Concept

Starting from$150

For a founder, author or brand that needs one original character direction without a full production sheet.

1 original character
2 initial concept directions
1 refined full-body character artwork
Approved color palette
Up to 3 revision rounds
High-resolution PNG/JPG exports
Editable source file where applicable

Choose Character Concept ↗

Complete Character Design

Starting from$600

For mascots, stories and games that need a polished character plus enough expression and pose range for repeated use.

1 original character
3 initial concept directions
Polished full-body final artwork
3 facial expressions
2 additional character poses
Color palette + basic prop detail
Up to 5 revision rounds
High-resolution + editable source files

Choose Complete Character ↗

Production Reference

Production Character Pack

Starting from$1,500

For a hero, mascot or game character that must move into ongoing illustration, modeling or animation reference work.

1 original production character
3 initial concept directions
Front, side and back turnaround
6 facial expressions
4 character poses
1 outfit or important prop reference
Organized character model/reference sheet
Up to 6 revision rounds
High-resolution + editable source files

Choose Production Pack ↗

Pricing note: the amounts above cover the listed design work. Additional characters, complex backgrounds, extensive illustration scenes, animation, rigging, 3D modeling, print production, paid assets and third-party licensing are quoted separately when required. Commercial usage and ownership terms are confirmed in the project agreement.

Individual Character Design Starting Rates

Service	Starting Price	Typical Scope
Brand Mascot Design	$399	One polished mascot direction with final color artwork and source file.
Game Character Concept	$449	One original game-character concept with production-aware visual direction.
Creature / Monster Concept	$399	One original creature concept with final color artwork.
Character Turnaround Sheet	$600	Front, side and back reference views based on an approved character.
Expression Sheet	$249	Up to 6 expressions based on an already approved character design.
Pose Sheet	$150	Up to 4 additional poses based on an already approved character.
Additional Outfit Variant	$149	One alternate outfit based on the established character structure.
Additional Pose	$79	One additional full-body pose.
Additional Expression	$39	One additional facial expression.

Possible Deliverables

Your final package should match the next thing the character needs to do.

The list below shows common outputs, not a promise that every project includes all of them.

Final Character Artwork

Concept Sketches

Color Palette

Turnaround Sheet

Expression Sheet

Pose Sheet

Costume Variant

Prop Reference

Model / Reference Sheet

Transparent PNGs

High-Resolution Exports

Editable Source File

What We Need From You

A useful brief describes the character's job, not only the preferred hairstyle.

Send the purpose of the character, who will see it, where it will be used and the personality it should communicate. If the character belongs to a game or story, include the role, setting and any relationship to the rest of the cast. For a brand mascot, share the current visual identity and the type of communication the mascot will support.

References can explain taste. Rough sketches are welcome even when they are not polished. Existing copy, story notes, product information or game lore can also help us understand the world around the character.

If the project has a later technical stage, tell us early. A character headed toward 3D modeling, 2D rigging, merchandise or packaging may require different reference artwork from a character created only for a digital illustration.

Character Design FAQs

Questions to settle before the first sketch becomes the final character.

Scope, reference files, ownership and production depth can change the quote significantly, so these answers explain what is and is not automatically included.

Character design services develop the visual identity of an original person, mascot or creature. Depending on the scope, the work can include concept sketches, final artwork, color development, turnarounds, expressions, poses, costumes, props and production references.

Yes. You can provide a written description, rough sketch, story notes, brand brief or visual references. Those inputs are used to develop a new character direction rather than copying an existing property.

Yes. Mascot projects can include the main character, color direction, expressions, poses and supporting artwork. The final scope depends on how many placements or future uses the brand expects.

Yes. We can develop heroes, NPCs, enemies, creatures and other game concepts, with additional turnaround or reference sheets when the artwork needs to move into modeling or animation.

A turnaround shows the approved character from multiple angles, commonly front, side and back. It helps another illustrator, modeler or animator understand proportions, clothing and construction consistently.

Yes. Expression sheets establish the face across selected emotions, while pose sheets show body language and gesture. Both can be added to a package or quoted separately for an existing approved character.

We can create concept art, turnarounds and detail references that help a 3D artist understand the design. Final 3D sculpting, topology, texturing, rigging and animation are separate services unless specifically quoted.

References can communicate mood, proportion or rendering preferences, but the final design should be original. We do not intentionally create a near-copy of another protected character or artist's distinctive work.

DesignBub packages currently start at $150 for a focused character concept, $600 for a more complete character with expressions and poses, and $1,500 for a production reference pack with turnaround views and a larger sheet set. Detailed or multi-character projects are quoted according to scope.

Major factors include rendering style, number of concepts, character complexity, costumes, props, number of views, expressions and poses, plus whether the artwork requires production-ready references or additional characters.

Editable or layered files can be included when specified in the package or agreement. The exact source format depends on how the artwork is created and what the receiving production team needs.

Commercial usage and ownership transfer should be written into the project agreement. Any third-party licensed assets, fonts or resources remain subject to their own licensing terms.

Give the character enough structure to survive the next pose, page or production stage.

Share the role, personality and intended use. DesignBub can turn that brief into an original character concept and build the reference material needed for the next step.

Start a Character Project ↗Review Character Pricing