Creature design is a specialization only for those with a true love for nature and the will to educate themselves. But for those who don’t, it’s also a really fun exercise to do when you just feel like doing ‘something else’.
It’s been some time since the creature prompt generator was built for Life to Legend. This with the help of Ryan Holt whom I’m still very thankful. And up to today, the creature prompt generator is the most popular page of Life to Legend. But, did you know that you can take these prompts to the next level with the help of some fun tips and ideas? So let’s get started!
Creature design is one of the harder professions to master. You have to thoroughly understand art fundamentals and the world around us. Not only animal and plant life, but also the human mind if you want to make appealing creature designs. So as you may understand: This guide is not a shortcut to becoming a great creature designer. It’s rather a guideline so you understand what it takes to become one, and what you should be focusing on when you decide to take this route.
Creating a pleasing balance in your artwork is key. Not just because this is pleasing to the eye, but also because it’s the ultimate test when it comes to art fundamentals. When you understand your art fundamentals, creating a pleasing balance will still be a challenge, but should be fairly easy to achieve. In this article, we will run through the thing you have to keep in mind when it comes to creating said balance.
Using exaggeration in your creature design, or even in character design is a little secret that will help you communicate your idea and add interest to your design greatly. It’s that big hooked nose with a mole on it that tells you someone is a witch. The big horns on a creature communicate that it can be a hard hitter. Flashy colors that communicate that the mating season has started or that the creature is toxic. You name it, everything that is ‘extreme’ in shapes, colors, contrasts, and so on, could be a tool. So, how do you use that properly?
Anatomy is one of these things many people are allergic to. So, why is learning anatomy for creature design so important? The simple answer is: It’s an art fundamental. The more complex answer we will discuss in this article. Getting a hang of the why and how will probably make you a bit more excited about this much-dreaded art fundamental. It’s fun to learn really, that is if you have a solid grip on what you’re supposed to learn and why. Thankfully, anatomy is not repetitive. This makes it really awesome to learn once you put your mind to it.
