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#shape language
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Thinks about shape language thinks about shape language thinks about shape language again thinks about shape langu
Straw Hats Shapes Post
Everyone read my ramblings. 👇
Shape language is defined as “a concept used in art and animation to communicate meaning based on shapes we are familiar with” (source). This concept uses circles, triangles, and squares to convey an idea of the “personality” of the design without using any words.
In designs, using circles and rounded edges in your silhouette and detailing gives the design a soft and squishy look. They tend to be harmless, approachable, or changeable.
Designs using squares gives the design a solid, sturdy, and strong look. They are supportive, reliable, and inflexible
Lastly, triangle designs are sharp and directional. They are dynamic, dangerous, and unpredictable.
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Here are the main silhouette shapes i used, i wanted to generally use one main shape for each of them. Everytime i normally draw sabo, i just think to myself “this man is just a big-ass square,” and im right. This art is such a long time coming im glad to finally do it.
Luffy and Sabo may be the circle and square, but theyre so triangle coded they simply needed triangles in their design as well. Technically luffy’s whole body besides his head is a big ol triangle too, but i felt that a circle for his torso looked better. And also Sabo’s cravat is a triangle as well, but im only using 3 shapes to outline this picture rn. Ace is just straight up all triangles though.
This was such a fun little exercise, i think these little guys came out so well. I dont usually draw in this kind of style so it was a very nice breath of fresh air.
Thank you for reading my ramblings, i love talking about this topic. I did my senior project on it in high-school and it was such a fun topic to write about.
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dustykneed · 22 days
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Got any advice on drawing McCoy? I hear people all the time saying how hard Jim is to draw (and he 100% is almost impossible i don’t deny) but McCoy T-T that wrinkley old bastard just completely eludes me for some reason lmao
ANON hiiiii!! i gotcha buddy. hope this helps!
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obv this is just how i interpret them in my style. there's no right way to go about this and another thing that helps is to, aside from referencing the source material, look at how other artists (off the top of my head, toboldlymuppet's trek art on tumblr definitely had some influence in how i drew them when i'd freshly gotten into trek!)
also forgot to mention but mcspirk definitely has really distinct silhouettes!! so don't be afraid to mess around with stylisation and emphasize the features that characterize each of em :]]
for this references are your good friend! (i'm a hypocrite bc i only use refs when im completely stuck LMAO it's a bad habit. use those refs liberally. don't be like me 💀💀)
learning to stylise blorbos always takes some work but i promise you'll get there<33 here's a side by side comparison of one of my earliest bones scribbles and one of the most recent-- you can really see the evolution of how i was able to get more comfortable with characterization (even though I used refs for neither of these LOL).
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you got this!!!
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lucydoesart · 9 months
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I loved doing this back in the day... I may do more of it.. Any suggestions on which group may be fun?
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Support me on ko-fi
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splendidcyan · 2 months
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Can I offer you some bat boys in this trying time 🥚 did the Timmy and Jason first, but didn't like how Jason turned out so I did some design work for his face. Designed Dick alongside bc I like the idea of them being opposites (square vs thin face, down turned vs upturned eyes, ect). The inked ones are pushed further in shape terms than the pencil ones.
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macsmittens · 27 days
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the trio
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winterleech · 1 month
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I love how this is the universal way to draw Otasune. Like yes everyone has their own spin on the two and there’s many an art style they’ve been portrayed in but every artist has to draw them like this at LEAST once
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wolfsteax · 1 month
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Ash antics for the timeline.
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velt0n · 11 months
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Happy #starwarsday Grievous, one of my favorite characters in the entire franchise.
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swordfright · 4 months
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shape language + dsmp cast !
Over the past year or so I’ve been slowly (very slowly lmfao) teaching myself to draw, and part of that process has been learning how shapes dictate meaning and emotion, so just for funsies I decided to do a full analysis of the shapes I usually use when drawing the cast of DSMP. Full analysis under the cut~
From left to right, top to bottom:
c!Dream — Typically, triangles communicate action, dynamism, or danger, all of which are pretty fitting for this guy, so the overall impression of his shape is usually triangular. His design also tends to use a lot of rectangles, which (because they contain elongated vertical lines) communicate a solidity that is less stable than, say, a square.
c!George — My design for him is very circular. Circles are made up of curves, so they tend to communicate softness and safety, as well as inaction or passivity. Since he can sometimes be quite a passive character in comparison to others, I usually go with a circle-based design for him.
c!Sapnap — I see Sapnap as a very complex character with a lot of different sides, at times extremely impulsive and at other times quite stable. Because of this, the shape I like to use for him is the rhombus, a type of parallelogram. Think of it like a square that’s leaning to one side: it still communicates the solidity and dependability of a square, but the diagonal lines that make up the shape mitigate that impression by suggesting motion/tension.
c!Punz — The base shape for Punz is usually either a short rectangle or a square, communicating reliability, while the face shape tapers into a point to suggest dynamism. He’s tricksy but dependable.
c!Techno — This guy’s always made up of circles and squares! Sturdy, reliable, approachable, strong, friendly. An all-around (haha get it) great guy.
c!Philza — I see Phil as one of those characters who, despite being very affable, has got a lot going on under the surface, so I didn’t want to stick to simple shapes for him. The shape I usually go with is an oval, because it carries the safety and amiability that roundness lends, as well as the slight instability implied by the long vertical lines in an oval.
c!Sam — This guy’s mostly squares! Strong, dependable, solid, secure…but also deeply inflexible.
c!Quackity — Nearly every shape in this design is some kind of triangle because that’s how I see Q: unpredictable, sharp, active. Triangles effortlessly convey the volatility associated with his character arc.
c!Wilbur — Okay, this is a tough one. Wilbur is a super manic character. This bad boy can fit so many shapes in him! His design usually features a pointed nose (triangular), a square jaw (strength/conviction), and either a rectangular or oval-shaped head. Wilbur can do (and be) a lot of things at once, so I really wanted his shapes to get that point across.
c!Tommy — Since he and Tubbo are both some of the younger server members, I like to include circles in their designs since roundness conveys youth. Tommy’s face shape usually tapers into a more pointed chin because he’s so active and volatile, he needs some pointy bits to show it!
c!Ranboo — The predominant shape here is a LONG rectangle. When it comes to rectangles, the wider the base, the more stable the shape ends up looking. But if the rectangle is much taller than its width, it conveys instability or even anxiety. I want Ranboo to look like he could topple over at any moment.
c!Tubbo — Just like Tommy, Tubbo’s primary shape is circular to communicate youth. But since Tubbo is a somewhat less active character than Tommy (a statement that’s true of most characters TBH) his circles are wider, sort of more squashed, to represent a state of semi-stability.
I could go on about this for way longer but I’m gonna cap this post here. There are a ton of characters I haven’t covered obviously, so LMK if there’s anyone else in particular whose shapes you’d like to see me break down.
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missmisnomer · 20 days
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Beep boop.
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Drawing robots.
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marblyso · 6 months
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I may have discovered the Pikmin character formula
If you’re over-analytical like me, you may have noticed this already, but there’s still some interesting things here. Ever since Pikmin 2, main series installments have had character trios (yes, even Pikmin 4), each of which follow an archetype.
The most obvious pattern is visual, and this pattern also carries a consistent archetype as well.
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It’s in Pikmin 3 too, of course.
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If the pattern wasn’t obvious in Pikmin 4, it should be now. “But the playable character is customizable!” Maaaybe it wasn’t always meant to be that way. But I’ll touch on that another day.
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We’ve got a small, circular character, a long/triangular (triangle is obvious on Louie if anything) character, and a boxy character. It’s kinda an obvious pattern to most, but if you think that’s it, don’t worry; it runs deeper.
The circular character is iconic, in a literal sense. After all, Captain Olimar is the representative of the Pikmin franchise, apart from the Pikmin themselves and other recognizable critters. It’s obvious why, but it’s not just him. Alph gets a spot in Smash Bros just like Olimar does and gets the group together in 3. The default for our customizable character is just everywhere in marketing. Along with this, they tend to be helpful and act as the glue keeping the group together.
The long/triangular character tends to be on the impulsive side. Louie and Brittany’s place in this archetype is self-evident, especially due to how similar they are, but Captain Shepherd’s a bit more disconnected. They’ve domesticated the idea of a Louie-like character, so to speak, but the heart’s still there. Anxious (Freaks out big-time at any critter that’s not a dog) and dog-obsessed (She requested that Russ make a thousand dog treats in advance for normal training routines without a second thought), I think she qualifies for the archetype well enough.
The square character… generally has a theme of work. The President is, well… a president of a company. He’s the embodiment of work even if he isn’t working. Captain Charlie is very dedicated to being the captain, to say the least. Collin is always working, even if he doesn’t exactly want to - he’ll help at any time. Pretty simple.
Why have I been highlighting captain? Well, that’s because there’s now been a captain for each archetype, which I find interesting, especially since each one has had a captain by now…
Where will the Pikmin series take this formula next, I do wonder… :)
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Can we have a deeper analysis in Sabo's shape language study please? It's amazing how you make him give different vibes with just his hair and I like to understand how does that work.
Oh. I'm SO glad you asked.
(The Post In Question)
Okay so this isnt the first post ive made about shape language,
Here are the others:
ASL Shapes Strawhats Shapes
i'm just gonna copy and paste the definition i have for shape language from those posts here so i dont have to write it all again.
Shape language is defined as “a concept used in art and animation to communicate meaning based on shapes we are familiar with” (source). This concept uses circles, triangles, and squares to convey an idea of the “personality” of the design without using any words.
In designs, using circles and rounded edges in your silhouette and detailing gives the design a soft and squishy look. They tend to be harmless, approachable, or changeable.
Designs using squares gives the design a solid, sturdy, and strong look. They are supportive, reliable, and inflexible
Lastly, triangle designs are sharp and directional. They are dynamic, dangerous, and unpredictable.
That's base level but here's more in depth description of each design for ya:
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this one is up first!
You may notice how in this design, his hair isnt in large clumps like the others are. His hair falls delicately and waves gently with little to no hard angles.
In this design, i was trying to convey the idea of "he wasnt born to fight, but he's molded himself into someone who will." I tried to depict that by making his hair all light and feathery, his facial features soft and rounded, but also showing how he's modified his body in a pointy and aggressive way.
I didn't want to only go hard edges with the piercings though because much like he's strayed from his mold of being delicate, he's also strayed from his mold of being a cruel noble. so some of his piercings are rings, AKA: Circles.
You may also notice the different in how I've drawn the collars of these guys. the collar of this Babo's black coat falls softly, and its' arc is rounded. The shoulders don't have any padding and it rounds at the corner.
This Man Is Round.
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Next up is this Freak
This is supposed to be Triangle Him.
His hair is in larger, hard angled clumps. Indicating that he probably cut his hair himself. He did... greattt. I already headcannon him as someone who cuts his own hair, but i dont think this one ever gets any better at it.
The hard angles on his teeth, his scar, his jaw, his collar, that line i forgot to erase on the left, and his coat all give indication that this guy is Dangerous and you probably shouldnt mess with him.
I didn't have any real deeper meaning to this version, I just wanted to make him look as opposing as I could. this guy is "what you see is pretty much what you get."
Even though he doesn't have a lot of deeper meaning, I think this one is my favorite of the designs. I really love these colors on him and his hair was really fun to draw. I think I wanna draw him again at some point. I think this version of him would be very funny paired with Koala. I'm chuckling thinking about it:
Koala and her Armed and On Fire kindergartener
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And lastly this guy
Sabo's base design is very rectangle coded. From his Hat, to his face shape, to his coat. So this version was very easy to make as I didn't actually need to change that much!
I think maybe I could've made his design a little more complex? But also I think there is a beauty in simplicity for this one. He looks straightforward, reliable, and kind. He seems like the kind of guy who gets his hands dirty, not because he likes doing it, but because he does what he must for the greater good.
I really love his hazel eyes, too. I think it brings a nice warmth to his design that is really nice.
Additional comments:
I love talking about this stuff. I love designing. I love art. I love drawing so much it's so fun
Everytime I get to sit down and make some funky doodles my brain feels like 🧠🤸🧘🧜🧚🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🧚💃💃💃💃💃💃
If you got this far thanks for reading :)
I usually have a description for my designs and my choices and stuff and I forgot to do one for this post, it makes me happy to see that it was missed :)
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buggy-beeps · 6 months
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Thinking about Nine's character design and the shape language of him.
I am far too tired to make anything coherent, and I'll probably come back and give more information later, but
something about how circles are used to show harmlessness, soft and approachable. something about the only part of nine that is even somewhat circular are his two tails. something about how all the other tail variants have rounder tails than him.
something about his tails are where he is the most vulnerable, are his weakest spot becuase that's what he got bullied for
something that he's covered his most vulnerable aspect of himself with both rectangles (supportive, reliable) and triangles (dangerous). thinking about how he is afraid to open himself up.
something about how i originally thought of the additional seven tails as an offensive detail but it's really designed more as defense. something something the fact that his tails have all the shapes shows the most about him. something something his tails are what he sees his defining aspect as.
something something
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fizzb · 3 months
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i love her shes so shape language
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ur-local-demon1 · 3 months
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TBHK and shape language
The designs in TBHK are actually so damn good and I need to rant about it SO BUCKLE UP
First of, for those who don't know, "shape language is a concept used in art and animation to communicate meaning based on shapes we are familiar with. When used in a character, object, and background design, shapes can tell a story, show personality, and illicit an emotional response in the viewer without using any words."
Here's the three shapes that are mostly used as examples when talking about shape language:
Circle: soft, squishy, harmless, approachable, changeable
Square: solid, sturdy, strong, supportive, reliable, inflexible
Triangle: sharp, directional, dynamic, dangerous, unpredictable
Let's see how that applies to the character designs in TBHK:
Hanako:
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Hanako is a square character, based on his stance, seal, and overall symmetry of his gakuran, and penny loafers. He has some circles sprinkled in here and there in his design, like his round eyes, the buttons of the gakuran and cap along with the emblem and hitodamas. Square characters are usually the heroes, they have the physique for fighting and that "rigidity" shows strength. On top of this, the circles in his design are meant to make him look unthreatening, harmless, child-like even (that last part is with his eyes). Subconsciously, we feel safe with Hanako and we immediately register him as a protagonist.
This is proven by how Nene behaves around him. Initially, she's scared when she meets him for the "first time" but very easily warms up to him to the point she isn't scared to yell at him and later on become friends with him. We are not meant to register Hanako as a possible threat until Kou shows up and forces him to come clean about what he's done while he was alive. His square features are meant to establish him as a strong, orderly and restrained character. His seal, a "square feature" is already a proof of that since we know he's different without it.
Amane:
Trust me it's different. I'm a firm believer of "Amane and Hanako are the same character but at slightly different stages of existence" but there is a difference between their designs and shape language
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Amane is still a square character but instead of circle features here and there, he has triangles (his collar + the bandage on his cheek has a few triangles because of the tape despite being a square). Amane doesn't embody the square attributes the same way Hanako does. Amane is inflexible, stubborn and sturdy. The triangles in his design are here to add onto that inflexibility to show his hostility and unpredictability. Amane and Hanako are the same but Amane snapped, finally cracking under the weight of everything he had to endure, and Hanako "lives" with the regret that came from that. Hanako's square features represent the restraint he shows in fear of messing up again. All his triangle features are gone, he is still unpredictable and "dangerous" but differently since he tries to keep it in check in front of Tsukasa and puts up a front in front of people he doesn't quite trust.
Tsukasa:
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Tsukasa is a triangle character, look at the way the bottom of his hakama is wider than the top half of his body, giving his entire character a triangle shape which is mostly reserved only for villains/antagonists. We see that shape in his fangs, the collar of the white under-shirt and the V shape of the black, upper half of the hakama. Tsukasa can instantly change the atmosphere of a scene with his presence alone, not only because we know what he's capable of but because his entire design makes anyone go "...That's a villain isn't it?". The circles in his design offer room for doubt since they are also there for a false sense of security, much like his brother. Still, his eyes give off a different feeling than Hanako's because of the pupil placement and his tsueshiros are black which means at first glance, you can tell who is the "evil twin"
Nene:
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She's a circle character. Barely any sharp edges, oval shape with the overall body, everything about her makes you think "cute, soft, harmless, squishy". Because of how she is designed, we subconsciously trust her and by extension, most of her decision making (depends), like deciding to be friends with Hanako. She isn't scared of him, so we, the reader aren't; she wants to be friends with him so we fully let our guard down. Because of this trust, we also are happily surprised whenever Nene does something impressive, since she looks harmless (example, Hanako and Yako's reaction to her jumping over the dolls and successfully destroying her first Yorishiro). We also feel more drawn to her, we feel bad for her when she's struggling, her happiness is contagious and we root for her. She's a likable character through her design alone.
Kou:
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A triangle character. His stance with his feet apart makes his body adopt a triangular shape. His spirit staff, his fangs, hair and eye shape are all triangular. Triangles don't always mean something/someone is bad, it can allude to its strength. Kou's unpredictability comes from the fact his loyalty can shift, he is stronger than we think, and he starts out as an antagonist since we see that he can hurt Hanako if he tries and actually wishes to harm him, a protagonist. Kou's strength is a big part of his character. He is still on a journey to understand he is strong in his own way and not like his brother, but he's unique from the other characters thanks to his determination, strong will and pure resilience that made him win a fight bare-handed against a whole ass demon. Hanako and Nene both saw his strength and acknowledge it by trusting and relying on him whenever they can, and because those two trust Kou, so do we.
Teru:
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Teru is a square character! Surprised me, but nope, it's accurate. Teru carries himself in such a way that radiates poise, leadership, reliability, inflexibility, and we see a glimpse of his strength through that. + His president armband shows that too. Teru does have similar triangle features as Kou, like his hair, and eyes but it's different. Teru doesn't have fangs, his hair is less spiky than Kou's, and all of that is because his whole design is supposed to mislead us. I, and I'm sure a lot of other readers, had a "wait what the fuck-" moment when we saw Teru becoming an important character. With his lack of triangle features, his unpredictability is hidden. He plays the role of a normal high school student, and the twist is that his character doesn't end there. This also highlights again how his strength is different than Kou's.
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Well this was fun! Before I end this post, let me remind everyone that this is not only my personal interpretation, but shape language isn't always 100% accurate/isn't as literal as some might think. Triangle shapes aren't always villains or signify something bad, squares can mean multiple things, it's complex! The point of that concept is to play around with it to your advantage as an artist which I recommend doing. I hope you enjoyed this, feel free to share your own thoughts too.
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kusurrone · 11 months
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Hello, tis I again
I have a question: how do you draw faces so consistently without them all looking the same?
I can draw a good face once but then its impossible to recreate.
I must know your secrets.
hope that's helpful
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