The hottest Character design Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Art & Illustration Topics

Designing the Powerpuff Girls

Animation Obsessive • 33277 implied HN points • 26 Jan 26
🎨 Art & Illustration Character design
  1. Bold, simple, and graphic character designs—big eyes, clear silhouettes, and distinct colors—gave the girls instant recognizability.
  2. The final look was the result of years of sketching, trial and error, and precise model sheets that removed unnecessary detail and found a natural drawing shorthand.
  3. Those tight, iconic designs made the characters memorable and helped the show remain culturally relevant and influential for decades.

Designing 'One Hundred and One Dalmatians'

Animation Obsessive • 42606 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
🎨 Art & Illustration Character design
  1. One Hundred and One Dalmatians introduced a bold, modern graphic look for Disney, using angular shapes, scratchy lines and loose color so the drawings were meant to be seen.
  2. The film leaned on Xerox to put animators’ pencil lines directly on cels and to layer drawn layouts over painted backgrounds, which saved money and created a lively, hand-drawn texture but required much cleaner drawing.
  3. It was a big collaborative success and a commercial hit, yet its modern style clashed with Walt Disney’s taste and remained a rare experiment rather than a lasting studio direction.

Kitty's Bordello

Pizza Party • 28 implied HN points • 25 Feb 26
🎨 Art & Illustration Character design
  1. Background characters and small visual details can hide important story beats that deepen the narrative.
  2. A seemingly minor character like Hans the bartender can be essential to preserving and connecting the story.
  3. Paying attention to subtle details makes a story richer, because tiny elements can change how the plot is remembered.

'Catnapped' Is Weird and Wonderful

Animation Obsessive • 4215 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Character design
  1. 'Catnapped' is a unique and imaginative anime feature that is often underrated but holds a special place among fans.
  2. Director Takashi Nakamura's journey from being a core animator on 'Akira' to directing his own films like 'Catnapped' showcases his evolution as an artist with a distinct visual style.
  3. The making of 'Catnapped' involved a team of talented animators, art director, and composer who brought Nakamura's creative vision to life, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in animated filmmaking.
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How 'Chicken Run' Stayed Aardman

Animation Obsessive • 3857 implied HN points • 22 May 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Character design
  1. When creating 'Chicken Run,' Aardman faced the challenge of maintaining their unique style amidst growth and Hollywood partnership.
  2. Nick Park and the Aardman team worked hard to preserve their quirky, British humor while collaborating on 'Chicken Run.'
  3. The film 'Chicken Run' is considered a successful example of balancing creative vision with external influences, retaining the essence of Aardman's work.

The Summer Pitch Bible Part 1

slow motion multitasking • 1091 implied HN points • 30 May 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Character design
  1. The idea for the show was born from homesickness and a desire to celebrate platonic friendship.
  2. The pitch bible creation process involved developing main characters like Oscar while maintaining personal attachment to original designs.
  3. The pitch bible layout included sections on show overview, characters, world-building, and episode ideas.

The Cat in the HatGPT

Data People Etc. • 124 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Character design
  1. The Cat in the HatGPT offers a unique perspective on the balance between excitement and responsibility.
  2. It highlights the clash between hype beasts who thrive on trends and cynics who resist change.
  3. Ultimately, the story prompts reflection on the influence of external pressures and the role of love in navigating the hype cycle.

Writing 'Teen Titans'

Animation Obsessive • 1 HN point • 26 Feb 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Character design
  1. Writing for children's TV animation requires a delicate balance between engaging kids without talking down to them and appealing to a broader audience.
  2. The 'Teen Titans' series focused on creating iconic and relatable characters that were easily understood by a young audience.
  3. The show's success stemmed from storytelling that dealt with real-world themes in a relatable way, aiming to resonate emotionally with viewers of all ages.