Fantasy Character Design for, Merchandise and Animation Reference
Budget: $1,500 – $3,000 USD
I am seeking an experienced illustrator to create a unique and visually stunning fantasy character design. The character will serve as a reference for future animation development, as well as for use in marketing materials, merchandise, and book promotion. The design should embody a striking blend of humanoid and parasaurolophus traits, with intricate details and a sense of otherworldly mystique. This project focuses on creating a visually striking character design for use in merchandise and promotional materials, as well as detailed turnaround and expression sheets for animation reference.
Art Style: The character should feature a semi-realistic fantasy style that feels magical and otherworldly, or cartoony/illustrative style (whichever fits my vision for the character) with intricate yet stylized details for expression, anatomy, and color coding. The character should exude wisdom/enigmatic/mysterious, whimsical/playful traits, through posture and expression.
Character Description
A humanoid creature inspired by the parasaurolophus dinosaur:
Head: Parasaurolophus-inspired cranial crest with bone-like texture; explore color gradients. Bioluminescent teal eyes that stand out against a backdrop of soft, glowing illumination; glowing softly with a dynamic shimmer to emphasize mysticism and expression; and a gray goatee.
Body: Stands 7ft tall, with broad shoulders and waist the same width—an overall robust frame (the width of a door frame). Musculature should be well-defined but toned, resembling an athletic human.
Hands and Feet: Human-like muscular arms with visible muscle definition. Three clawed feet resembling parasaurolophus anatomy, textured for realism; digitigrade walking, with thick thighs.
Clothing: A crimson robe with gold accents in intricate leaf patterns, draping below the knees, accented by opals embedded in the robe’s fastenings.
Accessory: a cherry wood rod, polished with a golden knob that the character leans on for support.
Deliverables
1. Poses (Merchandise & Promotional Materials)
Design 1-3 poses highlighting the character's personality:
Heroic Pose: Foot resting on a shadowed log, leaning on a large rock in a bioluminescent jungle setting. Background includes glowing ferns and flora casting purple-blue light. Shadows from the jungle canopy create depth and contrast. Eyes should glow softly, adding atmospheric impact.
Dynamic Action Pose: Optional—a pose showcasing energy, movement, or a unique skill.
Playful or Emotional Pose: Optional—a pose reflecting an aspect of the character’s personality, such as curiosity or wonder.
File Types for Poses:
Vector Files (AI/SVG): For scalability (e.g., posters, apparel).
Raster Files (PNG/JPEG): High-resolution versions for web and merchandise.
Provide separate PNG files for each pose:
300 DPI: For print applications.
72 DPI: Optimized for digital use.
Layered Files (PSD): Include layered source files for flexibility, allowing edits to colors, positioning, or resizing, if needed in the future. (e.g., background adjustments).
2. Turnaround Sheet (Animation Reference)
A 360-degree view of the character:
Detailed front, side, back, and top perspectives.
Include annotations for features like cranial crest texture, teal glowing eyes, clothing patterns, and staff design.
File Types for Turnaround Sheet:
High-Resolution Raster Files (PNG).
Layered Files (PSD).
3. Expression Sheet (Animation Reference)
Design 10 expressions showcasing emotional range:
Core Expressions: Neutral, joy, sadness, curiosity, wonder.
Optional Expressions: Determination, playfulness, contentment, focus, pride.
Incorporate bioluminescent teal eye glow dynamics and cranial crest positioning to enhance expressiveness.
File Types for Expression Sheet:
Individual Files: Separate PNG and PSD files for each expression.
Combined File: Expression sheet layout with all expressions in a single PNG or JPEG file.
4. Color Consistency
Ensure uniform color coding (Hex, RGB, CMYK) across all deliverables, including poses, the turnaround sheet, and the expression sheet. Highlight the teal glow in the eyes consistently throughout all designs. Include Pantone codes.
Other Requirements
Regular progress updates with previews.
Minor revisions allowed to refine details and ensure accuracy.
Deliver all final files in high resolution.
Deadline: Negotiable, prefer 1-4 months
The budget for this project is $1,000–$4,000, depending on the illustrator’s experience and the final deliverables.
Preferred Skills
Character Design
Illustration
Digital Art (Photoshop or Procreate)
Concept Art
Fantasy Art
Turnaround Sheets/Character Modeling References
The character should reflect a sense of bioluminescent magic and sophisticated detail, with elements that can be adapted for both animation and promotional purposes. Collaboration and regular updates throughout the process are appreciated to ensure alignment with the project’s vision.
Art Style: The character should feature a semi-realistic fantasy style that feels magical and otherworldly, or cartoony/illustrative style (whichever fits my vision for the character) with intricate yet stylized details for expression, anatomy, and color coding. The character should exude wisdom/enigmatic/mysterious, whimsical/playful traits, through posture and expression.
Character Description
A humanoid creature inspired by the parasaurolophus dinosaur:
Head: Parasaurolophus-inspired cranial crest with bone-like texture; explore color gradients. Bioluminescent teal eyes that stand out against a backdrop of soft, glowing illumination; glowing softly with a dynamic shimmer to emphasize mysticism and expression; and a gray goatee.
Body: Stands 7ft tall, with broad shoulders and waist the same width—an overall robust frame (the width of a door frame). Musculature should be well-defined but toned, resembling an athletic human.
Hands and Feet: Human-like muscular arms with visible muscle definition. Three clawed feet resembling parasaurolophus anatomy, textured for realism; digitigrade walking, with thick thighs.
Clothing: A crimson robe with gold accents in intricate leaf patterns, draping below the knees, accented by opals embedded in the robe’s fastenings.
Accessory: a cherry wood rod, polished with a golden knob that the character leans on for support.
Deliverables
1. Poses (Merchandise & Promotional Materials)
Design 1-3 poses highlighting the character's personality:
Heroic Pose: Foot resting on a shadowed log, leaning on a large rock in a bioluminescent jungle setting. Background includes glowing ferns and flora casting purple-blue light. Shadows from the jungle canopy create depth and contrast. Eyes should glow softly, adding atmospheric impact.
Dynamic Action Pose: Optional—a pose showcasing energy, movement, or a unique skill.
Playful or Emotional Pose: Optional—a pose reflecting an aspect of the character’s personality, such as curiosity or wonder.
File Types for Poses:
Vector Files (AI/SVG): For scalability (e.g., posters, apparel).
Raster Files (PNG/JPEG): High-resolution versions for web and merchandise.
Provide separate PNG files for each pose:
300 DPI: For print applications.
72 DPI: Optimized for digital use.
Layered Files (PSD): Include layered source files for flexibility, allowing edits to colors, positioning, or resizing, if needed in the future. (e.g., background adjustments).
2. Turnaround Sheet (Animation Reference)
A 360-degree view of the character:
Detailed front, side, back, and top perspectives.
Include annotations for features like cranial crest texture, teal glowing eyes, clothing patterns, and staff design.
File Types for Turnaround Sheet:
High-Resolution Raster Files (PNG).
Layered Files (PSD).
3. Expression Sheet (Animation Reference)
Design 10 expressions showcasing emotional range:
Core Expressions: Neutral, joy, sadness, curiosity, wonder.
Optional Expressions: Determination, playfulness, contentment, focus, pride.
Incorporate bioluminescent teal eye glow dynamics and cranial crest positioning to enhance expressiveness.
File Types for Expression Sheet:
Individual Files: Separate PNG and PSD files for each expression.
Combined File: Expression sheet layout with all expressions in a single PNG or JPEG file.
4. Color Consistency
Ensure uniform color coding (Hex, RGB, CMYK) across all deliverables, including poses, the turnaround sheet, and the expression sheet. Highlight the teal glow in the eyes consistently throughout all designs. Include Pantone codes.
Other Requirements
Regular progress updates with previews.
Minor revisions allowed to refine details and ensure accuracy.
Deliver all final files in high resolution.
Deadline: Negotiable, prefer 1-4 months
The budget for this project is $1,000–$4,000, depending on the illustrator’s experience and the final deliverables.
Preferred Skills
Character Design
Illustration
Digital Art (Photoshop or Procreate)
Concept Art
Fantasy Art
Turnaround Sheets/Character Modeling References
The character should reflect a sense of bioluminescent magic and sophisticated detail, with elements that can be adapted for both animation and promotional purposes. Collaboration and regular updates throughout the process are appreciated to ensure alignment with the project’s vision.