Characters can be used in a variety of situations, making appearances as logos, narrators, and illustrations. They can add humanity to your product or convey a sense of narrative. They also need not be overly complex to be effective, with many of the most famous character drawings being relatively simple combinations of basic shapes (e.g., Mickey Mouse, Calvin & Hobbes, Snoopy, Mr. Peanut, the Kool-Aid Man).

In terms of ARC, characters should primarily be appealing in order to add personality and bring interest to your product. If you are planning on using the character in multiple settings, then it should also be memorable—emphasizing retention, followed by comprehension.

For this project, you will create a vector character on a background. Both will need to be original vector drawings and can be simple (e.g., comprised of basic shapes). Your character can also be a vector version of a famous character or person (e.g., Wonder Woman, Galileo) if you desire, but just realize that this might influence what you can do with the character later on (in terms of copyright).

Task

Create your own, original character and background using Adobe Illustrator or another program.

Requirements

• Create an original character.
• Create a background.

Guidelines

• Be creative.
• Be intentional with strokes. You may not need to use strokes on your shapes at all.
• Be simple. Avoid unnecessary details.
• Have fun!

Tutorial Videos

How to Draw a Face in Illustrator

How to Draw a Body in Illustrator

Evaluation Criteria