Hey Friend,

Designing a character is a lot more complex than it might seem on the surface. What they don’t tell you is that to create a compelling character, you need to give them a backstory, flaws and a source of motivation to drive the narrative forward.

Backstory

Elsie is a 28-year-old vlogger. She is a kind, thoughtful and intelligent woman but has an over-dependence on validation from others.

This serves as a commentary on the perils of social media, and growing overly dependent on it to belong in a world where pressure is constantly on to be perfect all the time. The reassurance sought is nearly always short-lived and creates a vicious feedback loop, never addressing the core problem that caused you to seek it in the first place.

Details

• She has bold, vibrant hair which draws attention.
• She is naturally freckled, which is a source of insecurity.
• Her need for validation stems from insecurities and not feeling as though she fits in.
• Her character traits are often undervalued but can make all the difference.

Each one of these details adds a dimension to her character, after all, it’s in our differences where our strengths lie.

The Concept

Here is the original concept art I created for her.