Drawing of your MC? [images]

I'm lucky, in that I can draw fairly well, so I just make my own sketches. I drew this for my first novel:

Of course, the problem is what's in my head doesn't totally translate onto the page (same as with writing! ), so she doesn't look completely "right" to me, even though I like the sketch. (And she looks stiff. And I suck at drawing the folds on fabric correctly; all my characters need to be nudists!)

Which is something for you to consider, too--even if you pay someone to draw your character, they may not get it "right", and you might still feel like no one has brought your character to life.

If you make friends with someone who draws, you might be able to convince them to do you a sketch just for fun. It won't be professional, but it might at least give you the feeling you're looking for.

acockey said:

^does it inspire your writing in any respect?

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Honestly, no. I usually only draw characters after I've finished writing the book. I can already "see" them in my imagination, so drawing them is just for fun.

If a character really stands out to me, I'll draw them before I ever write them, but most of the time it's the other way around. (Don't shoot me for the female character's impractical armor; I came up with her in the late 80's. Both characters hang on my wall as my oldest muses.)


Carl the Man-Eating squirrel is my favorite, though he was more of an amusing notion than any real attempt at a story. (there should be a picture here V but Imageshack doesn't show up for everybody. )


I just draw my characters for fun, too. Once they're in my head, I don't really need a picture.

My avi is my main character holding his son. It actually turned out better than I had thought it would (though the background isn't as good as I'd like), coming pretty dang close to how I imagine them to look. I'm like JJ, my drawings just don't quite come out looking like how I want my characters to look. Here's a better look.



I've shown this picture before, in fact I think I need to draw a new one. Also, the quality of the picture sucks because I took the picture with my camera in bad lighting so it is fuzzy looking, but scanning it onto the computer was worse.

Wow, I used an awful lot of the word look. Ha ha!

I've actually been mulling over this exact idea for a week or so. I want to commission an artist to draw my character. I haven't gotten around to doing it because it feels strange to me. Just like jjdebenedictis said- what if the artist doesn't get it right? Asking a total stranger to draw my character is allowing for creative embellishments from the artist.

I guess I'm okay with that. The artist will fill in any blanks that I fail to describe. If I had a close friend who could draw, or better yet, someone who's read the stories I've written, I would trust that person more.

Still, I'd like to have a visual of my character. It would bring them to life in a different way that words can't.

I love asking others to draw my characters. Sometimes it's an art trade or sometimes it's a commission. Here's a couple of my cyborg MC:

http://angelraye.deviantart.com/art/Mentor-Prize-Request-96728312
http://josephinethefox.deviantart.com/art/RQ-chibi-Angel-150642775
http://tetiel.deviantart.com/art/Sailor-Angel-145966426

(The last one was a gift from a friend, who knows I'm a big Sailor Moon fan.)

Usually I have at least a rough sketch of what the character looks like, but I don't mind artists taking their own spin on my characters.

I draw my own characters. Not for book covers, but because I like to and I think it helps me develop my characters ^^

acockey said:

^does it inspire your writing in any respect?

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Very.

I draw my characters sometimes, but since I can't draw, I don't usually end up keeping the drawings. XD

I draw mine from time to time:

I have a friend who's a good artist and I would love to have her do some drawings of my characters. If/when I have the money I probably will commission her. I've never learnt to draw.

Holy cow, amazing artists in here! I don't draw, no, but I might pay someone to create an image. That's a good idea.

I agree, there are some wonderful artists here! How lucky you are to have the ability to both write and draw.

I've drawn some of my characters, but no one else gets to see these drawing because they're awful. I'm in awe of some of the artists in this thread. I can copy an image with time, but creating a realistic looking person from scratch...not so much.

Those drawings are really nice, people. Well done.

I'm an artist first - writer next.... so does that mean I write stories about my drawings, or draw about my writing?
It's a chicken egg situation.

For those of you who do draw, want to draw, or are just interested - we do have an art section on AW
We've also just started a deviant art group called Absolute Artists

Blinkk said:

How lucky you are to have the ability to both write and draw.

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Everybody can write and draw- we're all just at different stages of growth. I think that's the wonderful thing about arts - you don't have to be world renowned to enjoy them.
I know from experience that you can learn to draw- it's not a 'talent' or a 'gift'. There are people who are naturally talented but it's not a prerequisite. Anyone with a bit of patience or stubborn determination can learn do it.
I'll let you know about the writing- I'm still pretty shoddy on that front lol.

So much talent in this thread!

I draw my characters as well, there's a few pieces on my website (link) of them. It really helps me to have a solid 'visual' of the main characters.

I've definitely considered paying for commisions, but I get anxious about not giving enough details/giving too much/supplying rubbish reference images.

Wish I could take credit for it:



A commission from a talented artist on Deviant Art.

http://racheludin.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d1vzjk1

And alternate: http://www.racheludin.com/wordpress/wp-content/gallery/magic-solutions-inc/movie-poster2.jpg

http://racheludin.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d1r285q

http://racheludin.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d1qbj9p

3D work...
http://racheludin.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d1r28hj (the planet is a character in a way)


The sari type is wrong since Nivi style was later... It should be closer to Madrastran style with kaccha style (pants style)


I also do maps. I used an action I designed to make this one... Worlds have personality too and can be character in of themselves.

I did this one in Mojoworld, which no longer works on my computer. I want Pandromeda to update the program to work on Lion. This is a 3D fractal program. I used the rule of thirds...


For a failed story, though I want to use the look of the character since she has darker skin and lighter hair.


Magic Solutions, Inc. They are constantly at each other's throat's. This is her POV. She has quite a lot of gumption. This was done in Daz Studio EX with mostly free items. The wings I Photoshopped in with a brush I made.


More Daz Studio. Pretty much with all free stuff. Again, wings are a brush I made.


I want to insert fantasy into this one... since there are no Joseon era Fantasy stories in English for adults as far as I know, but I haven't figured out how to or what the main plot will be yet. For now it's straight Historical without a main plot. I also didn't refine the image yet.

I draw when I'm stuck or need to figure out stuff like sari, clothes, etc. Incidentally, I often draw clothes and then make them later on. I'll sometimes do it for story sake too. I do lots of crazy stuff to make story work.

I have a friend draw my characters - and it is surreal to see them with my eyes instead of inside my head. I tend to picture my characters as more of an idea or fuzzy picture as I write, so it is fun to see an artists version of them. It brings them more to life for me as I write.

Now I'm on a better PC, I can put images in my post of my MC. A lot of the posters above have a really nice realistic style, mine's very noticably toonier.

Posting at thumbnail sizes due to the image size rules. Full size images are here.

acockey said:

Do you ever pay anyone to draw your characters?

I find that it gives me more of a gratified feeling than anything else to see my characters "come to life" which I know should really happen in the books, but i just cant help myself.

any other less expensive techniques you use to "bring your characters to life"

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My characters come to life in my imagination, and, I hope, in the reader's imaginations. Not only don't I pay anyone to draw them, it's the last thing I'd ever want to see.

I've had two readers pay a bunch of money to have hand carved statues and figurines made of some of my characters. These things were remarkably well done, but looked nothing like my character appear in my own mind.

Wow, the artwork on this thread is cool! I don't usually scroll up and down so often on most AW threads!