AWAKENING THE BEAST WITHIN BY PENCIL: DRAWING CREATURES AND ANIMALS WITH PERSONALITY




Beauty, is in the eyes, of the beholder, as they say.

Some don't see it everywhere, while others do.

What about those creatures and animals, you would run from, if they appear in real life, but on a screen, they become loveable animals and creatures you are drawn to in animated shows?

If you've ever watched an animated film and found yourself totally smitten with a lizard, a dragon, or a squirrel with way too much energy, you already know the magic of personality-driven creature design.

In animation, animals and creatures aren’t just there to look cool, at end of it all, they’re characters. They carry emotional weight, comic relief, dramatic tension, or even the soul of a story. It’s how we draw them, and not just what we draw them, that gives them life.

So today, let’s dive into how drawing plays a vital role in designing animals and creatures that feel like living, breathing personalities.

✍️ Drawing What You Observe (Then Pushing It)

Before we even pick up our stylus or pencil to draw some fantasy creature from scratch, it helps to look at real animals. Animal behavior is rich with gesture and attitude. From the stiff swagger of a rooster, the lazy sprawl of a cat, the panicked skitter of a squirrel, it’s all gold.

But here's the trick: you don't stop at observing. You push it.

  • That curious head tilt? Exaggerate it.
  • That fluffy dog’s waddle? Make it a defining trait.
  • That hawk’s intense stare? Use it to build a fierce guardian creature.

You’re distilling what makes the animal feel a certain way and amplifying it, until it communicates instantly.

🔺 Shape Language = Instant Personality

One of the biggest tools we have as animators is shape language. Certain shapes feel like certain personalities:

  • Circles = soft, friendly, innocent (think: Dug from Up)
  • Squares = solid, strong, dependable (think: Appa from Avatar: The Last Airbender)
  • Triangles = sharp, aggressive, clever (think: Scar from The Lion King)

You can take this further with combinations. A round creature with spiky fur might look gentle and a bit chaotic. These shapes affect how we feel about a character before they ever speak or move.

😲 Expressions and Gestures

Even when creatures don’t talk (or aren’t even humanoid), you can give them expressive gestures and faces.

Think about:

  • Eyes: Big eyes = vulnerable or expressive. Small eyes = reserved, intimidating, or mysterious.
  • Mouth shapes: A big grin on a tiny creature creates charm. A downturned beak can make a bird look grumpy.
  • Ears and tails: They’re great emotional indicators. Flicking, drooping, perking, and much more, become visual shortcuts to feelings.

And you don’t have to make everything realistic. Often the most appealing creatures are stylized, with emotional clarity prioritized over anatomy.

🎬 Case Studies: Personality in Action

Let’s look at a few animated standouts where personality in drawing shines:

  • Scooby from Scooby-Doo
    He doesn’t speak clear words, but his expressive eyes, body language, and clumsy timing make him hilarious and lovable.

  • Meeko from Pocahontas
    Mischievous, food-obsessed, and endlessly animated, that express his exaggerated reactions and movements.


  • Solomon Grundy from DC Comics Batman
    A blend of monster and zombie. His dullness in colour and tone of skin and hair, reflect the undead nature of his origin. The clothes play a key role in telling about the messy nature of the undead. The groaning and mumbling is in the nuanced animation, which include the slow walking, slow reactions and slow blinks.


Each of these characters was drawn with their own unique "voice," even without dialogue. Their design invites personality.

✏️ Try This: Personality Sketch Prompts

Here are some quick exercises you can do to warm up or develop a character:

  1. Pick an animal. Any animal.
  2. Assign a personality. (e.g., shy, grumpy, sassy, paranoid)
  3. Draw 3 versions of it that push that personality in shape, posture, and expression.
  4. Do a silhouette test. If the personality still reads without details, you’re onto something.

These sketches don’t need to be polished, just play with exaggeration and character!

💡 Final Thoughts

Creature and animal design isn’t just about how things look, it’s about how they feel. As animators, our job is to communicate life through drawing. Personality is what turns a dragon into a best friend, or a raccoon into comic relief.

So next time you’re sketching a creature, don’t just ask “What does it look like?” Ask:
👉 “How does it walk into a room?”
👉 “What would it do if it were annoyed?”
👉 “Would it be the life of the party or hiding under the table?”

That’s where the magic starts. 🎇🎆✨


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