GET TO KNOW THE CREATURE OR ANIMAL, IN ME FIRST: DRAWING PERSONALITY AND TONE IN CREATURE AND ANIMAL DESIGN




Imagine you meet a creature or animal, at the bus stop.

Then, they start a conversation. What would think the conversation would sound like?

Or maybe you just run away before getting to know the fellow. What happened to know people or...well, creatures and animals first?

In animation, this takes a different turn, let's get to it.

Creature design in animation isn’t just about cool shapes or wild imagination, it’s about storytelling. Whether you’re drawing a mischievous squirrel, a noble lion, or a shapeshifting forest spirit, the way you draw that creature can instantly tell the audience who they are, what kind of world they live in, and how we’re meant to feel about them.

This is where personality and tone come into play. They’re like the secret sauce that turns a well-drawn animal into a memorable character. In this post, we’re diving into how the two work together, and why great creature design always thinks beyond anatomy.

✍️ First, Let’s Talk Personality

When you’re animating or designing creatures, “personality” isn’t just how they act. Specifically, it’s in their posture, their shapes, their expressions. It’s baked right into their silhouette.

Here’s how drawing helps shape that:

🌀 Shape Language = Personality Clues

  • Round shapes feel friendly, safe, approachable.
  • Square shapes feel solid, dependable, or stubborn.
  • Angular shapes suggest danger, intelligence, or edginess.

A round bird, meaning, their anatomy has rounded shapes that build it, might read as cuddly and clueless. A triangular snake? Meaning, mostly triangular shapes that build it, might probably, read as clever and sly. These design cues give the audience an instant read on the creature’s inner world, even before it moves or makes a sound.

😹 Expressions: It's in the Eyes, Ears, and Tails...or Fur

Animals may not speak, but they communicate plenty:

  • Wide, bright eyes = curiosity or innocence.
  • Half-lidded eyes = sass or suspicion.
  • Raised ears, coiled tails or hunched backs, shaky fur or hair, all of it communicates emotion.

Animation thrives on exaggeration, so don’t be afraid to push it. You’re not drawing biology, you’re drawing character.

🎭 Then There’s Tone

Tone is the emotional vibe of the world your creature lives in. Is it silly? Grim? Magical? The creature’s design needs to either support that vibe, or clash with it in an intentional way.

🎨 Design Elements That Shape Tone

  • Line quality: Thick, bold lines feel playful; thin, scratchy lines feel eerie or delicate.
  • Color and detail: Rich textures feel intense or realistic. Soft, flat colors feel gentle or dreamlike.
  • Silhouette: Large and chunky might feel funny; tall and thin might feel regal or creepy.

Tone isn’t just about what the creature is, it’s about how the audience feels about them, and how they fit into the emotional world of the story.

🔗 How Personality and Tone Work Together

Here’s where things get interesting.

Let’s say you’ve got a cheerful, bouncy little raccoon. That design might work perfectly in a woodland comedy. But what happens if you place that same character in a horror setting? Suddenly, it feels weird, maybe even creepy because the personality and tone don’t match.

On the flip side, sometimes a mismatch can be used intentionally to surprise the audience. A gentle-looking creature in a dark setting can offer comic relief, or even become more memorable because it stands out from its surroundings.

This clash of personality or tone is often used in animated shows that have groups as the protagonist or even a duo or trio, to create interest in character dynamics. Eduardo from Foster's House of Imaginary Friends, is a big grizzly monster, but his happy-go-lucky nature and rounded shapes give him a friendly feel in which the tone of the animated show exists.



Eduardo from Foster's House of Imaginary Friends

Image source: https://ar.pinterest.com/pin/754986325044786246/

🎬 Case Study: Baymax (Big Hero 6)

  • Personality: Soft-spoken, helpful, gentle.
  • Design: Big, pillowy, non-threatening. His roundness and blank expression help support his sweet nature.
  • Tone: In a story about grief and healing, Baymax balances the tone by being comforting without feeling silly.

🎬 Case Study: No-Face (Spirited Away)

  • Personality: Mysterious, quietly emotional, easily influenced.
  • Design: Stark contrast, which includes faceless mask, long black body, silent movement.
  • Tone: As the film gets darker, so does No-Face. His design morphs with the story, reflecting shifts in emotional tone.

🖌️ Exercises: Designing with Both in Mind

Want to try combining personality and tone in your own work? Here are a few sketch prompts:

  1. Draw a brave, loyal dog for a lighthearted fantasy world. Now draw the same dog for a gritty post-apocalyptic setting. What changes? What stays the same?
  2. Start with tone. Sketch a creature meant to feel “melancholy” or “tense.” Once it’s done, try assigning it a personality (e.g., shy, curious, grumpy).
  3. Flip expectations. Take a spooky tone and add an unexpectedly cheerful creature or vice versa. See what narrative ideas come out of the contrast.

These kinds of exercises are great for pushing your storytelling instincts while also improving your design range.

💡 Final Thoughts: Designing for Story, Not Just Style

At the end of the day, your creature designs are doing more than filling screen space. They’re helping tell the story.

  • Personality gives us emotional connection.
  • Tone gives us emotional context.
  • Together, they make your creatures feel like they belong in the world, and that they matter.

So next time you’re sketching a creature, whether, it is a dragon, dog, or something in between, stop and ask yourself not just “what does it look like?” but:
👉 “What kind of world does this creature come from?”
👉 “How do people feel when they see it?”
👉 “What’s its personality, and how can I show that with shape, gesture, and detail?”

That’s the heart of great creature and animal design, and it all starts with drawing.

What are some of the interesting creature or animal characters you've seen? Let us know in the comments.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

LACK OF WORDS, BUT FULL OF EXPRESSION: SILENT STORYTELLING AND THE POWER OF DRAWING IN PANTOMIME ANIMATION

Image
When we think about what makes animation magical, a lot of us jump straight to voice acting or clever dialogue.  But what happens when there are no words? Just characters, movement, and pure visual storytelling? That’s where pantomime animation shines, and to be seriously honest, it’s some of the most impressive stuff out there. Today, we’re diving into the world of pantomime animation , where drawing does all the talking. Our guests in this post need no introduction (depending on the generation 😄), and who better to guide us than the masters of the silent screen,  Tom and Jerry and The Pink Panther . So, What i s Pantomime Animation? Pantomime animation is exactly what it sounds like, acting without words. Think of it as the animated version of silent film acting, where characters rely entirely on body language, facial expressions, and timing to communicate everything from joy to pain to utter confusion. Unlike dialogue-heavy cartoons, pantomime animation demands th...
Read more

THE EVOLUTION OF VISUAL STYLE IN ANIMATION: FROM TRADITIONAL TO MODERN

Image
Animation has come a long way, and its evolution is nothing short of fascinating. From the intricate hand-drawn Disney classics to the mind-blowing CGI landscapes we see today, the visual style of animation has constantly been shifting, pushing boundaries, reflecting cultural trends, and ultimately transforming the way we experience stories.  But the evolution isn’t just about fancy new techniques or technology. It’s about how these changes have impacted the art form and how we engage with animation. So, let’s take a stroll down animation history and see not only how the style has changed, but also how each leap forward has shaped the animation world and its audience. Hand-Drawn Animation (1930s–1990s): Crafting the Foundation This era and animation are like a farmer and their seeds. You can’t talk about animation without giving a huge nod to the hand-drawn era . This is where it all started. Disney’s early classics , like Snow White and Cinderella , are the gold standard when...
Read more

CRIME AND MENTAL ILLNESS: DECONSTRUCTING JUSTICE IN BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES

Image
Gotham City is plagued by crime, but in Batman: The Animated Series , criminality is rarely black-and-white.  Instead, the show confronts viewers with a more nuanced question. When a person commits a crime while mentally unwell, how should justice respond?  Through the architecture of Gotham’s criminal justice system, especially its infamous psychiatric institution Arkham Asylum, BTAS explores the murky intersections of morality, mental health, and the law. This post examines how the series uses animation, narrative, and character arcs to challenge conventional ideas of punishment, rehabilitation, and societal failure. Arkham Asylum – Gotham’s Mirror of Mental Health Failures Arkham Asylum functions as more than a recurring backdrop, it’s a central symbol in BTAS, embodying the city’s complicated relationship with mental illness. Its imposing gothic architecture evokes dread and hopelessness, reflecting how institutionalization can feel more like confinement than care. D...
Read more