Good vs bad design

Good vs. bad character design: Tips and tricks

May 20, 2020

Professional industry artists Brent Noll and Maximus Pauson, of the popular YouTube channel BaM Animation break down good and bad character designs using the three fundamentals of clarity: silhouette, palette, and exaggeration. Characters that are clear in these three principles are easily recognizable in any art style.

BAM character design clarity

In the informative and entertaining video below, Brent and Maximus examine iconic characters and redraw user-submitted works to demonstrate how making a few simple tweaks to a character can make a big improvement in visual communication.

Learn how shape language, color language and exaggeration relate to character design and see how you can make improvements in your own characters. Need more help? Submit your own original art to BaM animation and perhaps they’ll feature it in an upcoming episode.

About BaM Animation

Brent Noll and Maximus Pauson are artists working in the television animation industry, Together they have worked at most of the major studios. And they want you to send them your own original art so they we can feature it on their show. Learn more on their YouTube channel, on Brent Noll’s website, or on Maximus Pauson’s website.

Related posts:

Shop the Wacom eStore*

When you shop on the Wacom eStore you get access to discounts, financing, extended warranties, and our industry-leading customer support team.

Connect with Wacom on Social

Who's your favorite Pokémon? 💦🍃🔥⚡⁣
⁣
Some nostalgic friends for #FridayFanart with amazing art by @philipsue_art. If beautiful landscapes, process videos, and art tips are your thing, Philip's page is the place to visit!⁣
⁣
#MadewithWacom #digitalart #animation #art #artprocess #fanart #pokemon #pikachu
5679 24
Digital kitchen time! 
Here's the last of @patrick_4d's digital burger tip series. We hope you tried making your own burger or at least went out and got one for sustenance 🍔🍔🍔
Thank you Patrick for making us the most delicious digital burger we could have wished for. 
#wacomwantsaburger
576 16
This is a reminder for you to embrace your geek side! 🚀

For those who spend hours designing a new skin for their character, creating 3D models of their favourite video game or programming special effects for movies.
Your art makes us proud!

How are you going to celebrate? 👇

#GeekPrideDay #Geek #ArtistsLife
842 5
Tag your other half. ✨💕⁣
⁣
We had to share the love with @yuyo.psd's heartwarming illustration. 🫶⁣
If you like the flow and colors of Yuyo's design, make sure you check out their page for more colorful artwork! 💜⁣
#MadewithWacom #digitalart #illustration #art #graphicdesign
691 8
From concept to reality, @pixebo’s home office is brought to life to create a cozy place to sit down with their Wacom Cintiq and get to work! ✨✍️

#WacomWorkspace #digitalart #homeoffice #deskgoals #wfh
1716 13
Discover the technology behind #CintiqPro24 🚀⁣
⁣
The #WacomProPen2 provides state-of-the-art creative pen technology, meaning every stroke, every move of your hand is followed with unerring accuracy. 💫⁣
⁣
Want to discover how it feels to draw with it? Check the link in bio!⁣
⁣
#Cintiqpro24 #CreativeProfessionals #CintiqPro
707 14
Colorful creative portrait by artist @valerie.loves.colors to start off your week. 🌈☀️🍃⁣
Valerie finds that people and colors give her the most inspiration. She points out that everyone is unique and vibrant in their own way, much like the color spectrum! 🎨⁣
⁣
#MadewithWacom #abstractart #digitalart #art #portrait #illustration
473 6
The importance of taking breaks ❤️

We’ve seen absolutely identified with the words of @ms.shortyj 💫 Taking care of yourself will help you grow as an artist.

Stopping is not quitting, is just taking a pause of the path to get another perspective 😉

What other things help you when you feel this way? Share it in the comments!

#Artistslife #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth
1280 18
If you could design your dream workspace, how would it look like? 🚀⁣
⁣
Tell us in the comments what are your must-haves! 👇⁣
⁣
#WacomWorkspace #ArtistWorkspace
633 14
Don't mind us, we're out here dreaming of @patrick_4d's Wacom burger this weekend. Check out these juicy tips he shares to help you create the best looking digital burger ever! #wacomwantsaburger 
Are you participating in our burger challenge? Visit the link in our bio for more details and a chance to win some cool Wacom prizes.
735 11
Serene moment in time. 😌🌊 Slice of life shot and retouched by photographer @ashrafularefin. ⁣
#MadewithWacom #photography #streetphotography #OldDhaka
535 5