Creating AI Character Designs - GPT Character Creation Guide
Draw your novel or webtoon protagonist yourself. With the right prompts, you won't envy professional illustrators.
Introduction
Confident with landscapes? Now it's time to level up. It's character design time!
Honestly, characters are a bit harder than landscapes. Because AI sometimes draws six fingers, or the eyes might be misaligned. But don't worry! With well-written prompts and a few regenerations, you can create great characters.
Why is character design fun? It's amazing to see characters from your imagination right before your eyes. When I drew the protagonist from a novel I was writing with AI, I shouted "Wow, this is exactly what I imagined!"
Plus, there are so many places that need characters - games, webtoons, novel covers, YouTube channel mascots, etc. Commissioning a professional illustrator costs hundreds of dollars, but with AI, you can create as many versions as you want.
Today, we'll learn step by step from creating characters in various styles to expressing different emotions and poses!
Core Elements of Character Prompts
Elements to include when drawing characters:
1. Basic Information
- Gender/Age: young woman, elderly man, child
- Race/Appearance: Asian, European, fantasy creature
- Build: tall, athletic, slim, muscular
2. Appearance Features
- Face: facial features, expression, eyes, hair
- Hair: hairstyle, color, length
- Clothing: outfit, clothing style, accessories
- Color Palette: color scheme
3. Pose and Composition
- Pose: standing, sitting, action pose
- Angle: portrait, full body, close-up
- Viewpoint: front view, side view, three-quarter view
4. Atmosphere and Personality
- Expression: happy, serious, mysterious
- Personality: brave warrior, shy scholar, cheerful child
- Background: simple background, detailed environment
5. Art Style
- Style: anime, realistic, cartoon, concept art
- Quality: detailed, professional, high resolution
Practice 1: Creating Basic Characters
Cute Animal Character
Prompt (English):
Cute cartoon cat character, big round eyes,
fluffy white fur, wearing a blue scarf,
happy expression, chibi style,
simple background, kawaii aesthetic,
digital illustration
Prompt (Korean - DALLยทE 3):
Cute cartoon cat character, big round eyes,
fluffy white fur, wearing blue scarf,
happy expression, chibi style,
simple background, cute feel,
digital illustration
Leonardo.ai Tips:
- Model: Select "Anime Pastel Dream"
- Activate Prompt Magic
Fantasy Warrior Character
Prompt (English):
Fantasy warrior character, female knight,
long flowing red hair, silver armor with gold details,
holding a glowing sword, confident pose,
heroic expression, full body view,
dramatic lighting, concept art style,
detailed design, high quality
Prompt (Korean):
Fantasy warrior character, female knight,
long flowing red hair, silver armor with gold details,
holding glowing sword, confident pose,
heroic expression, full body shot,
dramatic lighting, concept art style,
detailed design, high quality
MidJourney Version:
female fantasy knight, red hair, silver armor,
glowing sword, heroic pose, concept art,
detailed character design --ar 2:3 --v 6
Modern Casual Character
Prompt (English):
Modern casual character, young woman in her 20s,
short brown hair, wearing white t-shirt and jeans,
friendly smile, standing pose,
urban background, contemporary style,
digital art, clean lines
Prompt (Korean):
Modern casual character, young woman in 20s,
short brown hair, wearing white t-shirt and jeans,
friendly smile, standing pose,
urban background, contemporary style,
digital art, clean lines
Practice 2: Characters by Profession
Wizard
Prompt:
Wise old wizard character, long white beard,
pointed hat with stars, flowing robes,
magical staff with glowing crystal,
mystical aura, fantasy art style,
detailed character portrait
Characteristics: Mysterious atmosphere, magical effects
Pirate
Prompt:
Pirate captain character, eyepatch,
weathered face, tricorn hat,
red coat with gold buttons,
confident smirk, nautical theme,
adventure illustration style
Characteristics: Adventurous feel, oceanic atmosphere
Astronaut
Prompt:
Futuristic astronaut character,
sleek space suit with glowing elements,
helmet with reflective visor,
sci-fi design, standing on alien planet,
cinematic lighting, concept art
Characteristics: Futuristic design, sci-fi atmosphere
Chef
Prompt:
Professional chef character, chef's hat and apron,
holding a wooden spoon, friendly expression,
kitchen background, warm colors,
cartoon illustration style, approachable design
Characteristics: Friendly feel, warm colors
Explorer
Prompt:
Adventurer explorer character, safari outfit,
backpack and hiking gear, binoculars around neck,
determined expression, jungle background,
action adventure style, detailed equipment
Characteristics: Adventurous atmosphere, various equipment
Practice 3: Emotions and Expressions
Expressing various emotions with the same character:
Joy (Happy)
Additional Keywords:
bright smile, sparkling eyes, cheerful expression,
joyful mood, positive energy
Sadness (Sad)
Additional Keywords:
tears in eyes, downcast expression,
melancholic mood, somber atmosphere
Anger (Angry)
Additional Keywords:
furrowed brows, intense eyes,
aggressive pose, fiery aura
Surprise (Surprised)
Additional Keywords:
wide eyes, open mouth, shocked expression,
surprised reaction, dramatic lighting
Mystery (Mysterious)
Additional Keywords:
enigmatic smile, shadowed face,
mysterious aura, intriguing presence
Practice 4: Characters by Age
Child
Prompt:
Cute child character, 5 years old,
big innocent eyes, playful expression,
colorful clothing, holding a toy,
adorable and innocent, children's book illustration style
Teenager
Prompt:
Teenage character, 15 years old,
trendy fashion, casual modern outfit,
confident but youthful expression,
contemporary style, relatable design
Young Adult
Prompt:
Young adult character, mid 20s,
mature but energetic, professional appearance,
confident pose, modern design,
detailed and realistic style
Middle-aged
Prompt:
Middle-aged character, around 40,
wise and experienced look,
distinguished appearance, mature charm,
professional quality, realistic portrayal
Elderly
Prompt:
Elderly character, wise old person,
wrinkled face showing life experience,
kind expression, gentle demeanor,
respectful and dignified design
Practice 5: Character Styles
Animation Style
Prompt Template:
[Character description], anime style,
manga inspired, cel shaded,
vibrant colors, expressive eyes,
Japanese animation aesthetic
Example:
Magical girl character, anime style,
pink hair in twin tails, magical wand,
sparkly transformation outfit,
cute and powerful, shoujo anime aesthetic
Cartoon Style
Prompt Template:
[Character description], cartoon style,
exaggerated features, simple shapes,
bright colors, family-friendly,
animated series character design
Example:
Superhero character, cartoon style,
bold colors, strong silhouette,
action pose, comic book aesthetic
Realistic Style
Prompt Template:
[Character description], realistic style,
detailed facial features, natural proportions,
photorealistic rendering, high detail,
movie character quality
Example:
Medieval knight, realistic style,
detailed armor and weathered face,
battle-worn appearance, cinematic quality
Pixel Art Style
Prompt Template:
[Character description], pixel art style,
8-bit or 16-bit aesthetic, retro gaming style,
limited color palette, nostalgic feel
Example:
Warrior character, pixel art style,
16-bit RPG game character, retro aesthetic
Chibi/SD (Super Deformed) Style
Prompt Template:
[Character description], chibi style,
super deformed, big head small body,
cute and simplified, kawaii aesthetic
Example:
Dragon warrior, chibi style,
cute proportions, big eyes, adorable design
Advanced Technique: Maintaining Character Consistency
In Stable Diffusion
1. Use LoRA models
2. Use same Seed value
3. Reuse detailed prompts
In MidJourney
1. Use --cref (character reference)
2. Reference previous image URL
3. Utilize --sref (style reference)
Example:
[prompt] --cref [imageURL] --cw 100
In Leonardo.ai
1. Use Image Guidance feature
2. Keep using same model
3. Upload Character Reference
Practice Assignments
Assignment 1: Create Your Own Character
- Set name, age, occupation, personality
- Design appearance and clothing
- Draw from multiple angles
Assignment 2: Character Emotion Sheet
- 5 emotions of the same character
- Joy, sadness, anger, surprise, peace
Assignment 3: Profession Series
- Create 5 different profession characters
- Maintain consistent style
Common Mistakes and Solutions
Mistake 1: Design Too Complex
โ "Red, blue, yellow, green clothes with gold and silver accessories and rainbow wings" โ "Focus on red coat and silver accessories"
Mistake 2: Anatomical Errors
Problem: "extra fingers, distorted face, wrong anatomy" Solution: Add to negative prompt:
Negative: deformed, ugly, mutated, extra limbs,
bad anatomy, bad proportions
Mistake 3: Inconsistent Style
Problem: "realistic face, anime body, cartoon hands" Solution: Unify with one style
Mistake 4: Vague Pose
โ "cool pose" โ "standing confidently, hand on hip, looking at viewer"
Useful Keyword Collection
Quality Enhancement
highly detailed, professional quality,
masterpiece, award winning design,
character concept art, portfolio quality
Lighting Effects
dramatic lighting, rim light, studio lighting,
soft lighting, cinematic lighting
Background Treatment
simple background, white background,
gradient background, environmental background,
isolated character
Conclusion
Character design improves with practice. Start with simple characters, then gradually challenge yourself with complex designs!
In the next post, we'll learn how to transform into various styles like manga-style and watercolor-style.
๐ก Today's Tip: Using Leonardo.ai's "Character Reference" feature lets you draw the same character in various poses consistently!