Deconstructing a Character

For my Media 203 class we were instructed to create two characters in teams of two people. Ideally a protagonist and antagonist.

Here I will deconstruct the character I created into its basic elements and why I chose how to design my character like I did.


Let's address the color of my character first:

I chose to go for a color scheme similar to "The Joker" because I felt the cool colors reflected my characters calm, collected nature. His intentions and emotions are difficult to read because he generally keeps them to himself. This color scheme seems the perfect fit for what i'm envisioning.

Next I will address the lighting I wish to cast on my character:

I imagined a harsh or dramatic light. Probably a white or blue hue to it to put emphasis on the cool color scheme. The light would be appearing from behind the character to wash over his form in a contrasting shadow, covering up maybe 50-60% of the character. This shadow would hide some of the character's features, but accentuate others more dramatically. The result making him seem mysterious, going back to his introverted personality.

Lastly I had to determine the shape that best represents my character:

I wanted my character to seem tough, so I imagined a more square frame. This character does not look like someone you would want to mess with. His intimidating size and shape amplify the fact that he keeps to himself. He is "well-guarded" much like a tank is well-armored. He's built himself to be tough and won't let much of anything stand in his way.

My partner's character was the polar-opposite in every way possible:

His character was using a warm color scheme, reflecting that his emotions were usually voiced or easily read.

The triangular shape of gru represents the unrealistic and dramatic shape of the character that seems to be very opinionated and active

The unrealistic shadow is not only because his character is a cartoon, but also because he has little to hide. He will let other characters know just how he feels

My character is from a beautiful colorful cartoon world, where he lived with his family.  One day a mysterious portal opened tearing him away from his family.  He was thrown into a dark eerie world in which he did not belong.  He didn’t know what this world was, but he knew he would stop at nothing to find a way back to his home.

Both characters are intended to be antagonistic towards each other, but neither is a "good guy" nor a "bad guy". They must learn to deal with each other and figure out how to overcome their differences to live peacefully.