Sometimes, a character sticks with you, a character so perfect that you've mapped out their entire life story.

Top of my OC bucket list:

A full, epic hero's arc that you can visualize, frame by frame.

But how do you make sure niji・journey consistently recreates your original character (OC)?

When I first think about creating my characters, the first thing that comes to mind are key visual traits, for example, hair and eye color. These are the most striking things about a character which establishes their identity.

Start with the basics:

Prompt:

I actually want her to have different colored eyes. Christmas elf.

Prompt:

IT’S WEAPON TIME.

I like my elves with oversized swords. So let me give my elf a sword.

Prompt:

Wow! I really like both images, but I’m leaning towards the one on the top, as it gives off the feel of an anime isekai heroine. I notice that one of her hands is a bit off here. AI is notoriously bad at hands, but that’s okay! We can fix it with some vary region techniques!

Yay! Better.

Characters are shaped by the worlds they live in.

I’m particularly drawn to academic settings. They are the perfect backdrop for coming-of-age stories, where lifelong rivalries and friendships shape the soul of a character. When we are doing character design, we are always trying to use what is happening on the outside to express what is happening on the inside.

Youth is a tumultuous time where what’s happening on the inside makes for such rich and flavorful stories! Academia! To me, it is the taste of nostalgia. I find myself coming back here time and time again.

Prompt:

Other example prompts:

So now you have a few really strong images of your original character! Read our previous blog about how to play around with character, image, and style references.

A character becomes your own when you know them like you know a real person. What they eat, what they wanna play, their dreams and fears, all the sweetness and faults that you treasure in another living, breathing being.

We live in a marvelous time when anybody can draw the exterior of a superbly dashing elf with niji・journey. I have just demonstrated for you how to do it! It's the part afterwards that makes your original character truly yours. Go out and give them beautiful souls!

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