I appreciate this sentiment a lot, even beyond the context of just character design. I agree that with modern media, people are quick to be cynics and shoot things down, *especially* if the popular consensus is that it's good. No one seems to go into things, new franchises or remakes, with the intention of just... having a good time. The online debates and discourse over trivial bits from today's cartoons or movies really boggle me. For me as a creator and a consumer, I'm just trying to have some fun. Of course critical eye is important, but it's also important to know when to shut it off and just enjoy yourself, y'know?
Completely agree! Definitely a benefit from using a critical eye to learn, even did that in this video. But that ability to have fun is really underrated!
8:43 this is such a fantastic little aside (which can be applied to a lot of things besides character design and film), and I 100% agree with you. I mean, it's funny how we are also oversaturated with great foods to eat, and yet you don't see people asking for 'the best food'.
GOD!! I always thought Funko Pop figures were ugly and not interesting at all. And every time I say that, everyone looks at me like I'm some kind of monster. I can't imagine how they got so popular.
I love how much this concept translates from it's place in character design, to it's place in composition and gesture poses. I remember in years past, when learning detailed human anatomical structure, my art still felt very janky... Until I learned that I was just "connecting parts", not blending and flowing them together into one, solid figure.
I really appreciate your videos. finding someone to learn from who's balanced, mature, humble, not afraid to correct misguided thinking but is tactful when doing so is such a rarity. Thank you.
wow! I never thought I would see another person who yearns for the days of early 2000s vinyl figures! it "figures" character designers would really enjoy that scene :D
You're a very smart man, Brookes. I respect you a lot. I think some of this may go over some of your younger viewers heads so if people react badly it may just be that they didn't understand the lesson here. However, I think you're a very clever communicator and I appreciate that you don't talk down to your audience, if that makes sense. If someone isn't at the age or experience level where they're ready for this lesson (which I'd consider fairly advanced, appeal being so difficult to define, as you said) yet, they can always watch it again later, after all. This was so insightful. Particularly so. Thank you very much.
This was very insightful , thank you! Plus: the food methaphor helped me change my own expectations to experiencing films and series, cause you made a really good point.
This is a concept I never really thought critically of. I usually made characters that appealed to me, and that fit well into the style I drew in at the time the character was made. My recent ones are a lot rounder while my older ones had an emphasis on obscure combinations or traits (like a cat with bat wings and impossible hair.)
Tommy Wiseau has a goofy voice and strange mannerisms, and he becomes even funnier when he tries (and fails) to give a serious, dramatic performance with those mannerisms. Not sure if I would say he's an 'appealing' character, though
Yes! YES! Finally someone agrees with me. Those figures are creepy! But I really appriciate this upload. And I love the example of food. Yes everybody likes different things. But there still is good and bad food no matter what your preferances are.
3:45 i made my profile pic recently, and if you look at it, this isnt how it started out. essentially one of the biggest problems i faced was things looking disconnected, or not unified. like the head looked like it didnt fit the body, and the fish part on it looked too different from everything else. with some feedback and iteration, i got it to the unified design you see now.
4:19-4:29 Are you referring to the small version here? Because that's the cutest thing I've seen all day! 😱 He seems to have good appeal considering that he consistently features sharp, simple shapes. The big version is WAAAAAY too complicated though. A kid trying to draw him would have no idea where to start, which indicates that the design lacks a strong foundation.
There's that subjectiveness coming through! What I'm personally not a huge fan of (although that largely has to do with the bigger version detracting from the smaller) you can feel free to love. It's not bad looking by any standards! The appeal could be stronger, though.
6:40 THANK YOU I despise the general Funko Pop Design soo much. The base look of themselves on the one hand, and the fact that they ruin existing character designs to fit this unappealing shape on the other.
4:48 hmm... i wonder what it would look like if they made it not so textured. like removing all of the etched in lines, just making it flat colors instead.
Thank You Thank You SO FUCKING MUCH!! I'm not being sarcastic I am genuinely thankfully for these videos that you've made, they are both helping me on my journey to making better character designs. I am absolutely stumped as to what I could do to truly thank you.
So i'm hearing that the appeal is how well the character plays his or her part. if you were making a movie, you would find the actors that can best fill the role that they are trying to play. You want a hero that acts in ways that we see ourselves in and has the positive mannerism traits of a hero and villans to be a hard to empathize with bent on destruction kind of person in a way as an example. This now makes me wonder what if there was a story of two opposing academies, the hero school and the villan school, but your characters were flipped? The hero school is very competitive and each hero will do anything to hit the top of the charts, whereas your characters in the villan school don't like what they are doing but are forced to do evil by their principle or suffer consequences. I want to see that story following the weak character in the villan school that wants to help others and expose the heroes for lacking true heroic traits.
the designs you categorized as unappealing did not have areas of rest and areas of business. They were just busy. I think the characters having a shape theme could've been a point to the designs you reviewed as well as the presence of gesture.
Theres a few older ones of mine without any, before I gathered a few folks who I think just follow to dislike. That, and this video includes no Donkey Kong redesigning 😉
appeal is the ability to see something as what it is intended to be. Food is appealing if you want to put it in your mouth. A hero is appealing if you want to be saved by them or fight along side them. A villain is appealing if you cant wait for the chance to punch him upside the head.
Food is different though because it's a necessity. More people are willing to settle for less when they eat food because they need nutrition. When someone eats a food that doesn't necessarily fit their tastes, they are still assured with the knowledge that they're still getting some calories in their body. In art and entertainment though, people are consuming solely for pleasure so they're more attentive to whether they're enjoying themselves or not. Not saying you're wrong in the points you make; just pointing out the inaccuracy in your metaphor.
All metaphors break down at a certain level by nature. Would you like me to be less positive, though? “Restauranteurs” and “foodies” aren’t just consuming to survive, they could spend a lot less time effort and money to stay alive. They’re doing so for the experience.
Of course there are exceptions to any rule or standard but since you seemed to be talking about general demographics in the video, I thought it relevant to explain that there is a reason that the average person eats different from how they consume entertainment, and that it's a lot easier for consumers of entertainment to be more critical than consumers of food because food is often taken for granted in a way that can devalue it in the consumer's eye, and which lessens the negative impact when the experience turns out to be unappealing. Sorry for the long sentence and sorry if I come across as overly critical; I just really enjoy examining analogies and metaphors.
Funko pop taking the "skin" of a character and draping it over their homogenous mold is like that episode of spongebob where they spray paint grey mush to look like krabby patties. It's no longer the character. If you try to squish sonic into the shape of pikachu to make "pikachu-style sonic," it's not sonic anymore.
In the Bumblebee movie, that red Deception is not Starscream. But..its...Blitzwing?? Even though Starscream is red and Blitzwing is purple?? You can check it out here: screenrant.com/bumblebee-decepticon-starscream-blitzwing-comic-con/amp/
Oh wow, really? That's definitely new information to me. This video came out when it was still speculated to be Starscream, and I mean... it's so reminiscent of G1 Starscream.
The best way to make a food more appetizing is to add a lot of backstory.
Shut up
And bacon
true, very true.
@@Flux_Onethat’s pretty funny since a character I made is a piece of bacon lol
@@Flux_One And a side of fries with a large Pepsi
0:53 Strawberries? I dunno... I find oranges to be more apeeling.
Oh lawdy 😂
I was gonna get annoyed at this comment for missing the point and then I read it again xD
I appreciate this sentiment a lot, even beyond the context of just character design. I agree that with modern media, people are quick to be cynics and shoot things down, *especially* if the popular consensus is that it's good. No one seems to go into things, new franchises or remakes, with the intention of just... having a good time. The online debates and discourse over trivial bits from today's cartoons or movies really boggle me. For me as a creator and a consumer, I'm just trying to have some fun. Of course critical eye is important, but it's also important to know when to shut it off and just enjoy yourself, y'know?
Completely agree! Definitely a benefit from using a critical eye to learn, even did that in this video. But that ability to have fun is really underrated!
8:43 this is such a fantastic little aside (which can be applied to a lot of things besides character design and film), and I 100% agree with you.
I mean, it's funny how we are also oversaturated with great foods to eat, and yet you don't see people asking for 'the best food'.
GOD!! I always thought Funko Pop figures were ugly and not interesting at all. And every time I say that, everyone looks at me like I'm some kind of monster.
I can't imagine how they got so popular.
Only the monster ones are cool
I don't really think they look appealing, either, and I wouldn't put as much money into them as they cost. So, you're not alone 😁
It’s because of the huge variety of characters, some who don’t have a lot of figures. I don’t buy em but the Transformers ones look pretty good
Another Chef Brookes cooking episode...
Hehe, how'd you know I'd slip a reference to that in there at 8:05 😆
I love how much this concept translates from it's place in character design, to it's place in composition and gesture poses. I remember in years past, when learning detailed human anatomical structure, my art still felt very janky... Until I learned that I was just "connecting parts", not blending and flowing them together into one, solid figure.
You should totally make a "chef brooks" format😍😂 And the comparisons make so much sense, as if food was the component for easy understanding...🤔
Thanks!! :D
I really appreciate your videos. finding someone to learn from who's balanced, mature, humble, not afraid to correct misguided thinking but is tactful when doing so is such a rarity. Thank you.
*brings up knack character design*
Someone’s been watching dunko baybeeeeee
😆Personally I feel like personally Knack 5 is gonna be the best
Knack 2 baybeeeeeeeeeeeeee
@@CharacterDesignForge HERE COMES THE MONEY - MONEYMONEYMONEYMONEY
wow! I never thought I would see another person who yearns for the days of early 2000s vinyl figures!
it "figures" character designers would really enjoy that scene :D
So many great unique shapes and bold style choices!!!
You're a very smart man, Brookes. I respect you a lot. I think some of this may go over some of your younger viewers heads so if people react badly it may just be that they didn't understand the lesson here. However, I think you're a very clever communicator and I appreciate that you don't talk down to your audience, if that makes sense. If someone isn't at the age or experience level where they're ready for this lesson (which I'd consider fairly advanced, appeal being so difficult to define, as you said) yet, they can always watch it again later, after all. This was so insightful. Particularly so. Thank you very much.
Gimme more of that sweet sweet creative design philosophy. I would LOVE to sit down and chat with you! Your comments at the end were VERY interesting.
This was very insightful , thank you! Plus: the food methaphor helped me change my own expectations to experiencing films and series, cause you made a really good point.
This is a concept I never really thought critically of. I usually made characters that appealed to me, and that fit well into the style I drew in at the time the character was made. My recent ones are a lot rounder while my older ones had an emphasis on obscure combinations or traits (like a cat with bat wings and impossible hair.)
KNACK 3 BAYBEEEE
Here's a question: What makes Tommy Wiseau's character in The Room so appealing(in an ironic sense)?
Tommy Wiseau has a goofy voice and strange mannerisms, and he becomes even funnier when he tries (and fails) to give a serious, dramatic performance with those mannerisms. Not sure if I would say he's an 'appealing' character, though
KNACK 4 THE FUTURE
Great video Mr. Brooks. I'm curious... What is your impression of the New Thundercats Roar?
Yes! YES! Finally someone agrees with me. Those figures are creepy!
But I really appriciate this upload. And I love the example of food. Yes everybody likes different things. But there still is good and bad food no matter what your preferances are.
3:45 i made my profile pic recently, and if you look at it, this isnt how it started out.
essentially one of the biggest problems i faced was things looking disconnected, or not unified. like the head looked like it didnt fit the body, and the fish part on it looked too different from everything else.
with some feedback and iteration, i got it to the unified design you see now.
4:19-4:29 Are you referring to the small version here? Because that's the cutest thing I've seen all day! 😱 He seems to have good appeal considering that he consistently features sharp, simple shapes. The big version is WAAAAAY too complicated though. A kid trying to draw him would have no idea where to start, which indicates that the design lacks a strong foundation.
There's that subjectiveness coming through! What I'm personally not a huge fan of (although that largely has to do with the bigger version detracting from the smaller) you can feel free to love. It's not bad looking by any standards! The appeal could be stronger, though.
I hope you all have a fantastic day!
You as well Dalton!
Did somebody said K N A C K?
Have a great rest of your day!!
Please do a more in depth video on this "flow" that you mentioned
A good idea for sure!
Especially on faces, please
6:40
THANK YOU
I despise the general Funko Pop Design soo much. The base look of themselves on the one hand, and the fact that they ruin existing character designs to fit this unappealing shape on the other.
Thank you so so much for this. I have been looking for the answer to this question for months now
4:48 hmm... i wonder what it would look like if they made it not so textured. like removing all of the etched in lines, just making it flat colors instead.
Thank You Thank You SO FUCKING MUCH!! I'm not being sarcastic I am genuinely thankfully for these videos that you've made, they are both helping me on my journey to making better character designs. I am absolutely stumped as to what I could do to truly thank you.
lol just watched how to train your dragon today and was also talking about Hailee Steinfeld in Bubmblebee
Wait is that Wii Sports music in the back???
there is only one thing I dislike about this video - the reflection of a glowing flower on your glasses interrupting what your eyes are saying.
This is nice.
For Funko Pops, I really like the design of the Power Armor one
The Fallout figure? Agreed, mainly because it's both a new sculpt and forced to not use the standard eyes.
Awesome! im glad that my Knack question helped somehow haha XD
Thanks Drakull!!
why? why is this channel not more popular? youtube is weird
😂Thank you, I appreciate that
I love you! And your work :]
How 'good' should one be at drawing?
This is slightly off topic, but do you have any tips for talking in UA-cam videos? I'm trying to make my own but I find it really hard.
Always respect the viewer's time and attention. Can't be overstated.
Thanks for the advice :)
So i'm hearing that the appeal is how well the character plays his or her part. if you were making a movie, you would find the actors that can best fill the role that they are trying to play.
You want a hero that acts in ways that we see ourselves in and has the positive mannerism traits of a hero and villans to be a hard to empathize with bent on destruction kind of person in a way as an example.
This now makes me wonder what if there was a story of two opposing academies, the hero school and the villan school, but your characters were flipped?
The hero school is very competitive and each hero will do anything to hit the top of the charts, whereas your characters in the villan school don't like what they are doing but are forced to do evil by their principle or suffer consequences.
I want to see that story following the weak character in the villan school that wants to help others and expose the heroes for lacking true heroic traits.
Great vid.
Thanks on both accounts Jeremy!
Cool and good
Saw Knack in the thumbnail so I immediately know dis gon b gud
the designs you categorized as unappealing did not have areas of rest and areas of business. They were just busy. I think the characters having a shape theme could've been a point to the designs you reviewed as well as the presence of gesture.
I just want everyone to remember this moment when nobody dislike this video
Theres a few older ones of mine without any, before I gathered a few folks who I think just follow to dislike. That, and this video includes no Donkey Kong redesigning 😉
I love your videos
appeal is the ability to see something as what it is intended to be. Food is appealing if you want to put it in your mouth. A hero is appealing if you want to be saved by them or fight along side them. A villain is appealing if you cant wait for the chance to punch him upside the head.
My theory is that appeal is vertical proportions of the body in relation to horizontal.
i actually agree with the funko pop. Im way more drawn to the inhuman models of the pop. Haven't bought one yet.. but i want that small tamatoa one.
Food is different though because it's a necessity. More people are willing to settle for less when they eat food because they need nutrition. When someone eats a food that doesn't necessarily fit their tastes, they are still assured with the knowledge that they're still getting some calories in their body.
In art and entertainment though, people are consuming solely for pleasure so they're more attentive to whether they're enjoying themselves or not. Not saying you're wrong in the points you make; just pointing out the inaccuracy in your metaphor.
All metaphors break down at a certain level by nature. Would you like me to be less positive, though? “Restauranteurs” and “foodies” aren’t just consuming to survive, they could spend a lot less time effort and money to stay alive. They’re doing so for the experience.
Of course there are exceptions to any rule or standard but since you seemed to be talking about general demographics in the video, I thought it relevant to explain that there is a reason that the average person eats different from how they consume entertainment, and that it's a lot easier for consumers of entertainment to be more critical than consumers of food because food is often taken for granted in a way that can devalue it in the consumer's eye, and which lessens the negative impact when the experience turns out to be unappealing. Sorry for the long sentence and sorry if I come across as overly critical; I just really enjoy examining analogies and metaphors.
Knack 2 BABYYYYYYYY!!!!
Funko pop taking the "skin" of a character and draping it over their homogenous mold is like that episode of spongebob where they spray paint grey mush to look like krabby patties. It's no longer the character. If you try to squish sonic into the shape of pikachu to make "pikachu-style sonic," it's not sonic anymore.
Why did you have to use sonichu as your example 😭
Why do I feel like that part at the end was directed toward Last Jedi haters?
It's directed toward all haters, they may have been caught in the same net
I tend to find big monsters with sharp teeth interesting, not sure why.
Are you using a pink filter?
Color Corrected Purple, yea
Knack 2 BABYYYYYYY
Hollow knight has some simple but appealing character design
i love how so many character design channals are dunking on the bayverse designs
👍
It's... Blitzwing???
rip
Where? Blitzwing is cool
In the Bumblebee movie, that red Deception is not Starscream. But..its...Blitzwing?? Even though Starscream is red and Blitzwing is purple?? You can check it out here:
screenrant.com/bumblebee-decepticon-starscream-blitzwing-comic-con/amp/
Oh wow, really? That's definitely new information to me. This video came out when it was still speculated to be Starscream, and I mean... it's so reminiscent of G1 Starscream.
I know, like, Blitzwing's purple, Starscream's red, what happened? No version of Starscream is not red(except Prime, he's gray)
How do you feel about the new super smash game??super smash bros ultimate!!!😄😄
I AM ABOUT NOTHING ELSE ALL WEEK/YEAR LONG!! SO EXCITED! 😀
So that's why kids play with their food
I too enjoy eating characters.
What you call appeal... well baybe we need another other for what you mean.
Sorry i don’t understand
It's not just you. I can't stand those funkopop things. I can't see how anyone likes having them around.
No, don't you try and feel sorry for those pop figures. They are horrible. Nendoroids all the way!
After seen this I can only think that the show BIG MOUTH is uglier than I though it was...
*shudders*