Kay Lin: character design notes

notes on the design notes

Hex color codes and height measurements need not be precise; they’re provided anyway for consistency. Relative colors (value + hue) and heights (where one character stands proportional to another) are more important.

Similarly, while some design details are key (for characterization and/or thematic reasons), others are a byproduct of art style; for instance, black and white are used fairly deliberately, but hair is often exaggerated for silhouette. There are also aspects where the distinction between diegesis and stylization is besides the point. I’ve tried to distinguish them as follows:

  • Important: Notes in bold & key traits should be maintained for recognizability.
  • Less important: Notes in gray are stylistic decisions on my part, and aren’t strictly necessary.
  • Notes without either format aren’t vital (i.e. if this was a book there’d be no need to describe these), but they’re not artistic quirks either. Take ’em or leave ’em.

These pages have a rudimentary mobile/single-column layout, but are ideally viewed on a larger, horizontal screen. The full layout has a fixed size, and is intentionally not responsive.

Fullbody of Kay Lin standing, blank-faced. One arm is crossed behind her back.

height

  • 4'3"
  • 129.54cm
silhouettes of the main eight
Second-shortest of the main eight.

palette

main

Midtone skin, dark hair, and eyes typically colored gold-yellow. Hair is long, straight, and unadorned.

(skip hex codes)
  • #9a7e64
    skin
  • #1b181c
    hair
  • #f6d518
    eyes

outfit

Wears an overlarge grayish shirt and a darker skirt. Dull bandages are wrapped around her neck, hands (trailing off up the arms), and feet.

(skip hex codes)
  • #5e5a65
    shirt
  • #2f2b33
    skirt
  • #a29b99
    bandages

key traits

Small, thin, young-looking. Clothes are ragged, with a shirt that’s a couple sizes too big; neck, hands, and feet are exposed save for uneven bandage-wraps. Irises can appear bright yellow-gold. Demeanor shifts by the scene.

Associated with purple, which is dull by default.

actual notes

  • Entirely a style thing: For some reason I keep drawing her bangs with this exact configuration of lines.

    If she’s facing the viewer’s right, the “tip” disappears, and some hair gets pushed out on the other side for a nicer silhouette.

  • Another style quirk: Nose is basically just a line, lower edge optional. Eye proportions aren’t consistent, but generally not as long as the nose line. Flat profile.

    Eyebrows and pupils are optional, depending on the expression. Important: Irises appear bright gold-yellow. Whether this is diegetic doesn’t matter.

    Face is thin and round. Chin should not taper in a point.

  • Neck wrap noted below is only on one side.

    Exact configuration of bandage-wraps doesn’t need to be consistent*, but they trail off from the hands & feet. *Important Exception: One strip goes up the left (viewer’s right) side of the neck.

  • Important: T-shirt is way too big; most noticeable around the neckline (looser than it should be), sleeves (attached well below the arm & extended a little past the elbow), and bottom edge (terminates around the upper thigh).

    “Skirt” is basically just a wrap of undecorated fabric.