There are plenty of art-centric websites out there but none have been on my radar longer or at least in higher regard than Character Design References. Since 2013 they have dedicated themselves to showcasing, nurturing and inspiring upcoming and long-time artists by simply celebrating professional art in the comic, animation and video game industries.
For this, they have regular updates and showcase particular artists and designs for characters, backgrounds and settings, with a particular focus on high-end professional portfolios. Their Grand Portfolio section ranges from famous industry artists, to online cult favorites and are a plethora of reference material for any aspiring or even professional artist.
To hear us discuss Character Design and art, TOON IN to this classic Animation Destination Episode with Kevlin Goodner and Adam Hicks: Episode 33. Back to the 80’s
Character Design References: Art of Animation
But what really earns my interest whenever they update is their Art of Animation section that showcases art from Animated Movies, Shorts, Anime and shares design concepts, model sheets and everything that brings classic and modern animation to life. Castle in the Sky being their latest entry has so much of Ghibli’s concepts of the movie its almost daunting to scroll through, Painting concepts, animation cels, model sheets, background paintings, literally everything you could possibly imagine from the Miyazaki classic is there to marvel at and use for reference for your own art.
We even get interviews with production artists, storyboarders, character designers and get in depth thoughts on work in the industry, their influences to creating art and how they entered their trade. Supplement that with their course links that take you directly to Idea Academy online courses to help with your own art, Character Design References is a must visit.
I cannot express how much inspiration I take from this site and I felt it necessary to share it here. Go give them a look and enjoy all the wonderful art they share, and use it to look up more artists as well. Explore more art in animation and other media. It’s how we all improve and Character Design References is here to inspire!
Come back here EVERY FRIDAY for Animation Recommendations.
