CHARACTER DESIGNAN ERIC CANTONA CASE STUDY

I’m a football illustrator based in Sligo, Ireland. I strive for adaptability and have developed a variety of styles with which I can approach projects.

Feel free to reach out with any enquiries at:

danleydonillustration@gmail.com

Selected Clients

NikeESPN

Bundesliga Bloomsbury

Gatorade Foot Locker Juventus FC

Manchester City FC

WHO DAN IS

CONTENTS

RATIONALE CASE STUDY NOTES

ORDER OF APPEARANCE

RATIONALE

1. PersonalityMy main aim is to develop a distinct and vivid personality so that the viewer can connect with it at the earliest opportunity. All aspects of the design can streamline the potential success of this aim from stance, facial design, setting, attitude to surroundings, or emphasis on a specific design element. My job is to remove all fat so the elements are more than the sum of their parts in a communicative sense. If you view a few images of my Cantona and can then write down three or four words to describe what you feel his personality is then the design is a success. From the portrait on the right I would surmise that he is dramatic, possibly a bit vain and quite solemn. Additionally with the

When designing a character I try to adhere to these points. If I can successfully integrate them all I will have arrived at a successful design. It doesn’t always spark as it’s not an exact science but every now and then I produce a memorable and sturdy result. The points are;

1. Personality

2. Vessel

3. Warmth

4. Energy

5. Adaptability

A brief synopsis of my aims when creating a character

project onto the face. In doing this they unwittingly become invested and emotionally connected. The design acts as a vessel for what they bring to the table. With my Cantona all his emotion is conveyed through a combination of his eyebrow and his stance. His character is one that’s not prone to overly emotive displays so the eyebrow can cover a lot of his expressions. One arch of it and we understand he’s skeptical of whatever he’s being presented with.

3. WarmthI try to give the characters the appeal and warmth of a glowing hearth in a dark room; welcoming and cosy. I want their design to draw the viewer in. This can be achieved with strict colour palettes allied with the engaging personality of the overall design. My aim with the piece above was to present Cantona as his serious, solemn self but with an added layer of farce

so we feel a small bit of affection and sympathy for him. If it raises a smile then I’ve done my job.

4. EnergyI regularly portray the stubby bodies of my characters engaged in feats of athletic prowess which would seem beyond the capabilities of their anatomy. This hidden physical skill adds a layer of depth or even mystery that might not even be consciously picked up on but it still brings something extra to their overall spirit. They then have a form of physical potential and this expands the possibility when you see them. On a more obvious level it is cute and plays for a smile, which is integral to the success of the character.

way he is presented we get the extra insight that he is a bit farcical due to there being a seagull on his head and this allows us to see that he takes himself a lot more seriously than we take him. His ego is ripe for puncturing but not to the extent that we dislike him, an important factor. As this character is based off an existing personality it’s important to work off the associated mythology. If people are aware of and familiar with the subject you can use this as a leg up to get some instant connection between your character and the audience.

2. VesselHello Kitty (below) represents the zenith of what I want to achieve. It optimises the least amount of facial characteristics to allow the viewer instant recognition of a base expression. Crucially the lack of facial detail allows for the viewer to then fill in the gaps with emotion they

5. AdaptabilityFor each character I try to develop an elastic visual personality that can be applied to a whole host of objects or situations. This allows for proliferation across different platforms and media seamlessly. They are more an idea of personality than a drawing and can be expressed in endless forms.

Applying the Cantona visual traits to something else can allow the character to retain familiarity in a new guise. The seagull above has the same deadpan expression and we can almost get a sense of it’s reaction to this new trawler craze. I wanted to show it as disgusted by yet another fad it is obviously above and imply that it’s rolling it’s eyes, even though it has none. It may be letting out an exasperated sigh too.

The trope of the evil twin is always great for expanding a character and a polar moral opposite helps cement their personality. Building on Cantona’s association with The Red Devils and his assault of a fan in the away kit I developed this version of him after being transformed into his ‘Devil form’ (thank you Tekken). Having an evil version allows for a whole other range of pursuits, activities, sidekicks, scenarios and outfits.

Setting is also a massive chance to experiment and see where your character can go. I find the more I use a character the more possibilities open up for where to take them. The main takeaway is if you can create an adaptable character your imagination is the only limit to where they can go and what they can do.

Something as basic as a change of outfit can give your design new life. I designed some roughs for Hallowe’en around the idea of increasingly large collars to test how well my Cantona’s personality remained. As a first step it definitely shows there’s room to design into.

CASE STUDYAn indepth look at the development of my Cantona character

NOTES

1. Geometric Design

I had fun throwing this Cruyff together. He was known as Pythagoras in Boots because of his skill at passing, creating triangles around opponents. I took this extremely literally and constructed his body from triangles. The stripes of the Adidas kit slotted in nicely parallel to the edges which added a nice little feature for viewers. Importantly the choice of geometrics added to the overall impact.

Further observations about potential of character design

2. Pattern

An energetic collection of postures applied to a vibrant character can make for an engaging pattern. It can be tough getting everything to fit together but when you manage it, the resultant jigsaw really packs a visual punch.

3. Pixel vs Vector

Two approaches to Paulo Dybala, one pixel, the other vector. The accuracy of vector can really enhance the legibility of the crests and manufacturer logos whilst the pixel method allows for interplay between the frayed edges of the brushes. Using the same character for both methods can really show the strengths of each approach.

4. Signature Feature

Identifying a signature move or element of a personality can yield great results. With this version of Antoine Griezmann I wanted to base the whole design on his well known celebration coupled with his heavy eyebrows and blue eyes. The final piece seems quite unified, in that all elements back up an overall feeling. It has a quite happy vibe and communicates well with the viewer.

5. Style Feature

Liverpool player Gini Wijnaldum posted some holiday photos to his social media and the moment I saw his camo outfit I knew I had to add it to my existing Gini design. While putting it together I had to draw up his runners, it was the first time I’d drawn shoes that weren’t football boots. Coupled with the clothes it made me think this method could yield fun results for displaying specific outfits. This is an area of great interest for me and I’ll definitely be pursuing it further.

www.danleydon.com

@danleydon

danleydonillustration@gmail.com

CONTACT