How to FIX Your OC! (Original Character Design Tutorial)

PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/c/Apoke My Animation Channel: https://www.youtube.com/theapoke Today we're diving into the magic of character design — with lessons inspired by TMNT, The Amazing Digital Circus, and even Moana from Disney! 🐢🎪🌊 🔷🔺 Instead of giving every character just one color (blue guy, red girl 😅), I show you how animals (and great character designs) usually rock two main colors. By shifting saturation and values, you can even create skin tones, highlights, and shadows without relying on pure black or white! 💥 Think about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: at first, they all looked the same except for their weapons. Then they evolved: different color headbands, and later on, wildly different body shapes and designs (Rise of the TMNT went all out!). In Mutant Mayhem, they blended old and new — subtle shapes and fun accessories like Donnie's glasses. 🟡🟥🔵 Different colors can symbolize different character types: Red = fiery and bold 🔥 Yellow = cheerful and energetic ☀️ Blue = calm, heroic, or a little sad 🌊 Look at The Amazing Digital Circus — wild shapes, surreal designs, and every character stands out like crazy! Or Moana: soft circles, strong silhouettes, and gentle earthy colors that instantly tell you about the world and the people. 🌀🌴 🏗️ When designing, think about: Lifestyle (athletes vs tech nerds vs royalty) History (scars, injuries, or life-worn clothes) Personality (sharp triangles = dangerous, round circles = sweet) Class (bling vs DIY gear!) Perception (how do THEY want to be seen?) 🤖 Example: I once built a boxing robot inspired by real hinge joints and boxing bags. Always study real life — it's your secret weapon! ✨ BONUS: Characters can even be made of abstract shapes, plants, water, or even BE the background itself! Don’t be afraid to break the rules! ✏️ Keep your designs simple if you're animating traditionally — it'll save your wrist AND your sanity! #TMNT #AmazingDigitalCircus #Moana #CharacterDesign #ArtTips #Animation character design, art tips, animation tips, tmnt, teenage mutant ninja turtles, rise of the tmnt, mutant mayhem, the amazing digital circus, moana, disney animation, drawing tutorial, color theory, how to design characters, digital art, art tutorial, shape language, animation design, character art, visual storytelling, art advice, art process, art education, cartoon design, 2d animation, how to draw, original characters, oc design, making characters, animation workflow, tmnt designs, digital circus characters, disney character design