Cardboard Characters

Lesson Summary

Students will learn how to conceptualize and design semi-3D cardboard characters. They will first conceptualize their character ideas in their sketchbook and then construct their characters using cardboard.

Lesson Objectives

• Learn about character development and design.

• Planning and constructing a 3D structure.

• Understanding the concept of depth of field: front, middle and back

• Creative use of a cheap and plentiful material.

• Drawing on tonal paper.

What to do

Character designs are used in the production of animated films, movies, video games and comic books. Although these characters may look simple, they took many hours to develop. When designing your characters, consideration should be put into the their facial expression, hairstyle and clothing. You will make several characters, so make effective use of your time.

1. Conceptualizing Your Character. Here are some prompts that can help you get your ideas flowing:
   Is your character male or female?
   What kind of clothing is she/he wearing?
   Does she/he have long, short or curly hair?
   Is your character usually in a cheerful, sad, quiet, calm or grumpy mood?
   What colors are your characters clothing, eyes, hair and etc.
   Do you have a name for your character?

2. Rough Sketch. Sketch your character starting with the largest body parts first, such as the torso, followed by the head and limbs. This will help you properly place the figure onto your page. *Draw the character in the actual size that you want to construct your cardboard character in. Make it no bigger than a A4 size paper.

3. Character Design. Give your character a distinctive outfit. Consider the pose and facial expression you want to give your character. Paying close attention to the details of your character can better convey their personality. *Make the design somewhat simple so that it can more easily be cut out of cardboard.

4. Exaggerate. Exaggerate your character's facial features and expressions to communicate their persona better. If your character is suppose to have large eyes, make them larger. If your character has a big smile, make it seem bigger. Exaggerate their posture as well.

5. Plan the Planes. Plan out the planes of your character design by numbering each of them. *Limit the number of planes to 3 and add more during the construction process.

6. Character Template. Cutout your character design. It will be used as a template to trace onto the cardboard.

7. Cardboard and Planning. Trace your character template 3 times onto a sheet of cardboard. Plan the different planes and pieces it will have. Think about which parts should be in the front, middle and behind.

8. Cutout. Cutout all the pieces of your character. *Cut the pieces at least twice to get all the way through the cardboard.

9. Put it All Together. Layout and piece together all the different parts of your character. Make some adjustments if the design isn’t turning out in the way that you envisioned.

10. Glue all the Pieces Together. Once you’ve determined where all the pieces will be laid out and it is in the correct order, permanently attach all the pieces together with white glue. Try to build the character so that it can stand upright on its own. 

11. Ink and Color. Once you have all the pieces fixed in place, ink your character with black permanent markers and add some color as needed. 

12. Make Another. Design Several Characters. Afterwards design another character for your original character to interact with. You can even make an entire cast of characters.
    *Keep your cardboard characters in a safe place because we will be using them in a future lesson.

Terminology (Add / edit)

Cubism -  A painting style invented around 1907-1908 by artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. It is a style of art which aims to show multiple viewpoints of a subject all at once. It got its name from the geometric shapes that are apparent in the paintings.