Original Character Project
An original character (OC) is a fictional character created by an author or artist that doesn't come from an existing work. OCs are often created in fan fiction or other fan works.
How to create an original character:
Find inspiration: Look at people, animals, objects, or other characters.
Think like your character: Consider their motivations, values, and beliefs.
Develop their backstory: Consider their family, friends, and obstacles.
Give them a personality: Consider their quirks, faults, and flaws.
Examples of original characters
A long-lost grandmother for Harry Potter from the wizarding series
A character in an original character tournament, where artists compete with their original characters
You will create your own original character for the final project. Your art will be graded on:
originality - your character should be original and not copied from the internet. It can exist in another fictional universe. For example you could create an original character from the Naruto universe, but not one that already exists.
effort - you should spend the majority of your time working on your art. If you feel like you can't draw something very well make up for it somewhere else. Use interesting colors, patterns, or anything else you feel you're good at. You don't need a background, but if you feel like you're struggling with drawing characters you may be able to make up for that with a background!
backstory - your character should have a story. Who are they, where are they from, etc. Their clothes, the items they have, and other details should have a reason for being there. You can write this backstory on your drawing, or on a separate piece of paper. Be sure to turn in your backstory with your drawing. Minimum length for your backstory should be about a paragraph.
You will also be graded on the following items based on whether you choose a B&W or a color image.
B&W
If you choose to do B&W art you can use any of the techniques and materials we've used so far this year. Those include:
pen and ink
ink wash
pencil
charcoal
In addition your B&W drawing should have shading. That means it should have a range of values from dark to medium to light. This can be done with cross-hatching, ink washes, or shading with your pencil.
Color
If you choose color you can use any of the techniques and materials we've learned:
acrylic painting
mixed media (paint combined with pen & ink)
Supplies are limited for these but you could also use:
colored pencil
markers
watercolor
In addition your colored drawing or painting should incorporate color theory. For example maybe your character has an orange shirt and blue pants. Since those are complementary colors that means you used color theory!