OC Drawing: How to Draw Your Original Character

OC drawing means drawing an original character, one you invented, as opposed to fan art of someone else's. If you have a character in your head and a blank page in front of you, this guide takes you from a few written facts to a finished drawing, then shows you how to keep the character looking the same next time.

Before you draw: write five facts

Two minutes of notes saves an hour of erasing.

• Age and build. "Seventeen, tall, all elbows."
• Hair in three words. "Short, messy, copper."
• One outfit. The thing they'd wear on an ordinary day.
• One signature item. A scarf, a tool belt, a cracked pair of glasses.
• Their default mood. Bored, sunny, suspicious. It decides the face and the posture.

No character yet? Take one from our 100 OC ideas.

OC drawing step by step

1. Thumbnail the pose. Draw three stick figures the size of a coin, about a minute each. Choose the one that says the most about the character. A shy character curls in. A proud one takes up space.
2. Build the body from simple forms. An egg for the ribcage, a box for the hips, tubes for arms and legs. Measure height in heads: about seven and a half for an adult, five or six for a child or a stylized look, two or three for chibi.
3. Place the face. In realistic proportions the eyes sit halfway down the head. For an anime or cartoon look, make them bigger and drop them lower.
4. Block in the hair as big shapes. Bangs, sides, back. Leave strands for the end.
5. Dress the body. Draw clothes over the forms you built, and put folds where fabric bends: elbows, waist, knees.
6. Add the signature item. Make it a little larger than life so it reads.
7. Clean up and color. Go over the lines you want to keep. Lay down flat colors, then pick one side for the light and shade the other.

Drawing OCs so they look the same every time

The second drawing is often harder than the first, because the character drifts. A few habits fix that:

• Write the proportions down. "Six heads tall, shoulders two heads wide."
• Describe the eye shape in words. "Round, heavy upper lid, small pupils."
• Count details. Three earrings, two freckles under the left eye, five buttons. "Some" changes every time.
• Save a swatch of every color. Skin, hair, eyes, each clothing piece.
• Make a small reference sheet. Front view, back view, face close-up. Our character reference sheet guide lists what goes on one.

What to draw after the first one

Once you have one drawing you like, these exercises teach you the character:

• A row of six expressions
• Their hands holding the signature item
• The head from five angles
• Their off-duty outfit
• The same character at age eight and age sixty
• A filled-in black outline to test the shape
• Ten poses at 30 seconds each

For 40 more scenes and challenges, see our OC art ideas.

If you can't draw yet

Nobody says you have to start from a blank page.

• Use a base. A base is blank body line art you draw your character over. Read how OC drawing bases work first, because each one comes with rules.
• Draw from a reference image. Describe your character in the Character Creator, generate a portrait, then redraw it by hand. Copying your own character is good practice, and you'll make design decisions along the way.
• Start small. A chibi version has fewer lines and forgives wobbly anatomy. The Chibi Maker can give you a blank chibi base in a pose you choose.

Common mistakes

• Starting with the eyelashes. Do the big shapes before anything small.
• Hiding the hands. Hands behind the back in every drawing means you never learn them. Draw mittens if you must.
• The same face on every character. Change the eye shape, the jaw and the eyebrow thickness between OCs.
• Stiff, straight-on poses. Shift the weight onto one leg and tilt the shoulders the opposite way.

FAQ

How do I start drawing my OC?

Write five facts about them, sketch three tiny poses, pick one, then build the body from simple shapes before adding hair, clothes and details.

What should I draw my OC doing?

Start with everyday moments like eating, waiting for a bus or working. Then try a row of expressions, an off-duty outfit and the character at a different age.

How do I keep my OC drawings consistent?

Write down the proportions, count small details like freckles and buttons, save color swatches and check a reference sheet each time you draw.

Do OC drawings have to be in an anime style?

No. You can draw an OC in any style, including cartoon, semi-realistic, chibi and pixel art. Use the style you enjoy drawing most.