Required skill set:
- Ability to adapt to new art styles
- Good knowledge of anatomy of both humans and animals, so the character doesn’t come across as uncanny
- Awareness of poses, gestures and facial expressions
- A specialisation in character design
Examples of Show Reels I liked:
CGI Showreel HD “Character Design Reel” by Wouter Tulp | CGMeetup – YouTube
Character Artist Showreel – Grumpy Shark – YouTube
Character designer / Visual development artist Demo Reel – Martí Furgber 2016 – YouTube
These showreels have emphasis on the process of the designing and present it in a fun and interesting way. I particularly like the time lapses of the drawings and the zoom in to see the linework. There isn’t much focus on the actual animating, but as this is not the focus of the role, I don’t feel like it is needed anyways.
Character design seems to be a much more forgiving job, as it is not completely necessary to have experience, but it does make the CV appeal more to the employers. Degrees in fine art, illustration and graphic art are desired, but also not a necessity. As there is a wide range of areas that require character designers (game design, illustration, animation) there is no definite way to get into the profession – each person would have a different path. However, applying for an apprenticeship, building a network and/or gaining an education in the field can help a great deal.
Research websites:
How To Become a Character Designer | Indeed.com UK
Character designer (also known as 2D character designer) in the animation industry – ScreenSkills
Character Designer Job Description, Salary, Skills & Software (cgspectrum.com)
(3) How can I become a Character designer? – Quora