An Introduction to Character Studies

In an effort to help people draw their fan art better, Final Fantasy Illumina presents a series of intricate features, analyzing the designs of several characters from recent Final Fantasy games.

These studies of character designs are not technically tutorials, but rather a series of possibly-too-in-depth references for artists to use when drawing fan art. They could prove very useful for producing accurate details, understanding the underlying structure of clothing, or for capturing the essence of a character. If nothing more, I just hope they are a good read.

For this installment, I examine the character design of Vaan's good friend in Final Fantasy XII, Penelo. Alongside Vaan and Basch, Penelo's importance in the storyline deteriorates as the game progresses. However, she is a surprisingly popular subject of fan artwork and lots of fun to draw.

I will be meticulously analyzing different parts of her design, in the order of: Overall Figure, Face and Hair, Upper Body, Arms and Legs, Expressions. I think it's the pigtails that do it for her.

June 6th, 2008 PAGE 00