Character Sheet

Term from Book Illustration industry explained for recruiters

A Character Sheet is a detailed visual reference document that illustrators and artists create to show how a character looks from different angles and with various expressions. It's like a blueprint or guide that helps maintain consistency in how a character appears throughout a book, comic, or animation project. These sheets typically include the character's full body, close-ups of their face, different outfits they might wear, and important details about their appearance. When you see this term in a resume, it means the artist has experience in creating professional reference materials that help teams understand and consistently draw the same character.

Examples in Resumes

Created Character Sheets for main protagonists in a children's book series

Developed comprehensive Character Sheets and Character Designs for an educational publishing project

Led the design team in establishing Character Sheet standards for a graphic novel series

Typical job title: "Character Designers"

Also try searching for:

Book Illustrator Character Artist Concept Artist Children's Book Illustrator Visual Development Artist Character Designer Animation Artist

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How do you manage a character design project with multiple stakeholders?

Expected Answer: A senior designer should discuss their experience coordinating with authors, publishers, and art directors, managing feedback, and maintaining design consistency while meeting various requirements.

Q: How do you ensure character designs are both creative and commercially viable?

Expected Answer: Should explain their process of balancing artistic creativity with market requirements, target audience considerations, and production constraints.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What elements do you include in a comprehensive character sheet?

Expected Answer: Should describe including multiple angles, expressions, size comparisons, color schemes, and important character details that help maintain consistency.

Q: How do you adapt your character designs for different age groups?

Expected Answer: Should discuss understanding of age-appropriate design elements, complexity levels, and how to modify character designs for different target audiences.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What basic elements do you consider when starting a character design?

Expected Answer: Should mention basic shape language, personality traits, target audience, and how these influence the initial design choices.

Q: How do you research and gather reference materials for character designs?

Expected Answer: Should explain their process of collecting visual references, understanding the project requirements, and organizing inspiration materials.

Experience Level Indicators

Junior (0-2 years)

  • Basic drawing and digital art skills
  • Understanding of character anatomy
  • Simple character expression sheets
  • Basic color theory knowledge

Mid (2-5 years)

  • Advanced character poses and expressions
  • Style adaptation abilities
  • Digital art software proficiency
  • Understanding of production requirements

Senior (5+ years)

  • Project management experience
  • Advanced character design principles
  • Team leadership capabilities
  • Client communication expertise

Red Flags to Watch For

  • No portfolio of character designs
  • Inability to show consistent character designs across multiple poses
  • Lack of understanding of basic anatomy
  • No experience with digital art tools
  • Cannot explain their design process