From Snow White to Shrek, it is the design that communicates a character's personality, before a single word of dialogue is spoken. This book explains the design concepts, character hierarchy, and on how to work with script, how to maximize a pose, and how to finish a character that sparkles. It also includes advice from professionals.

From Snow White to Shrek, from Fred Flintstone to SpongeBob SquarePants, the design of a character conveys personality before a single word of dialogue is spoken. Designing Characters with Personality shows artists how to create a distinctive character, then place that character in context within a script, establish hierarchy, and maximize the impact of pose and expression. Practical exercises help readers put everything together to make their new characters sparkle. Lessons from the author, who designed the dragon Mushu (voiced by Eddie Murphy) in Disney's Mulan—plus big-name experts in film, TV, video games, and graphic novels—make a complex subject accessible to every artist.