Q.How do you keep the same character looking the same throughout a book?

This is still a challenge for me, and one of the reasons I am grateful for my art director for an objective eye in the final art stage.

One thing that helps me: to keep a model reference sheet for each character where I collect all the versions throughout the book. That way I can easily scan all over them to check for consistency. I also keep a size reference sheet that includes any characters and sometimes objects that I use throughout the book to help me keep the relative sizes and proportions consistent. 

I keep these model sheets taped up by my desk where I can always see them as I work on the project.

What also helps: drawing the characters over and over and over again, from different camera angles and in different positions (not just from the front at normal eye level). I have learned to do this BEFORE I create a characters for a new book illustration project rather than during. :-)

Some related resources:

How Do Artists Keep Characters Consistent? - Gene Luen Yang uses model sheets.

Character Consistency- A Massive Tip Collection - by Brant-Bi on DeviantArt

Last updated on September 16, 2019 by Debbie Ohi