Stylized Proportions
Exaggerated body and face ratios in stylized characters
Also known as: Stylized character proportions · Chibi proportions · Cartoon proportions · Heroic proportions · Stylized anatomy · Big head small body
Definition
Stylized proportions are deliberate exaggerations of the human body and face, such as large heads and eyes, small bodies, big hands and feet, or broad shoulders and thin legs, used to give characters a distinct personality and read clearly at game camera distances. Different styles follow different ratios: a heroic character can be eight or more heads tall, a typical stylized one four or five, and a chibi two or three. The key is to stay consistent across the whole cast.
In production
Decide a ratio for the project and write it into the style guide, then design the cast within it, varying a few shapes to show different roles. Keep the structure of anatomy, such as joints in the right places, so the characters can move well. Check the proportions in the game camera and in silhouette, since exaggeration has to stay readable. Face and hand details should simplify at the same rate as the body.
Learn Stylized Proportions in
Tools that use Stylized Proportions
See also
Silhouette
The readable outline of a shape
Shape Language
How basic shapes communicate personality
Anatomy Landmarks for 3D Artists
Bony points and muscle groups that guide a sculpt
Design Language
The shared rules that make a world feel consistent
Model Sheet and Turnaround
Orthographic views of a character or prop
Hand-Painted Textures
Painted lighting baked into albedo