Blair Adams's List: CAP

• You should be able to break up just about every character ever  designed into a few basic shapes like spheres, triangles and squares
• Certain shapes  have certain connotations to the brain.
• in the  shape of a big sphere will be seen as either soft and cuddly, pleasing, dopey,  or just plain fat depending on how you use it
• A large squarish character  is going to immediately seen as strong, dependable, perhaps dumb or solid.   The more angular, triangular character will be seen as "active" or aggressive,  sometimes evil.
• Try to build your characters out of a few main basic shapes
• It is the same idea that comic teams use for standup comedy.  Two  characters that contrast well against each other are more interesting than two  characters who are exactly the same height, build and color.
• red is exciting, daring, jaring, warm and sometimes  even evil.  Yellow is cheerfull, happy, bright, eyecatching and usually a  rather neutral color.  Blue is cool (sometimes COLD and DARK!), soft, and  the sometimes the color of life (water).  A royal blue is usually masculine  while a light blue can be a very feminine color.  Green is a lively color  but also the color of money.  Pink is soft and feminine (sometimes  overwhelmingly so).  Purple is associated with royalty in its pure form and  usually is another feminine color in the pastel version.  Orange is rather  bright and intelligent looking (if a color can be intelligent).  Greys are  rather dark and neutral and tans and browns are earthy colors. Be aware of these  connotations when you pic colors and hues of these colors.  (and we all  know that most self-respecting villains prefer darker versions of these  colors).
• try and not use every color in  the rainbow on each character
• Using colors wisely and with a reason (whatever reason you  choose) will make characters easier to read and more appealing to your audience
• simplifying characters though for animation
• Just like with color, add accents and items  for a reason.

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