"Chibi" style

As part of my pre-production, I have carried out some research on the "Chibi" style of character design, which is mostly used in the style of Manga. Chibi is a Japanese slang word which can be used for terms such as "small child" and "short person." When characters are drawn in this style they possess qualities that make them look cute and baby like.

I have looked into this style as part of my research not because I want to use this style, but because I think it is a good example of how features, especially facial features can be used to convey emotion, especially without any sound or dialog, as well as giving them more character appeal.


Chibi style is also used a lot to turn well known characters into child versions of themselves. This is typically done by enlarging the head and shrinking down the body, which is clearly not realistic however it does work!

 Similarly to these types of characters, I want my design to be attractive, but in some ways more adorable than anything. When animating, I will be considering all the ways I can show emotion through body language and through facial expressions. In some of the examples I have shown, it is clear how some quite simple changes to the eyes and mouth can make a huge difference.



As you can see, happiness, anger, contentment and worry are all emotions which can be seen through these designs, mainly due to the positioning of the facial features and body language.