It’s easy to see why fan art is so popular. Familiar and much loved characters are an easy win for artists, both aspiring and professional. But it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of simple reproduction, and nobody wants to be seen to be copying something directly (see our recent feature on creativity in fan art, in which we speak to a range of artists and academics about this issue).
So can artists take the work that went into an original well-known character design and use it to push themselves while adding their own personality to create something fresh and new? Below, four experts show how, offering their advice for artists who want to put a personal twist on a favourite hero or villain to make fan art that feels fresh and original, while learning new skills in the process.
If you need new tools to take your fan art up a notch, see our guides to the best digital art software, the best drawing tablets and the best laptops for drawing.
01. Feel the vibe
What drew me in was the franchise’s deep connection to nature and balance, which became the foundation of this piece. Rather than recreating a scene, I focused on translating that feeling into something personal and intuitive.
I approach line work instinctively. I draw as if I’m using a palette knife, committing to each stroke and letting the drawing find its shape as I go. I rarely do fan art, but when I do, the world has to feel expansive enough to connect with my own characters. In this case, Avatar offered that openness. Its universe left me with questions that I explored and answered through my illustration.
02. Keep it loose
Working through this piece taught me a lot and, to be honest, the part that was the most fun to draw was the hair. I used some references inspired by underwater shots looking up at sunlight from the ocean floor.
This began as a loose sketch of what a Na’vi and human hybrid might look like. I got carried away and let it evolve. With certain hints from the new movie, it feels like something like this could exist, so I leaned closer to a human form for her.
I have to remind myself that more rendering doesn’t always mean better, and it’s easy to fall into that sunk cost fallacy mindset.
03. Make it yours
Even if you maintain the most recognisable and striking characteristics of the character you’re going to represent, it’s always interesting to bring something new to your fan art so it’s not just a representation of something that already exists. Your unique selling point could be a different drawing style, a different context, a mix between two characters.
The possibilities are definitely endless, so let your creativity work. In the case of the Penguin, I thought of him as an animated character, so I used simple shapes in the character’s construction and a striking silhouette. I tried to make something that strongly resembled the penguin itself, because this would help to easily recognise him on screen among other characters.
The unique aspect in this case is the stylisation that I used on the character – the shapes and colours I used, the characteristics I exaggerated, everything counts. In addition, I thought of bringing something new and funny, such as his penguin henchmen with strong personalities, which further enriches the character’s universe. Also, the scenes I depicted from different angles, expressions, and occasions invite you to imagine how the character would act on screen.
04. Identify key elements
Whenever I start a piece of fan art, I like to understand the character as completely as possible, whether by consuming works in which they appear, doing research, understanding their personality, most striking characteristics, other interpretations of the character, and so on.
It’s a first step that requires a lot of attention because it will make it easier to think about the character when you start sketching and making decisions regarding their design. No matter how crazy or alternative your idea for a character’s fan art might be, it’s important to have these points well-founded so that when you represent them, other people can recognise who the character you wanted to illustrate is.
In the case of this Penguin fan art, even before I started drawing, I already had in mind that it couldn’t be without classy clothes, preferably a suit or overcoat; an umbrella weapon, as it’s super-iconic; a nice pointed nose; and obviously a roguish face – he’ll definitely try to trick you.
05. Keep the essence
I think something to keep in mind is that no matter how much you alter an original design by adding your own flavour to it, the character’s essence should still shine through. Whoever’s looking at it should, ideally, be able to instantly recognise what character they’re looking at, despite any alterations or stylistic adjustments you’ve added into the mix.
Skeletor’s shoulder bits don’t curl up and break away how I drew them, he doesn’t have fangs, he doesn’t usually have any bandages on his arms and legs, and he doesn’t normally have nipples (don’t get me started…), but hopefully you still register that it’s Skeletor at first glance, despite the nipples.
06. Have some fun
I think the biggest thing to remember is that you’re a fan of whatever you’re working on. You’re taking the time to work on someone else’s character because you love it so much that you can’t not… so don’t forget to be a fan and have fun with it.
Push the design, pull the design, inject your style into it as much as you can without breaking it. But, really, just have some fun along the way. I can’t not love the Ninja Turtles, like, I just can’t… and I hope that when you look at Raphael, you’re seeing a small reflection of how they made me feel when I was a kid. Hopefully, that love shows.
07. Study the source material for accuracy
Valve is always at the peak of character design, and when the game Deadlock was announced, I immediately connected with the cast. I chose to create a quick fan art of Vindicta, focusing on understanding her visual language before drawing.
Since I didn’t have access to the game at the time, I relied on screenshots and YouTube footage to study the character from multiple angles. Every small detail contributes to her story, so observation became a key part of the process. The goal wasn’t to draw a random girl in cosplay, but to capture the essence of the character faithfully
08. Focus on what matters
I planned this as a quick piece completed during a single livestream, so once the basic rendering was in place, I merged everything onto one layer over a white background and continued painting. It’s risky, but it feels more like sculpting and keeps the process spontaneous. Since portraits are what I enjoy most, I invested most of my time refining the face first.
For efficiency, I used Daz 3D to pose the character and photobashed hands, fabric textures, and parts of the rifle before painting over them to unify the look. From there, I kept refining the piece until everything felt cohesive. I was told later on that this artwork made some of my friends start playing the game, so I guess its mission accomplished.
This article originally appeared in ImagineFX. Subscribe to ImagineFX to never miss an issue. Print and digital subscriptions are available.
