# Too "plain" of a character? (Advice on markings)



## Radiohead (May 22, 2011)

The character in question.

Her personality apparently is quite alright, but more people seem to be commenting on how "plain" she looks. I can agree with this to some extent. However, what might make her more interesting? I would like some input. I was thinking of giving her a small black dot on her face to resemble Marilyn Monroe's mole. 

She's an idea I had of "What would happen if time froze in the middle of a noir film?" Maybe I was just...a little bit high. Just a little. 

At any rate, I don't want any major changes to her (like making her not-monochrome) but I would like to hear any ideas you might have to add some more striking features.


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## Ixtu (May 22, 2011)

She needs wings, a unicorn horn, 2 dogdicks, and a row of vaginas going down her spine. Don't forget six hyperboobs.
And rainbows.
And glitter.
Really now? "Plain?" There's really no problems with this character that i see, except maybe a bit more character development as far as personality and such.
Depends on what you're doing with this character i guess.


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## Radiohead (May 22, 2011)

Here's some more in-depth personality traits.


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## RagnarokChu (May 22, 2011)

You forgot the penis.

But seriously the character is "plain" because everybody else is shitting rainbows and are unicorn Hermaphrodite lesbians or something.

If anything you can add in a accessory or magical powers or something if you still think it's too plain.


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## Radiohead (May 22, 2011)

I'm glad you guys think she's alright. I'd like to think she is as well, but I like your idea of adding an accessory, Ragnarok.


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## RagnarokChu (May 22, 2011)

Radiohead said:


> I'm glad you guys think she's alright. I'd like to think she is as well, but I like your idea of adding an accessory, Ragnarok.


 I'm biased towards monocles, everything is so much cooler with monocles.

But for you, I'm thinking like a detective like stopwatch/wristwatch like you see in NOIR flims. Or smoking or something, but I advocate the monocle.


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## Radiohead (May 22, 2011)

Or a snazzy tie since she already has a tux. 
Or a cool hat.
A pipe, maybe.

So many wonderful things to choose from.


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## RagnarokChu (May 22, 2011)

Radiohead said:


> Or a snazzy tie since she already has a tux.
> Or a cool hat.
> A pipe, maybe.
> 
> So many wonderful things to choose from.


Why not have them all? Then you would be that mega cool noir cat that wears noir things, and is the most noirfitic thing evar.


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## Radiohead (May 22, 2011)

And then we would all noirgasm and Canada explodes.

The end.


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## Deo (May 22, 2011)

Radiohead said:


> Or a snazzy tie since she already has a tux.


 http://gameusagi.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/the_cat_returns.jpg
http://garbolaughs.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/catreturns_screencap1.jpg?w=600
http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/images2/catreturns.jpg


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## Radiohead (May 22, 2011)

Oh my god. Tuxedo cats in tuxedos. My life is complete. <3


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## Waffles (May 22, 2011)

Radiohead said:


> Oh my god. Tuxedo cats in tuxedos. My life is complete. <3


 Markings that look like a tuxedo! :3


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## Radiohead (May 22, 2011)

She's already a tuxedo bicolor.


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## Zoetrope (May 22, 2011)

I actually like this character without adding anything to it. Maybe a collar... but meh... she is perfect in her simplicity.


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## Radiohead (May 22, 2011)

Considering I collect scarves, I might add a plain white or black scarf. I am really happy that you all seem to enjoy her as-is, though.


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## RayO_ElGatubelo (May 22, 2011)

The Marilyn Monroe-like marking is good idea.

It reminds me of a wolf character I'm designing. He has markings under his eyes that look like a football player's facepaint.

Really with markings, if you got one unique marking, then you don't really need to go all sparkledog on your character. My fursona is pretty much a regular black panther, other than the white spot on my chest and at the tip of my tail.


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## Radiohead (May 22, 2011)

Added the "mole" marking, thoughts? I think it's kind of cute.


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## Volkodav (May 22, 2011)

I normally like plain characters like this and I have two myself
Seto
and 
Petey

Both would look pretty plain if I didn't add certain "unique" things. For example, Seto has white around one eye and his eyes have sectoral heterochromia. I think if I were to take that away, he would look like a plain Basenji. Petey has asymmetrical leg markings and white only on his upper muzzle. If I were to make all legs the same and make his bottom jaw white as well, I think he would look plain.


I think to make your cat character more unique, you should add asymmetrical markings. Tuxedo cats can have many different styles and patterns.. you can see some here for examples: [LINK]


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## Deo (May 22, 2011)

Radiohead said:


> Oh my god. Tuxedo cats in tuxedos. My life is complete. <3


 No those were their fur markings.


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## Radiohead (May 22, 2011)

Deo said:


> No those were their fur markings.


 
Did not know. What movie is that?

@Clayton: I'll mess around with the markings a bit more and see what I come up with.


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## Icky (May 22, 2011)

Too plain; needs more birds.


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## Volkodav (May 22, 2011)

This is how I made my b/w cat character unique
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4262024/
I gave him a skunk stripe and some "gloves"  Other then that, he's pretty plain.. but I like simplistic characters too


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## Radiohead (May 22, 2011)

So I tried some things.

Concept 1 - tabby brindles and socks





Concept 2 - Collar, eye spots, tail "dip". Symmetrical though.





Concept 3 - no get away from the keyboard Ji 





Concept 4 - Goddammit woman


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## Zoetrope (May 22, 2011)

Concept one and three. Leaning more towards one.


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## RayO_ElGatubelo (May 22, 2011)

Four.


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## Volkodav (May 22, 2011)

I like #2


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## Radiohead (May 22, 2011)

No, Ji's design will not win out dammit >:[

Edit: Yeah, I'm really partial to 2. Wondering if I should add socks.


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## Volkodav (May 22, 2011)

Radiohead said:


> No, Ji's design will not win out dammit >:[
> 
> Edit: Yeah, I'm really partial to 2. Wondering if I should add socks.


Who's Ji?


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## Radiohead (May 22, 2011)

Clayton said:


> Who's Ji?


 
My girlfrand.


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## Icky (May 22, 2011)

i liek 4!! ^_____^


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## Radiohead (May 22, 2011)

fuck you all


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## Radiohead (May 22, 2011)

Okay, so I got my first art of Noir's original design thanks to Cyrustars on FA.







I gotta say....I don't think I want to change this at all. I may add an accessory sporadically, but this looks exactly as I wanted her to. I suppose even if she's plain...she's me. Feels good, man.


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## Volkodav (May 22, 2011)

yess, this is very cute


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## Radiohead (May 22, 2011)

Hearts and kitties and all that. <3 So this thread went around in a complete circle but I feel like I still accomplished something, ha.

I'm making a sort of representation for my girlfriend as well. She'll be a bunny of some sort. I look forward to designing that.


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## Billythe44th (May 23, 2011)

A rabbit? Make it a nice caramel brown, with white markings. Brown can be more interesting than expected if it is shaded intricately enough.


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## Radiohead (May 23, 2011)

I was thinking mottled chinchilla.


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## Roose Hurro (May 23, 2011)

Radiohead said:


> I'm glad you guys think she's alright. I'd like to think she is as well, *but I like your idea of adding an accessory*, Ragnarok.


 
She already wears a collar... perhaps something dangling from that collar, something special to her and her alone?  (Say, like a locket, with something important/memorable in it...)


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## Radiohead (May 23, 2011)

I had the idea of adding a dragon dog tag to the collar, as it reminds me of a very important person to me who passed away. I'm not sure it would fit the "noir" theme very well, in which case I'd add a heart-shaped tag that says "Noir" and underneath, "Return to Sgt. Taylor".


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## Zephyre (May 23, 2011)

Bowtie. Who doesn't like Snazzy?


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## Roose Hurro (May 25, 2011)

Radiohead said:


> I had the idea of adding a dragon dog tag to the collar, as it reminds me of a very important person to me who passed away. I'm not sure it would fit the "noir" theme very well, in which case I'd add a heart-shaped tag that says "Noir" and underneath, "Return to Sgt. Taylor".


 
Either of those tags would work nicely.  The fact the first may not be a fit to the "noir" theme would add contrast to the theme.  One small item "out of place", so to speak.


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## Sar (Jun 10, 2011)

Ixtu said:


> She needs wings, a unicorn horn, 2 dogdicks, and a row of vaginas going down her spine. Don't forget six hyperboobs.
> And rainbows.
> And glitter.
> Really now? "Plain?" There's really no problems with this character that i see, except maybe a bit more character development as far as personality and such.
> Depends on what you're doing with this character i guess.


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## Rhasp (Jun 11, 2011)

Radiohead said:


> Okay, so I got my first art of Noir's original design thanks to Cyrustars on FA.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



This is precisly what I wanted when I read youre initial question. If you look at the first drawing and compare it to this one I could really understand where the "plain character" thing come from in the first one. Cause this one express much more and got more "life" and is thus much more interesting, at least in my opinion. I would even say you have a great character there.


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## Sar (Jun 11, 2011)

Radiohead said:


> The character in question.
> 
> Her personality apparently is quite alright, but more people seem to be commenting on how "plain" she looks. I can agree with this to some extent. However, what might make her more interesting? I would like some input. I was thinking of giving her a small black dot on her face to resemble Marilyn Monroe's mole.
> 
> ...


 
*head returns* The character needs a good sort of kryptonite. A very unique weakness.


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## Night-san (Jun 11, 2011)

I love her how she is. She looks really nice, keeping it simple. C:


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## Willow (Jun 11, 2011)

I liked the original design. Sometimes simple characters are the ones that make the bigger impressions. 

It seems like adding too much to a character takes away from their overall appearance. Yes they draw people's attention, but they can sometimes be a little too much.


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## Radiohead (Jun 12, 2011)

I've decided to keep her the way she is, so ah....I suppose this thread is no longer relevant? I appreciate all the input.


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