If the industry drive for more graphically impressive games has taught us anything, it would be that visually complex designs are superior to more rudimentary ones. And yet I know that many of you are already picking apart that logic with examples of how that isn't always the case. That is, as a small example, my point in this article.
When it comes to a characters color scheme - less is more. My rule of thumb is between 1 - 3 colors, anything more is too much. That may seem harsh, but when you think about memorable characters, you'll begin to realize this rule is followed more often than not. At least with characters you remember. Now I should be clear, this color limit doesn't include variants of color from lighting, shadows, and gradients. But keeping it to such a low limit makes the character immediately visually recognizable.
Let's go over a few examples. Meatboy is red and white. Consider Batman; his primary colors are either blue and grey, or black and yellow, or black and grey, depending on which version of the character you go with. The first two designs are better than the third - why? The two colors chosen are high contrast to one another, creating a visual color conflict, but natural variation in the colors give the eye enough detail to work with to buy the design as a whole. The colors themselves also highlight elements of the character - black has ties to night, darkness, and seriousness/brooding, and the yellow stands out as a flashiness that wars with the otherwise functional suit design, representing the flashy excesses of the batman character. In a similar way, your own character designs should focus on a few colors of high contrast with symbolic ties to your character.
Our design for Francis takes these lessons to heart - his colors are white, blue, and purple, each substantial in contrast, yet not so severe you wonder what happened to his clothes. The white represents Francis' innocence and purity, the blue represents his loyalty to his friends, and the purple hints at Francis' noble origins among the aristocracy.
Follow these rules and you'll be well on your way to creating more visually memorable characters!
PS. Mandatory half-hearted disclaimer about not owning Meatboy and Batman or any related works.
