Sometimes a character looks endearing in one sketch and somewhat different in another. The eyes are in a different position, the nose has shrunk, the hairstyle is changed, and suddenly the person looks taller. Nothing is wrong with the illustration per se, but readers may not identify the same person when the image sequence changes. In a picture book context, this type of identification is important because the reader sees the character move through the story page to page, not just from one finished image.
One of the simplest things that can help a character to stay the same is the creation of a simple character sheet. A character sheet does not have to be a professional looking model sheet; you can take one page from a sketchbook and draw out the basic shapes, such as head shape, hair shape, overall body proportions, favorite clothing details, and two or three expressions. Make the shapes simple enough so that it is easy to recreate them. If your character wears glasses that are very round, or coat is square in shape, or wears short boots, or has a pointed fringe, mark it as a key element on your character sheet. This will help your character remain identifiable when changes of action or mood are needed on separate pages.
Silhouettes are usually more important than the actual small details of the face. Think about what the silhouette would look like if you filled it in completely with one flat value, or lightly outline it in your rough sketch. Will you still recognize the character if you can’t see his eyes, buttons, or texture? You might know this character because of the sleeves being wider than the rest of the arms, a backpack in proportion with the rest of his body, a dress that’s shaped like a triangle, his hair being in a particular style, or the way he carries himself with a slump to his shoulders. In these instances, the character will not look like an unknown person in different actions; running, sitting, turning, and being partially hidden by a prop or other character still looks like the same character.
Proportions of the character are also a silent guide for the reader. Sometimes a beginning artist might not know that a character has different proportions on each page because the character has a slightly larger head or has a longer pair of legs in the next page of the story than on the first. When you make the character sheet, write a few notes nearby, such as the character has a large head with short legs, a narrow shoulder shape, but the coat is very wide in relation to this, small hand shape, round shoes. The shape of the character is still the same, even if you are making the character appear in different actions. These shapes are not a rulebook to make your character stay the same; they are merely reminders for your work to check to see if something looks wrong while you are drawing your rough sketch.
Expressions and gestures of a character can still change, as long as the basic structure of the design does not. It does not matter if your character is afraid, happy, sleepy, or wondering something if he has the same basic head shape, the same hair shape, and the same clothing markings that he was wearing in another scene in the same action or mood. When drawing different illustrations of your character from the same scene, try drawing three different gestures, such as one in a stand-up position, one leaning forward as if looking for something, one turning to walk away, but make sure that the head shape, the hair shape, and the clothing details are the same as when you made the character sheet. If you can change the mood and action, and still make the character recognizable, you know that you’re keeping your character consistent when drawing a picture book. If you are drawing a character and it seems like he is different in all the poses, then try simplifying the character sheet with less details, and stick to those basic proportions to help you make your sketches.
If you are creating several different scenes to include in a book illustration, it is important not to wait until the very end to make the character consistent. It’s difficult to make your character consistent, and the background, props, or color schemes are finished at that point. If you are drawing the rough sketch stages, pause and review the character sheet to see if your character looks recognizable. Check if his proportions or his shape matches the character sheet; is he the same height and expression, and are his two most distinctive items in view on the picture book scene that you’re working on? Checking to make sure this will be easier than redrawing the character completely after your work on that page is complete; it will also ensure that your character is not swallowed up by the scene around them.
The sign of improvement to watch out for is not the same, perfect image. It’s acceptable and even desirable that characters change throughout a picture book scene; characters don’t always have to look the same on each page, only like the same character performing in different settings. If the reader still knows that they’re following the same character in an interior scene, the background is busy but not crowded, and you see the face in closeup, then your character design has been successful and is easy to understand throughout the story. Before you begin adding colors or textures to your character, ask yourself: do I know the character if I see him/her again in a different setting and mood on the next page of the picture book?