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Since the Sonic re-design is still fresh, I thought it would be fun to do a bit of an indepth analysis on what changed between the original and current design and why elements of the newer design work better than the original.
These types of analysis are what I try to do when working with my sculpts. Analyzing shapes and proportions and trying to figure out where things are working, where things aren& #39;t and how to constantly assess how the character is coming across. So let& #39;s take a look at Sonic.
Starting with the face, the most obvious difference is the eyes. Proportions are SUCH an important factor in this process. The larger eye takes up a much larger portion of the head. Additionally the larger proportion of white in the eye to the iris gives a lot more visual clarity
I broke both these designs into very basic smiley shapes. Which one is your eye drawn to? The combinations of these factors create a much more appealing face to look at. In general we& #39;re all drawn to bigger eyes (As long as it& #39;s proportionally sound)
There is also a much more vibrant color saturation on the eyes and the "fleshy" parts of him. The desaturated skin colors and weird proportions on the original design give it a very unsettling feel. Look how just changing the color saturation even helps the original design.
Having a much more defined brow also helps tremendously in capturing the expressiveness of the face. You can definitely feel the fear in new Sonic& #39;s face. Old Sonic is just soullessly screaming and staring into a void.
The teeth are an example of how more detail isn& #39;t always better. The details on the teeth are downplayed a ton and we only see Sonic& #39;s teeth the perfect amount we need to for it to make sense given the context. Positioning of eyes/teeth can make huge differences.
Another big thing we& #39;ll delve into as we start to move onto the body. The enlarged ears and the smaller forehead. Once again showcasing how important proper proportions are in this. However, this also serves the purpose of creating a stronger silhouette.
Silhouette is another one of those critical factors. A good silhouette can make a character instantly recognizable and a bad one can make them look like some weird blob mass. Always define clear silhouettes and stepping back consider how your proportions effect your silhouette.
Original Sonic looked like a human in some bizarre fursuit. This new design does a much better job of capturing Sonic& #39;s more cartoon design and proportions. Look at how much of him is head vs body before and after. Skinny arms and legs.
I personally love how the leg taper is literally the exact opposite of what it used to be. Skinny thighs into big feet vs big thighs into small feet. Which one makes you think fun cartoon character and which one makes you think "creepy furry dude I should avoid"
To further drive this point him, this shot from the original trailer is terrifying
I needed a whole other tweet just to emphasize how much better the gloved hands are. Jesus. Thicker, less creepy fingers. The size of his hands are much more interesting compared to the rest of his body and the gloves make it stand out better and look way more defined.
Couple other points on this image. The socks are now big enough to impact the leg silhouette. Also notice the shoe size doesn& #39;t change a lot. It& #39;s all the other changes on the body that make the shoes just make more sense with the flow of everything else.
Of course, something to be said about the shoe designs themselves. Much cleaner shapes. More cartoon and less realism. The white strap adds contrast and looks WAY more striking than just laces. The fact that Sonic ever had shoelaces is bizarre.
There& #39;s tons of other things we could analyze and even find ways to improve upon the new design. I do still think having two separate eyes for Sonic look strange. But I could also just be so used to how he looks in the game. Either way this new guy is a HUGEE improvement.
