critique wanted What Makes a Good OC Design to You?

[Tao 6,763]

So just to keep things basic:  What makes a good oc design or approach ?

 

Like what do you look for in others or even you make your own oc of any kind?  (Not just pony ocs)  Is it the colors?  Mane style?   Cutie mark?  Something they have on them or do you hit the story and other details on them first then hit up the design?

 

Or in others?  Do you have fan made ocs you happen to like the design?  Even in helping others in what makes a bad over all design?  Bright bleeding colors?  Recolors?   The Pony Maker?

 

 

[creativeunicorn 18]

Well all I'm about to say is a matter of opinion. I think recolors and bleeding colors in general are pretty bad, it doesn't show much creativity and it basically looks just like the original character from the show just recolored there's nothing original about it. Now on the positive side I think what makes a good OC for anyone really is just the amount of thinking that goes into it, like color coordination or just picking colors that mesh well for the overall design and not just random ones. Maybe making the eyes a specific shape depending on the pony's personality, you see this in Fluttershy's and Rarity's design to an extent. Oh and cutie marks can say a lot about the character overall because it showcases their talent. Okay I'm done rambling haha.

[Jackie Snack 1,498]

A fun design is a good design. If you're making something you don't like, then it's not good at all. Therefore, any design is good, because you can make any design work. Hell, one of my fave OC's is named Fa**ot Muffin. Garish color scheme, but wonderful backstory.

 

I feel that the most important part of an OC 'looking' good is the presentation. A perfectly good OC can be ruined if presented improperly.

Edited March 22, 2016 by x0jackie0x

[El Duderino 878]

Two big turn offs appearance wise for me are overly bright colors and dragon ball z hair. I also don't like alicorn OCs, but I've seen a few that are good.

 

Honestly, I think the most important thing about an OC is the personality/backstory. That is where you can really make it unique. Appearance is important, but I get it if the creator wants a certain feature that I don't think looks good. It's their OC, not mine.

[Stormlight 1,371]

For me, I enjoy seeing different types of OCs that have colors contrasting each other, being able to gaze at it easily without having to squint.

 

An OC's general build, such as its personality and backstory is what I also look for in a well-developed character.

[Stella Star 69]

Personally, a good quality OC is the aesthetics of colour. The colours should work well together and really display the OC's personality! My OC is a character i created myself from scratch. It is important that your oc is unique and is your own creation! Recoloured OC's (e.g an existing character just with different colours) are super boring... no originality at all! Cutie marks, accessories, mane/tail styles, colours and the pony type should be 100% custom to you! There are heaps of Pony Creator games online check them out they really help!

[hollow-shades 129]

Well, for me, desing means appearence, so well, there I go:

 

Palettes - So, most MLP characters have fitting color palletes (for example, Pinkie Pie's mane color is just a darker shade of her coat color) and a eye color that has nothing to do with the mane and coat (again, Pinkie's eyes are blue, not a shade of pink). Oh, and try to using a very different color for the eyes, because a OC that is pure just one color with different shades is...weird. Oh, and don't even get me started with rainbowfied ocs...By the way, it's recommended that, if your OC is a Alicorn, you need to have a own necklace/cape and crown with a custom symbol, not a recolored accesorrie. And, again with Alicorn OC, the mane and tail need to have some kind of...difference from other ponies. For example, Celestia's mane is pratically alive and its sparkly, same with Luna! Cadance's mane has shades of pink and Twilight has shades of purple.

 

Race - Although its optional, I recommend doing Earth, Zebra, Horse or your own species OC rather than Alicorn, Pegasus and Unicorn, since they are rare on the fandom. Oh, and Changeling or Bat Pony OCs. They are kinda rare, so sure why not.

 

Backstory - Thing says all. It is manly important for Alicorn OCs, since really, no one wants to RP with a Alicorn that is a Alicorn because you can't chose between a wing or horn. Oh, so you did a Alicorn because you literally can't decide between wing or horn? Good, give it a backstory with more than 3 sentences, make it represent something, and boom, a good Alicorn OC.

 

Personality - Don't do a character that only has good traits and no other bad traits...that basically everything.

 

Special Habilities - While you can have something different from other OCs (congratz on having OC uniqueness!), don't make it too overpowered.

 

Hope that helped.

Edited March 22, 2016 by Flinp

[Steel Rail 1]

For me, I tend to design my characters around dull color palettes. Bright and bold palettes I usually stray from as they can he harsh to look at. I, personally, am a big fan of what usually show up on horses in the real world; browns, blacks, reds, whites, and even some level of blue. When I create a character, I look at the colors that exist naturally and tweak them slightly to create something that looks pleasing.

 

One of my OCs goes by the name of Tie Plate. He started his life as a dulled forest green unicorn with a straw green mane. While it looked good, it bugged me later on that his palette was so bold compared to my other characters (which I designed with more natural colors). I ended up going back and modifying his colors to a greyish-blue for his coat and a chocolate brown for his mane and tail.

 

In the end, it's all a mater of personal opinion. If it's pleasing to you, it's bound to please most who look at it. Neon colors of the like remind me of raver OCs adorned with glowsticks.