Tips for Designing a Fairy OC!
Pirates sail the seas…Magical girls and villains roam the streets of Unvale…but another kind of character stays hidden, believed to be mere myth…Fairies! We’re back to our regularly scheduled tips for designing series! (Oh, and if you missed the last article about simplifying designs, you can check that out here!) Fairies are found all over, and you’ve likely seen all kinds of fairies! There’s lots of them, like ones such as:
Fairies are one of my favorite types of characters to design! They’re popular in folklore and fairytales, but also in books and films. They’re often known for their mischievousness, magical appearances, and beautiful wings! So how do you go about designing a fairy? Well, step into the nearest fairy ring, join me in the fairy realm, and let’s talk about it!
Decide what kind of fairy your OC is!
There are lots of different kinds of fairies, and various different interpretations of them! In folklore, they’re often mischievous, and sometimes even dangerous! In fairytales and more recent media, they’re often helpful guides, mentors, or even heroes!
Depending on what kind of fairy you have and the story they’re a part of, you might want to design them differently! When designing a fairy character, you can think of different questions such as:
- Are they based on fairies from folklore?
- Are they based on fairies from fairytales?
- Are they mischievous and dangerous, or helpful and friendly?
- What kind of story are they in?
- Do their kind of fairies have wings?
- Are they more ethereal, or cutesy?
- What type of fairy are they?
- What are their powers?
Thinking about what kind of fairy your OC is will help give you an idea of how you can design them! The type of fairy they are can influence their outfit, accessories, appearance, and more.
There are plenty of ways to incorporate different design aspects into your OC’s design based on the kind of fairy character they are! You can try using the above questions as we go through this article to help you decide how you want to go about designing your fairy!
Choose an outfit and accessories that fit your fairy!
Regardless of what kind of fairy they are, fairies often have iconic designs! Picking an outfit and different kinds of accessories that suit your fairy will help them feel magical as they go about their fantastical adventures!
Try picking a fun aesthetic that suits your fairy!
There’s plenty of different aesthetics you could choose for your fairy! Some aesthetics can make your fairy look more mystical, while others might make your fairy look more cutesy! Some fun aesthetics you could try can include…
- Fairy core aesthetics
- Nature core aesthetics
- Cottage core aesthetics
- Dark Cottage core aesthetics
- Whimsigoth aesthetics
- Goblin core aesthetics
- Mushroom core aesthetics
- Angel core aesthetics
There’s a lot more aesthetics you could choose from as well! It all depends on what kind of look you want your fairy to have! Utilizing different aesthetics could help your fairy feel more fairy-like!
A good example of using aesthetics for a fairy character would be C8E’s OC Zed! Zed has a fancy aesthetic as part of his design!
Another good example would be Antrea’s OC Umbra! Umbra has a cute lolita aesthetic as part of her design!
Could you give your fairy an interesting motif?
If you really want to add to your fairy’s design, you can try giving them a mystical motif! Fairies often have magical powers, and you could give their design a motif that represents their abilities! (Don’t know what kind of power to give your OC? You can try this article here for some help with deciding!) Choosing a motif can help you create a magical look that looks put together! Here’s some motif ideas to help you brainstorm:
- A water motif
- A flower motif
- A celestial motif
- A weather motif
- A sea motif
- A heart motif
- An animal motif
- A season motif
- A gem motif
There’s plenty of different motifs you could choose from! A motif can add to your fairy’s mystical look, and tell the audience what kind of fairy they are in the process. The motif your fairy has can influence all different aspects of their design!
A good example of using motifs for a fairy design would be EllielikestomakeOCs’ character Marí! Marí has a butterfly motif throughout her design!
Another good example would be SaltedSalamander’s OC Alyssa! Alyssa has a plant motif throughout her design!
Give your fairy a good outfit!
Fairies often have ethereal or fun outfits! Picking clothes that suit your fairy and make them look more magical is a great part of designing fairy characters! The kind of outfit your fairy has will depend on their personality or role! While what you choose will depend on the type of character your fairy is, common fairy clothes can include different things such as:
- Clothes made of flowers or leaves
- Clothes made from animal fur or insect wings
- Flowing robes
- Long dresses
- Draping sleeves
- Poofy skirts
- Corsets
There’s lots of different clothes fairies wear! You could tie what kind of fairy they are into their outfit as well. An ice fairy might wear a fur coat, while a flower fairy might wear a skirt made of petals. It all depends on what you want your fairy to look like!
A good example of utilizing clothes for a fairy character would be Plant’s OC Opal! Opal has an elegant and mystical outfit!
Another good example would be Raichana’s OC Ciella! Ciella has a cute and frilly outfit!
Pick out some magical accessories for your fairy!
Another fun part of designing fairies, and one of my favorite parts, is giving them cool accessories! Fairy designs often have accessories that feel fanciful and enchanting. You can pick accessories that fit your fairy, and match their motif if they have one! Here’s some fun ideas for accessories you could give your fairy;
- A sparkly crown
- A pearl belt
- Gems
- Flower bracelets
- Sashes
- Glass charms
- Potion bottles
- Feather hair adornments
- A fur scarf
- Vine-shaped armbands
- Butterfly wing earrings
- A leather satchel
Accessories are a fun way to enhance your fairy’s look and make them look fun and magical! Accessories can be both useful, or just be there to make your fairy look cooler! It all depends on how you want to go about designing your fairy!
A good example of using accessories for a fairy design would be BluePeppou’s OC Aspen! Aspen has lots of mystical accessories like feathers and stones!
Another good example would be Light’s OC Fayla! Fayla has flower accessories and metal armbands!
Can you use your OC’s appearance to heighten their fairy look?
Using the appearance of your fairy is another way you can enhance their design! There’s many kinds of different fairies, so you can use their appearance to show off what kind of fairy they are!
Try using shapes to your advantage in your fairy’s design!
Just like with other characters, shape language can play a big part in a fairy’s appearance! With fairies, you have more ways to utilize shapes. If you plan on giving your fairy wings, that’s an extra opportunity to try and use shape language! You can use shapes and your fairy’s build to tell the audience about their personality or role. Here’s some different ideas about how you can use shape language for a fairy OC:
- A friendly fairy with round wings, a poofy dress, and a flower crown with circular petals
- A dangerous fairy with sharp wings, a dress made of pointy petals, and thorny vine armbands
- A strong fairy with square patterns on their wings, blocky gem charms, and a headpiece with rectangular gems
There’s plenty of ways you can add shape language into your fairy’s design! It can be as obvious or as subtle as you want. You could even incorporate shape language into the patterns on your fairy’s wings!
A good example of using shape language for a fairy would be Foxday21’s OC Glass! Glass has lots of rounded shapes that fit their calm personality!
Another good example would be Fox’s OC Dannie has lots of sharp shape language that hint at their manipulative character!
Give your fairy a fun hairstyle!
Fairies could have all kinds of different hairstyles that can make them look magical or wild! Since fairies are mythical beings, they could have more impractical hairstyles or more crazy hairstyles that a normal person wouldn’t have! The kind of hairstyle you choose for your fairy will depend on what kind of fairy you’re designing. Here’s some different hairstyle ideas to get you thinking:
- A short, messy pixie cut
- Extra long, flowing hair
- Wild twirling pigtails
- Choppy, layered shoulder-length hair
- Long, elegant braids
- Cutesy space buns
There’s lots of hairstyles you can choose from! You can choose based on what kind of fairy you have, or what kind of person they are. A powerful, mystical fairy might have a long and flowing hairstyle, while a chaotic and free-spirited fairy might have a messy or wild hairstyle!
A good example of using a hairstyle for a fairy design would be Soda’s OC Calcifer! Calcifer has a messy hairstyle that matches his courageous personality!
Another good example would be AstralVoyager’s OC Luna! Luna has long twirling pigtails that give her a magical look!
Give your fairy some unique features!
Since fairies are magical creatures, they often have characteristics different from humans! Giving your fairy unique details will make them look more magical and fairy-like. Fairies can have all kinds of different features, and sometimes they have animal-like features as well! Here’s some different details you could add to your fairy:
- Pointy ears
- Bug antennae
- An animal tail
- Glowing eyes
- Limbs with a unique gradient
- A unique skin color
- Special tattoos
- Sparkly freckles
- Extra limbs
There’s a lot of options when it comes to what you can give your fairy! Depending on how your world’s fairies work, they might have different kinds of features! Adding a mystical feature or two can help your fairy feel extra magical!
A good example of using unique features for a fairy character would be Kiboona’s OC Meda! Meda has a unique skin color and cool antennae!
Another good example would be IridescentStudios’ OC Dilani! Dilani has pointed ears and swirly antennae!
Try giving your fairy wonderous wings!
You didn’t think I forgot the best part, did you? Last, but most certainly not least, is wings! While not all designs have them, wings are often an iconic part of fairy designs! Fairy wings are usually depicted in media as similar to that of insect wings, but it doesn’t always have to be like that! They can be solid colored, or translucent! It all depends on what kind of fairy you’re designing. Here’s some ideas for different wings you could give your fairy!
- Butterfly wings
- Moth wings
- Beetle wings
- Dragonfly wings
- Bat wings
- Bird wings
The kind of wings your fairy has all depends on what the fairies in your story look like! Maybe one type of fairy in your world has butterfly wings, while another kind might have moth wings. Since fairies are magical, they don’t have to be limited to a natural look! You could give fairy wings magical characteristics as well! Some different ways you could make a fairy’s wings look more magical could be things like…
- Glowing effects
- Sparkles
- Special patterns
- Cool shapes
- Unique color combinations
- Swirly tails
Giving your OC a pair of magical wings is a fun part of designing fairy characters! You could even use wings to show off a fairy’s status or powers! Maybe some powerful fairies have glowing wings, while others have special patterns. It all depends on what you like best!
A good example of using wings for a fairy design would be Xu2star’s OC Tiên Xuân! Tiên Xuân has iridescent and gold wings!
Another good example would be Bæst’s OC Chip! Chip has translucent wings with unique wavy patterns!
Designing a fairy character can be a lot of fun, and are one of my personal favorite kinds of characters to design! Using a fairy’s outfit, accessories, hair, unique features, and more are all ways to make them look magical! You can design your fairy however you want. Remember to have fun with your designing!
Need some ideas for other aspects of your fairy? Try giving them a job or companion!