Tips for Designing a Magical Girl!
Hm…There seems to be lots of villains roaming the streets of Unvale…How do we combat them? (Pssst…If you want to add to the villainous chaos…check out my last article here! But don’t tell anyone I sent you!) Why not stand against them with the power of…magical girl characters?! (Or you can create a villainous magical girl…that’s an option too…)
There’s lots of magical girls in the world of art and media! Characters that might come to mind could be ones from Sailor Moon, Winx Club, and I’d even argue some of the characters in the Final Fantasy franchise count! So how do you design a magical girl character for your own story? Let’s talk about it!
What kind of magical girl is your OC?
“Magical girls” might seem pretty specific at first, but there’s a bit more variety to it than you might think! Therefore, you can think of what type of magical girl your OC is first. A magical girl in a super hero world might look a little different than one in a fairy fantasy story!
There’s lots of different kinds of magical girls out there! You have fairies, super heroes, pop stars, mermaids, mages, and many more! You’ll want to design your OC in a way that shows off who they are and what their story is like! Here’s a few different ideas to get you thinking:
- Round shape language for a bubbly magical girl
- A fantasy-style outfit for a magical girl in a fairy story
- An elegant hairstyle for a fashionable magical girl
The kind of magical girl your character is can give you plenty of ideas for different parts of their design! A fun, fashion-loving popstar OC might have a frilly dress with lots of ruffles, while a more chill mermaid magical girl might settle for a few simple pearl accessories on her outfit!
Knowing what kind of magical girl you have can help you figure out their appearance! The world they’re in, their personality, and other things can help you decide what they’ll look like and what they wear!
Designing an outfit and picking accessories for your magical girl!
Probably some of the most important aspects of a magical girl design is their outfit and the accessories they have! Picking a fun outfit, cool accessories, a stylish aesthetic, and maybe even a design motif can all help create a memorable look for your magical girl character!
Consider what kind of outfit would suit your magical girl best!
The outfit of a magical girl character is often the most iconic part of their look! The outfit they have can tell the audience what their magical powers are could show off their personality! A calm magical girl who can turn into a mermaid might have a flowy outfit that mimics waves, while an upbeat princess magical girl might have a frilly skirt and a top with equally frilly sleeves. Thinking about what a magical girl’s outfit will say about them can be a good way to come up with ideas for their outfit. Here’s some ideas to help you get started:
- A chaotic fairy magical girl with a wild fur coat
- A preppy princess magical girl with a frilly short skirt lined with jewels
- A cold mage magical girl with a long cloak
An outfit as equally magical as your magical character will help them look stylish as they go about their wondrous adventures, whether that be saving a forest from an ancient evil or protecting a magical academia!
A good example of a fitting outfit for a magical character would be Hahaman’s OC Amelia! Amelia has a fun and frilly dress that looks magical and beautiful!
Can you give your magical girl a mystical motif?
Magical girls have some sort of power that makes them powerful, and you can use a motif to show that off! There’s lots of different motifs that can show off what powers they have, or where they got their magic abilities from! A magical girl with animal powers could have a motif of the animal their powers are based on, while a character with water powers might have a pearl motif. Just about anything can work for a motif, especially when it comes to magical girls! Here’s some ideas to help you brainstorm:
- A magical girl with plant powers and a flower motif
- A space magical girl with a star motif
- A mermaid magical girl with a shell motif
There’s all kinds of things you can do with the motif your magical girl has. You can incorporate their motif into their outfit, accessories, and more! A motif can help bring together an outfit and it make more memorable!
A good example of using motifs for a magical outfit design would be TheNinabeans88’s OC Rosa! Rosa has a rose motif that is seen throughout her design!
Try giving your magical girl a fun aesthetic!
Similar to motifs, there’s plenty of aesthetics that feel magical and would be perfect for, well, magical girls! Picking an aesthetic that fits your OC’s magical abilities or their personality can help enhance their design. A water fairy or a mermaid magical girl might have a beach or ocean aesthetic, while a fairy or nymph magical girl might have a forestcore aesthetic! Magical girls often get their magical powers from some special force, and their outfit’s aesthetic can show off what it might be. Here’s some ideas to get your creativity flowing:
- A magical girl with plant powers that has a fairycore outfit
- A magical girl with an energetic personality who has a spacecore aesthetic
- A magical girl who goes to a mystical and has a dark academia aesthetic
A fun aesthetic that suits your character will help tie their look together and make them look fashionable as they go about their magical endeavors! The aesthetic they have can tell the audience something important about them!
A good example of using aesthetics for a magical girl design would be DatDaLettuce17’s OC Nyasha! Nyasha has a cute princess aesthetic that makes her look extra magical!
Accessories and weapons!
An iconic part of a magical girl design is the accessories and weapons they have! Oftentimes, a magical girl has some sort of item that enables their magical transformation! Sometimes it’s a necklace, a scepter, or a magic gem! You can base their magical accessory or weapon on the motif they have, or pick one that matches their personality. Since it’ll be magical, the weapon doesn’t even have to be a normal weapon! Here’s some ideas to help you come up with ideas:
- A magical brooch
- A magical giant pen
- A magical sword
The accessories or weapons a magical girl has can show off how they transform and how they go about using their magic! A cool accessory can make a magical character look extra cool as they transform and use their powers!
A good example of a cool accessory for a magical character would be Akaringos’ OC Rose! Rose has a giant pair of fancy scissors to use…as his weapon!
My personal favorite design elements for a magical girl are cutesy frilly outfits, a classic weapon, and a celestial motif!
Use appearance to your advantage for your magical girl!
The appearance of your magical girl isn’t just reliant on their outfit however! The shapes, hair, and eyes can tell the audience all about your character, and just make them look cool in the process! Not every magical girl is happy-go-lucky, and so their appearance can tell you something about their personality if you so choose!
Choosing shape language for your magical girl!
There’s all kinds of things you can do with the shape language for your magical girl! The shape language can tell the audience about their personality. Maybe a quick-witted and snarky magical girl has lots of sharp shape language, while a timid and quiet character might have more round shape language. A more level-headed magical character might have more square shape language! Here’s some ideas to get your creativity flowing:
- Sharp shape language for a quick and energetic magical girl
- Round shape language for a calm and friendly magical girl
- Square shape language for a strong and courageous magical girl
The shape language of your magical girl can affect every aspect of their design if you want! From their build, to their eyes, hair, clothes, and accessories! If you have a team of magical girls, things like the shapes in their design can tell the audience who has what kind of personality.
A good example of utilizing shapes for a magical character would be Red’s OC Sarita! Sarita has sharp shape language that matches her confrontational personality!
Pick a cool eye design for your magical girl!
The eyes of a magical girl can be a good way to make them look more magical! The eyes can hint at the personality of the character, but it can also just be fun to give them eyes that match their mystical powers. Maybe they have glowing eyes, or maybe the highlights in their eyes are a subtle nod to their powers! You could even give them a unique pupil shape that makes them feel more magical! Here’s some ideas to get your creativity flowing:
- A mermaid magical girl with bubbly blue eyes and waterdrop-shaped pupils
- A fairy magical girl with flower-shaped pupils and rainbow-colored eyes
- A animal magical girl with heterochromia and animal pupils
The eyes of a magical girl can make them look enchanting and fantastical! There’s lots of ways you can make the eyes of your character look unique, and you can use the motif to help you figure out some ideas. Eyes can say a lot about a character, and this is especially true for magical girl characters!
A good example of a magical eye design for a character would be Kloverr’s OC Ayane! Ayane has sparkly pink and brown eyes with heart shaped pupils!
You could give your magical girl a fun hairstyle!
Another iconic part of magical girls is the hairstyles they have! Magical girls often have a fun, flowing hairstyle that matches their whimsical energy! Picking an interesting hairstyle for your magical girl character can make them look stylish and mystical! A short-tempered magical OC might have a short, choppy hairstyle with long bangs, while an elegant and graceful magical girl might have a long ponytail that swirls around them! Since the character is magical, the hairstyle doesn’t even have to be realistic! It can be abnormally long, or defy the laws of gravity! Here’s some ideas to think about:
- A bow-shaped hairstyle
- An impossibly long set of pigtails
- A pair of messy spacebuns
There’s all kinds of hairstyles you can choose from, and you can go wild! Picking a cool hairstyle will help your magical girl look more fantastical and add to their look! Be as creative as you want with it!
A good example of a fun hairstyle for a magical girl would be Eimie7’s OC Hayase! Hayase has a fun twirly hairstyle that makes her design look fun and whimsical!
My personal favorite design elements for a magical girl’s appearance are big sparkling eyes, flowing hair that’s impossibly long, and rounder shape language for a cute look!
By thinking about your magical girl’s outfit, hairstyle, accessories, and more are all ways you can help them look as magical as possible! But magical girls don’t just have cool designs! You can also give them cool powers or a reliable companion! Now go, have fun, and create some cool magical characters to defend Unvale from the dastardly villains!