Tips for Designing a Monster OC!
You walk down the darkened streets of Unvale…the faint sound of wind blowing echoes through the dark night…You hear a sound, a faint whisper, and you slowly turn…to see…a vampire! Here to give you tips on designing…a MONSTER OC! (Pst…want some tips on designing a vampire character specifically? Check out this article here!) There’s plenty of eerie creatures that can be found throughout all kinds of different media! You might recognize some such as…
Monsters are often known to be scary creatures that can cause mischief or harm to people! (Though that isn’t always the case!) Whether they be the enemies in video games, the villains of a horror movie, the subject of a campfire tale, or something else, they can be found in lots of stories! So how do you go about designing a monster? Wander into the moonlit woods…and let’s talk about it!
What kind of monster is your OC?
First of all, you need to decide what kind of monster you want for your story! Since “monster” is such a broad term, you need to know what kind of monster you want your OC to be! Some monsters are more humanoid, others more animal-like! Some questions to think about when coming up with your monster character are…
- What’s the setting of the story?
- Where is the monster found?
- Will they be more humanoid?
- Will they be more animal-like?
- Will they be more evil, good, or morally grey?
- Will they be more or less scary?
- Are they an intelligent monster?
- What is the monster’s purpose in the story?
Thinking about what kind of monster you need for your story will help you figure out what kind of design you want for them! Some stories have monsters that function more like animals, while others portray them as a mysterious creature hardly anyone has seen before!
Coming up with answers to the questions above will help give you some guidelines for
how you should design your monster! If you want the monster to function as an antagonistic figure, you could make them more scary than you would make a friendly monster. It all depends on what you need…or whatever you just feel like creating!
Look for inspiration for your monster!
First off, you might need some inspiration to create your monster OC! Sometimes it’s hard to come up with ideas in an instant, and that’s okay! There’s all kinds of different places to find inspiration, and fueling your creative juices will be a great benefit to you!
Having some ideas of what kinds of monsters or strange creatures are out there and what about them makes them creepy can be a great start to a good monster design! Try looking through your favorite media and your favorite stories! If you need ideas for places to find good inspiration you can try looking at…
- Creatures in fairytales
- Creatures in books
- Creatures in mythology/folklore
- Creatures in movies
- Creatures in anime
- Unique bugs
- Unique animals
- Unique plants
Taking inspiration from the world around you can be great inspiration for a monster character! Sometimes, reality can be just as crazy as fiction. There’s plenty of odd creatures you could use! There’s strange bugs, and many deep sea creatures often have an interesting and eerie look to them!
A good example of monster designs with cool inspiration would be Lemon’s OC Subject #1880! Subject #1880 has some cool eel inspiration!
Another good example would be OrneryEagleray’s OC Morrígan! Morrígan has some cool vampire inspiration!
Incorporate spooky elements into your monster’s design!
When designing a monster character, you might want to incorporate spooky elements to make them creepier! Monsters are often known for being scary creatures, so adding spooky elements can help them appear spookier! Is there something that spooks you? Try incorporating elements of whatever it is into the design!
You could also incorporate other fears or light phobias into their design! Another way to make a design a little spookier, especially with more humanoid monsters, is by making things seem just a little off! This is called the Uncanny Valley, and it can definitely create a spooky effect for a character! Some ways to create an eerie effect for your monster character could be things like…
- A face that looks too perfect
- No face
- Eyes that are too big
- Extra eyes
- Multiple mouths
- No eyes
- No mouth
- A smile that’s too wide
- Sharp teeth
- A mouth that opens too far
- Extra limbs
- Stretched out limbs
- Limbs in the wrong spots
Creating an eerie look for a monster can be as simple as an extra pair of eyes, or as complex as a creature that barely looks human anymore! This can work just as well with more animalistic monsters too. A normally cute animal like a bunny might be a bit creepy if it had extra legs or too many eyes! You can also incorporate shape language to add different vibes to your monster! Round shape language could create an eerily innocent look, while squares might make the monster look imposing, and sharp shape language could make them seem more dangerous!
A good example of a monster design with cool and creepy elements would be Snail’s OC 90LY-81U5! 90LY-81U5 has long limbs and a big, eerie grin!
Another good example would be Inkbl0t’s OC Dri! Dri doesn’t have a normal face, and instead has a glowing diamond shape where the face would be!
Incorporate creepy features into your monster’s design!
Incorporating strange features into the design is another good way to create an odd and eerie monster! There’s a lot more you can do than just altering normal human features! Monsters often have features that don’t belong to whatever creature they are!
There’s plenty of different features you can add to your monster to make their design more interesting! You can take features like ones from an animal and it if to your monster! You can try adding things like…
- Scales
- Animal ears
- Animal eyes
- Animal horns
- Animal teeth
- Claws instead of hands
- Talons, paws, or hooves instead of feet
- An animal tail
- Animal wings
- Bug wings
- Limbs made from plants
- Shadow limbs
Adding features that wouldn’t be normal to a human is a good way to create an eerie monster! Same goes for more animal-like monsters as well, mixing and matching different features can create a unique and interesting monster look!
A good example of a monster with spooky features would be Forgotten’s OC Subject 3287! Subject 3287 has some cool animal features throughout the design!
Another good example would be Doughnut’s OC Camden! Camden has some cool horns and a tail!
Adding other unique things to your monster’s design!
There’s plenty of other ways you can make a monster design more interesting, other than adding on animal features or an extra limb! You can play around with the features they already have too!
Incorporating interesting details into your monster’s design can be a fun way to create a unique look as well! You can do anything from messing around with their eye design to giving them translucent gelly-like skin! Some different ideas for other spooky things you could add to a monster design could be things like…
- Glowing eyes
- Glowing limbs
- Limbs with a gradient on them
- Limbs made of bone
- Hair/fur with a unique pattern
- Spikes covering limbs
- Unique markings or tattoos
- Different colored veins
- Patches stitched on to the skin
Adding some extra details can really make a monster design stand out and feel more unique! Combining it with the other aspects of your monster design will help you create a spooky creature for your story!
A good example of a monster with cool details would be ArstyArticTiger’s OC Cicatrix! Cicatrix has some cool markings and spooky eyes!
Another good example would be HeadphoneArtists’ OC Raiju! Raiju has some cool glowing eyes and markings throughout his design!
Creating a monster character can be a fun addition to your story, whether they’ll be a friendly monster or an evil one! Looking for cool inspiration, incorporating creepy elements, cool features, and unique details are all ways you can create a spooky addition to your characters! It’s up to you how you design your monster, so don’t stress too much about your monster’s design, and remember to have fun with it!
Need some other ideas for your monster? Try giving them powers or a unique silhouette!
A small disclaimer!
When creating a monster character, it’s fun to have a scary creature, but you also should be sure to stay mindful of Unvale’s Creation Guidelines if you plan on posting your monster to Unvale! Some things might be a little too scary for others, especially when it comes to things like gore, so be sure to check out the guidelines here so we can keep Unvale a fun and safe space for everyone!