Tips for Designing a Royal OC!
Silence! Fairies, vampires, and all other characters make way! The royals have arrived! Royalty characters are often known for being the leader of the kingdom or empire. There’s many different royals in media, and you might recognize the names of royal characters such as…
Royals are a popular type of character, and they appear in all different kinds of stories! They can range from beloved leaders and heroes, to evil tyrants and more! So how do you go about designing a royal character that looks the part? Ride a magical carriage to the nearest castle, and let’s talk about it!
What kind of royal is your OC?
Royal characters can appear in many different kinds of stories, and so there are lots of different types of royals you could design! Depending on what story you have and what kind of character you want, you might design your royal OC differently! You can consider questions about your character such as…
- What’s the setting of the story?
- What’s the kingdom like?
- What’s the culture like?
- What’s their royal status?
- Are they good, evil, or morally grey?
- What’s their personality like?
Questions like the ones above can help give you ideas for what kind of royal character you’re designing! Different royals will have unique outfits from other types, and not every royal will look alike! A preppy princess probably won’t have the same design as an evil tyrant, so you’ll want to think about what kind of character you want before designing them!
As we go through this article, try thinking about your answers to the questions above! Your answers can influence all kind of different aspects of your royal OC’s design!
Give your royal a regal outfit!
A big part in a royal character’s design is the outfits they wear and accessories they have! Royal characters often have iconic outfits set apart from other characters in a story!
Could an aesthetic add to your royal’s design?
One thing you can consider when designing a royal OC is aesthetics! Regal characters often have very put-together outfits, and an aesthetic can help you achieve that look! Some different aesthetics you could try for your character could be ones such as…
- A Royal aesthetic
- A Victorian aesthetic
- A Gothic aesthetic
- An Art Nouveau aesthetic
- A Dark fantasy aesthetic
There’s many unique aesthetics you could use for your royal character, and there’s many more to choose from! You may want to factor in your royal’s personality as well when choosing an aesthetic!
A good example of using aesthetics for a royal design would be Daelightcore’s OC Tiresias! Tiresias has a Victorian aesthetic!
Another good example would be Sushiiplate’s OC Aria! Aria has a princess aesthetic!
Try adding a motif to your royal character!
Another way to make a royal design feel cohesive is by adding a motif! There’s plenty of different motifs that could fit a royalty character. Sometimes places royals rule over have a sort of theme to them, and you could use that for a motif! If your character has some sort of power, that’s another thing you could use as a motif! Here’s some ideas for royal motifs you could use!
- A motif of a precious gem
- A motif of a strong animal
- A motif of a regal flower
- A motif of an element
- A motif of an important resource
There’s lots of different things you could use as a motif! A motif can be a fun way to add to a royal design! Since royalty often have outfits with lots of details, there’s plenty of ways to incorporate a motif into your OC’s design!
A good example of using motifs for a royal design would be Becca’s OC Queen Leur! Queen Leur has a subtle Chroma Stone motif to her design!
Another good example would be Looly’s OC Edith! Edith has a subtle ice motif to her design!
Give your royalty character some fashionable clothes!
The clothes royalty characters wear are a big part of their design! Characters with royal status often have pricey things or lots of money, and can afford expensive tailors and precious fabrics. They often have extravagant and regal outfits with lots of detail to show off their status! Royal characters will often wear things such as…
- Big dresses
- Flowing Robes
- Elegant Suits
- Long capes
- Fancy coats
There’s many options when it comes to the kinds of clothes your royal will wear! You’ll want to factor other things in when deciding what your royal will wear as well. Knowing aspects like your royal’s personality or culture can help you choose what kind of clothes they wear!
A good example of using clothes for a royal design would be ETERNALGHXST’s OC King Finrod! King Finrod has a very elegant and royal outfit!
Another good example would be Lolooz’s OC Princess Lila! Princess Lila has a pretty regal dress!
Add a few accessories to your royal’s design!
One more way you can make a royal outfit feel even more royal is by adding some fitting accessories! Since royalty characters often have a lot of resources, they can afford all kinds of different accessories! Here’s some ideas for accessories royal characters might have:
- A crown
- A tiara
- A necklace
- Rings
- Earrings
- Bracelets
- A scepter
- Gloves
- A fan
Accessories are a great way to make a royalty outfit feel more regal! Picking out some good accessories will add to your royal character’s design and show off their status!
A good example of using accessories for a royal design would be FrongFennel’s OC King Augustus! King Augustus wears a fancy royal headdress!
Another good example would be Draclicre’s OC Robin! Robin wears fancy hair accessories!
Can you use appearance to make your OC feel more Royal?
Depending on what kind of royal character you have, their appearance can show off their character and what kind of ruler they are!
Could shape language and build add to your royal OC’s design?
Shape language is a way you can incorporate what kind of person your royal character is into their design! The shape language they have can tell the audience what type of ruler they might be! Here’s some ideas of how shape language could be used for a royal design:
- A large, square build for a strong and protective royal
- A dainty build with round shape language for a sweet and gentle royal
- A strong build with sharp shape language for a strict and scary royal
Shape language could be used all throughout a design, or as little as you want! You could use it in the opposite way as well, to help with plot twists or surprises!
A good example of using shape language for a royal design would be Thing7567’s OC Qumo! Qumo has both sharp and round shape language that shows off her seemingly cold, but calm personality!
Another good example would be Aj’s OC Marcus! Marcus has lots of sharp shape language and some round shape language that shows off his strength and goofy personality!
Give your OC a royal hairstyle!
An additional way to enhance a royalty character’s design is by giving them a fancy hairstyle! Oftentimes, royals wear elegant hairstyles that make them look professional and majestic. They might wear an extravagant hairdo, or a simple but classy one! Here’s some ideas for hairstyles you could consider for your royal OC:
- A low bun
- A twisted bun
- A braided bun
- Elegant braids
- A swept-back hairstyle
- A high ponytail
- A half-up ponytail
There’s plenty of extravagant hairdos you could give your royal OC! You could even combine ideas to make a hairstyle seem more elaborate!
A good example of using hairstyle for a royal design would be Vv’s OC Aorihn! Aorihn has a long, elegant ponytail!
Another good example would be JJust’s OC Elliot! Elliot has a fancy low ponytail!
Finish off your royalty character’s design with some cool details!
One more way you could make a royal design stand out would be to give your character some extra details! Giving your royal character some details other characters in the story don’t have could be a fun way to show off their power and status! Some ideas for special details could be things like…
- Glowing eyes
- Glowing symbols
- Glowing hair
- Large wings
- A halo
- Claws
- Extra eyes
Depending on what type of character your royal is, there’s all kinds of different ways you could add unique features to them! Depending on which you use, they might seem more menacing, or more gentle!
A good example of using unique features for a royal design would be Midi_chibi’s OC Evangeline! Evangeline has sheep ears!
Another good example would be Midniqhtx’s OC Ryuu! Ryuu has large horns!
Royal characters can be a really fun type of character to design! Thinking about ways to enhance their outfits, accessories, and appearance can all help you come up with a unique and regal look for them! Don’t stress too much about their design though, and remember to have fun with it!
Need a few more ideas for your royal character? Try giving them a signature makeup look or a companion!