draw your own fantasy characters: design original characters for rpg worlds and beyond

Author: Tamara Osborn
Format: Paperback
Publication date: 10 March 2026
256 pages

Your Master Guide to Otherworldly Characters

Bring the far reaches of your imagination to life with this epic handbook for fantasy character design. Led by illustrator and character designer Tamara Osborn, you’ll learn everything you need to know to draw amazing characters and perfect your approach to visual storytelling. She provides over 25 thoughtful tutorials-alongside pro artist tips of the trade-on how to depict:

- Accurate anatomy and expressive faces, hands, and feet
- Fantastical features like fangs, horns, and wings
- Classic fantasy races like elves, dwarves, and orcs that break free from stereotypes
- Anthropomorphic favorites like centaurs, merfolk, and lizardfolk
- Popular paranormals like angels, devils, and vampires

Paired with a final chapter on how to inject personality into your drawings and take your OCs to the next level with body modifications, clothing design, setting, and identity signifiers, you’ll be ready to craft your dream cast of characters in no time. With accessible, step-by-step tutorials and plentiful art inspiration, this guide is the perfect all-in-one resource to design and draw epic original characters.