Character Development for an Illustrated Children’s Book: A Step-by-Step Guide with AI Art

Creating characters for a children’s book is an exciting process! I love bring illustrations and stories to life, whether it’s a quirky dragon or a brave little girl, these characters shape your story and give it a proper personality. If you’re new to this, don’t worry.

Let’s break down the key steps to develop your designs for an illustrated children’s book, including how to use AI tools to bring them to life.

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to use AI art, such as DALL·E, and AI chatbots, like ChatGPT, to develop compelling characters for a simple illustrated children’s book.

(If you are working on a clients book I am writing an article for next week all about this and how to use AI tools, to create and develop the characters in your clients story and how use AI tools to form your first drafts, concepts, through to the finished illustrations)

Step 1: Find Your Story’s Heart

Start by asking yourself, “What’s the heart of my story?” Whether it’s about friendship, courage, or discovery, this core idea guides your character development. For a children’s book, simpler is better—one or two key themes keep things clear and engaging

Ask ChatGPT to help you with ideas on popular themes. Play with the ideas that it gives you and ask it more questions. Talk to it like you are chatting with your friend who has just written a book and you want to know all about it!

How to Use AI Art

With your theme in mind, use an AI art tool to generate concept visuals related to that theme. For example, if you’re exploring the theme of friendship, prompt an AI art tool to generate scenes that depict friendships, like kids playing together or animals bonding. These images can really help to inspire your character designs and help visualize the overall story.

Step 2: Identify Your Main Character

Do you have a main character? Who is at the center of your story? Think about age, personality, and background. Are they a child or an animal? Brave or shy? Sketch out their traits to understand what makes them unique. This is where you can start thinking visually, considering how your character will look.

Again use ChatGPT to brainstorm character traits based on your chosen theme. Ask for suggestions on unique traits, what they look like.

How to Use AI Art

Once you have a basic idea of your main character, use your favourite AI art tool to visualize them. Describe the character’s traits and appearance, then generate a few versions to see which one fits your vision best. This process can help refine your ideas and spark your creativity.

Step 3: Design with Style in Mind

Your book’s style should align with your character’s traits and the story’s mood. Will it be whimsical, like a classic fairy tale, or more modern with bright colors and bold lines? Visual consistency helps children engage with your book, so keep this in mind when designing characters and backgrounds.

Keep going back to ChatGPT if you need to for examples of different children’s book styles, like whimsical, classic, or modern. This gives you a sense of the variety and helps you choose what suits your story.

How to Use AI Art

With a style in mind, create AI-generated images that reflect that style. If you choose a whimsical theme, ask the AI art tool to generate scenes with playful colors and imaginative elements. This gives you a sense of how your characters will look within the broader context of the book’s design.

Step 4: Create Supporting Characters

You might not need them but normally supporting characters add depth and context to your story. Think about how they interact with your main character. Are they friends, family, or foes? What role do they play in the story’s development? Keep these characters simple, focusing on one or two defining traits.

Ask ChatGPT to brainstorm a list of potential supporting characters based on your story’s needs. Ask questions about roles these characters might play and what traits they should have.

How to Use AI Art

Use AI art to visualize your supporting characters. Describe their roles and appearances, then create images to see how they interact with your main character. This helps ensure that the supporting characters align with the overall story and design.

Step 5: Use AI Art to Visualize Scenes

Beyond characters, AI art can help visualize entire scenes. Use your story’s outline to create AI-generated scenes, capturing key moments in your book. Describe the setting, character positions, and mood to get the most accurate results.

Step 6: Give Your Characters a Voice

If your characters speak ask ChatGPT to suggest dialogue styles based on your characters’ traits and the age group of your target audience. This can help you find the right words and tone for your characters’ interactions.

How to Use AI Art

While AI art might not generate text-based dialogue, it can still help visualize how characters interact. Create images depicting your characters in conversation or action, giving you a visual sense of their dynamics. This can inspire your written dialogue and narrative flow.

Final Thoughts

Using AI tools like ChatGPT and AI art platforms makes character development for a children’s book engaging and efficient. Use them as ideas, inspiration, concepts, add your own personality and style to them.

Have fun exploring the possibilities, and let your imagination run wild!

Coming soon – How to create consistent characters and character sheets in Midjourney and DALLE