Adrian Mercer

Character Designer & 2D Character Artist

Upwork • Autônomo

Mar 2024 - Present • 2 yrs 7 mos

I work as an independent character designer creating original 2D characters and visual development assets for clients across publishing, comics, animation, games, digital media, branding, and storytelling projects. My work covers the complete character-development process, from interpreting a written concept or rough idea to developing a visually distinctive and production-ready character. I specialize in character creation, character sheets, turnaround designs, pose and expression development, costume design, and maintaining visual consistency across multiple illustrations. My expertise includes developing believable proportions, readable silhouettes, facial features, hairstyles, clothing, accessories, poses, expressions, and personality traits that communicate a character clearly. I also create front, side, back, and three-quarter views when clients require consistent references for illustration, animation, modeling, or production. I work closely with clients throughout the design process, using references, descriptions, sketches, feedback, and revision stages to make sure the final character matches the intended direction. Core expertise includes: • Original 2D character design. • Character concept development. • Character sheets and reference sheets. • Character turnaround design. • Pose and expression design. • Facial and body structure. • Costume and outfit development. • Visual storytelling. • Comic and graphic novel characters. • Animation character development. • Game character concepts. • Mascot character design. • Character consistency. • Production-ready character references. • Digital illustration and line art. • Client-focused creative development. My approach combines strong visual design, clear communication, consistency, and attention to detail to create characters that are distinctive, practical, and memorable.