Expert: Russell Calabrese - 12/24/2011

Question
What is the difference between a model sheet and a "character study" in cartooning/animation?
What is the technical term for mood/personality sketches if it isn't called a "character study"?

A "character study" from what I understand is a written analysis of a character's personality in a work of literature.What is the technical term for mood/personality sketches if it isn't called a "character study"? I did a Google image search on "character study" and found images of personality.mood drawings of characters, not model sheets.

http://blvd-square.deviantart.com/art/Character-Study-Sketches-129539527

This is "character study sketches"- how is this different from a model sheet?

I am guessing and one other person had said:

Character study shows different feelings expressed in the face and in body language.
Model sheet shows only the body in different positions without any form of feelings. Front, sideways, back.

Please help- thank you.

Answer
Hi Jason,

The other person you spoke with was quite right.
These days a model sheet usually just shows the turn around of a character from all sides in a neutral standing position.
Character study sketches have the emotional and action poses that the character would most likely be in.

Back in the day the model sheet was just the character in many poses to show attitude and construction.

Scroll down on the below link to see some classic Fleischer model sheets:

http://www.thegremlin.com/fleischer.html