The first character I ever created was way back before I even entered high school. She was 100% a self-insert, and that's okay, we all start some where and there's no shame in that. For me, it started with the fantasy alien race; The Shuunahn. An animal human hybrid that could include creatures such as dragons and unicorns.
While not a perfect representation, a large portion of the art FOR such a species is so old that the paper is torn and ragged, the pictures faded. I drew the majority in the hand written book I'd created for her. While she started exactly like me in appearance (and name), I turned her hair silver later on as some mystical event and she chose a different name.
But the more I looked back on her, the more I wanted to make her her own character. 2017 became the year I did that, starting with the picture above, where I changed her hairstyle, clothing choice,skin tone and demeanor. While it seemed simple enough, it made her feel much more like an individual, no longer the angsty pale girl with long hair who smoked she was so moody and filled with angst. Now she looked more like how I envisioned, a survivor, a hero who had seen too much. A murderer.
The slumped over pose, head down, looking at nothing. Unfocused. The blood, the scars. It's a character that's been through a lot. I also shortened her hair so it was something more practical for battle, something she often participates in.
See the process below!
Music used;
Disfigure - Blank [NCS Release]
Phantom Sage - MIKO [NCS Release]
Unknown Brain - Saviour (feat. Chris Linton) [NCS Release]