In the DnD universe, characters are divided into certain classes; mainly, wizards, fighters, clerics, and rogues. Their fates are controlled by the Dungeon Master. For each character, the Inlingo.Art team came up with unique personality traits that could help explain their role in the game.

Emma, Dungeon Master

Emma is a brave and indomitable leader. At 15 years old, she’s positive, active, feminine, charismatic, and clever. She comes from a respectable and well-to-do family. Emma could have easily been the star of her school—that is, if it weren’t for her uncompromising character and passion for truth and fairness, staunch principles, and desire to protect the vulnerable. Sometimes, her outspoken nature gets her into trouble, as it’s often mistaken for rudeness. Emma almost always gets her way, and will never abandon someone in need.

She loves to read and write, and has all the makings of a future writer or journalist; one who seeks truth and justice at any cost. However, that’s all in the future. For now, Emma has brought together the Stray Kids to help them through these difficult times, and entrance them with her imaginary world and thrilling stories.

Thornberry, Wizard

Thornberry is a geeky botanist with a kind heart but terrible social skills. At 12 years old, he’s awkward and scrawny, shy and distracted. He looks at the world through old, thick-rimmed glasses, avoiding the gazes of those around him. However, when he’s among the Stray Kids, Thornberry truly blossoms as the High Wizard, able to help others with his wit and cleverness. Thornberry was raised in a poor, single-parent household. His clothes are ripped and dirty, which makes him the subject of bullying from his classmates, but his friends don’t seem to mind. One day, he’ll become a great scientist and even launch things into space, but for now, he’s on the hunt for the greatest spell in the world.

Violet, Fighter

Only 11 years old, Violet is the youngest of the Stray Kids. She’s a sassy little tomboy with perpetually scraped knees and unkempt hair. At first glance, it’d be easy to mistake her for a boy. Violet wouldn’t be caught in pink, skirts, bows, or ruffles, and for that, she’s constantly bullied in school. Violet loves sports, nature, and animals. She dreams of one day becoming a veterinarian and working with wild animals in Africa. But for now, she defends the Stray Kids with strength and courage, protecting the weak and innocent, and fighting for goodness with a sword and shield atop her trust steed, Silverstorm. As the fifth child in a large family, Violet is mostly left to her own devices. Luckily, however, her friends are happy to give her the care and attention she lacks at home.

Butch, Bard

At 14 years old, Butch looks much older than most kids his age. Tall and well-built, with broad shoulders, Butch is arguably the only Stray Kid you wouldn’t want to cross in school. Of course, his strength is also his biggest weakness. With his dark and threatening appearance, other kids avoid Butch like the plague. Fortunately, Butch never feels alone among the Stray Kids, who, in turn, were surprised to discover the warm, gentle heart hidden within his large, imposing body. Butch has a hidden passion for music and everything related to it. He dreams of quitting the sport that his father has forced on him, and instead taking to the stage and learning to play guitar. One day, Butch’s lyrics will become chart-topping hits, but for now, they’ll be used as powerful spells to slow his enemies or heal allies.

Bringing ideas to life

The first step in the design process was choosing an artist to fulfill our vision. Experience and perspective are crucial to a project’s success, so we needed to find a professional with a portfolio and style that matched the project concept.

Different sketches of the Stray Kids

Out of four sketches, the team chose the one that best represented the roles of Dungeon Master, Fighter, Bard, and Wizard, while still conveying each child’s real story. The Stray Kids are depicted as they’d like to be seen: open, brave, and free from prejudice.

Final sketch

Step 2: Choosing a color palette

Once we finalized the kids’ style and poses, it was time to choose a color palette. Once again, we worked with the entire cast of kids as a group, making sure that their individual colors would “harmonize” with one another. Each character was given a dominate color that would complement the group’s overall color palette.

Color options for the Stray Kids

We picked out individual color palettes for each character. However, by incorporating elements with warm tones, we ensured that the kids would truly look like a group and complement one another. Through their choice of colors, the team was able to convey the mood and coziness, strength, and warmth of the characters.

The colors we chose for the Stray Kids

Step 3: Rendering

At this stage, the artist adds the final details that will make the characters three-dimensional and lifelike. For the Stray Kids, the team chose a light, almost watercolor style for the materials that really conveyed the characters’ lively and vibrant personalities. And that’s how we were able to create designs for Butch, Emma, Thornberry, and Violet that fully reflected their unique spirit and individuality.

The Stray Kids after rendering

For the style, our team combined realistic proportions with soft, pastel materials to hint at the characters’ fantastical origins and lifestyle.

Step 4: Emotions

To really unlock each character’s emotional range, the team also developed sketches of the Stray Kids with different reactions and facial expressions. At this stage, we focused on each character individually, emphasizing their personal characteristics. For example, to convey Emma and Violet’s outgoing and courageous nature, we depicted them laughing heartily. On the other hand, timid Thornberry and reserved Butch are pictured with a small smile.

The Stray Kids with different facial expressions and emotions