Street Fighter II x Futurama
As a kid, I grew up playing Street Fighter, and its style has always influenced my drawings.
Recently, with a character like Angry Bender from Futurama in mind, I decided to blend these inspirations into a background.
Still having Angry Bender in my mind
How about mixing both inspirations?
Capcom – Super Street Fighter II
Why Backgrounds Matter in Your Drawings
Many fan artists focus heavily on perfecting their characters but often neglect the background. Adding a creative, well-thought-out background brings depth and context, making your character come alive in a believable world.
How to Create a Background Quickly
To draw a quick and effective background, start by searching for inspiration online. Google images can be invaluable for this. Find iconic elements that represent the place or mood you want to convey. For example, I chose a street in Kyoto, Japan, to complement Ryu’s story instead of replicating his typical world directly.
Through the K.S. Challenge I actually started to explore more on that, and intend to improve.
Chou-Tac Chung – Angry Bender II, 2014
Tips for Effective Background Drawing
- Use perspective lines to create depth and space around your character.
- Include recognizable elements; for Kyoto, I added Japanese vertical signs with writing.
- Keep lines loose and simple but suggest enough detail to set the scene.
- Don’t be afraid to blend imagination with reference photos or memories.
Spending just a few minutes gathering visual ideas online and sketching a few quick shapes can elevate your drawings significantly.
Quick lines of Bender.
Add some details to make Bender in Ryu’s spirit.
I also started to add some perspective lines to create the space.
I add extra perspective lines for the “deepness’” of the background.
Create the decor getting some inspiration. Here, a street of Kyoto, Japan.
Remember to respect the perspective lines for the props as well.
TIP 27 Get a background in a few minutes
Google some places, and get some inspiration.
Identify the elements which are the most iconic.
Play with them.
I was looking for a Japanese background, where Ryu is from. Instead of replicating Ryu’s world, I remembered how pretty is Kyoto from my last trip there.
This is when Google image can be very helpful. To get in a second the pictures you roughly remember in your mind.
The vertical panel with the Japanese writing is a strong element. Adding few of them make you already feel in Japan.
Pöllö – Street of Kyoto, Japan
Looking for inspiration can take few minutes, to all-nighter, or may even never come. I recommend to do not start from scratch.
Backgrounds help anchor your character and make your artwork much richer. Take advantage of online resources and your own travels or memories to bring authenticity and atmosphere to your sketches. Try this approach, and watch how your characters become part of a living, breathing world.
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Learn more about character design
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