Chibi is, first and foremost, about finding features in a character that you can enlarge and accentuate. That nearly always includes wide, childlike eyes and large, expressive mouths, but when you want to turn a character into a chibi version of themselves, look at everything about their character design.
In any case, normal anime and manga characters often become cute chibi characters to emphasize how strongly emotional they are in that moment. “It’s never a serious moment,” says illustrator and chibi artist Shiela Larson. “It’s always to accentuate someone’s emotions.
The whole point of these proportions is to give the character an impossible cuteness. This cuteness exists regardless of character type. Chibi style isn’t just for characters who have an air of cuteness about them already. Manga and anime also feature characters like serious warriors or determined ninjas also appearing in chibi style.
Everything needs to be oversized except for the body.”. A chibi body is generally the same size or half the size of a character’s head. Most comic book characters are about six heads tall, but chibi figures are usually two or, at the very most, three heads tall.
Because of the combination of large eyes, oversized heads, and small bodies, chibi characters are also known as “super-deformed, ” though that term is used less often now.
The sudden transformation of a normal character into an emotional caricature can be narratively jarring, but that’s also part of the humor and effect. “I always imagine characters in a huff, like in a weird aside that’s almost outside of the plot,” says Stanton.
That extends even to line art. “You don’t have to use black for line art, necessarily,” says Larson. Dark blues or purples usually suffice for chibi line art and can give the character a sweeter feel. For coloration in general, avoid the deeper, harsher ends of the spectrum.