Chibi
Chibi (from Japanese "ちび", meaning small or child) or super-deformed is an artistic resource of manga/anime style that is mainly used to highlight comic or absurd situations, or to simplify explanations.
Also used to "minimize" or "simplify" a character in an RPG game, highlighting its most characteristic feature: the head.
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Red: one of the main characters of video game franchise Pokémon. Note that in his official illustration, he has "normal" human proportions.
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During the game, the character is "super-deformed", so that his head is highlighted. In this case, he acquires the proportions of chibi.
Characteristics
Broadly
Whatever the character (usually the change is most noticeable in those with a teenage or adult body), the shape of the body resembles that of a baby. Let's see its characteristics:
- Proportions: Very large head with respect to the body, similar to that of a baby.
- Head: Round (almost spherical), large eyes, small nose and mouth. In general, very childish.
- Body: Similar to the proportions of a baby, but the arms and legs are "pointy".
- Details: Usually, all the details of the original characters are preserved, that is, the super-deformation is nothing more than a change in the physical proportions.
- More smalls: The chibis are smaller than the original ones, they "shrink". For the Japanese, this aspect generates grace or laughter.
Method of deformation (tutorial)
The characteristics of the chibi style can be seen in the tutorial by Patrick Shettlesworth:
Step 1: Two heads better than one.
The Chibi characters are only 2 heads high. Start the drawing by putting together 2 ovals of the same size, one on top of the other. | |
Step 2: Large head, small body
Now that you know the little space you have to make the body, draw some good pose. To build the body uses techniques similar to those you would use with a regular-sized body. Build a mannequin made with basic shapes. The arms and legs narrow to a rounded point. | |
Step 3a: Hands - What you should and should not.
YOU MUST: make a small, well shaped hand, like the hand of a baby. Lumpy arms narrowing toward small, refined fingers. YOU MUST NOT: Make a hand Mickey Mouse cartoon style. | |
Step 3b: Feet - What you should and should not
YOU MUST: Squeeze your leg in a downward direction until you reach a tiny end. Make a small line to separate the foot from the leg. Like a little ballerina shoe. Oohhh ...! How nice!. YOU SHOULD NOT: Make a foot of Lu Lu's style. The leg should continue in a straight line to the foot. Do not define the typical foot. | |
Step 4: Define the key features.
From here it's quite simple. Add some clothes and start adding the details. The mouth is like the letter "D" turned 90º. The nose is not defined as a line. It is best to omit it or define it with a shadow if you choose to color the drawing. | |
Step 5: Moving on clean:
Use a dough gum (see Materials) and erase the help lines you used when darkening the final lines. Voila! | |
And here we have it. A little friend Chibi for you ... is not it sweet ?! Maybe make a key ring with her. :) |
Gallery
What are chibis:
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Ginji Amano and its "official" chibi version (during the anime, he is super-deformed during comic situations or ironically sentimental).
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Son Goku and his chibi version (unofficial), quite faithful.
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Hatsune Miku and her chibi version (unofficial).
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In the anime Umaru-chan, the protagonist is a serious and intelligent character, but when she comes home, she becomes a chibi and becomes a highly comic and less intelligent character.
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Shin Chan, the protagonist, although not directly a chibi, has the features of it (and this is normal, because he is 5 years old), in addition to being principally comic.
What they are not:
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M.O.D.O.K., a character in Marvel's universe, is not considered a chibi because, although it has the proportions, his face is adult and both his arms and his legs are not "pointy".
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The proportions of Mickey Mouse are what should be avoided in a chibi, according to Patrick Shettlesworth.
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In the Teen Titans series, which has a hybrid artistic style between cartoon and anime, there are times when they became chibis. However, official chibis do not meet the condition that the arms and feet should be pointy. On the other hand, the series Teen Titans Go is not chibi, but directly cartoon (as it is Mickey Mouse).
Similarity with reality
According to height (for adult humans)
The biology of the human alters the proportions according to their height, therefore, the higher have relatively smaller heads and the dwarfs seem to have large heads:
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Chibis may have been inspired by the dwarves.
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The taller people have small heads compared to their body.
According to age (for humans)
While it is true that the dwarfs resemble the chibis, the truth is that the chibis rather want to resemble the babies:
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It must be taken into account that the human proportions are altered as the age advances. Note that babies have a larger head than adults.
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The proportions of chibis emulate baby's proportions.
Inside the GTS community
Controversy
The chibi style not only deforms the characters, but also shrinks them. There is a whole controversy about this, since there are some who consider that the chibi theme does not imply the GTS theme, while others do consider it. Let's see some examples, do you think that there is GTS issue here?:
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Screenshot from AntiMagic Academy “The 35th Test Platoon”.
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More images here.
Giant chibis?
There are very few works where giant chibis are shown, this is because their natures are contradictory (the proportions of chibi remind us of that of the dwarves).
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By UnosDays
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By Tamaki
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By Tamaki. A strange case of showing only the head, totally ignoring the body.
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Tamaki's work.
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By MasterOfRa.
Poll
( ) -- Fanaticisms and rare tastes -- ( ) | ||||||||
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Basics | ||||||||
Common or known | ||||||||
Rare and unknown |
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