https://www.fig.co/campaigns/wasteland- ... 01#updates
The process starts with a written description from the writing/design team, which contains a broad description of the character, goals on what role he or she should play, if they should look friendly, intimidating, etc. The artist and art director take this document and have a back and forth to define the character’s look. We ask ourselves questions like: What is interesting about this character? How are they unique? What would be good reference points for the character’s look? For example, early on in this discussion we realized a good reference point is Fallout 1 & 2’s talking heads. Rather than being photo-realistic, they have a stylized and slightly exaggerated look that has meant they aged very well. We went and combined that with with today’s technology, something we like to call tweaked realism.
This concept piece is then passed around the team. Brian Fargo and the project director Chris Keenan comment, and of course the writers see if the art meets the character’s needs. Once any revisions here are done, it’s time to create the character.
The task is given to the modeler, with specific instructions on what is important, what the character absolutely needs to have and can’t have, but also some freedom to improvise and add their own flourishes. We also need to know at this stage how the character needs to talk and move, because the model needs to account for future rigging and animation work.