Q&A for How to Describe a Character's Looks Well

(Name here)'s jaw, eternally set in a smirk, was square and set heavy, confining the lines of his mischievous eyes, which glittered with a self-pride of a man who thinks himself the best in the world. His nose, hooked and sharp, cast a shadow on his thin lips, which curved perpetually in a smile. He stood at an angle, his arms crossed, his long black hair hanging over his shoulders like a curtain. His trainers, worn with age, and his blue jeans, ripped and torn, suggested a man with no earthly cause for pride. But (name here) could have no more pride than he did.

"She rose from the cushions mad as a hornet. Her figure was loosened, yet somewhat articulated, like that of a carefully puppeteer-ed marionette. Her creased sapphire eyes were narrowed by her restless slumber. Cow licks abruptly interrupted the smooth inky lines that were her hair." Describe what the person looks like, how they act upon waking up, and how they're feeling.

(These are all in different situations) Her pale eyes were constantly darting around the room. Above these eyes, her brows were furrowed. She would often lick her lips, and twist her fingers together. She kept pushing her long, dark hair around the sides of her face, as if she was wanting to hide behind it. She would also bite her nails and hold her hands in front of her mouth or eyes, as if trying to hide. The boy frantically crawled across the floor. His eyes bulged with terror as he saw what was in front of him. His face paled dramatically and his body trembled as he hid his face behind his hands. He curled into a ball, and strangled sobs could be heard.

He had hard features: muscular, drawn-back shoulders, a strong jawline, impressive cheekbones with shapely hollows beneath, a weathered forehead, all thrown into greater relief by the tests of time, dry, porous skin from lack of decent aftershave, and a crewcut roughly the color of caramel. He did not smile; he stared dead into the camera with sunken, sharklike eyes that, in a single glance, could tell a story no one else could. Also, think of how a soldier would move: back straight, gaze straight ahead, heading for his target like he always has somewhere to be. His boots are always spotless. Yelling and roughhousing bother him.

If you decide that it's too long, look for repeated words or details that you may have been overused. Also, find things that don't contribute to the image of the character as much as other things and cut those from your description.

"Her eyes were clouded with months of pain, obstructed by her thinning hair. Her clothes hung loosely around her skeletal figure, and her skin was paler than the full moon outside."

Start by describing their clothing. Is it extravagant? Do they wear bright colors? Describe their looks and mannerisms. Maybe they have sturdy jawlines or arching eyebrows. How do they stand? Is their stance tall and proud? Do they dominate other people?

Depends on the skin color. Light, dark, pale, brown, black, pink, peach, olive, tan, etc. would be the basic terms if you don't want to dwell on it too much. If you want to make it more evocative for a certain character, you can use terms like honey, caramel, chocolate, rose, snow, golden, etc. Or you can get a little more creative and descriptively compare it to something else in a similar color (ideally, come up with something yourself, as that's better than recycling others' descriptions).

Large and puffy with a big smile. Rounded cheeks and a round forehead. Describe what clothes it's wearing, if it's wearing any at all. You might also (cutely) add how it responds to warmer temperatures (gets rather sticky).

It depends on the character. For example, "She had a flowing green knee-high dress with sapphire leggings underneath. Her black flats looked uncomfortable on her large feet. Her large flowery sun hat was...extravagant to say the least." This would be a good description for a woman at a garden party.

She had brown slanted eyes with long, silky, jet-black hair and bangs that hung over her eyebrows. Her face was as pale as the moon or tanner than desert sands.

Emily had dirty blonde hair tied back in a bun. Her blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the sun. She had a cute button nose and full lips that were always set in a smile. She was short and stocky and had a circular face. She wore jean shorts and a pink tank-top.

The billowy whiteness wafted across the room; it had a slightly agitated appearance, almost as if irritated that I had interrupted its sojourn through the house walls. Its bulbous shape was expansive yet restricted by its blurred edges which spoke of no determined end.

"Her black, pageboy hair cut loosely fell around her oval face. Almond-shaped black eyes constantly darted, taking in everything they could. Her black shirt and jeans were too big for her skinny frame. Her light pink lips didn't smile, but occasionally pulled a smirk."

Try this: "The man was young, early twenties at most. His chiseled jaw and high cheekbones gave him an almost god-like appearance. Lean muscles showed that he was a warrior, or a ladies' favorite. His full, light pink lips occasionally pulled a smirk of arrogance. The man's [insert eye color] eyes were full of playfulness, yet also wisdom, like he knew things you wouldn't believe. The clothes on his frame were somewhat out of date."

Describe the shape of the eye, the eyelashes, the whites, and the different colors and patterns you see in the irises.

Her weary, lined eyes blurred into the skin of her heavily rouged cheeks; her face a worn mask of hard exhaustion.

Maybe try something like, "His/her voice is/was slurred with a rich accent from elsewhere..."

Just look at the animal and what its features are like: does it have hair, is it small or big, what color is it, and more.

Make them do something quirky, maybe even one of your own weird quirks. Make them different from the the other serious characters.

She was the one who brought me to life, she had hair like mine which was dirty blonde, her eyes were the color of the crystal sea. She was mine, mine to keep, I call that woman Mom.

This depends if you are talking about biological sex, gender identity, or expression. If you're talking biology, think about the traits that humans use to tell males from females and blend them. For example, males tend to have wide shoulders and narrow hips, while females tend to have narrow shoulders and wide hips, so your character might have their shoulders and hips about the same size. Maybe they have a flat chest and no facial hair, or maybe they have breasts and facial hair. If you are talking about expression or gender, some clothes considered androgynous are hoodies, jeans, and t-shirts. Such a person might wear a bit of make-up or have medium length hair.

You could talk about the darkness or creepiness of his features (like a twisted, cruel face with blood-red eyes), how jagged his teeth are, or how wild his hair is.

Start by describing the dragon's body: the sparkling scales, flaming jaws, glowing orange eyes, etc. You could describe the dragon's movements as well, like what it looks like when it spreads its wings or rears back, along with the sound of the dragon's roar.

Perhaps as dazed or frightened. "[Insert name] was lost in her own world until one of the doctors reached for her hand. She jumped, startled. Her face was plain and almost child-like, her long pale yellow hair flying in wisps down her back. She sat on a padded bed in a white hospital gown..."

You need to get a clear picture of her in mind. Use a friend or family member as your "model" or find a picture online to use. Then, write about what you see.

It depends on which half is human and which is deer. I would say you should give your character large, inhumanly round eyes with a golden brown color that glistens in the light, with light brown hair the same shade as a doe's/buck's. If they have horns, base the size of these on your character's age. If they're a fawn, the legs being the deer half, add in a tail and keep the fur color natural for a deer, maybe add spots if they're young.

"His eyes were very calculating, yet warm. They had a lovely grey shade to them, which made me want to study them."

They had a gaunt, pale face framed by long, silky blond hair, which was neatly styled into a bun. A lanky frame was bundled in green silk adorned with unique patterns and silver lining. They walked with elegance and grace, never once did they look anywhere that wasn't forward. Their posture was perfect and their speech was impeccable. Royalty always was.

Describe your character's perfect, chiseled jaw and wide torso or his washboard stomach, lean, cat-like body, etc. Also, you could say how he has toned arms and legs, and rippling muscles across his abs and arms. Make sure to give him some flaw, like a tiny gap between his teeth, a scar on his wrist, etc.