Character Designer Akihiko Yoshida is best-known for his distinctive work on Final Fantasy Tactics, which blended the no-nose style of classic Final Fantasy characters with a hyper-detailed look. Final Fantasy XII has given him his biggest chance yet to creatively stretch his wings, and here, he shares his thoughts about creatingthe characters and art for the storied series:
Can you guide us through your thought process as you create a new character?
Matsuno-san gave me a few pointers and I started on the roughs. We then work on the textures and models from the roughs. It's not something that is finished on paper, but the character is finally finished when expressions are made on the character models and the voice actors give them a voice.
Do you ever work using 3D modeling programs, or do you mostly stick with 2D drawings?
I was the chief on the environment besides working on the character designs so I did use some 3D modeling programs. Creating characters roughs and textures was all work done in 2D.
You've mentioned that Ashe's body is modeled after a French woman, but that you had to make her look a little more Japanese, otherwise capturing her expressions would be difficult. Can you explain exactly what you mean?
Some minor adjustments had to be made, but in the end I'm really happy with the small changes as they've really helped enhance Ashe's character.
Which character design is your favorite, and why?
My personal favorite is Balthier, mainly because he was inspired by an athlete that I was a fan of.
