Character Reference Sheet Template

Plan your original character on a clean reference sheet. Each template has a neutral mannequin in matching front, side and back views, with height guide lines from the top of the head to the soles, so your turnaround stays consistent. Choose a full sheet, a turnaround, an OC profile, an expression page, an outfit page, or a fursona or creature layout with ears, a tail and close-up boxes. Add your palette, facts and notes, print it to draw on by hand, or download transparent PNG layers to draw over in your art app. The mannequin is our own drawing, free to use for any character. Free, with no sign-up and no watermark, and any drawings you add stay on your device.

100% private — everything runs in your browser. Drawings you add stay in your browser; the PDF, PNG and SVG are made on your device.

How to make a character reference sheet

1. Pick a template: Full sheet, Turnaround, OC profile, Expressions, Outfits, or Fursona or creature.
2. Type a name, or leave it empty to write it by hand.
3. Set the mannequin’s proportions and build. Turn the height guide lines on or off.
4. Name the swatches and choose colours. Tick “Print these colours” to fill them, or leave them empty to colour by hand.
5. Open “Words on the sheet” to change the facts, notes, expressions and outfits.
6. Download a print PDF, a flat PNG, an SVG, or the PNG layers for drawing apps.

What you can use it for

• OC reference sheets for commissions and collaborators
• Fursona ref sheets with markings, ears and tail close-ups
• Turnaround practice with matching height lines
• Comic and animation model sheets
• Game character design documents
• Printed pages for a sketchbook or character binder

Six character sheet templates

• Full sheet: turnaround, head views, expressions, palette and notes on one page.
• Turnaround: a big front, side and back with a palette strip. This is the classic character design sheet or model sheet.
• OC profile: full body, portrait box, facts, palette and story notes.
• Expressions: a page of blank heads with labels you can change.
• Outfits: three figures in a row, with boxes for props and accessories.
• Fursona or creature: ears and a tail on the mannequin, plus close-ups for markings, paws, tail and ears.

A mannequin that lines up

The three views come from one set of measurements, so the chin, shoulders, waist, hips and knees sit at the same height in every view. The figure has a plain head with a centre line and an eye line, and no face, hair or clothes. Its joints are drawn as simple balls, like a wooden artist’s mannequin, which makes the pose easy to read through your own lines.

Proportions	Head, share of height	Shoulders from top	Waist from top	Hips from top	Knees from top
Adult, 7.5 heads	13%	19%	38%	47%	74%
Stylised, 6 heads	17%	22%	40%	48%	74%
Chibi, about 3 heads	34%	37%	51%	58%	80%

These are the measurements the tool uses, as a share of total height from the top of the head.

Tips for a reference sheet people can use

• Start from a strong front view, then carry its height lines across to the side and back.
• Could someone draw your character from this sheet alone? Hand it to a friend, or ask yourself which details they’d miss.
• Show every colour in the palette, including small ones like an eye highlight or a strap. Our Skin Tone Color Palette helps with skin, and the Color Palette Generator with everything else.
• Keep text short on the sheet. Save long backstories for a separate document.
• Include one or two expressions that are unusual for this character, not only the common ones.
• Stuck on an idea? The Drawing Prompt Generator has character and creature prompts. When your character is ready, take them to the Comic Strip Maker or a Storyboard Template.

Layers for digital drawing

File in the ZIP	What’s on it
1-white-background.png	Plain white, for the bottom of your stack
2-guide-lines.png	Height guide lines, on transparent
3-mannequin.png	The mannequin alone, on transparent
4-frames-and-labels.png	Panels, labels and swatches, on transparent
5-your-drawings.png	Pictures you added, if any

All files are the same size, so they line up when you stack them. Most drawing apps can open PNG files as layers. The SVG keeps the same layers as named groups for vector apps.

Frequently asked questions

What is a character reference sheet?

It’s a single page that shows how a character looks, so you or another artist can draw them the same way each time. It usually has front, side and back views, expressions, a colour palette and a few notes.

What should a character reference sheet include?

At the least: a turnaround, a colour palette and the details people get wrong, such as markings or accessories. Add expressions, outfits and a few personality notes if they’ll help. Keep words short: long backstories belong in a separate profile.

What is a turnaround?

A turnaround shows a character from several angles, usually front, side and back, at the same scale. The guide lines here sit at the top of the head, chin, shoulders, waist, hips, knees and soles, so each view lines up.

Can I use this template for commercial work?

Yes. The templates and mannequin are our own drawing, and you can draw over them for personal or paid work, including commissions. No credit needed.

Is there a fursona ref sheet template?

Yes. Choose “Fursona or creature”. It adds simple ears and a tail to the mannequin, plus close-up boxes for markings, paws, tail and ears. Change the mannequin to suit your character as you draw over it.

How do I use it in a drawing app?

Download the PNG layers. It’s a ZIP of same-size transparent PNG files: white background, guide lines, mannequin, and frames with labels. Bring them in as layers in the order of their numbers, then draw on a new layer above the mannequin, and lower its opacity or hide it when you’re done.

What size is the digital version?

Choose “Screen 16:9” for a 3840 × 2160 px canvas. Paper sizes export at 300 DPI, so a US Letter sheet is 2550 × 3300 px.

Can I print it and draw by hand?

Yes. Download the PDF and print it at 100%. Pale mannequin lines are easy to draw over in ink or marker. Choose dark lines if yours print too faint.

Can I add my own drawings to the template?

Yes. Under “Add your drawing to”, pick a view or the portrait box and choose a picture. It replaces the mannequin in that box and goes into your downloads. The picture stays on your device.

What proportions does the mannequin use?

Three sets: an adult about 7.5 heads tall, a stylised figure about 6 heads tall, and a chibi about 3 heads tall. You can also choose broad shoulders or wider hips. Treat them as a starting point, not a rule.

Does the mannequin have a gender?

No. It’s a plain jointed figure with no face, hair or clothes, so it works as a base for any character.

What is an OC?

OC stands for original character: a character you made up yourself, as opposed to one from an existing story. The OC profile layout has room for a portrait, facts, a palette and notes.

Can I type in Chinese, Japanese or Korean?

Yes. Words outside basic Latin letters are placed in the PDF as a sharp picture, so they print correctly. PNG and SVG use the fonts on your device.

Is it free?

Yes. Every template and download is free, with no sign-up and no watermark.