“The activity of art is as important as the activity of language itself, and as universal.”
— Leo Tolstoy

Characters breathe life into art. They invite your audience to feel before they analyze—to see themselves reflected in gestures, expressions, colors, and contrasts. Three-dimensional characters give your work authenticity and emotional weight.

But how do you build a character who feels real?

Show, Don’t Tell

Writers are taught to “show, not tell.” The same holds true for artists of every discipline.
If your character is curious or intrusive, let their actions reveal it. You don’t have to announce it

Imagine this scene:
Joe’s nosy neighbor, Mrs. Poppins, is always peering over the fence. Instead of telling the audience “she’s nosy,” you might:

• Show her eavesdropping on a private conversation, later revealing that she’s passed on the information.
• Let Joe glance toward the fence mid-conversation and say, “Isn’t that right, Mrs. Poppins?” a little too loudly. Her sudden silence—or sassy retort—says it all.

Now the audience knows her personality without a single line of exposition.

Knowing Your Characters Deeply

To portray your characters truthfully, you must know them like you know your closest friends.

Ask yourself:

• How do they respond under pressure or embarrassment?
• What do they hide from others?
• What makes them laugh?
• How do they act when no one is watching?

If your character faced a moral choice, how would they decide? If they failed, how would they carry the guilt—or redemption?

Characters reveal themselves in moments of truth. As artists, we get to explore those moments.

Faith, Humanity, and Character

The Bible is full of three-dimensional characters—people flawed, faithful, fearful, and brave:

• David, both a poet and a warrior, passionate yet repentant.
• Peter, impulsive and devoted, who denied and then rejoined Jesus.
• Mary Magdalene, once broken, later one of the first witnesses of resurrection.
• Paul, whose transformation from persecutor to preacher defined early Christianity.
  

These are layered human beings shaped by encounter with God, not flat archetypes. Their reality and imperfections make their redemption shine brighter.

When we build characters that reflect that kind of complexity, we help our audience grasp what grace and transformation look like in real life. Complexity often elevates your art. 

Reflection Questions for Artists

1. How might you reveal a character’s heart through gesture, texture, light, or movement, without words?
   
2. Which biblical figure inspires you as an example of a layered, complex human being? Why?
   
3. What does your main character want most, and what’s holding them back?
   
4. How do their strengths and weaknesses interact? How might that tension mirror your theme?
   
5. If your character met God face to face, what truth would He reveal to them?
   

Creative Exercise

Pick one character you’re developing and write or sketch answers to a few questions:

• What is this character’s greatest fear?
• What secret are they keeping?
• What’s something they believe that isn’t true? Do they know it?
• How would they act if everything they value were suddenly at risk?

Let these insights inform your art.

Closing Thought

God is the master storyteller, and humanity is His living artwork. When you build characters with honesty and compassion, you echo His creative heart.

Don’t settle for flat figures or easy symbolism. Go deeper. Create people with contradictions, with shadow and light. Let your audience encounter something deeper through the humanity you reveal.

Because the best art invites us not just to look, but to see.

Adapted from the Engage Art eCourse created by Teresa Cochran for Engage Art.