mascot-character-sheet

Original source / Raw SKILL.md

---
name: mascot-character-sheet
description: Generate professional product mascot character reference sheets with a specific multi-panel layout. Use this skill when creating character design sheets, mascot documentation, brand mascot references, or character consistency guides with multiple views (isometric, front/back/left/right, emotion poses). Optimized for product mascots and brand characters using Gemini image generation with Libre Baskerville typography.
---

# Product Mascot Character Sheet Generator

Generate professional, magazine-style character reference sheets for product mascots with consistent layout and typography.

## Overview

This skill generates comprehensive character reference sheets with a specific layout optimized for product mascots and brand characters:

- **Left Panel (40% width, full height):** Large isometric view (3/4 angle) as the main showcase
- **Right Top Row (60% width):** Front, back, and side orthographic views
- **Right Bottom Row (60% width):** Five distinct emotion/pose variations
- **Typography:** Libre Baskerville font for professional label presentation
- **Integration:** Uses gemini-imagegen skill with quota fallback support

Perfect for brand guidelines, design documentation, animation references, and maintaining character consistency across marketing materials.

## Quick Start

### Basic Usage

To generate a mascot character sheet, provide:
1. **Character description** (what they are, personality)
2. **Art style** (flat vector, 3D, illustrated, etc.)
3. **Color palette** (brand colors)
4. **Product context** (what product/brand they represent)

**Example request:**
> "Create a character sheet for a friendly penguin mascot for our ice cream brand. Flat vector style, blue and white colors with pink accents."

The skill will generate an optimized prompt following the standard layout format.

## Layout Specification

### Magazine-Style Multi-Panel Layout

```
┌─────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────┐
│             │  FRONT │ BACK │ LEFT │ RIGHT        │
│             ├──────────────────────────────────────│
│  ISOMETRIC  │  HAPPY │ FRIENDLY │ EXPLAINING      │
│  (3/4 VIEW) │  REASSURING    │  CELEBRATING       │
│             │                                      │
│  (FULL      │                                      │
│   HEIGHT)   │                                      │
└─────────────┴─────────────────────────────────────┘
   40% width              60% width
```

### Panel Descriptions

**Left Section - ISOMETRIC VIEW:**
- Large showcase view at 3/4 angle (between front and side)
- Full panel height for maximum impact
- Shows depth, personality, and character details
- Primary reference for character appearance

**Right Top Row - ORTHOGRAPHIC VIEWS:**
- **FRONT:** Straight-on facing view
- **BACK:** Rear view showing back details
- **LEFT:** Left side profile view
- **RIGHT:** Right side profile view
- All four views equal size, horizontal arrangement

**Right Bottom Row - EMOTION POSES:**
- **HAPPY:** Big smile, excited expression
- **FRIENDLY:** Welcoming, warm demeanor
- **EXPLAINING:** Engaged, communicative pose
- **REASSURING:** Calm, gentle expression
- **CELEBRATING:** Victory/success pose
- All five poses equal size, horizontal arrangement

## Prompt Template

Use this template structure for consistent results:

```
Professional product mascot character reference sheet. [ART_STYLE] illustration.

CHARACTER: [DESCRIPTION - species, personality, role, props/accessories]

LAYOUT - Magazine-style character sheet on white background with subtle polka dots:

LEFT SECTION (40% width, full height):
Large ISOMETRIC VIEW (3/4 angle) - main character showcase

RIGHT SECTION (60% width, split into two rows):
TOP ROW: Four orthographic views
  - FRONT view | BACK view | LEFT view | RIGHT view (equal sizes)

BOTTOM ROW: Five emotion poses
  - HAPPY (big smile, [specific action])
  - FRIENDLY (welcoming gesture)
  - EXPLAINING (showing/demonstrating)
  - REASSURING (gentle, calm pose)
  - CELEBRATING (victory/success pose)

STYLE: [Flat vector/3D/Illustrated] with [gradient/no gradients/shading details]
  - Bold outlines: [thickness]
  - Color palette: [PRIMARY], [SECONDARY], [ACCENT] colors
  - Simple geometric shapes / detailed rendering

TYPOGRAPHY: Libre Baskerville font for all panel labels
  - Clean, professional label placement
  - Labels positioned [above/below/corner] each panel

BACKGROUND: Clean white with subtle [polka dots/grid pattern]

Professional character design reference for [BRAND/PRODUCT] mascot.
```

## Best Practices

### Character Consistency

1. **Establish core features first:** Define key identifying features (shape, color, props) that remain constant across all views
2. **Maintain proportions:** Keep body proportions consistent between views
3. **Color consistency:** Use exact color values across all panels
4. **Personality alignment:** Ensure all emotion poses reflect the character's core personality

### Art Style Guidelines

**For Product Mascots:**
- **Flat vector:** Best for logos, icons, simple brand characters
  - No gradients, solid colors only
  - Bold outlines (3-5px)
  - Geometric, simplified shapes

- **Cel-shaded:** Good for playful, cartoon characters
  - Limited shading (2-3 tones per color)
  - Bold outlines
  - Some depth without complexity

- **Illustrated:** For detailed, personality-rich characters
  - Textures and subtle shading allowed
  - More anatomical detail
  - Character depth and dimension

### Emotion Pose Tips

- **Make poses distinct:** Each emotion should be immediately recognizable from silhouette alone
- **Use props meaningfully:** If character holds objects, vary how they interact with them
- **Exaggerate expressions:** Especially for small-scale usage (icons, avatars)
- **Consider brand context:**
  - B2B/Professional: Subtle, friendly expressions
  - B2C/Playful: More animated, energetic poses

## Integration with Gemini-Imagegen

This skill uses the `gemini-imagegen` skill under the hood. When API quota is exhausted, the system will provide your optimized prompt for manual generation at [gemini.google.com](https://gemini.google.com).

### Recommended Settings

- **Model:** `gemini-2.5-flash-image` for speed, `gemini-3-pro-image-preview` for complex characters with text
- **Aspect Ratio:** `16:9` (optimal for the horizontal layout)
- **Resolution:** Default (1K sufficient for reference sheets)

### Command Example

```bash
python .claude/skills/_branding/gemini-imagegen/scripts/generate_image.py \
  "Your optimized prompt here..." \
  output_character_sheet.png \
  --model gemini-2.5-flash-image \
  --aspect 16:9
```

## Typography: Libre Baskerville

**Font:** Libre Baskerville - A webfont optimized for body text and display

**Why this font:**
- Professional, legible serif typeface
- Excellent for labels and documentation
- Web-safe and widely available
- Works well at small and large sizes

**Usage in prompts:**
Always specify: `"Typography: Libre Baskerville font for all panel labels"`

The AI will render text labels in this style for a cohesive, professional appearance.

## Examples

### Example 1: Tech Startup Robot Mascot

**Request:** "Create a character sheet for a friendly robot mascot for a productivity app"

**Generated Prompt:**
```
Professional product mascot character reference sheet. Flat vector illustration.

CHARACTER: Small friendly robot with rounded rectangular body, expressive LED screen face,
stubby arms, wheeled base. Holds a digital tablet showing checkmarks. Tech-forward but
approachable personality.

LAYOUT - Magazine-style character sheet on white background with subtle polka dots:

LEFT SECTION (40% width, full height):
Large ISOMETRIC VIEW (3/4 angle) - main showcase with robot at dynamic angle

RIGHT SECTION (60% width):
TOP ROW: FRONT view | BACK view | LEFT view | RIGHT view (showing wheel details)
BOTTOM ROW:
  - HAPPY (LED smile, tablet raised)
  - FRIENDLY (waving with one arm)
  - EXPLAINING (showing tablet screen forward)
  - REASSURING (calm LED expression, thumbs up)
  - CELEBRATING (arms raised, confetti around)

STYLE: Flat vector with NO gradients
  - Bold 4px black outlines
  - Color palette: Electric blue (#0066FF), Silver gray (#C0C0C0), White (#FFFFFF)
  - Geometric, simplified robot shapes

TYPOGRAPHY: Libre Baskerville font for all panel labels
  - Labels positioned below each panel

BACKGROUND: Clean white with subtle gray polka dots

Professional character design reference for productivity app mascot.
```

### Example 2: Food Brand Animal Character

**Request:** "Generate a character sheet for a giraffe dentist mascot for a children's dental brand"

**Generated Prompt:**
```
Professional product mascot character reference sheet. Flat vector illustration.

CHARACTER: Cheerful giraffe personified as pediatric dentist. Sunny yellow body with
circular brown spots. Wears crisp white dentist coat with pocket. Holds modern tablet.
Friendly, professional, child-appropriate.

LAYOUT - Magazine-style character sheet on white background with subtle polka dots:

LEFT SECTION (40% width, full height):
Large ISOMETRIC VIEW (3/4 angle) - giraffe at 3/4 angle showing personality

RIGHT SECTION (60% width):
TOP ROW: FRONT view | BACK view | LEFT view | RIGHT view
BOTTOM ROW:
  - HAPPY (big grin, winking, tablet raised)
  - FRIENDLY (welcoming wave, warm smile)
  - EXPLAINING (showing tablet screen, engaged)
  - REASSURING (gentle smile, calm posture)
  - CELEBRATING (both arms up, excited face)

STYLE: Flat vector with solid colors only
  - Bold 3px black outlines
  - Color palette: Sunny yellow (#FFD700), Chocolate brown (#8B4513),
    Crisp white (#FFFFFF), Mint green (#98FF98)
  - Geometric simplified shapes, NO shading or gradients

TYPOGRAPHY: Libre Baskerville font for all panel labels
  - Clean professional label placement above each panel

BACKGROUND: Clean white with light gray polka dots

Professional character design reference for children's dental health brand mascot.
```

## Troubleshooting

### API Quota Issues

If you encounter quota exhaustion errors, the skill automatically provides your optimized prompt. Simply:
1. Copy the prompt from the error message
2. Visit [gemini.google.com](https://gemini.google.com)
3. Paste and generate
4. The web interface has a separate quota from the API

See the [gemini-imagegen Troubleshooting section](../gemini-imagegen/SKILL.md#troubleshooting) for more details.

### Character Consistency Issues

If views don't match:
- Use the `multi_turn_chat.py` script for iterative refinement
- Establish the isometric view first, then generate other views referencing it
- Be more specific about distinctive features (colors, shapes, props)

### Layout Problems

If the layout doesn't match the specification:
- Add more explicit layout instructions
- Specify panel sizes in percentages
- Use terms like "magazine layout", "reference sheet", "character turnaround"
- Try the pro model (`gemini-3-pro-image-preview`) for better instruction following

## Related Skills

- **[gemini-imagegen](../gemini-imagegen/SKILL.md):** Core image generation (this skill uses it)
- **[brand-guidelines](../brand-guidelines/):** For establishing brand color palettes
- **[theme-factory](../theme-factory/):** For consistent color schemes

## Resources

### scripts/
Contains helper utilities for character sheet generation and composition.

### references/
Detailed guidelines for mascot design, character consistency, and typography best practices.

### assets/
Example character sheets and layout templates.


---

## Referenced Files

> The following files are referenced in this skill and included for context.

### ../gemini-imagegen/SKILL.md

```markdown
---
name: gemini-imagegen
description: Generate and edit images using the Gemini API (Nano Banana). Use this skill when creating images from text prompts, editing existing images, applying style transfers, generating logos with text, creating stickers, product mockups, or any image generation/manipulation task. Supports text-to-image, image editing, multi-turn refinement, and composition from multiple reference images.
---

# Gemini Image Generation (Nano Banana)

Generate and edit images using Google's Gemini API. The environment variable `GEMINI_API_KEY` must be set.

## Available Models

| Model | Alias | Resolution | Best For |
|-------|-------|------------|----------|
| `gemini-2.5-flash-image` | Nano Banana | 1024px | Speed, high-volume tasks |
| `gemini-3-pro-image-preview` | Nano Banana Pro | Up to 4K | Professional assets, complex instructions, text rendering |

## Quick Start Scripts

### Text-to-Image
```bash
python scripts/generate_image.py "A cat wearing a wizard hat" output.png
```

### Edit Existing Image
```bash
python scripts/edit_image.py input.png "Add a rainbow in the background" output.png
```

### Multi-Turn Chat (Iterative Refinement)
```bash
python scripts/multi_turn_chat.py
```

## Core API Pattern

All image generation uses the `generateContent` endpoint with `responseModalities: ["TEXT", "IMAGE"]`:

```python
import os
import base64
from google import genai

client = genai.Client(api_key=os.environ["GEMINI_API_KEY"])

response = client.models.generate_content(
    model="gemini-2.5-flash-image",
    contents=["Your prompt here"],
)

for part in response.parts:
    if part.text:
        print(part.text)
    elif part.inline_data:
        image = part.as_image()
        image.save("output.png")
```

## Image Configuration Options

Control output with `image_config`:

```python
from google.genai import types

response = client.models.generate_content(
    model="gemini-3-pro-image-preview",
    contents=[prompt],
    config=types.GenerateContentConfig(
        response_modalities=['TEXT', 'IMAGE'],
        image_config=types.ImageConfig(
            aspect_ratio="16:9",  # 1:1, 2:3, 3:2, 3:4, 4:3, 4:5, 5:4, 9:16, 16:9, 21:9
            image_size="2K"       # 1K, 2K, 4K (Pro only for 4K)
        ),
    )
)
```

## Editing Images

Pass existing images with text prompts:

```python
from PIL import Image

img = Image.open("input.png")
response = client.models.generate_content(
    model="gemini-2.5-flash-image",
    contents=["Add a sunset to this scene", img],
)
```

## Multi-Turn Refinement

Use chat for iterative editing:

```python
from google.genai import types

chat = client.chats.create(
    model="gemini-2.5-flash-image",
    config=types.GenerateContentConfig(response_modalities=['TEXT', 'IMAGE'])
)

response = chat.send_message("Create a logo for 'Acme Corp'")
# Save first image...

response = chat.send_message("Make the text bolder and add a blue gradient")
# Save refined image...
```

## Prompting Best Practices

### Photorealistic Scenes
Include camera details: lens type, lighting, angle, mood.
> "A photorealistic close-up portrait, 85mm lens, soft golden hour light, shallow depth of field"

### Stylized Art
Specify style explicitly:
> "A kawaii-style sticker of a happy red panda, bold outlines, cel-shading, white background"

### Text in Images
Be explicit about font style and placement. Use `gemini-3-pro-image-preview` for best results:
> "Create a logo with text 'Daily Grind' in clean sans-serif, black and white, coffee bean motif"

### Product Mockups
Describe lighting setup and surface:
> "Studio-lit product photo on polished concrete, three-point softbox setup, 45-degree angle"

## Advanced Features (Pro Model Only)

### Google Search Grounding
Generate images based on real-time data:

```python
response = client.models.generate_content(
    model="gemini-3-pro-image-preview",
    contents=["Visualize today's weather in Tokyo as an infographic"],
    config=types.GenerateContentConfig(
        response_modalities=['TEXT', 'IMAGE'],
        tools=[{"google_search": {}}]
    )
)
```

### Multiple Reference Images (Up to 14)
Combine elements from multiple sources:

```python
response = client.models.generate_content(
    model="gemini-3-pro-image-preview",
    contents=[
        "Create a group photo of these people in an office",
        Image.open("person1.png"),
        Image.open("person2.png"),
        Image.open("person3.png"),
    ],
)
```

## REST API (curl)

```bash
curl -s -X POST \
  "https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/models/gemini-2.5-flash-image:generateContent" \
  -H "x-goog-api-key: $GEMINI_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "contents": [{"parts": [{"text": "A serene mountain landscape"}]}]
  }' | jq -r '.candidates[0].content.parts[] | select(.inlineData) | .inlineData.data' | base64 --decode > output.png
```

## Troubleshooting

### API Quota Exhausted (429 Error)

When you encounter a `ResourceExhausted` or `429` error, it means your API quota limit has been reached. **Important**: The Gemini web interface ([gemini.google.com](https://gemini.google.com)) and the API have **separate quota systems**.

#### Fallback Workflow

When API quota is exhausted, all scripts will automatically display your optimized prompt in a copy-friendly format:

```
==============================================================
ERROR: API Quota Exhausted
==============================================================

Your optimized prompt:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Character sheet design. Professional cartoon illustration...
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Fallback Instructions:
1. Visit https://gemini.google.com
2. Copy the prompt above and paste it in the web interface
3. For image editing: Upload your input image
4. The web interface has a SEPARATE quota from the API

Check API usage: https://ai.dev/usage?tab=rate-limit
```

#### Why This Works

- **API quota**: Limited for programmatic access, resets daily
- **Web interface quota**: More generous, designed for human interaction
- **Same account, different buckets**: Exhausting one doesn't affect the other

#### Script Behavior

All scripts (`generate_image.py`, `edit_image.py`, `multi_turn_chat.py`, `compose_images.py`) handle quota errors gracefully:

- Exit with status code `429` (instead of generic `1`)
- Display your full prompt/instruction
- List any input images involved
- Provide step-by-step fallback instructions

#### Prevention

Monitor your API usage at [https://ai.dev/usage?tab=rate-limit](https://ai.dev/usage?tab=rate-limit) to track:
- Requests per day/minute limits
- Token consumption
- When quotas will reset

## Notes

- All generated images include SynthID watermarks
- Image-only mode (`responseModalities: ["IMAGE"]`) won't work with Google Search grounding
- For editing, describe changes conversationally—the model understands semantic masking

```