This is a really weird question, but how do I make "ugly" characters still look somewhat appealing? Like I know they're supposed to be ugly, but they still have to be identifiable with the audience.

Character appeal has everything to do with shape language. Pushing the features of a character to make a point will make them more interesting to the audience, and they will be more invested - people want to look at interesting things! 

If its a good-aligned character and you’re worried about making them seem less sympathetic, I think shape language and body language should convey that they are a protagonist, so it doesn’t matter the detail features if they’re ugly or pretty etc etc. if the way they’re designed makes us feel like, oh this is a good person.

For villains and/or morally ambiguous characters, think about what you want to convey with the identifiers you’re including. I’m sure you know sharp angles and triangle shapes can be used to easily show a more brash character.

Look at this Boxtrolls concept art from Laika Studios! This is our protagonist! Notice how the style also lends itself to be more ugly. Yet, we can tell that this kid is good-natured because of his open expression and the timid way he stands. He is not conventionally attractive, but his character is appealing and interesting because of whats been exaggerated: big round head, spindly arms, big ears that seem BIGGER because of the hat, mismatched shoes. 

(Thanks to Mod Todd for her additions) 

The BEST advice I can give is to look at a LOT of different things. This is how you avoid falling into too many tropes - by having a lot of things that you can draw from. ArtStation and DeviantArt are good places to start, as well as to look at official concept art (follow lots of artists!) 

When designing characters that we deem unconventionally attractive, we have to be careful not to fall into racist/transphobic/ableist/etc tropes and archetypes. The best way to do this is to hinge on a number of traits and have a VARIETY amongst all the characters in your portfolio/story. 

For Monsters: 

It’s easier to base a monster on existing things (since monsters are more imaginary and harder to create) 

Example: Looking up “monster” on artstation I can see this:

By basing a monster in an existing creature, such as a lizard or human, you already have a base to work with. Now, you just warp it however you want. Add more teeth, or eyes, or poisonous spines! Looking at horror movies and games can also give you ideas for how to warp things: combining creatures, distorting the human body, etc. 

-Mod Future (ko-fi)

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