>>38506960The most important thing, and the very first step, is get an idea. Every good Pokemon has a bit of inspiration behind it. Ask yourself, "is this REALLY something GameFreak would do?" If the answer is no, it's probably not going to be a very convincing fake (so basically just don't go for the old cliche plague doctor Spritzee evo, normal/ghost Schrodinger's Cat, fire/grass chili pepper, etc.) Conceptualize how you want your Pokemon to work, how some of your inspirations will play into the design you wish to create. Try to sum up your Pokemon's personality or characteristics in a few short phrases or sentences to really nail down the essence you want to go for.
Once you think you've got a good foundation, just start drawing. Professional character designers sometimes go through dozens or even hundreds of iterations before a character design sticks, so don't be afraid to spitball ideas onto your page, take note of what works well, scrap what doesn't, and don't be afraid to change things if you don't feel sure about it. Be careful about adding superfluous details that serve no functional purpose to the creature. Think of what you're creating as a living being in an ecosystem rather than just a cool/marketable design. Come up with a pleasing color scheme too. Make sure to balance your colors well so that the design doesn't feel too lopsided or bland.
If you need some help trying to make it look like a Pokemon, meditate on some of your own favorite official Pokemon and ask yourself why their designs appeal to you, or look at Pokemon whose species are similar to what you're trying to come up with, and take notice of those Pokemons' key features that the designers put heavy accentuation on. I'm not saying to copy existing designs, but if you're stuck, it doesn't hurt to see how others have tackled design hurdles and use that to push yourself in your own unique direction.
