Alright, so I’ve been messing around with drawing lately, right? Mostly just doodles for fun, nothing serious. Got this idea stuck in my head after watching Family Guy reruns for way too long one weekend: does Peter Griffin actually look better from the side? Seemed kinda dumb, but hey, why not try it out myself? That’s what I do.
Just Started Sketching Whatever
Grabbed my sketchbook and a decent pencil – nothing fancy, just whatever was lying around. Started with the front view because, well, it’s the most common way you see the guy. Drew his head shape first, this big oval kinda thing. Then tried to cram in those tiny eyes right next to his giant nose bridge, which already felt weird. Getting that big, round chin under his lower lip? Man, it ended up looking just super flat and kinda smooshed together. Like all his features were fighting for space right there on the front of his face. Felt like I was drawing a pancake with eyes glued on.
Then I Flipped Him Sideways
Okay, frustrated with the front view, I flipped the page. Tried drawing his profile. This started making WAY more sense to my hand somehow. I drew the curve of his head from the back, over the top – super exaggerated forehead, obviously – then right down that massive nose. And that’s when it hit me.
The profile view unlocks his whole design:
- That Nose: From the side, that huge honker? Pure gold. It sticks out miles, you can actually appreciate the sheer ridiculous size, the slope… everything the front view hides.
- The Chin: Oh man, the chin! From the side, you see that famous underbite in action. His bottom jaw juts way out past his top lip. It gives him that stupid, stubborn look perfectly. Front view just can’t show this properly.
- His Gut: Even tried drawing a bit of his body. Front view? Just a big round blob for his stomach. Side view? Suddenly you see the silhouette – the beer belly hanging out, that thick neck, it tells the whole story of the character instantly.
Seriously, I must’ve sketched the same scene of Peter yelling at the TV maybe 5 times from the front and 5 times from the side, just scribbling fast. Every single time, the side view felt easier and looked way more… Peter. It wasn’t just me trying harder on one; the actual shape just works better in profile.
So Yeah, The Side View Wins
Look, it ain’t some deep artistic revelation I suppose, but trying it hands-on? Kinda blew my mind a little. That side view gives all his features – the ridiculous nose, the stubborn jaw, the beer gut – room to actually do their thing. The front view squishes it all down. Drawing it myself really showed me why the animators probably lean on the profile shots so much for expressions or introductions. It’s simply the best angle to show off why Peter looks the way he does. Feels like the design is built for it.
