Development of a Character for a hangtag:

I have chosen the Bengal Tiger for my character.  This anthropomorphic character will act as a mascot for the Bengal Tiger and will appeal to the target audience for the plush version of the species. WWF will sponsor the plush tiger that the hangtag will appear on. A portion of the proceeds will go to help them achieve their mission.

Step 1:

Develop an anthropomorphic character through the creation of many thumbnail sketches:

Step 2:

Create 4 rough layouts (front & back) for a custom die cut double-sided hangtag for a plush of your endangered species :

Step 3:

Digitize a strong sketch using drawing tools in Adobe Illustrator.  Progression of character from sketch to initial digital drawing, to second work in progress with some shading.

Step 4: Final Character Illustration: 
I was not happy with the initial characters eyes or mouth so I decided to make the eyes bigger, to appear more child-like.  I also reduced the size of the nose and mouth to work better with the new eyes.  I added a lot of shading using many layers of shapes with gradients.

Step 5: Hang tag die guide:

I had to create a custom die guide for my hang tag and I wanted to make sure that the shape I chose would really reflect the culture of India, in which the Bengal Tiger is located.  I chose to do a paisley design.  The outline for the custom shape is in Magenta.

Step 6: Create the Hang tag:

I wanted to keep the culture of India in mind as I created this hang tag.  I have used colors that are widely used in the region as well as some mandala shapes.  I have listed  three important facts on the back, as well as a proceeds line and the WWF logo. Here is the final hang tag design.