I'm trying to design characters (but I know nothing about design. Help!)

[surreal basin]

Okay, I'm trying to design a cast of characters that live in a fictitious European country based on 17th century Switzerland. I want a distinctly different look from the most common depiction of this era. Think generic fantasy webtoon, that's what I'm trying to avoid. I am planning to take big creative liberties for the sake of a more visually appealing design and silhouette, but i do want a more grounded feel to them.

Keywords, advice, etc are greatly appreciated! I'm really trying to improve my bare bones knowledge of design; as, unfortunately, I neglected it in my art journey up until this point 😓

I wanted to learn how to effectively apply design in aesthetic appeal AND a method of storytelling.

Here is my first character concept so far. He is a feral peasant boy who creeps around in the woods and trees. He's supposed to be unnerving and scary outwardly, but deep down he is a big puppy. He is 12. I've been struggling on what scarring I should give him to show that he lives his life completely wild. Also his outfit just seems... boring? Maybe it's a good thing to contrast the nobility and make them pop out as more poshly ornate to emphasize their corruption. But idk. It just doesn't stand out to me and idk if it represents his character well enough.

(Backscarring is blacked out because I couldn't draw it so I gave up,)

[latent arch]

i learned this from @yungalyy my #1 fashion inspiration

accessorize

give him accessories from the forest, like maybe sticks in his hair to make him seem more feral or whatever

not sure what time period or where in the world youre going for

but when i think survivalist, my first thought is aloy from hzd. i think her design is peak survivalist. but im not sure if ur also going for that tribal look here

[surreal basin]

I mentioned it in my first message. All the characters I will post here are of the same story. 17th century Switzerland inspired