Do not: write a detailed description of any character.
People will make up how characters look anyway. Describing a male character is no different from describing any other character— do it in small snatches, focusing on major details while mixing them in with action. If you want to emphasize the guy's arms, have him lift something to flex the muscles. Just don't make it forced.
And please don't remind us of how hot this guy is every few pages. People want to read a story. Not descriptions of a character's looks. Characterize him by how he acts, not how pretty his eyes are.
A writer is a world trapped in a person— Victor Hugo
Ink is blood. Paper is bandages. The wounded press books to their heart to know they're not alone.
But, as with the description of any character, use your viewpoint character's perspective to your advantage. If your viewpoint or POV character is a lovesick teenage girl (or boy) and all she (or he) can do is think, "His eyes are so pretty," that makes a lot more sense then if someone who's not attracted to him at all keeps commenting on how pretty his eyes are or watching his muscles bulge. The key here is to be authentic with it, otherwise you'll lose credibility with your reader.
What I mean is this:
It's a lot easier to believe that your viewpoint character--let's call her Jane--believes John is the hottest guy to have ever walked this earth than it is to believe that John actually is the hottest guy who has ever walked this earth. With the first, you relay one character's perspective on another character. With another, you try to convince us that a guy is the hottest thing that's ever walked this earth, and the likelihood that that can be done is small.
The best an author can do in the later regard is to write the character honestly, and describe him with unbiased terms. Instead of saying he has the prettiest eyes, you describe the exact shade. Instead of saying he has the most enchanting smile, you paint us a picture of exactly how the left corner twitches upward just slightly more than the right (or whatever it actually is). In short, you never once use adjectives like "hot," "pretty," "handsome," "hot," "intoxicating," "hot," or anything similar. You describe exactly what it is that makes him hot, in bits and pieces, here and there, you get your viewpoint character's perspective of him, and you describe his actions with similar honesty.
And then, your reader decides if he's the hottest dude to have ever walked the earth. Standards don't seem to be particularly high nowadays, and I'm personally holding out for the hot male character who speaks Finnish and Navajo and likes to go backpacking with two dogs, keeps a pristinely disorganized and full library, and bakes a fantastic chocolate cake--but, eh, no deliveries from the writing gods yet.
I don't fangirl. I fandragon.
Have you thanked a teacher lately? You should. Their bladder control alone is legend.
So, you should totally listen to Rosey and Rachael.
I'll give my own two cents, too. First of all, one writer has a website called Obsidian Bookshelf which is a great place for finding tips on describing people in general.
Me? I'm fascinated with people's flaws--inward and outward. So I tend to focus on that, if I can.
But I can offer a few tips.
What's important about him? Not the physical aspects, but the emotional and mental? Make his outward appearance reflect this! If he writes a lot with pens, does he get ink under his nails? Is he a neat-freak with no hair out of place? Etc.
Stay away from cliches. "Eyes dark as night" or "hair as golden as the sun" for example. Keep it simple, but go for new phrases and unusual metaphor/simile.
Have another character comment on the chosen character. Person 1: "Why are you limping?" Person 2: "Well, I got injured in a bike accident and my left leg is an inch shorter than my right--" You get a picture of the guy, don't you? He limps and he rides a motorbike. Or does he ride a bicycle? It's up to your brain, but you see him a bit better. He used to whip around on a skinny metal frame, but now he has a limp.
Have the character notice a particular something. I think that was suggested, but start small and, again, avoid cliche things. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder--what does your beholder notice about this other person?
Anyway, description is used to help a reader see something, yes. But it also can build character and move plot forward and story-build! For a minor character, you might use a throwaway sentence, but the description of a main character? It should do more than just be flowery language.
Anyway, hope this helps. Good luck with your writing!
Ah, I like Cspr's advice with the ink under the finger nails, that's a great idea!
When trying to describe someone it's easy to fall into systematic description, but there's a lot you can do with a characters physical introduction.
Consider whose viewpoint it is and who your audience is.
Gender: Women describe faces more, men describe physique more. Women might talk about someones weight, where men would talk about muscle mass.
Age: Children notice height a lot, elders notice neatness. Children notice things that are brighter or more interesting. Elders notice something well crafted or more expensive.
Lifestyle: An office worker might be embarrassed to see a woman covered in splodges of paint, where a mother might regard her with a kind, empathetic pity. A sportswoman would regard a tubby person as being lazy, where a food critic would regard this skinny lady as malnourished.
Relationship: A woman might regard her husband as being the most handsome man on earth, even if he hasn't bathed in three weeks. She'll also think his jealous ex dresses too flirty even if she always wears jeans and baggy jumpers.
Insecurity: Women who are insecure about the size of their noses will be more likely to notice other peoples noses. Mothers often find flaws in their daughters appearance without realising that they're reflecting their own insecurity. A man concerned with his own masculinity will notice effeminate men more.
Familiarty: A boy from a small country community would be more startled by someone with bright red hair because it's unfamiliar, and yet wouldn't think anything less of the man wearing dungarees that his citybread friend thinks looks totally bizarre.
When you take these things into account then the description will naturally form, and will serve purpose not just as a way of describing interesting traits about someone else, but revealing the nature of your own character.
It's a fun way of getting around your own literary prejudices too. By forcing yourself to see through someone else's eyes you become aware of the things that seem perfectly natural to you.
Good luck with your writing!
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