VIS611 Elements of Story Finals

I can say a zillion things about my challenging quarter I just finished however, the work is decent enough to post here.  The quarter is done and I'm glad it's done.  Here is my work on my revamp of Robin Hood.  I will spend the next few weeks tweaking it until its as perfect as I can make it and see if I can get work from it.  I haven't decided if I'm going to post the story I wrote for it.  Perhaps the treatment I'll post.

Robin Hood Finals

Here is my final character design for my reiteration of a futuristic Robin Hood.  This is the 3D version of it done in Photoshop.  I stretched his legs a bit to make him appear more "heroic"...at least this is what my instructor told me a week ago after it was approved more than a month ago.  You can see the original 2D drawing of it in the previous post.

Robin Hood!

Here are my character iterations for my take on Robin Hood.  It's based on the classic story however it's a sci/fi piece where a drifter rises above the oppression from the government on off-world terra-forming colonies.  After he develops a following and creates a band of rebels he raids the off-world storage facilities and .  The people give Robert Clepero a new name after the famous English outlaw/patriot, Robin Hood.  Mariam is a government administrator with a heart for the terra-forming colonies plagued by the government.  She soon becomes Robin's attraction after she offers unconditional help to hack the government slush accounts and bring prosperity back to the  people.  The elusive Robin Hood and Little John always escape from the clutches of the vile and disgusting Magistrate.  The Magistrate is desperate and focused at bringing an end to the financial losses within the region and will do whatever means necessary to catch Robin Hood.

I'm still reworking these.  This is my first iteration for the characters.  There's some anatomical details I have to workout for Little John.

Character Design

Variation #1

Variation #2

Homage to Brian Froud with a little more attitude

I did one like this in my first illustration class in '90 without dynamic action

Not my favorite one but it works

Spunky

Minotaur

A reluctant Barbarian Princess

Homage to character designer/director, Chris Sanders

My version of La Femme Nikita in the late 1960's and homage to Claire Wendling

Version #2 of La Femme Nikita, semi-futuristic

One Night With the King, 60 ft. monolithic statue

Class charcoal/white charcoal demonstration

Character Design: Final Turn Around

Here's my final turn around for my MFA class in Character Design.  Usually, you don't pose your character with extended arms with props nor do you have them in a dynamic contrapposto pose but my instructor wanted it so she got it.  I'm still waiting to see what I got on the final but we'll see.  This is a serious upgrade from previous post.

I don't have an expressions sheet on this as it's still as a WIP.

Character Design for Animators: Week 13

It's late and I'm so burnt on character design right now.  I still have much work to do tonight but I at least wanted to post this update.  This is the character I'm using for my final however I'm going to update her wardrobe even though I like the Go-Go dress and hooker boots.  She's based on La Femme Nikita.  My updated version will be a bit more futuristic...I think.  I guess it's would be my version of what Matilda from Leon (The Professional) would grow up as an adult.  I can totally see Natalie Portman doing this character.  So here are different stages of development in sequential order:

 

Character Design for Animators: Week 9

I didn't post this in order since I was waiting for my instructor's response.  She liked it and said I had an original take on the Minotaur.  I wanted to combine rhino hind legs and snout, give him a barrel chest and a main of hair.  I also wanted to give him some wicked horns.  I think I could have pushed the pose a bit more and she actually stated that a charging Minotaur would work better.  I think I might try a Minotaur in the style of one of my favorite character designers, Claire Wendling.  She already has a a Minotaur design but mine is quite different.  Her's is more anthropomorphic while mine is zoomorphic.

Character Design Week 10

Hopefully this will get a good review from my instructor. I've been raked over the coals the past 2 weeks and I need a break. I've been busting my ass trying to learn character design from someone who was brought up by the teachings of Walt Stanchfield at Disney.

So we had a choice between a stereotypical or non-sterotypical hero/heroine or villain.  I chose the non-stereotypical heroine.   The concept is she's kind of clumsy and too small for her clothing....kind of bony and uncomfortable.

 Barbarian Girl WIP

FINAL

Character Design for Animators: Week 8

I'm working way outside my comfort zone here but I think it works.  The line of action stiffened up too much during clean up....something I need to work on.  This often happens when working with graphite as this is the first character using it.  The previous ones I used PrismaColor Pencil and I think I'll go back to it since it's not forgiving and have to accept it as it is or do it over.  So, I did another alligator but a more whimsical one.  I wanted him to look timid but I should have pushed the gesture a bit more.

Layout for Animators: Week 8

I'm half way through this class and finally getting to a place where we are beginning to do a real layout.  These are thumbnails and comps for a "skygarden" whatever that is.  I didn't show a garden per se, but I at least showed the overall structure and stuff.  I think it might be too loose for my instructor's liking but we will soon see.  I just know Scott Caple (Instructor) is going to get on my case about not fully developing the steps on the Comp #1.

Thumbnails

Primary Thumbnails

 Comp #1

Comp #2

 Comp #2 Revised

Character Design Week 6: Portraits

This was an easy week as we had to draw portraits.  I actually did 3 separate portraits for the male model below to make sure it was "on model".  I have a before and after post of this, too.  My favorite has to be the woman as she is reminiscent of Sargent's "Madame X".  This week it's caricatures which I'm looking forward to.

On a side note I'm doing well in this class and in Layout for Animators getting and "A" for mid-term grades but pulled a "C" and a "B" on Week 5 homework.  Pisses me off since I worked hard but it was a bad friggen week to begin with.  I was burning the candle at both ends with my teaching gig at two campuses and especially teaching an intro to animation class I've never taught before.

       1st Draft                                                 Final

Weeks 4 & 5 Update: Character Design

Here are my updates for Weeks 4 and 5.

Week 4: Design a 2D shape focusing on curved vs. straights, big-to-small, etc.  Then from this shape we were to design a character from this:

The first one is inspired by my daughter's interest in superheroes.

Week 5: Design a costume for an existing model from our photo references: 1900's Gibson-esque woman or Steampunk Woman, vagabond, and/or Medieval Knight w/surcoat and chain mail.  I did a Steampunk Woman.  This is my 5th draft of her.  Not much has changed except her face and the costume.  I also elongated her capitalizing on her legs and the corset.  

Week 2 Revisions

My instructor wanted me to REDO my post for Week 2 as I did it wrong.  I wasn't supposed to change the pose but improve the line of action and exaggerate the figure some how.  So, I decided to make him a little guy.  I still like the freshness of the Original but the Revision is funny to look at.

Original

REVISION

ANM633 Character Design Week 3 Continued

So, I got a critique from my instructor Jennifer Oliver (Disney Feature - Character Key) and suggested I give the gator an expression to flesh him out.  I redrew and gave him the look of surprise and dread.  I think it works.  For my second character I wanted to pay homage to Brian Froud and do a Brownie Fairy which I've never been able to accomplished.  I think I just needed a pushed in the right direction.

ANM633 Character Design: Week 3

Here's my drawing for Week 3.  I had to state what my "crutch" was or rather something I fall back on a regular basis then do a drawing without using my crutch.  My "crutch" was drawing humans in their peak physical fitness and proportion with as much accuracy as possible.  To my detriment I will add way too much detail, too.  So, we still had to use photo reference but could not fall back on our "crutch".  I did a rhino beating up on a crocodile.  I rarely draw animals especially in a whimsical fashion.  This is a pissed off rhino kind of a bully:

Character Design Week 2 Homework

Here we go!  Finally we're getting somewhere in the class.  This week we were to exaggerate a pose from photographic reference emphasizing a more dynamic line of action however many of the demos indicated changing the physical makeup of the model.  I stayed within my comfort zone though.  I did create a grander line of action however I think I could have pushed it further especially seeing some of Bobby Chiu's work as an example of how far to push it.  I'm just not there yet.

I also got some reference from Week 3 coming up that I used for practice and it was a huge spring board for what I ended up doing for the final drawing.  I used PrismaColor Pencil which I rarely use like this.

Practice:

Finals: