OUAN503 - Peer Feedback:
As part of our final critique, we were asked to give feedback on randomly selected work in order to help further their project to the last hurdle of finalising and submission. I discovered a variation of opinions on my work, positive and negative, which were all quite useful. The text in bold are the comments made by peers who knew what the brief was. The regular text features comments made by those who did not know anything to do with my project.
Comment on the effectiveness of the prosed concept/response in relation to the brief:
Strengths:
- Definitely hits a younger audience
- Introduces sweeter alternatives to plain coffee
- Flavours are creative and unique
- Well revised/clear tone of voice
Suggestions:
- Be aware of mixing typography
- Boards are pixelated
- What is the brief?
- A new label?
Comment on the extent to which the proposed response solves the identified problem:
Strengths:
- Introducing a possibly popular, new product
- Made a wide variation of designs to choose from
- Wide range of logos/labels
- Nice to look at
- Can see it working/being in a shop on a bottle
Suggestions:
- Perhaps create test samples (try labels on bottles)
- The problem is not identified
- Consider scale - some areas are pixelated (due to printing error)
Comment on the appropriateness of the response to the identified audience/context.
Strengths:
- Tackles both young and a more mature audience
- Colours make you think of a sophisticated, older, professional audience?
Suggestions:
- Accommodate for each flavour? Different coloured labels for each flavour - previews? Keep label style, change colours
- Clearly identify your audience
Comment on the visual quality/content in relation to the proposed response
Strengths:
- The red design seems to be the strongest
- Bold, memorable, crisp
- Very finalised and professional
Suggestions:
- Watch our for copyrighted designs e.g. the cross (shown on many rowing and sporting logos)
- Tone down the red a bit. Desaturate.
- Clearly label the final designs
- Explain choices
Comment on the presentation of the work with regards to the quantity, quality and appropriateness of the text based and visual information:
Strengths:
- Clear presentation of what she is creating but needs to refine her decisions
- Allowed for a lot of peer input and suggestions
- Good use of negative space, focused ideas
- Border contains work so easy to look at
Suggestions:
- Needs a bit more text based information to explain certain aspects
- How will it be applied to social media and advertisements?
- Finalised design would be nice
- Clearly label things
- Annotate
- Show examples of other products (TV adverts, bus stop posters)
Tuesday 20 January 2015
OUAN503 - Responsive - Individual Practice: Final Crit (Proposal Boards)
OUAN503 - Final Critique:
Last week we had our final critique for our individual practice. We brought along our more finalised proposal boards, taking into account all of the feedback we had been given from our interim and acting on it. I had to completely change all three of my boards as the labels did in fact look quite shoddy and rushed.
I don't think I made a huge improvement, but this time I took into account my audience more actively and decided to create a few various label designs to bring to the team so that I could their opinions on what they thought would be the most suitable design for Taylor's of Harrogate and and their specified audience.
Last week we had our final critique for our individual practice. We brought along our more finalised proposal boards, taking into account all of the feedback we had been given from our interim and acting on it. I had to completely change all three of my boards as the labels did in fact look quite shoddy and rushed.
I don't think I made a huge improvement, but this time I took into account my audience more actively and decided to create a few various label designs to bring to the team so that I could their opinions on what they thought would be the most suitable design for Taylor's of Harrogate and and their specified audience.
Due to a slight printing error, my proposal boards came out rather pixelated and blurry, which was a large setback as some of the text was incoherent to anyone that didn't have a clue what my project was about. I designed a series of five labels, each a preview of one of the three flavours (using the corresponding colours) that the labels would feature. I went on to ask the group their opinions on most suitable label, why, and how I could improve to suit the purpose of the brief. I received a few mixed responses, all of which were very helpful.
According to a couple of group members, the roughly "illustrated", hand drawn label (bottom far left) would be the most successful. It stands out, using contrasting colours well and not being too complicated. It is simple and neat with a bit of hand-drawn type (appealing to a young audience - artsy), yet needs the red to be muted a little bit as it is too overpowering. The other popular option was the tea-stained coconut design (top left) as the illustrated coconut (more have been done for the other flavours) was a nice creative touch. The colours worked well with each other, sticking within a warm brown (other colours used for two other flavours), and would appeal to a student-type audience.
The last sheet was a quick example of where I wanted my adverts displayed. Although I didn't design very well for these places, (i.e I didn't create a poster example for a bus stop or billboard) you get the general idea of what I would like to happen. Some group members suggested a pixilation animation for the company website as it would be quirky and be noticeable. Television adverts might be as effective as Taylor's don't really do much TV advertising. (I can only count one advert I have seen which was created in May 2014 - see clip below.)
Monday 19 January 2015
OUAN503 - Responsive - Individual Practice: Interim Crit (Proposal Boards)
OUAN503 - Individual Practice:
Just before Christmas it was our duty to fully analyse the task in hand and take a good look at the brief in order to come up with a series of design boards of around 3-5. On A3 sheets we would present to our groups our initial ideas. For my project brief, I aimed to create a coffee innovation so that a younger audience would be more likely to try coffee. I identified that the main reason for disliking coffee was the bitter taste, so from personal experience coffee syrups were the way to go.
I came up with these three terribly thought out pitch boards as a starting point to give my team an idea of what I was trying to achieve. It was agreed that the designs were awful as they did not appeal to a younger demographic and looked a bit bland. The bottle labels were badly edited onto some images of bottles and didn't really give an idea of what I was aiming for.
Just before Christmas it was our duty to fully analyse the task in hand and take a good look at the brief in order to come up with a series of design boards of around 3-5. On A3 sheets we would present to our groups our initial ideas. For my project brief, I aimed to create a coffee innovation so that a younger audience would be more likely to try coffee. I identified that the main reason for disliking coffee was the bitter taste, so from personal experience coffee syrups were the way to go.
I came up with these three terribly thought out pitch boards as a starting point to give my team an idea of what I was trying to achieve. It was agreed that the designs were awful as they did not appeal to a younger demographic and looked a bit bland. The bottle labels were badly edited onto some images of bottles and didn't really give an idea of what I was aiming for.
My three festive choices actually didn't go down too well as although it had crossed my mind, peers and friends started commenting that it may not be suitable to have all three flavours in Christmas range as the festive period was long gone...
I looked at sizing for the regular rectangular-type labels, but after a quick mockup and others' feedback, maybe a wide selection of label sizes and shapes would be a good place to start. Colour-wise, feedback was positive and it was said that I had thought about colour well as I was aiming for a "warm" vibe, which came across in my colour choices.
These labels were simply really bad mockups/compositions using royalty-free images found on the likes of Google. I used them only for demonstration purposes as I did want to go out and take my own photography for the labels. However, I didn't think photography would be the best medium of choice as it didn't look "fun" and audience relevant enough. Illustrated labels would probably be a better choice, so that's the next step.
Sunday 18 January 2015
OUAN504 - Character & Narrative: Final Crit (Group Feedback)
OUAN504 - Final Critique:
Despite not having any final outcome for the final critique, I thought it wise to at least bring something to the table, so to speak. I needed some feedback on the few, rough poses I had created for my initial animation starting point (or animatic).
After explaining that it was unfinished business and could do with many, many improvements already, I got a lot of valuable comments from the class. It was mentioned that my onion did indeed look more like a poo, (though I think that comment came from myself in a feeble attempt to try and be funny...) and that it needed a more rounded bottom. I do think that the onion could have been improved immensely as it did look more like a chestnut with a face!
The keyframes themselves could be worked on further as little things such as the hips on Moom could be looked at - more reference observations needed, Grace! I will also work on getting Moom's hands and face working again as I discovered after making my key poses that they were completely rigid and locked. Positive feedback from peers about some of the key poses looking fun and exaggerated was nice to hear, though on the pose where Moom is kicking the onion off the screen, it was mentioned that his leg should be fully extended, not partially. I also plan to do some of things that were mentioned to other members of the class as their improvements can be a good idea to take into account. For instance, using the graph editor to offset some of the tangents a little so that I can achieve smooth, realistic overlapping action.
All in all, I will try my hardest to get this project finished. It is incredibly fun and I am thoroughly enjoying my time with Moom and Maya, albeit frustrating. It is nice to know I am learning a new skill that can further my knowledge and understanding of animation.
Despite not having any final outcome for the final critique, I thought it wise to at least bring something to the table, so to speak. I needed some feedback on the few, rough poses I had created for my initial animation starting point (or animatic).
After explaining that it was unfinished business and could do with many, many improvements already, I got a lot of valuable comments from the class. It was mentioned that my onion did indeed look more like a poo, (though I think that comment came from myself in a feeble attempt to try and be funny...) and that it needed a more rounded bottom. I do think that the onion could have been improved immensely as it did look more like a chestnut with a face!
The keyframes themselves could be worked on further as little things such as the hips on Moom could be looked at - more reference observations needed, Grace! I will also work on getting Moom's hands and face working again as I discovered after making my key poses that they were completely rigid and locked. Positive feedback from peers about some of the key poses looking fun and exaggerated was nice to hear, though on the pose where Moom is kicking the onion off the screen, it was mentioned that his leg should be fully extended, not partially. I also plan to do some of things that were mentioned to other members of the class as their improvements can be a good idea to take into account. For instance, using the graph editor to offset some of the tangents a little so that I can achieve smooth, realistic overlapping action.
All in all, I will try my hardest to get this project finished. It is incredibly fun and I am thoroughly enjoying my time with Moom and Maya, albeit frustrating. It is nice to know I am learning a new skill that can further my knowledge and understanding of animation.
Monday 12 January 2015
OUAN504 - Character & Narrative: Animatic
OUAN504 - Animatic:
After finally managing to get a good grip on my keyframes, I created an animatic to demonstrate how the sound would fit with the animation. I included props in my animatic to give me a rough idea of where to go next. This would have been finished a lot sooner, but I lost a great deal of work from home that had to be redone.
After finally managing to get a good grip on my keyframes, I created an animatic to demonstrate how the sound would fit with the animation. I included props in my animatic to give me a rough idea of where to go next. This would have been finished a lot sooner, but I lost a great deal of work from home that had to be redone.
Saturday 10 January 2015
OUAN504 - Character & Narrative - Acting Up: Understanding 3D Modelling (Future Potential of 3D)
OUAN504 - Understanding 3D Modelling:
Animation isn't just used for entertainment. It can have a variety of purposes and all are beneficial in some way or another. Medicine and surgical animation isn't the first thing that springs to mind when thinking of 3D. However, there's a growing industry for this kind of animation.
"Virtutopsy/"Virtopsy"", or MRI-assisted virtual autopsy, is the ability to inspect body parts or objects that are far too damaged to interact with physically. Medical animations have become quite popular in legal cases and forensics where constructions of crime scenes, objects, and even potential suspects are created in order to help understand something that can't physically be seen. The idea of animation being purely virtual means that we can explore alternate or possible realities to help us understand past events.
A passage from the National Centre for Biotechnology Information states some of the positives of using this method: "Virtopsy can be employed as an alternative to standard autopsies for broad and systemic examination of the whole body as it is less time consuming, aids better diagnosis, and renders respect to religious sentiments."
3D technologies are used for MRI, CT and PET scans to give the medical professional an inside view of parts of the body that they would otherwise be unable to reach successfully. They are incredibly vital to modern medicine and have changed procedural methods.
3D software and animation doesn't just have to be hospital based. Interactive animations can be used in a teaching environment to give users a hands on experience of certain organs, diseases, and conditions. Nifty, compact animated presentations can be viewed in the comfort of your own home with the intent of educating. For instance, I came across this wonderful interactive website that allowed you learn about psychological diseases such as Alzheimer's where a 3D brain is shown, allowing you to scroll around the brain to view which parts of the brain are affected, how, and why. This is brilliant for students and wouldn't be possible without 3D technology.
Animation isn't just used for entertainment. It can have a variety of purposes and all are beneficial in some way or another. Medicine and surgical animation isn't the first thing that springs to mind when thinking of 3D. However, there's a growing industry for this kind of animation.
"Virtutopsy/"Virtopsy"", or MRI-assisted virtual autopsy, is the ability to inspect body parts or objects that are far too damaged to interact with physically. Medical animations have become quite popular in legal cases and forensics where constructions of crime scenes, objects, and even potential suspects are created in order to help understand something that can't physically be seen. The idea of animation being purely virtual means that we can explore alternate or possible realities to help us understand past events.
A passage from the National Centre for Biotechnology Information states some of the positives of using this method: "Virtopsy can be employed as an alternative to standard autopsies for broad and systemic examination of the whole body as it is less time consuming, aids better diagnosis, and renders respect to religious sentiments."
3D technologies are used for MRI, CT and PET scans to give the medical professional an inside view of parts of the body that they would otherwise be unable to reach successfully. They are incredibly vital to modern medicine and have changed procedural methods.
3D software and animation doesn't just have to be hospital based. Interactive animations can be used in a teaching environment to give users a hands on experience of certain organs, diseases, and conditions. Nifty, compact animated presentations can be viewed in the comfort of your own home with the intent of educating. For instance, I came across this wonderful interactive website that allowed you learn about psychological diseases such as Alzheimer's where a 3D brain is shown, allowing you to scroll around the brain to view which parts of the brain are affected, how, and why. This is brilliant for students and wouldn't be possible without 3D technology.
OUAN504 - Character & Narrative - Study Task 5: Making Faces
OUAN504 - Making Faces:
Due to a few hiccups in my work schedule and the slight inconvenience of being whisked away to the docs every five minutes, I was unable to get the work done of which I should have over the Christmas period. I'm surprised I'm not panicking, however all the more reason to try and attempt at least something during these difficult moments. On a brighter note, I have begun with some Maya work today, starting with good old study task 5 (Making Faces).
This took me about an hour to do, which wasn't long at all. I do think I could have improved a lot with the approach of my animating. For comedic value, I animated Moom's face to the sound of the horses neighing which in hindsight wasn't a great thing to do as it makes the animation look a little bit frantic and all over the place. The lip syncing was alright for a first attempt and I used plenty of phoneme reference from the internet, my sketchbook, and by looking in the mirror at my facial movements. The dope sheet I used before the Christmas break also came in handy!
This was a rather tedious task, though when I had finished, my reaction was certainly that of the GIF below.
Due to a few hiccups in my work schedule and the slight inconvenience of being whisked away to the docs every five minutes, I was unable to get the work done of which I should have over the Christmas period. I'm surprised I'm not panicking, however all the more reason to try and attempt at least something during these difficult moments. On a brighter note, I have begun with some Maya work today, starting with good old study task 5 (Making Faces).
This took me about an hour to do, which wasn't long at all. I do think I could have improved a lot with the approach of my animating. For comedic value, I animated Moom's face to the sound of the horses neighing which in hindsight wasn't a great thing to do as it makes the animation look a little bit frantic and all over the place. The lip syncing was alright for a first attempt and I used plenty of phoneme reference from the internet, my sketchbook, and by looking in the mirror at my facial movements. The dope sheet I used before the Christmas break also came in handy!
This was a rather tedious task, though when I had finished, my reaction was certainly that of the GIF below.
Thursday 8 January 2015
OUAN504 - Character & Narrative - Acting Up: Understanding Character & Narrative (Understanding Expression in Animals)
OUAN504 - Understanding Character & Narrative:
In order to learn more about creating wonderful characters, I decided to look into reference for expressions and actions that show a particular mood or need. Humans are usually quite easy to work out. We are naturally programmed to understand what certain facial shapes and muscular movements mean. Arched eyebrows downwards into the bridge of the nose usually means anger - we don't have to look at the whole face to understand that! Hands on hips can show impatience, sexual desire, playfulness and so forth. But how do animals show their own variety of needs, wants, and desires?
I think observation is key. Having a pet dog or cat may reveal that not all animals (just like humans) show the same emotional responses across the board. Take my pet budgerigar for example. The past four other budgies I have had in the past have all shown anger by pushing their feathers in sharply, opening their beaks slightly as if ready to attack, and have given off a distinguishing "chunter" as we call it - or shrill chirp to ward off threats. However, our most recent bird makes these same same noises when she is excited for attention and wants to be petted. She will do this constantly until you take notice of her! Animators must generalise I guess, as stereotypes play such an important role in creating a mutual understanding of a particular personality or lifestyle, you can't always be correct in animating a "cat that doesn't do what cats are meant to do" - unless the whole narrative revolved around that and it is made clear to the audience. Regardless, we must understand animal behaviour in order to create successful, comforting creatures!
In order to learn more about creating wonderful characters, I decided to look into reference for expressions and actions that show a particular mood or need. Humans are usually quite easy to work out. We are naturally programmed to understand what certain facial shapes and muscular movements mean. Arched eyebrows downwards into the bridge of the nose usually means anger - we don't have to look at the whole face to understand that! Hands on hips can show impatience, sexual desire, playfulness and so forth. But how do animals show their own variety of needs, wants, and desires?
I think observation is key. Having a pet dog or cat may reveal that not all animals (just like humans) show the same emotional responses across the board. Take my pet budgerigar for example. The past four other budgies I have had in the past have all shown anger by pushing their feathers in sharply, opening their beaks slightly as if ready to attack, and have given off a distinguishing "chunter" as we call it - or shrill chirp to ward off threats. However, our most recent bird makes these same same noises when she is excited for attention and wants to be petted. She will do this constantly until you take notice of her! Animators must generalise I guess, as stereotypes play such an important role in creating a mutual understanding of a particular personality or lifestyle, you can't always be correct in animating a "cat that doesn't do what cats are meant to do" - unless the whole narrative revolved around that and it is made clear to the audience. Regardless, we must understand animal behaviour in order to create successful, comforting creatures!
This Doggie Language chart found on Photobucket by an artist named Lili Chin is a fine example based around someone's beloved Boston Terrier, Boogie.You can see that dogs appear to be quite expressive in the way they share emotion. Every pose near enough is original and distinguishable from the next. However, let's see what happens when we look at that of a cat's...
Despite this image being quite flat and simple, we can see that the main focus of emotional energy for a cat seems to be the tail. In fact, I was always told as a child to watch a cat's tail in order to understand its mood. Now I see why. Lili Chin has done a vast array of illustrations showing off Boogie's many thoughts and feelings. Looking into emotion as well as this and doing small studies of animals (I will try with both animals and humans) as she has done will build up an understanding of character as an animator and allow for more accurate results. Knowing your subjects' actions well is a good advantage for creating deep and emotion-evoking pieces as you can then exaggerate (like she has shown below that she appears to to know her pet so well, she can make up what he is thinking) a character's emotional responses without them being too unnatural or unrelatable.
Lili's blog is a great place for all things dog-related. A great place for animation reference as it has a cartoon feel and oozes appeal! (Visit Lili's Blog - Doggie Drawings)
OUAN504 - Character & Narrative - Acting Up: Understanding Character & Narrative (Development of Cutscenes)
OUAN504 - Understanding Character & Narrative:
Cutscenes. Those fantastic little snippets of gameplay also known as in-game cinematics that give you that hands-off moment of relaxation to sit back and understand parts of a game's narrative. They are beautiful, breathtaking to look at, and are often quite different from actual live gameplay. As technology and 3D animation evolves, the rift (which I remember being very distinct when I was younger) between style of interactive game and that of the cutscenes is now slowly being closed. There is not as much of a difference as more tolerant games engines and consoles allow for equally stunning gameplay. But how have cutscenes developed over time and how do the methods used to create them effect the overall quality of the scene?
Cutscenes stereotypically involve some form of plot-thickening/forwarding interaction between characters at a pivotal point in a game. Usually you have a sense of euphoria that you've reached a major point in the game, and there are few as welcoming as the in-game cinematic. They can typically either be animated, live-action, or pre-rendered and open following a command or trigger in the game, from a video file stored in the game's files. Cutscenes don't always have to be extravagantly detailed and fully moving. For example, some RPGs (role-play games) feature just text and transitioning images to engage the player, yet they are very successful.
"Pac-Man, first released in 1980, is frequently credited as the first game to feature cut scenes, in the form of brief comical interludes about Pac-Man and the ghosts chasing each other around during those interludes, though Space Invaders Part II employed a similar technique that same year." - Arcade Museum
Cutscenes. Those fantastic little snippets of gameplay also known as in-game cinematics that give you that hands-off moment of relaxation to sit back and understand parts of a game's narrative. They are beautiful, breathtaking to look at, and are often quite different from actual live gameplay. As technology and 3D animation evolves, the rift (which I remember being very distinct when I was younger) between style of interactive game and that of the cutscenes is now slowly being closed. There is not as much of a difference as more tolerant games engines and consoles allow for equally stunning gameplay. But how have cutscenes developed over time and how do the methods used to create them effect the overall quality of the scene?
Cutscenes stereotypically involve some form of plot-thickening/forwarding interaction between characters at a pivotal point in a game. Usually you have a sense of euphoria that you've reached a major point in the game, and there are few as welcoming as the in-game cinematic. They can typically either be animated, live-action, or pre-rendered and open following a command or trigger in the game, from a video file stored in the game's files. Cutscenes don't always have to be extravagantly detailed and fully moving. For example, some RPGs (role-play games) feature just text and transitioning images to engage the player, yet they are very successful.
"Pac-Man, first released in 1980, is frequently credited as the first game to feature cut scenes, in the form of brief comical interludes about Pac-Man and the ghosts chasing each other around during those interludes, though Space Invaders Part II employed a similar technique that same year." - Arcade Museum
 |
| Yes, this is a Pac Man cutscene... |
Pre-rendered scenes are usually notorious for being the most "well-endowed" as they can make use of an array of methods to attract the audience. CGI, cel animation, and various other styles can be used to make the most of being pre-rendered. They are usually both animated and rendered by the game developers. The Final Fantasy series make use of this pre-rendered cutscenes as they were introduced in their possibly most popular Final Fantasy VII.
Live action wasn't really used that much in comparison. It definitely has a novelty about it and gives off that "retro", cheap and cheerful, often a bit kitsch feel to it. It was probably most popular in the 1980s/90s because of this effect. Some of the Star Wars games make use of live action.
Animated cutscenes can feature the use of motion capture, Machinima, and some other variations. Machinima has been especially popular recently and uses real-time computer graphics, often for fan-based animations such as Red Vs Blue (Halo spin-off), and Garry's Mod (Half Life/Team Fortress) shorts. Although there can be legal issues as fans often use popular games they have not created themselves to manipulate AIs (artificial intelligence) into a form of puppetry for comedic value, it is very well loved on the internet and can be used for a variety of purposes - just one of the many benefits to the creation of character and narrative; fan-based work using pre-rigged characters to engage in animated stories of their creation without having to have extensive knowledge of animation itself making it more accessible to the world.
Games such as Half-Life have actually done away with the cutscene altogether as Valve (the developers) see them as more of a hindrance to the gameplay than being helpful. I personally find certain aspects of cutscenes to be annoying and distracting, though I can respect them highly as an artform and would happily work on them in the future. Maybe the future of gaming is to do away with cinematography in video games altogether... We can only wait and see.
OUAN504 - Character & Narrative - Acting Up: Understanding Character & Narrative (Principles & Character Design)
OUAN504 - Understanding Character & Narrative:
Characters are by far one of the most powerful tools that bring people together, evoke emotion and create likeability and popularity for themselves. They can be as famous as some of the world's best known celebrities without physically existing and can be used as emotive, persuasive gadgets for some of the biggest companies. But how do some of the principles of animation fit into the creation of a successful character?
It can be said by many including myself that we are more attracted to characters that have large, cute, childish eyes. Eyes are the windows to the soul and can show any form of emotion in the easiest possible way. Physical exaggeration is a key part in designing a loveable hero, rogue, or creature - eyes are one of the many ways we exaggerate a character's features. In terms of animation itself, the subtle or extreme exaggeration of one's movement can determine their personality and develop how appealing they are to an audience. It isn't necessarily about having the biggest eyes or most attractive features.
"Zero", (a short animation by Zealous Creative, also the creators of "The Maker" of which I saw last year at Bradford Animation Festival) is a beautiful little animation about a voodoo doll who is an outcast in his community until he finds a partner just like him. The animation in this is really nice and subtle, and takes into account that because he is a string-woven doll, his limbs are restricted and heavy. He has a very clunky and weighty movement about him, and to me this makes him appealing. He doesn't have to go over the top with intense expressions, he is simple and fabulous.
Even this wonderful GIF from cdn.tutsplus.com is full of life and personality through using arcs! These few principles are just a some of the many ways character and narrative develops into successful animation.
Characters are by far one of the most powerful tools that bring people together, evoke emotion and create likeability and popularity for themselves. They can be as famous as some of the world's best known celebrities without physically existing and can be used as emotive, persuasive gadgets for some of the biggest companies. But how do some of the principles of animation fit into the creation of a successful character?
It can be said by many including myself that we are more attracted to characters that have large, cute, childish eyes. Eyes are the windows to the soul and can show any form of emotion in the easiest possible way. Physical exaggeration is a key part in designing a loveable hero, rogue, or creature - eyes are one of the many ways we exaggerate a character's features. In terms of animation itself, the subtle or extreme exaggeration of one's movement can determine their personality and develop how appealing they are to an audience. It isn't necessarily about having the biggest eyes or most attractive features.
"Zero", (a short animation by Zealous Creative, also the creators of "The Maker" of which I saw last year at Bradford Animation Festival) is a beautiful little animation about a voodoo doll who is an outcast in his community until he finds a partner just like him. The animation in this is really nice and subtle, and takes into account that because he is a string-woven doll, his limbs are restricted and heavy. He has a very clunky and weighty movement about him, and to me this makes him appealing. He doesn't have to go over the top with intense expressions, he is simple and fabulous.
The timing of animation is very important and can make a great difference as to whether or not we "believe" what is shown to us. If the timing is all wrong and not well thought about, it can seem too rushed and flighty, or too slow and dragged out, making the movement of a character (or object) feel jerky and unnatural. "The basics are: more drawings between poses slow and smooth the action. Fewer drawings make the action faster and crisper. A variety of slow and fast timing within a scene adds texture and interest to the movement." - Centre for Animation & Interactive Media If a character or narrative possess nice, accurate timing with variety, it is more likely to appeal to us, even if it subconsciously as most people don't really think about the principles of animation when watching a piece of animated footage.
Lastly, arcs are key to a story if the characters and objects are of a natural existence. It is true that they create popularity for animation if done nicely, but not all characters need to have well-animated arcs as robots for examples don't always move in a fluid, natural motion like the human body does. So there could be arguments both ways as the whether or not arcs are necessary for success. I think that if used for the correct objects/characters, with lots of reference used accurately, then that is all that matters.
Even this wonderful GIF from cdn.tutsplus.com is full of life and personality through using arcs! These few principles are just a some of the many ways character and narrative develops into successful animation.
OUAN504 - Character & Narrative - Acting Up: Understanding Character & Narrative (How Attitudes Have Influenced Character Design)
OUAN504 - Understanding Character & Narrative:
There is no doubt that characters' appearance, depiction, and personalities in animation have changed over the decade. Such influences as wars, politics, feminism, and race/culture/religion have all had a large impact on the way we depict and choose our characters. It would seem a no-brainer to think that "feminist culture has improved the way we see females in animation today", and that "because racial segregation has been long abolished, we'll see more non-white positive role model characters". That would be very closed-minded to think so, and sadly we still struggle with the way our changing attitudes are perceived in the industry.
One writer, Christine Hoff Kraemer, has written an article suggesting that Western animation i.e. Disney, doesn't compare well to Japanese anime in the way female role models are depicted. On her website: Christine's Really Long and Exciting Website Filled With Treasures , you'll find a lengthy explanation which goes into great detail about how anime uses female protagonists to promote awareness for such topics as the environment, which gives them instant popularity as they are obviously aiming to do good rather than the likes of Disney princesses who are aimed at young children, often a bit dumbed down in the way they act, and aren't really powerful representations at all (apart from the likes of Mulan and Pocohontas, of whom are the best represented in my opnion).
However Mulan and Pocohontas, in Disney's favour, aren't white, which is good as it shows solidarity and difference. In my opinion, many of the Disney princesses come across as a bit useless and pathetic, which says a lot about how Westernised animation portrays Westernised characters. If you take the likes of Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service, and even Akira - all of which are Japanese animated films by Studio Ghibli, their female protagonists are all strong-willed, stubborn, and powerful in some form or another. They wear sensible clothing that is suitable for the adventure they are going on, and do not have lanky, unrealistic figures that most women do not have. It will forever bother me that most Disney princesses' clothing/appearance isn't really that suitable for kids.
One blogger, "iamnotthebatman" (click for blog), shares his opinions on many of Disney's characters. Take princess Jasmine for example: "Although her outfit generally balances out with the trousers, it is clear to see that she is not wearing a lot up top for a kids film. This fact becomes more disturbing when the realisation dawns that she is actually fourteen and suddenly her garb becomes inherently wrong. This is, needless to say, not what a young princess would wear, although the outfit is not unfit of the time. What we see Jasmine modelling is the garb of a concubine, a woman sold or traded to a man as a commodity, and an outfit most unfit of royalty. She is unmarried. She is not promised. Instead it is more likely that she would be more covered, and not depicting one of the lower level of sex servant." This is just one of many examples of Western female characters are changed to meet the oversexualised attitudes of society.
Jessica Rabbit is a notorious example of how society has allowed for characters to push boundaries. She is one of the most well-know and loved characters by men and women alike. She oozes sex appeal, which is all well and good, but the film she originates from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (which was released in 1998, which is relevant) is aimed at children! There was also some controversy over a split second of complete bottom-half nudity from Jessica as she stumbles out of a car. Although you may not be able to clearly notice this when played at 24 frames per second, there was a lot of outrage and it was soon recalled to be corrected.
Betty Boop (created by Max Fleischer of Fleischer studios) was also well known for being a risqué character, challenging what was seen as agreeable at the time. She first appeared in 1930 in an episode named "Dizzy Dishes" and was instantly noticed for having a rather voluptuous figure, being scantily-clad, and based on the appearance of a "flapper" girl. Some of the cartoons she appeared in were actually banned for insinuating drug use, being too racist, and of course being too sexual. If those animations were shown today - of which they are available online so therefore have been watched by the masses who seek them out - there would not have been nearly as much uproar due to changing attitudes. Although Minnie Mouse for example has plenty of footage of her showing off her bloomers and wearing a short skirt, the fact that she is depicted as child-like and innocent completely nullifies it of any sexual intention apparently. I see it as even more sinister than if she were an adult!
Somehow, I think with all nudity and objectifying in pop culture now, there wouldn't be as much fuss; but should there be? I believe that in a mere few decades, animated characters may even have the same rights to freedom as pop music videos, magazine images, and the overall disgrace celebrities are bringing to the West. Changing attitudes WILL change character development.
There is no doubt that characters' appearance, depiction, and personalities in animation have changed over the decade. Such influences as wars, politics, feminism, and race/culture/religion have all had a large impact on the way we depict and choose our characters. It would seem a no-brainer to think that "feminist culture has improved the way we see females in animation today", and that "because racial segregation has been long abolished, we'll see more non-white positive role model characters". That would be very closed-minded to think so, and sadly we still struggle with the way our changing attitudes are perceived in the industry.
One writer, Christine Hoff Kraemer, has written an article suggesting that Western animation i.e. Disney, doesn't compare well to Japanese anime in the way female role models are depicted. On her website: Christine's Really Long and Exciting Website Filled With Treasures , you'll find a lengthy explanation which goes into great detail about how anime uses female protagonists to promote awareness for such topics as the environment, which gives them instant popularity as they are obviously aiming to do good rather than the likes of Disney princesses who are aimed at young children, often a bit dumbed down in the way they act, and aren't really powerful representations at all (apart from the likes of Mulan and Pocohontas, of whom are the best represented in my opnion).
However Mulan and Pocohontas, in Disney's favour, aren't white, which is good as it shows solidarity and difference. In my opinion, many of the Disney princesses come across as a bit useless and pathetic, which says a lot about how Westernised animation portrays Westernised characters. If you take the likes of Princess Mononoke, Kiki's Delivery Service, and even Akira - all of which are Japanese animated films by Studio Ghibli, their female protagonists are all strong-willed, stubborn, and powerful in some form or another. They wear sensible clothing that is suitable for the adventure they are going on, and do not have lanky, unrealistic figures that most women do not have. It will forever bother me that most Disney princesses' clothing/appearance isn't really that suitable for kids.
One blogger, "iamnotthebatman" (click for blog), shares his opinions on many of Disney's characters. Take princess Jasmine for example: "Although her outfit generally balances out with the trousers, it is clear to see that she is not wearing a lot up top for a kids film. This fact becomes more disturbing when the realisation dawns that she is actually fourteen and suddenly her garb becomes inherently wrong. This is, needless to say, not what a young princess would wear, although the outfit is not unfit of the time. What we see Jasmine modelling is the garb of a concubine, a woman sold or traded to a man as a commodity, and an outfit most unfit of royalty. She is unmarried. She is not promised. Instead it is more likely that she would be more covered, and not depicting one of the lower level of sex servant." This is just one of many examples of Western female characters are changed to meet the oversexualised attitudes of society.
Jessica Rabbit is a notorious example of how society has allowed for characters to push boundaries. She is one of the most well-know and loved characters by men and women alike. She oozes sex appeal, which is all well and good, but the film she originates from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (which was released in 1998, which is relevant) is aimed at children! There was also some controversy over a split second of complete bottom-half nudity from Jessica as she stumbles out of a car. Although you may not be able to clearly notice this when played at 24 frames per second, there was a lot of outrage and it was soon recalled to be corrected.
Betty Boop (created by Max Fleischer of Fleischer studios) was also well known for being a risqué character, challenging what was seen as agreeable at the time. She first appeared in 1930 in an episode named "Dizzy Dishes" and was instantly noticed for having a rather voluptuous figure, being scantily-clad, and based on the appearance of a "flapper" girl. Some of the cartoons she appeared in were actually banned for insinuating drug use, being too racist, and of course being too sexual. If those animations were shown today - of which they are available online so therefore have been watched by the masses who seek them out - there would not have been nearly as much uproar due to changing attitudes. Although Minnie Mouse for example has plenty of footage of her showing off her bloomers and wearing a short skirt, the fact that she is depicted as child-like and innocent completely nullifies it of any sexual intention apparently. I see it as even more sinister than if she were an adult!
Somehow, I think with all nudity and objectifying in pop culture now, there wouldn't be as much fuss; but should there be? I believe that in a mere few decades, animated characters may even have the same rights to freedom as pop music videos, magazine images, and the overall disgrace celebrities are bringing to the West. Changing attitudes WILL change character development.
OUAN504 - Character & Narrative - Acting Up: Understanding Character & Narrative (Character Behaviour)
OUAN504 - Understanding Character & Narrative:
Touching on a post I made earlier about why a finalised character design is chosen over the plentiful flow of other ideas, I have decided to link that in with what I plan to explore next; how character behaviour influences the way a character looks, and how character personalities are chosen. I find it very interesting that some character appearances go "against the grain" in the way that you would absolutely not expect their aesthetic qualities to match their behaviour.
One example that springs to mind is Conker from a well-known Nintendo 64 and Xbox game "Conker's Bad Fur Day". He is depicted as a small, fluffy, adorable-looking squirrel. Every child's dream pet, right? But upon playing this odd yet hilarious game, we soon discover that Conker is not cute and cuddly at all! It was released in 2001 by Rare and THQ and was originally intended for a family audience. To contradict this, you'll soon find a heavy dose of toilet humour, sexual themes, inappropriate language, and violence.
But what made Rare (the developers) give Conker such a bad attitude? It may seem obvious with a clue in the title - "bad fur day" - but there isn't really any indication by looking at him. There are various tip offs on the cover of the game such as Conker holding a glass a beer. Other images show him smoking, holding a gun, and standing next to an anthropomorphic, sexualised rabbit (who goes by the name of Berri). Maybe the company wanted to push boundaries in terms of how characters are depicted, or maybe they had a bad day at the office and lashed out all their anger and stress on Conker!
Touching on a post I made earlier about why a finalised character design is chosen over the plentiful flow of other ideas, I have decided to link that in with what I plan to explore next; how character behaviour influences the way a character looks, and how character personalities are chosen. I find it very interesting that some character appearances go "against the grain" in the way that you would absolutely not expect their aesthetic qualities to match their behaviour.
One example that springs to mind is Conker from a well-known Nintendo 64 and Xbox game "Conker's Bad Fur Day". He is depicted as a small, fluffy, adorable-looking squirrel. Every child's dream pet, right? But upon playing this odd yet hilarious game, we soon discover that Conker is not cute and cuddly at all! It was released in 2001 by Rare and THQ and was originally intended for a family audience. To contradict this, you'll soon find a heavy dose of toilet humour, sexual themes, inappropriate language, and violence.
But what made Rare (the developers) give Conker such a bad attitude? It may seem obvious with a clue in the title - "bad fur day" - but there isn't really any indication by looking at him. There are various tip offs on the cover of the game such as Conker holding a glass a beer. Other images show him smoking, holding a gun, and standing next to an anthropomorphic, sexualised rabbit (who goes by the name of Berri). Maybe the company wanted to push boundaries in terms of how characters are depicted, or maybe they had a bad day at the office and lashed out all their anger and stress on Conker!
A still from one of the game levels showing some of that famous toilet humour. The "Great Mighty Poo" has a look that screams "antagonist" so is appropriate for his personality. The use of brown and dirty greens and yellows give the impression of uncleanliness and a vile set of characteristics.
OUAN504 - Character & Narrative - Acting Up: Understanding Character & Narrative (How A Character Is Chosen)
OUAN504 - Understanding Character & Narrative:
With all great ideas, there will be many initial forms of one idea to begin with. A great idea cannot simply be picked out a of a hat and stuck with throughout its developmental stages all the way to final production. The same goes for character design. Character artists may have a fantastic rough idea for a potential new project, however how many times do you think they sit there, sketching out designs only for them to be scrapped later? I went on a mission to find out what made a character's final design successful and why that design was chosen above the rest...
I talked last year in another part of my blog about how Bayonetta as a character had so many initial designs before her final form was chosen. I imagine Platinum Games (creators) had so many alternate ideas for personalities and behavioural features too. I never really explored why they went with the super-sexualised, lanky-legged, demonic-looking sass-queen, though. There were so many other potential success in designs that I thought might have been brilliant to play as in-game.
Wesley Burt, a concept artist for many games and animations such as Bayonetta, stated that she tried "westernizing Bayonetta" in roughly 2008 with the designs below taken from her blog. (http://wburtconcept.blogspot.co.uk/)
With all great ideas, there will be many initial forms of one idea to begin with. A great idea cannot simply be picked out a of a hat and stuck with throughout its developmental stages all the way to final production. The same goes for character design. Character artists may have a fantastic rough idea for a potential new project, however how many times do you think they sit there, sketching out designs only for them to be scrapped later? I went on a mission to find out what made a character's final design successful and why that design was chosen above the rest...
I talked last year in another part of my blog about how Bayonetta as a character had so many initial designs before her final form was chosen. I imagine Platinum Games (creators) had so many alternate ideas for personalities and behavioural features too. I never really explored why they went with the super-sexualised, lanky-legged, demonic-looking sass-queen, though. There were so many other potential success in designs that I thought might have been brilliant to play as in-game.
Wesley Burt, a concept artist for many games and animations such as Bayonetta, stated that she tried "westernizing Bayonetta" in roughly 2008 with the designs below taken from her blog. (http://wburtconcept.blogspot.co.uk/)
It comes to my mind that the reason these potential Bayonettas were dismissed could be due to lack of sexualisation (even though they're incredibly appealing anyway!) and overall "witchiness". Although the designs look fantastic, implying that she's a strong female character with a fairly realistic figure in comparison to the final Bayonetta, the specification did ask for a witch. When choosing from a selection of character designs, you have to bear in mind that a winning choice will just "feel" and "look" right. This will usually stem from the impression that the aesthetics will correspond to the personality. The designs above are all fantastic, but give me the impression of Bayonetta being a "bit too hardcore", more of melee-based character, and not as elegant as her more successful designs.
The Bayonetta as we know and love her definitely fits the bill of being "witchy and bitchy" with a bit more sass and attitude than the others. Her body is slender, giving the cat-like mystery we associate with witches.
OUAN504 - Character & Narrative - Acting Up: Understanding Character & Narrative (Comparison of Character Personalities)
To help me understand how character and narrative has changed over the space of roughly a century, I decided to do some research on how popular animated characters in today's entertainment industry they are portrayed now in comparison to how they were when they debuted.
For instance, Mickey Mouse is probably an obvious choice of a popular well loved character. He's the face of Walt Disney Studios and has been going strong since 1928. But how has society allowed for changes in his personality, appearance, and overall behaviour?
With just over 80 years of existence, Mickey has seen it all. He's been involved in propaganda cartoons, experienced wars, changes in politics, and seen the growth of the company he is so well known for - Disney. In 1928, Mickey first appeared in a silent short called "Plane Crazy". It didn't really rev people's engines (terrible pun intended) which probably explains why this short isn't common knowledge to be the debut of Mickey. Mickey began his life as a very basic-looking, simple black blob with humongous eyes. He also lacked the little white gloves we know and love today!
From then on, the release of Steamboat Willie came about and due its wave of popularity, it was re-released with sound. Mickey had undergone some minor changes such as smaller eyes and more elongated body. Very soon after this, Mickey finally received his gloves! He also gained another popular trademark: that cheerful, beaming smile! This small piece from Babble.com states that:
""Ub" Iwerks is the co-creator of Mickey Mouse and he didn't have just a close working relationship with Walt Disney, but the two were close friends. Iwerks was responsible for animating the early Mickey Mouse cartoons and helped to fine-tune Mickey.
By the 1940's, Mickey Mouse was very much developed! He has finally reached a point of near completion and everybody seemed rather happy with the way he looked, His personality has always been very much the same - chirpy, expressive, and caring of others - but with so many minor plastic-surgeries, The Sorcerer's Apprentice showed a fully-coloured and well-designed Mickey.
Although a relatively final design had been compromised, Mickey began to put on a few ounces of weight over the years and achieved a chubbier, cuter appearance. As technology came along with the years, so did his style as his creators played around, giving him a slight 3D look. Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse is an example of the switch to full 3D animation. His eyes have become thinner and longer and he is sporting a very modern look. (See below)
In 2013, a series of short animations starring Mickey and the gang were aired on television. Although the animation itself has a very crisp and clean look, the characters seem to go back to the older variants of designs showing the eye specular slices and thinner bodies with less complex details such as shadows and too much colour. Even the opening sequences relate directly to the past and have that "MGM Tom & Jerry" and "Warner Brothers" feel to them. With the change in society and what is deemed gruesome, appealing, exciting and so forth, I notice that the use of facial expression as changed in Mickey as many years ago, these sorts of expressions would be seen as too aggressive for children to watch. (Example below)
I think with all things in society (art, fashion, music, attitudes, and animation included), there is a constant theme of progression. However there will always be a point when homage to past is paid and past ideas are then incorporated with modern societal changes to simple add to the progress.
Tuesday 6 January 2015
OUAN504 - Character & Narrative - Acting Up: Understanding Character & Narrative (Storyboarding)
OUAN504 - Understanding Character & Narrative:
To get a better understanding of storyboarding and some helpful techniques, I sought out a handy little blog with some interesting tips from Dreamworks animation studios. Not only do storyboards allow the artist to see their film/animation before it is actually created, it can be very valuable reference when it comes to editing and knowing which characters belong where when it comes to perspective, they are just great little treasures to have with you as storyboards and even thumbnails are those first indications and representations of an idea. They are your go-to for jotting and sketching down thoughts and processes which you can then use later on. If you have a terrible memory like myself, they are your lifesavers!
Dreamworks' cartoonist, Ben Caldwell shared with us a few cells from his storyboards and allowed us an insight into what techniques he swore by, why, what worked and what didn't work. His blog was like a goldmine for ideas too, but for now, here is what I managed to unveil.
Avoiding flat staging means that you are thinking in a 3D perspective at all times. Using a "tight rope" floor (as Caldwell calls it) can help the artist avoid creating characters that seem to aimlessly float within a frame. It also gives you an idea of how your character will look within a given space and gives you valuable technical drawing ability as you will be repeatedly drawing different perspectives depending on your shots.
Using every inch of the environment to your advantage will sell the idea of depth. Instead of simply thinking about what belongs in the foreground all the time, think about background and even middle-ground and far-background!
This will convince your audience that there's a lot going on and the space you have created is very realistically used by the characters. It isn't simply there to look pretty all the time, trees don't just exist to be looked at! Your characters can interact with them and react to them - more potential ways of showing off your characters' personalities.
Lastly, another useful hint I picked out is that labelling your characters in a logical order - be it by order in perspective, order in who has the most screen time, protagonist and other characters etc. - it will be easier for you! If animating for example, having a character labelled "A" might indicate that they belong in the foreground for this scene. "D" might be completely unaware of what A is doing as he is in the background. All of this might sound complicated at first, but it actually makes the job easier.
Caldwell's storyboard examples have really illustrated some useful things I could improve on in the future with my storyboarding techniques. His blog; http://purgetheory.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/storydesign-notes.html, has some fantastic advice that I will retain for future work.
To get a better understanding of storyboarding and some helpful techniques, I sought out a handy little blog with some interesting tips from Dreamworks animation studios. Not only do storyboards allow the artist to see their film/animation before it is actually created, it can be very valuable reference when it comes to editing and knowing which characters belong where when it comes to perspective, they are just great little treasures to have with you as storyboards and even thumbnails are those first indications and representations of an idea. They are your go-to for jotting and sketching down thoughts and processes which you can then use later on. If you have a terrible memory like myself, they are your lifesavers!
Dreamworks' cartoonist, Ben Caldwell shared with us a few cells from his storyboards and allowed us an insight into what techniques he swore by, why, what worked and what didn't work. His blog was like a goldmine for ideas too, but for now, here is what I managed to unveil.
This will convince your audience that there's a lot going on and the space you have created is very realistically used by the characters. It isn't simply there to look pretty all the time, trees don't just exist to be looked at! Your characters can interact with them and react to them - more potential ways of showing off your characters' personalities.
Lastly, another useful hint I picked out is that labelling your characters in a logical order - be it by order in perspective, order in who has the most screen time, protagonist and other characters etc. - it will be easier for you! If animating for example, having a character labelled "A" might indicate that they belong in the foreground for this scene. "D" might be completely unaware of what A is doing as he is in the background. All of this might sound complicated at first, but it actually makes the job easier.
Caldwell's storyboard examples have really illustrated some useful things I could improve on in the future with my storyboarding techniques. His blog; http://purgetheory.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/storydesign-notes.html, has some fantastic advice that I will retain for future work.
Friday 2 January 2015
OUAN504 - Character & Narrative - Acting Up: Understanding Character & Narrative (Creating a Successful Character)
OUAN504 - Understanding Character & Narrative:
We often wonder why or how we become attracted and form bonds with animated characters. Disney are just one major company that have created some of the world's most renowned personalities, melting the hearts of children and adults alike. A skilled animator or character designer must be able to evoke a number of emotions through the use of their designs. Not only must the protagonists of a narrative be appealing, but the antagonists, or villains must have the same effect.
After researching ways of putting together a smash-hit of a character, I devised some small yet interesting tasks that I think are a good idea to follow when thinking about a character. Firstly, in order to create a realistic character, you must first convince yourself that they are real. They need to have very real personalities and interact with others realistically according to their own individual behaviours.
Creating character maps are a good first port of call when your mind is brimming with ideas and you must get them down onto paper quickly. Sketches of potential features, how they walk, what accessories they may own and so forth are all appropriate things to get you started. You need to know all about your character!
Thinking of a name for a potential character is always a good way to start if you're stuck for ideas to begin with as certain names and words may give you somewhere to start artistically. It needs to be original usually in order to be appealing.
Leading character designer and illustrator, Jon Burgerman (UK-born-New York City-based artist), has some interesting tips on how to make a character come to life. This particular article from CreativeBloq was very helpful to me and I plan to refer back to it when designing:
(http://www.creativebloq.com/character-design/tips-5132643)
Deciding who your character is aimed at is always a valuable point to make as the audience are the ones who are meant to be enjoying your creations. Simple shapes and bright colours are good if you're aiming at children, whereas you can aim to be a little more complex if aiming at an older audience. A quote from Australian artist Nathan Jurevicius states that: "Commissioned character designs are usually more restrictive but no less creative. Clients have specific needs but also want me to do my 'thing'. Usually, I'll break down the core features and personality. For example, if the eyes are important then I'll focus the whole design around the face, making this the key feature that stands out."
Knowing where your work will appear is handy as you can design with that in mind. For a mobile phone screen, complex features and shapes aren't going to do you much justice as it may seem fiddly and intricate for the user.
Your character need to be distinctive. Matt Groening used yellow for a reason when creating The Simpsons. We remember them, they are popular, they stand out! You can guarantee that no matter what you create, there will be a million other replicas of your character out there. Robots, monsters, mermaids, you name it, they've been done already. Thinking outside the box and applying a distinct style will get it seen.
There are plenty more things to bear in mind when creating a work of art with a life of its own. These are all great tidbits of information that I will hang on to throughout my animation degree and throughout my life.
We often wonder why or how we become attracted and form bonds with animated characters. Disney are just one major company that have created some of the world's most renowned personalities, melting the hearts of children and adults alike. A skilled animator or character designer must be able to evoke a number of emotions through the use of their designs. Not only must the protagonists of a narrative be appealing, but the antagonists, or villains must have the same effect.
After researching ways of putting together a smash-hit of a character, I devised some small yet interesting tasks that I think are a good idea to follow when thinking about a character. Firstly, in order to create a realistic character, you must first convince yourself that they are real. They need to have very real personalities and interact with others realistically according to their own individual behaviours.
Creating character maps are a good first port of call when your mind is brimming with ideas and you must get them down onto paper quickly. Sketches of potential features, how they walk, what accessories they may own and so forth are all appropriate things to get you started. You need to know all about your character!
Thinking of a name for a potential character is always a good way to start if you're stuck for ideas to begin with as certain names and words may give you somewhere to start artistically. It needs to be original usually in order to be appealing.
Leading character designer and illustrator, Jon Burgerman (UK-born-New York City-based artist), has some interesting tips on how to make a character come to life. This particular article from CreativeBloq was very helpful to me and I plan to refer back to it when designing:
(http://www.creativebloq.com/character-design/tips-5132643)
Deciding who your character is aimed at is always a valuable point to make as the audience are the ones who are meant to be enjoying your creations. Simple shapes and bright colours are good if you're aiming at children, whereas you can aim to be a little more complex if aiming at an older audience. A quote from Australian artist Nathan Jurevicius states that: "Commissioned character designs are usually more restrictive but no less creative. Clients have specific needs but also want me to do my 'thing'. Usually, I'll break down the core features and personality. For example, if the eyes are important then I'll focus the whole design around the face, making this the key feature that stands out."
Knowing where your work will appear is handy as you can design with that in mind. For a mobile phone screen, complex features and shapes aren't going to do you much justice as it may seem fiddly and intricate for the user.
Your character need to be distinctive. Matt Groening used yellow for a reason when creating The Simpsons. We remember them, they are popular, they stand out! You can guarantee that no matter what you create, there will be a million other replicas of your character out there. Robots, monsters, mermaids, you name it, they've been done already. Thinking outside the box and applying a distinct style will get it seen.
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