Detective Modelling Progress

Torso & Arms 

Legs & Feet

Turnaround

Whale/Walrus Creature Concept

Just for fun, I decided to do a digital painting of the Whale/Walrus creature I created in a character design class.

Character Design: Lesson 9

A Civilised Laboratory

Character Design Bible

Design Bible

I have completed my character design bible and given the show a title. It is named after the shows McGuffin Alhazred's Map.

Prop Design: Sultan's Scimitar

Captain Hashim Expressions

Sultan Expressions

Horus Expressions

Character Turnarounds

Horus

 

Captain Hashim



The Sultan



Alhazred's Map

This was a character design based project in which I was given the task to create three characters, a hero, sidekick and a villain. The characters were to be for a show based on a mash of two genres, chosen at random.  The genres chosen for me were pirates and Arabian nights.

  

Captain Hashim (Hero)

Horus (Sidekick)

The Sultan (Villain)

 
Design Bible

Design Bible

Horus: Concept Development

Taking on board what I have learned about bird anatomy in a character design lesson, I have adjusted my design for Horus slightly.  Using the wings as arms means I was able to create a far more expressive pose that better reflects his character.

Colour Concept

Original Drawing

Concept Showing Hashim & Horus Together 

This is to show the contrast of personality, and to give an idea on the dynamics of the two characters relationship.



Character Design: Lesson 8

In this lesson we were given a synopsis for a show and separated into groups. We were each asked to create two of the characters whilst collaborating.

Grok

A Dinosaur like creature who undergoes content augmentation

Dr Zantius Kromozone

An evil scientist



Sultan: Concept Development

Captain Hashim: Completed Concept

Captain Hashim Redesign + Size Comparison

Captain Hashim

I have redesigned Hashim to make him look friendlier and more Arabian. I adjusted his eyes to make them bigger and more appealing. I have also replaced his long hair with a medieval Arabian archer helmet.  

Unfinished Colour Concept

Original Drawing

Size Comparison Silhouettes



@Phil: Rough Essay Introduction

I have put together a rough essay Introduction in order to make sure I’m going in the right direction.

Essay Introduction

This essay will mainly be focusing on Jean-François Lyotard’s idea of the Meta-Narrative. More specifically the example of the American dream will be used. The American dream will be explored through the lens of comic book heroes.  The examination will begin with the comics of the 30’s. Focusing on how they represented the modernist ideals of America and the American Dream at that time.  It will be explained how changes in the world led to post-modern deconstructionism. The comic book series Watchmen will be used as a specific example of a postmodern Deconstruction of the superhero genre.

Mars Attacks (1996)

Based om the card game of the same name, Mars Attacks (1996) is director Tim Burton's tribute to the 1950's sci-fi B-Movie Genre. A race of Martians with a twisted sense of humour invades the Earth. A naive human race believes the Martians to be peaceful, the Martians find this hilarious.

Although Mars Attacks has a modern day seting (1996) it takes on the aesthetics of a 50's movie. The costumes, sets, music, sound effects and characters are all designed to give a 50's feel. Tim Burton is obviously a massive fan of the films of this era. The film is abundant with references and nods to other movies. One of the most blatant examples is the design of the Martian flying saucers; they are lifted almost directly from Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956).

Fig 1: Flying Saucers Above the White House (Earth vs. the Flying Saucers 1956)

Fig 2: Martians Approaching Earth (Mars Attacks 1996)

The film is a comedy but the jokes are hit and miss, “the picture is lacking in the uproarious humour that might well have ensued from the material, which instead inspires occasional laughs but, much more often, bemused fascination and wonderment at the bizarre imaginations and impressive skill of the filmmakers” (Todd McCarthy 2008). Most of the successful gags derive from the mean spirited and sadistic nature of the Martian's. This type of comedy is reminiscent of creature features such as Gremlins (1984). The film is also relatively poorly paced; this is especially notable in the overlong build up to the Martian arrival “Up to that point, Mars Attacks, has been spinning its wheels while it introduces its earthbound cast” (Janet Maslin 2003).

Fig 3: Martians

Despite its flaws Mars Attacks remains a fun and imaginative film.

Bibliography

Janet Maslin, New York Times, May 20^th 2003, Available at: http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F04EEDA173EF930A25751C1A960958260&partner=Rotten Tomatoes

Todd McCarthy, Variety, August 25^th 2008, Available at: http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117436916?refcatid=31

Image List

Fig 1, Flying Saucers above the White House, Available at: http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2007/01/09/klaatu-barada-nikto

Fig 2, Martians Approaching Earth, Available at: http://www.alicia-logic.com/capspages/caps_viewall.asp?titleid=28

Fig 3, Martians, Available at: http://starstorecom.blogspot.com/2009/04/mars-attacks-tim-burtons-flawed-pulp.html

Maya Progress

Character

Mustang



Detective Concept Update

I have changed the shading in the body to be more angular so that it matches the head. I have also added a wooden texture to match Kayleigh’s concept.

Narrative Update

I have realized that I have been forgetting to update the narrative project on this blog. Here is a big update on some of the things I have been doing.

Detective Concepts

Version 1

Version 2

Version 2: Revised

Storyboard



Character Design Update

Captain Hashim Development Sketches

 

Sultan Development Sketches

Lesson 5

I was asked to create distinctive silhouettes based of a specific character type.  I was given a wizard and decided to base one on water and the other on fire.

I was asked to draw a character focusing on the folds in the clothing.

Lesson 6

I was asked to create a creature based on an environment, I was given arctic. I created a blubbery whale/manatee type creature, it eats fish and has huge tusks for defence.