Final Terra-Feuille Character Designs

Gaia-Terrian

Angelo-Terrian

Final Acconagros Character Designs

Gaia-Acconian

Angelo-Acconian

Final Marisea Character Designs

Gaia-Mermarian

Angelo-Mermarian

Personal Development - Final Reflection (Part 1)

At the start of this year in Semester 1, I set myself a checklist to pursue so I can chart my personal development and skills. I feel like I've pushed myself a lot this year, to learn new techniques and skills and to think in a new way. I have finally been confident enough to post my work as Works In Progress online and to accept and act on feedback/critique from friends and strangers. It's been a great year.

But I must also see how I've done in compassion to my list. Here is a link to my first ever list/PDP post: http://deercreations.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/personal-improvement-list.html


Software: Photoshop - In the end, Photoshop really was my primary use of software. I pushed myself to try new tools, go on menus I hadn't been before. Examples of tools I've used this year which I hadn't before is liquidify, warp, quick masking layers, pattern stamp. Effects on layers, creating my own texture brushes and X was great fun and interesting to dab around with. My only regret was to not create more brushes, or use pre-made ones. I am too comfortable with the round edge brush. I hope I can use brushes in the future that enhance skin pores, wrinkles, and moisture.

Life drawing - I attended afew life drawing classes at the end of semester 1/start of semester 2. All of my classes progresses are up as blog posts. I am sad I could not continue to go to more in semester 2, but life or work was interfering until I could no longer go whatsoever. I have however practiced drawing from photos and posemaniacs.com.

Individual anatomy/weak points - As stated above, I've drawn from many many photos this year digitally, to get used to drawing digitally, and to better understand muscles. I feel much more confident painting lips too, and the male form (muscular). I also feel like I've improved on faces, and while I could use more practise on leg muscles, better understand how they work too. I wish I had taken extra time to improve my understanding of hands and feet bones and muscle definitions.

Perspective - I had said my drawings were too flat. I attempted to paint one illustration with an interesting perspective, and while it was lacking in colour, interest and could have had a better staging presence, it was nice to focus on perspective of the human body from interesting angles. I am keen on painting more interesting angles of illustration over the Summer, as I personally think the paintings that obscure the human physic into something unusual are the most interesting pictures.

Poses - The item I've worked most on improving and personally see an improvement. Using posemaniacs and many many dedicated Stock photo artists who specialize in taking varied poses for artists to draw from, I've tried my best to move away from static boring idle stances, and to look at ways of showing subtle emotion, see how muscles work and bend properly, and where a persons power/center of balance could be in a pose. I also did many silhouette works to determine if the pose would work. I now can't imagine creating a character without that step.

Character Concept Design - This one I'm very excited for. Tutorials online showing step-by-steps to create a character the "right way" e.g silhouetting, research, development, story, personality, etc.

Staging - I feel like I have not hit my personal quota with staging. I've painted afew illustrative pieces where I paid great attention to staging, but I don't think this is enough. It also does not help that I am not doing any environment concept/paintings, which is why I initially put staging as a goal.

Colour & Light - I think my skills improving in textures, photoshop abilities, and layer effects have benifited me greatly in this area. I was careful with colour schemes and contrast/harmonization for all my characters, and have used some tricks for blending colours or making them bold and defined, but I could have improved more on my use of a light source. Another area where I feel I could improve on is colouring and texturing different skin colours.

Style - I'm proud enough to say I love to draw anime style, and many things can be learnt from it, but it is not an art style that can evolve. It is stifling if it does not evolve. I tried really hard to incorporate everything I've learnt about the human form and posing into my style, to blend a style that is not photo-realistic but not too cartoony or generic either. There is never a point where an artist should be 100% satisfied, and like that I strive to learn new techniques and naturally evolve the way I produce art and the style that defines me.

Exhibition - Stencils and Painting

Okaying my showcase materials with Robin Sloan, he told me we were actually allowed to paint our showcase and we agreed that this would be more effective than cutting out strips of paper to represent my environments colour schemes. After getting permission from Clare Brennan, and my showcase wall-space partner Darren H, I'm going to go ahead and paint my wall!

I've dabbed in paper stencils before when I was younger, using them to spray paint art on walls, so it'll be good to venture into that again. I've looked at examples for inspiration:

I will probably display the colour scheme through relevant patterns. For example, leaf and flower petal shapes for the forest, curves and sun for the desert and water droplets, fish and wood/logs for the seaside. I will probably draw them up on Photoshop to print and cut out, so will probably upload them on to this blog when ready.

Update: My Photoshop stencil ideas:

I'm so excited!

Personal Development: Anaylsing the concept designs

They are in order that they were drawn from Marisea culture, to the final Terra-Feuille culture. It's interesting to note you can see my style change and get better. My anatomy, colouring, thinking process for creating, and posing feels like it's improved with every culture.

From here on, I'm painting the final 6 pieces.

Preparing for Exhibition

So I've had ideas for quite a while but finally found the time this week between producing art and dissertation to work on them.

I want my exhibition to be reminiscent of a display, a fake touristy description board, or best put, a museum display :) I want to show these cultures as if they exist. Things I plan to do:

x Display the final 6 characters, popping out
x Colour scheme for environments (don't know yet how to display, torn!)
x Display business cards
x Soul flower created for the Gaia-Terrians
x Clothes/rags of Gaia-Acconians
x Photo/image displaying the dessert flower of the Gaia-Acconians
x Jewellery for the Gaia-Marisea
x Feathers cut and painted for all the Angelo faiths

That list is mostly for me! Here's an image to better display what I might like the display to look like. It'll probably change as I create it:

Notable things I might add/change are if the things I'm making dont fit the wall I'll put them on the stand, and on the bottom part I might add extra information, especially on the Angelo faith :)

I'm updating this post as I create the items, so excuse my tenses changing.

Gaia-Acconian Fabric: I've completed this piece mostly, I might cut it better or re-touch the paint, or sew the edges down (bonda-webbed at the moment) if I find the time, but this is the fabric for now:

Gaia-Terrian 'Soul Flower': I ran out of airdry clay so made this out of Fimo bake clay, and so far painting it in coats of white.

Progress:

Final:

Gaia-Marisea: For awhile I couldn't decide what I wanted to do to display for the Gaia-Marisea Inhabitants. I finally decided on the gold Jewelery they wear around their body adorned with jewels, predators teeth, and shells:

X

Angelian faith feathers: I bought white goose feathers, hoping to recreate all the different kinds of feathers of birds found in the 3 different environments, and how they're changed to fit the Angelians needs. (the people of Marisea dye theirs light pastel colours, same as their clothes to bring colour, as their local birds are all pure white. The Acconagros people just write delicate angel scripture on theirs, their local birds are black white and grey. The Terra-Feuille environment is tropical and has the most varied natural feathers.)

I have 12 attempts! 12 feathers, 4 for each culture!

Final:

I've already posted my business cards in the previous post, I will have 2 sketchbooks on display, and I still need to write my description. If my stuff doesn't stick to the wall, I'll place it on the stand (I will have 2). I plan to create the strips of colour on Photoshop, and print out several A4 sheets and combine them on the wall. I also want to create 'fake' photos of the environments, flowers, and birds if I can find time. I would also love to create a Muska Tasimak (the triangular case the Angelians carry). But it all depends on time, but I'm excited for this! Hope to leave myself enough time to make it look really pretty! :)