2D Take

Another example of 2D Animation, this piece was based on the idea of a double take. This is often used in animated cartoons with animal character, where their eyes pop out of their head or steam comes out of there ears to illustrate strong emotion at what they've just seen or what has happened around them. Using the cubby character due to the simplicity of the shapes, using no facial expressions or legs conveying the idea of a take through the use of body language and reaction. I think the most effective part is the change and stretch in size, as it's the smoothest part of the animation but the Cubey character pulling his head apart is the most exaggerated part of the animation and I think is the most effective in creating the idea of the 'double take'. I think this area could be smoother and due to its extreme nature possibly be more exaggerated in order to make it more effective.

Light & Dark

After the previous drawing project it occurred to me that I needed to explore light and dark within my drawings further. As oppose to drawing directly from life, to start off I began drawing from photos to enable me to look in more detail at the shading.

I drew from photographs that I'd taken previously with high contrasts of highlights and shadows. The top left image was particularly a challenge as it consisted of facial features - also it's a male, which I rarely draw - and very strong shadows across the face creating irregular shapes. However I am relatively pleased with this as my first drawing looking directly at shading as I think I captured a lot of the detail created through the shadows, particularly around the lip and lower nose area. I also think it's effective in capturing the slightly amazed expression on his face, without the use of detail in the eyes.

The second photograph I used as a reference was slightly more simplistic, looking at light and dark across the female form. The photograph was taken using studio lighting and is lit from the right of the figure in an attempt to create a Bill Brandt esque photograph.

This was easier as I was able to look at the specific shapes the shadows created in relation to the curves of the body - which I found more difficult previously due the amount of detail in the face - and because of the large amount of really dark shadows. I think the proportions are slightly incorrect however, the torso looks slightly too long and the hand slightly too small. I think it's also necessary to look at blending the shadows to create smoother shadows and a less grainy appearance.

Burt Walk & Walk Cycle

Using the Burt rig in Maya I created both a walk cycle and a walk. To attempt to understand how people walk and move, I played around with walking in different styles, exaggerating the movements and shifting my weight in different ways. I also spent time watching people around me walk to compare how different their motion is, but also to understand the main movements within the walk.

Because of the nature of the character, appearing like an alien-esque robot in the form of a large ball on top of two spindly legs and large feet, I was able to play with using more stylised, less realistic walks. The walk cycle sees a slower walk, with more subtle shifts in weight from one leg to another, creating a slightly more realistic walk. Burt walking across the screen uses a quicker pace, with legs kicking outwards further when in the air. In addition there is a less subtle shift in weight, showing the weight shifting to each leg, as well as the bend in the knee.

Observing People

The second drawing project involved watching and observing people around me, doing quick drawings and sketches before they moved in an attempt to capture the pose. The second part of the brief was to draw animal heads to fit in with the pose.

Due to the quick poses, I mainly drew simplistic line drawings looking mainly at the shape of the pose and looking at detail and creases within clothing. This page is an example of mainly seated poses, giving me the opportunity to look in a little more detail.

I added the animal heads after completing the observational drawings, using references, choosing the animal to coincide with the characters of the people I was drawing.

In order to improve I think I need to look at exploring light and dark more, looking at shading as opposed to just creating life drawings. However I think this will apply more when looking at longer poses or when having more time to capture an image.

2D Cubey Jump

This is the first 2D piece created using a character and also using the cel sheets. I used the 'cubby' character, consisting of simply a cube for the body, a circle for his head & two very basic arms. This enables me to create emotion using just body language and no facial expressions. The brief outlined that the cubby character should jump across the frame, illustrating anticipation and then the characters reaction to something off of screen.
After the character jumps across the screen, his reaction is to jump up in the air waving his arms before landing, raising his hands to his face and looking at the ground, conveying a sense of shock and fear.