Pre Production - Character Workshop.

Some examples of work produced within the character design workshop!

Top few sketches are based on the idea of trying to design a character & it's shape using circles. Or more accurately spheres, as this implies a sense of three dimensional shape. Although the 'spheres' can encompass ovals & stretched out, squished, curved shapes as well...

Another prominent idea is that the character's shape can be, or should be, a line of action. For example the egg like shape that would be created when a character brings there knees toward their chest as they curl up. Although this isn't something I've quite mastered yet... but as something I've not really considered before it is a very useless hint for developed accurate & defined squash & stretch, as well as more dramatic, exaggerated movements which animated character's are known for!

The second sketches were just playing around with a crocodile character based on a brief description.

Nicholas Bentley

For another part of my pre production module, developing a style for animation was the starting point of a 'project'. Similarly to creating an animatic based on key words were the starting point of 'Push The Envelope'.

In my lucky dip of hint cards this round were... Nicholas Bentley (the illustrator), Falmouth Docks (the where), children's feature film (the genre) & hat/cap (character detail).

So I am to create a simple & rough storyline for this idea & develop a style to animate & design this film in!

These images are some of my favourite of Nicholas Bentley's.

The main details I've picked up from his work are;
- Little to no shading, or use of a light source.
- Relatively flat images.
     - Minimal amount of colour & texture used.
     - Mainly basic line drawings.

Funny In 15 - Background Test.

An example of a simple background test for the Funny In 15 Seconds animation.

Looking at some of the shots of the storyboard for 'Dog Shit', as it has been aptly called for the moment, I took a basic background & used watercolours to add colour.

The group had decided upon using relatively pale, pastel colours as to avoid the characters being lost in the backgrounds.

Though I'm not fantastic with water colours, but the washed out appearance works in this instance. But painting skills still need to be upped! Practice makes proficient!

Tutor Caricature with colour!!

Updated colour version of my tutor, Ann, caricature!

Basic use of colour & shadows using Photoshop adding layers of flat colour to the original inked version.

Using a relatively limited colour palette of earthy tones, varying from green to pink shades.

I'm quite fond of this design as my first caricature!

Push The Envelope - Animatic.

The rough animatic developed from the 'Push The Envelope' storyboard!

My first draft of the animatic has no sound, as I was undecided as to whether to use music or sound effects over the animation as it is intended to be a silent film.
I'm particularly aware that the time isn't quite right, particularly around the quicker & snappier shots such as the female character angrily waving her arms around & the bullet being fired from the gun & bouncing around the room. More shots would be required for these moments to illustrate the sense of movement & drama. I also think general timing needs to be looked over as it appears slightly jumpy at this point.

The feedback I received for the animatic was, as I was aware, I need to review the timing. Also that some of the shots appeared slightly clumsy, for example the female character being in the corner & the rest of the room having things going on as its unclear as to where the audience's focus should lie.
Also that the storyline could be considered mildly sexist... But it was also pointed out that the female lead would work as a male in a female office, or a male in a male office & so on.
In addition it was suggested that I work more in Photoshop for storyboards & animatics, as some areas are slightly jumpy where objects such as the desk move. Whereas if I use Photoshop, or a similar program, I'd be able to use one element & repeat it using layers then draw other layers for different frames.

Push The Envelope - StoryBoard

The starting point of Push The Envelope was the idea of the police woman trapped in her office due to her sex in a male dominated work force! The inspiring phrases being 'push the envelope' & 'black comedy', with a twist card of 'silent film with no subtitles'.

The original idea was to play on her out smarting the men & creating crimes in an attempt to make fools of them... However it went completely in the opposite direction in the end...



I didn't have a specific storyline in mind when thinking about this idea, so I was struggling for an narrative. So I completely twisted it. The story begins with the female lead being portrayed as filled with boredom with her repetitive job of paper pushing (this is where pushing the envelope came in!). Dreaming of being able to fight crime but held back by her sex, one day she flips!! Cue angry female on the rampage. Her terrified male colleagues hand over gun to keep her quiet & the office environment happy, leading to not so happy consequences...




The end result was befitting of the black comedy, with some sexist jokes & an ironic outcome.

Tutor Caricature.

My first attempt at a caricature! Which happens to be based on our history & theory lecturer, Ann!

As a side project the course was challenged with drawing tutor caricatures, so naturally I thought I'd attempt it...

I need to add some colour & although it doesn't look quite as much like Ann as I'd like, I do like the style with use of line & would like to take this further & develop it with other characters.

Funny In 15 Seconds - Storyboard Ideas.

Funny in 15 in 5 is the first project I've begun to work on, the concept of trying to make an audience laugh in 15 seconds with only 5 weeks available to complete. The animation should be amusing to a relatively wide audience, not focussing on a particular genre or an 'in' joke which would leave some people confused & out of the loop.

As a group project, the first step was to brainstorm our ideas & to try & establish the type of humour we would like to use. Fortunately our sense of humour was relatively similar which led to interest in similar ideas & concepts. Settling on either dry, awkward humour or 'gross' humour we brainstormed our ideas which turned into me developing these three relatively different storyboards.

The first based on the idea of the awkward pause & more dry witty humour, the concept that there are a group of cows in a field doing average cow habits, mooing & chewing grass. One cow shuffles into the the centre of the herd, then 'BAAAAH's. Awkward pause & silence ensues, with the cows around him staring at him like he's a freak. The cows hurl insults & abuse. I think the punchline is something that needs work. Similarly to the rest of our ideas, we seem to have an interesting set up but no hilarious punch line.




The second a slightly more disgusting & vomit inducing concept. The idea of a traumatised, talking toilet.
Crying can be heard from outside of the toilet door... zooming in to the door the sobs louden, becoming more out of control. The door opens, revealing just a toilet. The toilet is crying, waving his little arms around in upset, whining about his purpose in life as someone to be sat on & pooped in. How could his life get any worse...? Enter the shadow of a man. The toilet's eyes droop in horror. Darkness as the view is blocked out. Further crying & wailing begins, the sound of straining & splashing water interrupts. The toilet is flushed. Reveal the further traumatised toilet spilling shit from it's brim, gargling & gagging on what is inside...



& thirdly, another slightly gross & disturbing vision. The sun is shining, the grass is green & a man & his dog are walking happily through the park. The dog pauses, looking up at his master as though he's asking his permission for something. His master points, leading to the dog running off into the distance cheerfully. You see him crouch, tail raises, an embarrassed awkward look spreading across his little face as he begins to go about his business. The camera pans left following the little dog's lead, his master's back becomes visible. Also crouching, straining, farting are heard. To his dog's horror, his master is following suit. Vomiting ensues.

Colour Mediums.

Further colour experiments with different media.

To the left Pro Markers & fine liners, trying to be a bit looser with my drawings & design style.

Below graphite pencils & colours pencils, based on one of my favourite artist's, Glenn Arthur's, recent pieces.

Funny In 15 Seconds - Cow Animatic

As a group we decided that the strongest ideas were the outcast cow & the human doing as his dog does. Although originally considered ourselves to have a set up & no punchline, we after decided that may be we took them a little too far...

I inked the original drawings to make them a little cleared, though the animatic still appears pretty rough & sketchy. I also redrew some details, such as the main scene, the fence & some basic facial expressions of the sheep cow.

Personally I think the sound effects & the voice effects make it & the part that is very entertaining.

Design - Flexsi Poster

As part of my second year I'm a part of the Flexsi - Falmouth & Exeter Sports Initiative - organisation for the university, as an ambassador.

I've volunteered to create the posters & images required for advertising the events & goings on of the project. This is the first poster created for one of the first events put on & planned by the ambassadors.

Summer Sketches

A few more quick sketches I was relatively pleased with the outcome over the some. Was attempting to experiment with different ways of creating definition & tone, as well as shading, using a slightly quicker, looser technique. Also looked at figure & body shapes, as well filigree.

Colour Experimentation - Pencil & Watercolour

Basic experiments with different colour techniques & medium. My use of colour pencils for colour leaves something to desire in particularly, there is lack of skill in the blending of colours & the development of tones. Something that I definitely need to work on in the future, although I think higher quality pencils would possibly aid me.

The watercolour painting was also an attempt to work more loosely & less cleanly/neatly. I think this image works in particularly due to the expression & essence of emotion, in combination with the running of the paint. Inking this image would have also probably worked highly effectively.

Pencil sketches

Pencil drawings I've started over the summer, the first simply looking at the detail of hands & the shadows created through the veins & creases. Drawn in a variety of pencils.

The second a female, again looking at the details of the hand, as well facial features & the general use of shading. Drawn using only a 0.7mm mechanical pencil. The drawing is currently in progress, though hair isn't my strong point hence me recording my progress so far. I personally prefer the appearance of the use of a mechanical pencil. The hands appear very grainy in texture, whereas the female has the appearance of lines in it's texture.