C19 - Summer 2020 - Creature Design I: July 2020

Thursday, July 30, 2020

AngelineM_Week03

Update /

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Early Post :

Hi Jarrard,

Here are six new designs for the underworld creatures.

About the final presentation of the sketches for Saturday, I wanted to know if I should just refine those sketches and the presentation, or should I make a selection of 5-8 sketches between all the ones I've made so far? (last week + this week)

Thanks and have a good evening !

MounashP Week03

Underworld Demons - Guards

Underworld Gate

Bot (Drone) from Underworld

Inanna - Heaven Character

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Saturday, July 25, 2020

Week 2 Summary and Links

Homework - Weeks 2 & 3 (due at the beginning of class week 4)

Select 5-8 sketches to be presented as propositions for your creature. Students are expected to do more than 8 sketches over these two weeks but must select maximum 8 to be presented

Try and go for a variety of different designs showing some safe, interesting and out of the box options. You may end up doing 50+ but select out the 5-8 that you think best show a range of propositions and have potential to be taken further

I recommend starting with silhouettes but once you have some designs you like try sketching on top of them. Take them as far as you feel comfortable with for now, remember that they are thumbnails so you shouldn’t be rendering them with textures, etc. but make sure that your ideas are clear

Present your thumbnails clearly on a board

If you would like feedback on stuff, please post by Thursday 6pm. Otherwise we will look at your progress together in our next class.

Summary of what we covered today:

Creating Variation in our Ideas

Safe Option

The first thing that comes to mind
Exactly what the client was expecting
The first images to appear in a google search
Safe because it is familiar and the audience has preconceived notions to help your design feel believable. Doesn't confuse the audience where it takes them out of the immersion of the world.
Not always the most memorable design
Nothing wrong with safe options, they're there for a reason because they serve a purpose. Sometimes what you need is your familiar dragon, etc.

Interesting Option

Usually what most of us aim for with our designs
Still recognisable to the main concept but includes some unexpected element
Challenges the client a bit and helps to inspire something more unique

Out of the box Option

Hardest to design
A really unique take on the idea where you take the core concept and twist it
Should still have some familiar element to the "safe option" designs so that it doesn't become something else entirely
Sadly most of the time these ideas are rejected but we might be able to take some of the ideas and use them in the safe options to make them more interesting.
Really challenges the client's intended vision
Challenges the boundaries of the rest of the team (animation, vfx, audio) to also think out of the box

Why do we do this?

Helps you to gauge your client's intent

Are they looking for something generic?
Are they wanting something more iconic?
Are they open to going for something more out of the box which can usually cost more?

Shows your value as a designer

By delivering safe options it shows your technical skills as an artist to meet mandates
Interesting and out of the box options really help to show your creative side and your contribution as a designer to the team. By bringing these type of ideas to the table it makes you more valuable and irreplaceable.

Animal anatomy

Atlas-Animal-Anatomy-Artists
Animal-Anatomy-Artists-Elements-Form
Science-Creature-Design-understanding-anatomy
Art-Animal-Drawing-Construction-Caricature
Also look at artstation for artist who have done anatomy studies of different animals. Really good reference
Functional anatomy:

e.g. different birds feet and beaks for different purposes

Comparison of human and animal anatomy:

https://www.demilked.com/animal-anatomy-compared-to-human-satoshi-kawasaki/?fbclid=IwAR04jcQyM9yoM1PMa3ZYlcLrM8hAOSqdt6GaLwq5Rn-MDkH2hxiNcFaxQKM

Thumbnailing

Start with silhouettes
Don’t think about any crazy poses or details at this point
Get out bad and unoriginal ideas first. A lot of your ideas are not going to work and that’s normal
Go for variety
It is ok to reuse parts of one thumbnail onto another one but try to make sure you have a good variety of different core ideas
If you get stuck, go back to your references
Be open to experiment with techniques
Don’t get attached to any drawings
Use scale reference if it is unclear (silhouette of a person)
Balance (flip your canvas regularly to make sure you're creature doesn't look like it is going to topple over)

Thumbnail Presentation

Clarity
Simple Background
Organised
Keep the size of your thumbnails consistent
Be selective about what thumbnails you include. You don't have to show everything depending on your client.
Title on the image somewhere to make it clear what you are concepting for
Number your thumbnails