Research
Since I am doing a character for the project I decided to do a research on character concept art, as I feel concept art in general is a great source of Ideas and tips when making my own character design. I love concept art because I feel like it is like a sneak into different possible realities, that have their own cultures, technologies and unique art works and music. All those details help to dive deeper into that particular world which then gives birth to other ideas.
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I think the best place to find useful images is "Pinterest"-this is where I fund most of my inspirations from, and this is where I got the image on the right side from.
I like this piece because of it's saturated colours and lot of details, which is something I try to bring in my works. Also it can be seen that the character has some humanoid features and proportions, however there are other features that show that the character is not a human like the skin colour and it's texture. Also the limbs are not of a human, and what can be seen from the face also suggests that it is s different species. However it's clothing show that the character may be an intelligent being/creature. The shading makes the work seem realistic and creates a 3D illusion.
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Similarly to the previous art work, this one has lot of details, which makes it very realistic, even-though it is obvious that creature like this does not exist in real life. The shading technique creates interesting surface texture. in contrast the facial features are quite cartoonish but very well shaded.
Similar to the one on the left the work on the right does no lack details and good shading. In addition just as the left image the right one is a fantastical creature which makes it look even more impressive. However unlike the image on left the right one has smoother shading and more precise details. Also there are some explanations on creature and its anatomy, which gives better understanding of the being.
Tarzan concept art
These images are concept art for the Disney's Tarzan. The sketches are simple and have very little details, but they show very well different facial impressions and body positions.
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The two images on the left are concept art for the same character, however they look little different from each other. For example the hair styles are different and it looks that they have different personalities just looking at the facial expression. This shows that the final outcome can be very or little different from the original idea.
I got these two images here so I can compare different art styles and determine my art style compared to the styles used. So to begin with the image on the left has very deep shades that create impression of realism. Also the facial features look a lot more realistic and deep compared with the sketches on the right. However the sketches on the top are more expressive than the realistic drawing on the left as it is draw in more cartoonish style, which makes it easier to determine what are the character emotion at the moment.
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At this point I think that my drawing style is something between realistic and cartoonish. However I think that to develop my drawing skills further, I should practice different styles and levels of realism.
Way of presentation
I found some images online that show how I plan to present the final outcome. The image on the bottom shows how different layers look when put together. The final image is a 2D drawing but the layers are shown in a 3D space, which is what we want to achieve at the end of the project
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To be more specific the image on the right side shows two separate 2D layers (probably part of a game) put in a 3D space. From the arrows at the back I assume the layers were imported to a software like Maya.
I was discussing the options of which software me and my friend should use to present the work, and we came to the conclusion that we should ask our tutors for their opinions and advises, as we still lack some essential information about the process.
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As well as doing the presentation digitally we could do it in real life by printing the layers and sticking them to a cardboard base, by leaving equal space between the layers.
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Theme could be incorporated
As for the theme 10, 20, 30 we plan to either put the numbers in some way in the background (that could be the number of trees or clouds or even a sign on a building) or to link them to the timing of the animation. Also the numbers can be part of the outfit of the character or to show how the character looks when they were 10, 20, 30. Or may be the number of characters.
Requirements and Parameters
Human Anatomy
The second video I watched was actually the second part of the tutorial 'How to draw human Anatomy". The video was around 45 minutes long, twice the length of the previous one.
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The main concentration of the tutorial was to explain were the bones sit and based on that to add the muscles that belong there. The person in video kept reminding that the bones go first and then the muscles as this way you know how to draw them later as the bones don"t change or move unlike the muscles that can elongate and contract, which makes it easy to locate a bone. In addition that way you know where muscles start and they end.
Before we started the new project, over Christmas, I watched 2 tutorials on how to draw the human anatomy, as I felt that I needed more practice in that area.
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The first video was around 20 min. long. It briefly explained how the line of balance is applied in anatomy. The basic meaning of the line of balance is that two opposites compliment each-other or in the case of the human muscle anatomy the push & pull, front and back, and bend and straighten the muscles. Having that base the video went on explaining the major muscle groups of the arm:
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Front group:called flexers/benders
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Back group:called straightener/extensors
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Later on around 8th minute the person talked about the muscle on the back and the chest muscles. The back muscle (trapezius) goes in to the category of the flexers/benders, while the chest muscles (pect major ) goes to the extensors' group. This is a good example of how the line of balance applies to the muscle anatomy.
Around the 9th minute of the video a muscle called rotators or twisters were being discussed. Their job is to rotate and twist the limbs, torso and head. They are usually found on the sides and have spiralling for.
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For the last 10 minutes the tutorial was explaining the major muscle groups of the leg and tight and the rotators of the leg and the torso alongside with other muscles supporting them.
The explanation of the different types of muscles helped a lot regarding the bending and extending of the muscle, as thanks to that now I understand how to draw a muscle in a specific position.
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The video was very helpful at explaining the concept of opposites complimenting each-other, which makes the drawing and sketching of the human figure, much easier.
However I did not find it as useful as it did not help me with were exactly the muscles are and how they look from the different position.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJyadoskb28​ is the link of the video.
As additional information I learned how to draw a basic version of the bones so I can at least have a base for the muscles. Also there examples from the back, front and side views of the body which was really helpful as it works as a reference for how the muscles look from different angles. Also I while watching the video I really liked that the person was explaining while actually drawing. This is because, at least in my case, seeing the process helps me remember, the information regarding it, better.
For me this tutorial was much more helpful as it actually showed where each muscle type starts and ends and how it looks unlike the first one that only explained the muscle groups, their function. Of course the first tutorial was very helpful at explaining the concept human anatomy, and I think think that if didn't watch it I would've not understood the idea.
1,2,3 Point perspectives
In 1 point perspective all vertical lines are parallel and anything else has to go to the vanishing point. 1 point perspective can be used to draw interiors and road views.
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In 2 point perspective there are two vanishing points on the horizon line and a vertical line on it either in the middle or somewhere else.
What is Thaumatrope?
A thaumatrope is an optical toy that was popular in the 19th century. A disk with a picture on each side is attached to two pieces of string. When the strings are twirled quickly between the fingers the two pictures appear to blend into one due to the persistence of vision.
This is my attempt to make a Thaumatrope.
