Khan Saif's IVN (0367438) - Project 1

Week 2:

                                                                Character Design Basics

3 traits for appealing characters:

- Iconic:

Characters that are immediately recognize even by black silhouette.

- Simplicity:

Allows viewers to understand the purpose of the character easily. 

- Uniqueness:

- Makes the characters not only memorable, but also makes the impact.

Principals of character designs:

- Shapes:

Used to define character's iconic silhouette based on shapes by exploring and combining many shapes.

- Colors:

Color can establish the roles and personality of characters with color psychology.

- Emphasis/Contract:

Character exaggerates with emphasis and contrast to stand out with colors.

- Harmony:

All shapes, lines, colors and motifs must put together in a tasteful manner to reflect the narrative of the characters.

- Expressions:

Clear visualization of characters' behavior, quirks, personality to make it easier to appeal.

Week 3: 

                                                                    Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro:

The Italian term of "light-dark". The use of light and dark to create the illusion of three dimensional volume to a flat surface, similar to clear tonal contrast.

The brighter colored contrast can show the focus point for the artwork.

Tenebrism:

The term of painting method that contrasted with predominantly dark setting.

Low-key Lighting:

A style of lighting that accentuates the contours of the subject by throwing areas into shade while a fill light or reflector may illuminate the shadow areas to control contrast.

Positive Space/Negative Space:

Positive space refers to subject matter or object of interest in a visual.

Negative space refers to background that surround subject matter or object of interest in a visual.

Methods that differentiate positive and negative space: 

                1.  Increase Dramatic Tension: 

                Gives thrilling emotives depths on the look and feel on the scene.

                2.  Create Sensational Space:

                Helps elevate fantastical viewpoints to emphasis on the narrative.

                3. Attract Attention:

                Establish visual hierarchy, the main point of the scene.

                4. Make tasteful composition:

                The play on negative VS positive spaces creates attractive scenes.

Task 1 - Vormator Challenge:

Concept Art: 

I drew a character with the combination of a magician and pills, hence created this vormator character named Alcheclaw. I came up with this silly name as a combination of being an alchemist and association with animals' claws.

Vormator Outline/Final Artwork:

To add a subtle character to him, he held a red blue and blue pill, which is a visual reference of Matrix's iconic red and blue pill philosophy, which explains his lack of black and white character. 

Appearance wise, he has 2 zerk shapes that formed a pill-shaped face and a wurst on top of between to tell the between the top and bottom zerk of his face. Placing the top zerk and and the wurst created a form of magician's hat. Rather than eat with his wurst-shaped mouth with sharp, drop-shaped teeth, he takes off his hat and pour as much food and chemicals as possible on top of his bottom zerk face, which is also how he search variety of chemicals to invent many form of medicines/drugs, similar to Doreamon's pocket with variety of gadgets. Extra details on his face includes 2 upside down tentacle-shaped eyebrows, 2 badge-shaped eyes, a badge nose and 12 teeth that shaped like a drop. (Despite rather using it for talking than eating.)

He wears the lab coat with a magician's outfit inside, a belt that shaped like a wurst, a tie with shapes of chevron between the badge, and pants with 2 separate bar shapes. On top of having badge-shaped palm with 5 chevron-shaped fingers, he held a red and blue pill with both of his hands, each. He also wears bar-shaped shoes on his seemingly ambiguous feet. 

Extra details for the lab jacket includes 5 badge buttons on his right, 2 (supposedly 3) badge buttons on his interior outfit.

His sinister and scientist appearance and personality is a reference of Walter White from Breaking Bad.

Mr. Hafiz gave me the feedback that my drawing resembles Tim Burton, the director and character design for iconic films like Nightmare Before Design (1993) and Corpse Bride (2005). After next day, one of my classmates also replied with the same comment about my art style while I was drawing in class. Tim Burton never really came into my mind this much until now. So for color preference, I stick with black & white color for Alcheclaw's character to reference Tim Burton's lifelong and admiring work, while putting a extra blood-red background for him to resemble his sinister presence.

Vormator Final Artwork (Pokemon Card):