Aim: Character Design
I began by creating a ‘default’ child character based on my younger siblings, the top right is the ‘base’ form, with an outfit similar to an English School Uniform. I wanted to have this baseline restriction so I would have to get more creative with shape language and colour theory. Additionally the specific career I am aiming for typically focuses on contemporary style, humanoid, children, so it would benefit me to focus on this area.
Moving away from ‘costume’ gimmick explored with the witch/princess/tiger, I started to think about the character as an individual/as part of a wider Story and what elements of the design could reflect the character.
Experimentation
I left theschoolgirl basebehind and wantedto explore differentbody shapes, I thinkthat with thesedesigns you can seethe left over bias forthe previous femaledesign, with many ofthese male designsbeing overlysimplistic/basic.
Shape Language
I was getting frustrated by how repetitive and plain the designs were so I chose to look at the character sheets and concept art from the illumination franchises. I hope to one day work in a similar field and so it feltlike a good place to pivot to research. I found it difficult to balance humorous exaggerations and unfortunate cliches/mockeries.
Back to silhouettes
After the chance to do some research, I did another attempt at silhouettes, trying to push the proportions a lot further
An Idea Forms
After playing around with the proportion so much with the Illuminations sketches, I decided I wanted to have a transformative element to the designs. I began to sketch more creature type characters, while keeping them similar silhouettes.
Expression
I began playingaround withexpressions,testing howcreature-like Icould made achild appear asthey areinherently seenas innocentand vulnerable.It was at thisstage that Idecided thatthis projectwould stick tolightheartedgags and notinfer anydeepermeaning as isso common inthis genre.
Thumbnails
I work best when I have a narrative in mind for the characters. I feel like it’s hard to know how a character will dress if you don’t understand how they would walk through a scene. I decide to make a really simple short about a overly fantastical child making a wish and it miraculously all comes true.
Transformations
I found that while I could transform the man to the extreme and push the silhouette via his actual limbs. Whereas with the female characters I kept relying on the clothing/accessories, this really frustrated me so I decided to experiment elsewhere
Experimented with exploring the classic Disney approachwith anthropomorphic animals, but I felt that this style is toocommercialised for the style I was aiming for
Refining the Idea
The Idea was that these are all people who live in the same block of flats, with occasional side characters making appearances
I created a wider cast that I coined ‘The Family’. With a larger supporting cast I could experiment more with the shape language and creating dynamic relationships
The Granny was a character I had a lot of fun experimenting with, I ended up with this Owl-like head/hair piece. In the end I decided not to pursue this design as within the ‘family’ too many characters were the same height / silhouette.
Caretaker
I went back to Illumination and did some more sketchexperiments, it was important to me that the femalecharacter appeared older, more tired and weathered,but still deeply joyful and loved
The Girl
Similar to the Caretaker, I went back to the Illumination style sketches, but this time I also looked at classic muppet designs and puppets. I was trying to avoid the ‘costume’ approach of character design.
Because of the struggles previously, I began all my ‘Girl’ sketches while simultaneously sketching the ‘creature’. This proved to be a big hit and I really enjoyed this stage of the process
I wanted the more neutral expressions to appear quite subtle and soft, while bigger displays of emotions would overspill on the rest of the face to match the way that puppets express with the entirety of their mouth. I want edit to look like there could be a puppeteer pushing and pulling the edges of the mouths.
ophanimationsart 