Halloween?

Apparently so! So I decided to draw some little pumpkin creature.

Instead of going out like most people I know, I decided to stop in and get more work done!
Managed to test out an expression for one of my characters using inkscape to see how long it would take compared to doing it hand drawn... to be honest it was six and two threes.

I like how clean this looks, I can see however how doing hand drawn framework will be easier even if it does not look as clean as this.
Obviously some things are wrong with this expression; the shoulders should have risen more and the nose and possible the chin of the character should have also moved as they seem abit static.

Death week

I really need to get a move on, finally managed to finish off my expressions sheet and re-do the character elevations (I felt the originals ones weren't really up to scratch).
Now I just need to put them on the backgrounds etc and get them printed.
I have a few character poses that need scanning in also.

Over these next few days I'm aiming to quickly get some line tests done, a few expressions for the other characters perhaps, and maybe test out doing the frames using vector art to see how long it takes.

I spy a few sleepless nights over the coming week, but I think I can get it done, if not I'll just have to try my best. I'll probably end up crying myself to sleep with the stress.

But on the bright side, we get a week off after the hand in...

and then...

on the 11th...

...Skyrim.

oh god...

Pictoplasma Missing Link Yeti Entry!

This here is my entry for the Pictoplasma Missing Link competition thing.
I had fun drawing this guy, he was actually the quickest design I did and as a result is a bit more sketchy and uneven than the others, but I like it, it makes him a bit more shaggy/ragged etc.
Don't think there's anyway he will get picked after looking at some of the previous entries, but he was fun to do and he will at least make blog look more interesting.
I might actually print him out onto A2 or A1 for Final Show later next year along with some of my other characters.

Update

I managed to finish the walk cycle for my big character, it took a few extra days as my photoshop decided to stop working on my pc, it's still quite scrappy, the outline boils quite abit, but when it comes to the actual animation i will ensure this is alot cleaner, the shading was also done hastily, I plan on getting a drawing tablet so the shading for the actual production will also be alot cleaner.

Over the next few days I really need to get a few more line tests done, I plan on getting a few character expression frames done hopefully a few for each character I have.

I have also been working on my Pictoplasma entry, I was very indecisive about which to use so I spent quite a lot of time going back and producing different designs. I think I have narrowed it down to these two, although I am more keen on the right-hand design; it was perhaps the quickest design I did and I quite like the way it is slightly uneven and sketchy. The chosen design will be live traced in Illustrator and then obviously coloured up and then sent off at the weekend!

I had fun drawing these fellas

Influences on Movement (Ripping Friends)

I really like the over exaggerated movement of the characters, specifically the way the big characters angle their body, with the head of them leaning right forward and their legs being quite far behind, this really gives the characters walk a lot of personality and force about it, I tried to incorporate this movement into my big character.

Update

So this week I really spent my time going back and forth through the animation module and the pictoplasma yeti one, honestly I'm probably enjoying the latter more, simply for the fact that with a single, still image I can go all out on a character design. Pictures of my character designs will be posted at the weekend most likely.

As far as the animation module goes I have still got a lot of work to do, I have finished a line test of my Big Guy so I have the movement of him walking pretty much sorted.

Over the weekend I intend to get this coloured up with a layer of shading, I also intend to get my Yeti entry for Pictoplasma finished.

Oh, and here's a rough version of my little character from the animation, needs tidying up, I will also most likely end up making changes to him too as I'm not 100% happy with it... but that's the case with pretty much every single drawing I have ever done.

SMART TARGETS

-Still need to get these model sheets of the 2 characters sorted, I have all the elevations drawn out so colouring them up won't take long at all. I will work hard over the weekend to try get these complete.

-I have also started character designs for the work based module which is a live brief from Pictoplasma to design a Yeti/Bigfoot character. Hopefully by the end of next week I will have a final concept.

-I have began a side profile walk cycle for my small character, for this character I want a Dexter (Dexter's Lab) type walk cycle where his legs move very fast and also kick, I've done a 3 frame walk cycle with no foot roll so I'm hoping when I get them scanned that it will give that same effect.

-I plan to do a walk cycle of my big character in the next week along with a series of line tests for hand movements and various expressions, once I'm happy with these I will redraw them with clean linework and start to build up colour and then eventually shade. Depending on how long adding the shade will take will influence my final animation.

-I may also, if I find the time during the next week, plan out some scenery designs, I don't know whether to keep the scenery as a flat image or build it up using Cinema 4D.

-I am also planning on perhaps undertaking another live brief with a few others... we shall see.

I have slacked off abit in the last week, so I think I am probably behind a little, but as long as I knuckle down over the weekend and the next week I'll easily be able to get this stuff done.

Oh, and I still need to think of names for my characters.

Weekly Update - Characters

Over the next week I really need to get these character sheets completely finished, as well as trying to complete at least a line tested walk cycle for one of my characters.
The main things I am worried about on the animation is the hand movements, I think i will need to practice by doing perhaps a number of reference drawings.
I have also slightly changed my narrative, changing the big character from a hopeful super-villain to an already established super-villain testing his gadgets and experiments on the little minion character I have designed, the character design for the big character will remain largely the same, but perhaps making him appear slightly more intelligent and changing his clothing.
Honestly I feel a little bogged down with the work after these small changes, however I think I will be able to get this all wrapped up within the next week.
It is probably a little late on to be changing aspects of my work, but I feel like if I am to work on this throughout the entire year I want something that I am completely happy with so that I don't get fed up half way through or decide to make changes later on in the project. The characters, remaining largely unchanged are at least sorted for me to begin line tests.

The movement of the characters will be significantly different from each other, although form what I have planned for my animation there won't really be that much movement, instead it will focus more on the expressions and reactions of the characters.

Big Guy:
Movement -  Strong, confident movements, fluent and quick, large strides
Expressions - Arrogant, confident, sinister, malevolent

Little Guy: 
Movement - Nervous, twitchy, unintimidating, small, quick steps
Expressions - Tired, nervous, glum, constantly scared