Animated Sprites VD-S17

This session was all about animating sprites for 2D games. We were taught how to use the timeline in Photoshop to animate. We did not create our own animations in this session but added to existing ones. To practice this we added eyes(2 pixels) to one sprite and moved them about. Then we were given an animated sprite and told to add anything to it. So I did this.

Creature Lighting VD-S16

In this session of visual design we looked at lighting a creature. We did not create the line art for this. We looked at a video showing the shadow on an egg which really helped me understand how shadows and lighting work better.

Insectoid Character Design 2

So for the 2nd Part of the Insectoid Character we had to create a three-quarter view of our character. I wasn't quite happy with the rendering of the bug in the model sheets so for this view I painted it differently. I experimented with a brush I have not used before which creates a canvas effect. I actually really like it. I also did the character at a different state in its life-cycle. This version of the bug is engorged. I am much happier with the colours and rendering of the egg sack this time. You can see some of the eggs through the surface and it generally looks more transparent than the model sheet version. I took inspiration from termite queens for this.

Life Drawing S15

This session of life drawing was interesting. To link to Visual Design a grid was put in front of the model. This proved very interesting and quite challenging. I discovered that I prefer shading by using only a few finger smudges as it has a slightly chiseled effect that I like.

Life Drawing S14

This session of life drawing had us focus on lighting to coincide with visual design. For one of the drawings our only light source was the red light of the heater. I found the extreme lighting helpful to better understand how to draw lighting on paper.

3D Statue Concept

For 3D Art Production this term we have to create a statue for our battle arena. Seeing as my arena takes place in an ancient alien site I felt that a statue of one of the aliens would be fitting. I had a general idea of what one of the aliens would look like but I still needed some reference. Here is the concept I came up with surrounded by some reference images.

I then took this slightly further so that I'd have a little more to go on when creating a model sheet to model the statue from. I focused mostly on the head design before starting on the main bulk of the body.

I am pleased with what I came up with.

Insectoid Character Design 1

This week's Visual Design Project was to design an insect based character. I wanted to go with a non-humanoid character for this. I created a mood board of insects and a few existing designs which I liked.

Then I created multiple sketches using pencil and markers to find a design I wanted to make. I eventually decided that a bug with an oversized egg sack would be cool.

Then I took the final 3 designs into Photoshop to detail out a bit more before I made a final decision on which one to go with.

I decided to go with the egg sac insect so I took it even further.

So instead of taking this rough and making it into a final concept we had to make a model sheet for it. This is so we can practice making model sheets from concept art to 3D model. Before I show you my model sheets I will tell you the description of this insect.

This insect starts life quite small. It lives on a large, oxygen-rich planet inhabited by huge insects that would tower over humans. This insect starts life by searching for a large colony of another species of insect. When it finds a suitably large colony it finds and kills the queen of the colony and takes her place, in a similar fashion to cuckoo birds with their eggs. She consumes the queen and replicates her scent to prevent confusion amongst the colony. Over time she consumes the colony by eating the workers that bring her food. AS she does this large armour plates grow out of her abdomen which support a growing egg sack. Eventually, this sack grows too large and explodes, killing the insect it is attached to. Hundreds of larvae instantly hatch and begin attacking each other. They attack each other until a fraction of the brood remains. The remaining larvae will eat the corpse of their mother before making their way to the surface. Many will die on the way as they encounter the confused colony. Once at the surface they rapidly pupate and after a short period of time they hatch into their adult form and the cycle begins again.

Anyway, here are the model sheets for this creature at a partially engorged state. I have kept the line work quite heavy in these so that it would be easier to establish shapes to 3D model.
Front:

Side:

Back:

Looking Back at the design after finishing it, I would have made the insect more complex. I would have given the head and thorax large plates of armour to make it look more menacing. I think I should have incorporated some of the wasp insect rough design into this insect. Overall, I am happy with the design but in future I will try to make my designs slightly more complex and detailed where they perhaps should be.