Dean Holdeen

When I came across this artist I was immediately drawn to how powerful his concepts were. I find them really striking, especially this first one. You get a real sense of the character: powerful, fierce, not afraid of anything, will defeat anything or anyone who gets in his way; this is shown through the way he stands, his stature and physical build.

Even though my character is female, I thought it would be good to reference a male character as they are mainly portrayed as strong and independent, which is what I want people to see when they look at my character. I find that the armour adds to the way people think of a character, the more armour they have, the stronger they seem; even more so if it is combined with physical build. This concept is no different. I will have to find a balance between having enough armour to show that my character is strong, but not too much in the way that it will loose her femininity.

The concept below is more along the lines of what I would like to achieve, armour in particular areas and still having the clothing visible to the eye. The lighting in this piece is quite different to most concepts, it only highlights a certain area with a sharp burst of light; while the rest shadows out to the edges. I think this technique works if you have a certain area you want the eye to be drawn to first or something that you want really highlighting. I would have like to have seen the legs and feet of both characters but unfortunately they have almost been blacked out. There are pros and cons to having the concept on a black background; it's good to contrast colours against and to have things stand out, however you have to be careful not to loose details within it. The characters themselves are quite opposites in some ways; one in loose, tattered clothing whilst the other is in more of a pristine condition. I guess this adds a good balance between the two rather than having just two characters the same or very similar to each other.

David Boyce

I've chosen to look at this artist as these are still in their drawing state. The top one shows the turnaround of the character, which I will have to do very shortly when finalising my own character. Even though not in its final stage and make seem quite 'sketchy', there is a lot of detail incorporated into it which will aid the final composition. I really like the way Boyce has created several different types of expressions, I find they have a nice sense of fluidity about them; they almost have a life of their own. He has managed to draw the expressions really well, capturing the essence of each, you are instantly able to distinguish which emotions are which.I have tried to do some drawings like this but realise I need a lot more practice to achieve the standard I would like. I find I have trouble with drawing expressions as they all look different, they end up not showing any resemblance to the original character. This is something I will have to work on, probably by just drawing a lot more of the same face and altering the expression; slightly at first in order for me to get used to it.

An Jeong Won

This is along the lines of what I would like to base my character on. I want to incorporate the extravagance of the clothing but at the same time make it believable to people that she can and will fight when the time comes. The colours which have been used have been carefully thought about, they all compliment each other yet each are to their own. With the colours you can tell that light, peach and cream colours are more of a high class society and therefore she will not likely be getting into any trouble. The ruffles on her dress add volume and texture which makes it more appealing to the eye, it could also suggest she is of high importance and wealth as less fortunate people would not be able to afford such opulent clothing. I really like the way you can see a lot of thought has gone into creating the costume for the character. The costume itself is almost an extension of their personality and goals, so if they don't seem to match the story behind the character it won't make much sense.

The deep blue/greys and golds seem to suggest that she may be a soldier to royalty, or maybe she is royalty herself. Even though she is carrying a sword, her stance shows that she still is very feminine and has a lot of elegance about her. She is not just a pretty face, she is prepared for whatever comes her way. I particularly like the detailing on her attire; even the small areas are still quite distinctive, there is not much armour on her, probably because you could loose the femininity by incorporating too much. There is just enough there to show that she is prepared for some combat. By the looks of it she is carrying what seems to be a lance which is normally used in jousting; at first glance I did not notice this, but when you study it further you see the finer details. I really like the dress shape on this character, it's shorter than what is told in history but it still has that periodic feel to it; which is down to the particular style and shape, along with the small details in the armour and accessories.

The clothing on this character is much more exuberant, even though from a different era, you can still the artist has taken inspiration from history to influence this design. The big sleeves originally were in fashion during the 1820's, but like everything else things get filtered down through the ages and people interpret them in their own way. I think that even though I want my character to live in the 1600's I would like to put a spin on the way she dresses, I want it to be slightly unconventional for that time, something that will make her unique from other people. I will research and then take elements from different dresses from that era to produce my own individual idea; which hopefully will come across quite feminine but at the same time show that she is a fighter and has courage and strength.

Gallery Visit

Last week I also took a trip down to the Leeds Art Gallery to have a look at the paintings they had on display. To begin with I was more interested in finding renaissance era paintings, but the one that really caught my eye was a piece done by Henri Fantin Latour: Portrait of Mme Leon Maitre 1937. The painting itself, gave off a very soft and gentle vibe, possibly down to the colours used and the brush strokes used for the hair and clothes. I did a quick drawing of that painting as I wanted to reference it when it comes to my character. The lady in the painting looks quite plain, there are no distinctive facial features, however I find that I am drawn into the whole piece. She almost looks sad but you don't know why. I want my character to have a look about her that makes you want to know more, to draw you into her life and story.

Keith Thompson: Barber's Daughter

The most alluring thing about this character is the eyes. Even from a distance, they draw you in and you notice that she is not just an innocent girl. A lot of the time the eyes tell a story, when people talk to one another we make eye contact so we are mostly drawn to that specific place. The pale skin and the darkened eyes really contrast against one another, makes the girl almost ghost like. This goes along with the story of the character: "...the barber's soul was transferred into the body of his young daughter."

The idea of a female character for me, is far more interesting. For starters, not many people would suspect a female, especially not a young girl. I find that the shape of the body flows much better with clothing and when done right, even just a plain face can be really striking.

Henrik Tamm

Henrik Tamm has worked on many major films over the years, and spent many years working at Dreamworks on the likes of 'Shrek' and 'A Sharks Tale'. He has also worked on the first 'Chronicles of Narnia' film, which I have to admit would be one of my top films for the CGI used. Tamm created the concept art behind the movie and as you can see, every idea starts with a drawing. Even though this would not be the first draft, the developed idea is crisp and detailed; it contains everything you need to really get the feel of the environment. The attention to detail along the ceiling gives you the atmosphere of the whole place.

Still credit is due to his further development using the computer; it too doesn't hold back on any detail. The image is fierce and compelling. True to both of these images, is the fact that once you look at them you instantly get a sense of the mood and atmosphere of the scene.

I want to be able to achieve something along these lines, by the way that the drawing is done (with the marks and tones), it will give you everything you need to know about the current scene.

Inspiration Visit 2

The second visit we went on was to the Royal Amouries. As of yet I have no inclination to whether or not my character will have a weapon, but all in all I found the trip down there very rewarding. I found many weapons which had intricate patterns on the handles which made them hold a kind of beauty, the juxtaposition of the ornate design and the use behind the weapon was quite interesting. It's as if they are trying to bring elegance and class to the object, or possibly to show the wealth of the owner of the weapon.

In a way the designs on the handles/hilts almost make them have a feminine quality. Beautiful but deadly...

Inspiration Visit 1

So during my first proper week starting the course, we were given a brief with the final outcome as a character design, its environment, a storyboard and a short animation. Within this would be mini briefs each week where we would concentrate on something specific to help us design and develop our ideas.

This week we went to Leeds City Museum and Leeds Royal Armouries. When at the Museum, I came across several different items which captured my interest; the main one being this dress which looks to be from the renaissance period. I've always found this period of time really attracts me to it, mainly with the fashion and elegance of women in that time. Another item which I liked was the ornate fans, I have researched and found that women in the renaissance period were more than likely to carry one around with them. I love how they look really delicate yet can portray great detail and fine art on their front. They are a main accessory for the higher class woman.

By seeing these items, it has given me ideas to base my character in that period, around the 1600's. Adult female, possibly with a family. I will fill in a character sheet before I settle on a final idea to help me gain a better understanding of what I want my character to be like within their environment.

Arrietty

Watched this the other night, the newest Studio Ghibli film: Arrietty. Based on 'The Borrowers'. Never can get bored of these films, they are all unique to one another and have so much detail and time put into them.

A big thing I have when watching Japanese films...HAVE to be subbed, I find that the dubbing just doesn't fit well with the style of the animation.

Looking forward to see what else they have install...

Me, Myself and I

My name is Siobhan Parkhouse and I am currently studying a BA Hons degree in Digital Film, Games and Animation at Leeds College of Art. At this moment in time I am wanting to pursue the pathway of animation, mainly 3D modelling. To this date I have tried out stop motion animation and am looking forward to exploring the animation route more. I am also interested in games and the art behind it.

During my time on this course I will be posting my own work and any items that may interest me and to show my progress and research into my work.