Character Design and Development. (1)

This session introduced us to production techniques and workflows as they relate to character design. The outcome from our first process and production session will be character sheets and production layouts for a simple character. This character will be developed further in later lessons.

In this session we were expected to; create sketched ideas for a character, create character sheets for this character (poses), generate production layouts for this character (front and side views), consider a colour palette and target for the character.

I started off by drawing simple sketches of different characters, aiming for a dancer/ice-skater/gymnast style character.

I started looking in detail, at body shape, and displaying movement within my drawings.

My final character design, ended up being a gymnast. I want to show strength and movement within my design, although I want her to hold some level of beauty as well. I finished this weeks session off by creating a design sheet portraying a possible frame by frame sketch of a routine a gymnast would show off.

12 basic principles of animation:
1. SQUASH & STRETCH
2. ANTICIPATION
3. STAGING
4. STRAIGHT AHEAD & POSE TO POSE ANIMATION
5. FOLLOW THROUGH & OVERLAPPING ACTION
6. SLOW OUT & SLOW IN
7. ARCS
8. SECONDARY ACTION
9. TIMING
10. EXAGGERATION
11. SOLID DRAWING
12. APPEAL