Character Design

Human Structure, Character Construction I

Introduction

This week we will take a look at how to construct the human body, and characters, using shape elements

Before Class

PRE-Class tasks:

Watch at least one of the below videos, for some ways to design a great character, creature, or extra.
Prep work on Project 1, Milestone 2: Character ROUGHS - Design Variations - about 2 full A4 pages or more, total 24-odd versions of character rough/thumbnail designs, using the videos and Character Design resources below (can be digital or hand drawn) . Many clearly different shape concepts, whether multiple characters or not.
Advanced students: Prep work on FINE Design Variations (see examples in Project 1, Milestone 2 Brief).

As usual:

Practise Digital Drawing (using the templates) and/or Traditional warmups
Borrow/bring:
- - A drawing tablet and/or drawing equipment, as per Week 1.
  - Headphones/earphones for viewing videos at your workstation.
  - Use your own credentials for borrowing, thank you.
Complete last week's Post-Class activities.
Save and update GDrive and web pages

Roughs should be radically different shape concepts, whether different characters or not.

Roughs should be radicallly different shape concepts, whether different characters or not.

www.liveabout.com/classic-cartoon-network-shows-136880

Roughs. Clear differences in body shape and type, even within a "semi-realistic human" style. Roughs should be clearly different shape concepts, whether different characters or not.

Recommended:

Think, Pair, Share: A construction formula (sometimes called a shape formula or ratio formula) helps you measure and memorize proportions. Search in this reference folder for a step-by-step formula, similar to your designs, which you can use. Help another student do the same.
- (Please don't use fully colored reference).
An interesting pose and a clear silhouette.

A manga character head construction formula; this can also be applied to Western styles.

Main character example design, in expressive, cartoon style, 16 min.

Jazza talks about discovery, design, development and delivery; using the Jazza's Arty Games app to create a random character concept, and takes us through an example ferret character process.

Silhouette design for Creatures, 10 min

VFX and Realistic Fantasy style.

Silhouette design for adult humans, 9 min.

Also useful for secondary characters and extras

VFX and Realistic Fantasy style.

During Class

Drawing Human and Stylized Character forms
- Balance lines
- Line of action
- Proportion and measurement
- Simplified Skeleton
- Silhouette and shading
Brief on Project 1 Milestone 2 - CHARACTER ROUGHS/THUMBNAILS
- - Student Gallery Examples
Character Design
- - 5 Shapes Method
  - Character Design Principles

Character Design Resources

from David

The classic 5 Shapes method (PDF) generates strong variations, and makes conventional, dull designs more interesting.

Create multiple shape variations of any character concept.

Tod Polson

Inspiration & Reference Sources!

Find a construction formula you can use.

Recommended References

Model Sheets, Turnarounds, Construction Formulas, Poses, Expressions Sources:

Visual Library: Character Design Boards

Character Design Fundamental Principles PDF with examples. Check your designs against these principles, and revise.

Ultimate boredom-fighting powers!

Use size and shape contrasts

Shaun Bryant

Inspiration & Reference sources (cont.)

'Streamlined' Anatomy style, by Christopher Hart (Recommended)

Additional Resources in

Topics > Character Design

IN-CLASS: LECTURE VIEWING - WEEK 3

ANI170_Lect_03_HumanBody1_21T3_SYD

Silhouette and shading

Trying to draw a figure from scratch can be difficult. It is hard to know where to start and what direction to head. In face "drawing" in a traditional sense is based entirely on understanding what the end goal is, then expressing it. Sometimes though we don't know what we are looking for when we first start drawing.

As an alternative option, look at working with silhouette to find the distinctive shape that tells us about the character. Then draw into the silhouette to determine form (through shading), detail and colour. Working with a silhouette rather than trying to draw a full figure can be a fast way to discover what you are looking for and frees you from having to be exact.

Your facilitator will show you how you can work with silhouette to quickly discover the character you are trying to draw without being tied up by line work.

IN-CLASS: TUTORIAL ACTIVITY

ANI170_Tutorial_03_19T1.pdf

Examples of Exercises

Templates

A4 300 ppi, 3508x2480px, layers, guides, TIF
Keep copies for future use.
You can always find more (A2, storyboards, etc):
- - In Digital Drawing
  - Project-specific templates in Project Detail Briefs.
  - Search this GSite for "Template" (search bar)

Reference Grid for a Realistic Human Turnaround

Traditional: Use a full landscape A4 page, a ruler, and a sharp light blue pencil. Start 20mm from the top edge of the page. Draw a horizontal grid, with all lines 20mm apart, and parallel to the page.

9 lines = 8 rows.

If you want vertical lines, please make them dashed and lighter than the horizontal lines.

Human1Body-Proportion-Turn-1.tif

Digital: use this Photoshop template file, with guide lines. You can use the vector line tool, or the brush tool straight line method, to finish the grid.

Measuring

Traditional or Digital

Use your thumb and pencil, held at a constant distance from your eye, to take a measurement, then mark it lightly on your drawing.
Revision also improves accuracy: Continually re-measure and revise, to improve the drawing. Don't stop until everything measures correctly.
Struggling with very fine measurements using thumb and pencil? Use a transparent plastic ruler with millimeters.
Angles can be measured with a pencil (or two pencils, or a protractor).

Digital

When drawing from reference, you can use the flip/on/off measurement technique, to briefly display your drawing vs the reference.
- - In Windows running Photoshop, you can do this by clicking the running Photoshop icon in the Windows Taskbar, to show the reference underneath, for about 1 second each time.
  - Alternatively, place the reference on another layer in the same Photoshop file, and click the Layer display on/off.

After Class

Weekly outside-class-time is 6 hours per week.

Use a calendar and schedule your recurring time, with access to tools, software and equipment.

Please do any in-class exercises and Project work due, whether you attended or not.
Digitize any traditional work.

Save all files/images to
- - GDrive > My SAE Studies > Trimesters > [Tri] > [Unit]
  - Students are responsible for keeping their data safe and accessible in an agreed, shared location.
Insert/embed images for web display
- - Ensure your GDrive link is well-displayed in your unit home page.
Publish your web pages
- - Whenever work-in-progress changes, finished or not.

Post more drawings to the class Padlet wall (optional activity, if requested by facilitator)

Work on Project 1 - rough character design thumbnails
- - Many ideas and variations. Look at proportion, style, action, body language etc.
  - Document feedback, and address it with revisions.
  - Settle on one main character idea/version.
  - Produce at least 12 refined thumbnail sketches. These should demonstrate your character with detail enough to be understood, but still have room to develop.
  - Recommended - interesting poses and clear silhouettes.
  - Recommended - Show your process, especially shape construction, not just the end result.
  - No masks, unless they come off quickly, or are transparent. Facial expressions must be visible.
Material/Medium Activity Part 2 - Test out some different types of paper and materials.
- - Traditional: Use larger graphite sticks, pastel chalk, or the wide side of your pencil for rough silhouettes and large shapes. Experiment with long, slow, smooth strokes, and line speed. Use colored media, wet media, and more textured paper, if desired. Use sharp points for inking/clean line/detail.
  - Digital: Use wider / artistic brushes for rough silhouettes and large shapes. Experiment with long, slow, smooth strokes, and line speed. Add textures to your brushes. Use color and wet brushes, if desired. Use thin brushes for inking/clean line/detail. Add texture brush effects.

ROUGH/BLOCKING/THUMBNAIL Design Variations should still be explored and added to, especially if you haven't been adventurous enough yet, or if you're too stuck in realism (or any style convention).

image: Stephen Silver

FINE Design Variations - these are more cleaned up, and show versions that are similar; clearly it's the same character idea, but still provide a range of shapes and proportions in face/body structure. Offer choices to the client/director.

images: Ben Balistreri, Stephen Silver

Human anatomy, Part 1, color coded, 20 mins

Human anatomy, Part 2, color coded, 44 mins

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