Character Exploration

Brand Match

Character Exploration Brand Style Match 2023

This is the Slide show we will use to submit work. Follow the directions on the slides.

Why do Character exploration:

In the industry, you will be working for clients. You will need to think about what they need to sell the product or gain an audience. It is good for art directors to see that you have the capability of creating work in different styles when they need it.

This project is meant to stretch your versatility. It is important to be able to draw in a variety of styles. Having these pieces in your portfolio will help potential employers see the depth of your skills.

When you are just starting in your career, this is one way to approach a company, you can develop a project for one of their brands to prove your abilities.

Deliverables:

In each genre, there are choices for different brands.
Choose one brand or style from each genre - If you would like to pick your own, discuss this with the faculty, it should be well known.
Design a character to add to the group so that it belongs in the show, advertisement, game, or book.
Put your character in a pose that matches the poses for the reference image given.
You may choose a different pose set from the same brand to add your characters to.
This is like a photobomb of your character in the show or game image. It should fit and feel like the same team of artists did the work.
When creating your production art, add your character to a group from your benchmark like a photobomb, not by itself.
Your character should match the style of the genre, but help to diversify the group in some way, consider race, gender, sexual orientation, age, class etc.

Project Specs:

Photoshop Imaging
11x17 at 300 dpi
Web ready files (external link)
File naming convention: YourNameCharExploreCharacterName.jpg
Put your image in the slideshow labeled with your name.
If you are choosing a different pose set for the given characters, make sure to add that.

Submitting:

There are multiple steps for submitting that will be listed in each of the assignment subsections.

We will be using this slideshow for your full semester.

Submit your final render for the photobomb project to the Slideshow and to the Drive here

On one of the first slides, there is a slide for you to have your name with a link to the slide with your final render to find it fast in reviews.

Genres to Explore:

We are looking for a diverse set of characters that you will be able to understand the delivery system and audience. The style choices below are examples of the diversity of looks.

Please work from each Genre Section.

There is a total of 6 line drawings and 1 full-colored illustration that you will do for the project from 2d animation, children's book, 2d physical game.

Motion Design, 3D Game, and 2D Casual Game will be rendered later so don't do those for this assignment.

Choose for maximum variety and look for imaging that you do not currently have in your portfolio wheelhouse so that we can expand your skills. You will also note that some styles will be fast while others are more labor-intensive because they are realistic or painterly. I suggest you only choose one of those labor-intensive imaging styles. This will also help you to see how long these types of projects take so that you can create more accurate estimates for your clients.

Start with Line first. 6 line drawings will be due first (1 per genre) - see the calendar.
Get the line approved before moving on to coloring, which will be integrated into the other main assignments.
1 final render chosen from the left side genres.

Genre Sections

Do Line and Full Renders for these for this assignment.

2D Animation

This can be human or something else

1. 1. Cartoon Network: Teen Titans Go (External Link) or Steven Universe (External Link)
  2. PBS Kids (External Link): Alma's Way or Word Girl
  3. Adult Swim: Samurai Jack (External Link) or The Boondocks (External Link)

Children's Book

Recommendation to do an animal

The Fuchsia Is Now by J. Otto Seibold (external link)
Rebecca Green article (external link) - KCAD alum - live art (external link)
Do unto Otters Laurie Keller (external link) - KCAD alum

2D Physical Game

Can be a Human or a Creature

Do line concepts for these now. Create the full render finals will be done for later larger assignments.

Motion Design

Should be human or product

Pop Tart Social Media: Funny Line Work: See the KCAD alum interview on working on the brand (external link)
Kean Fruits (External Link): Collaged
Nascar: Posterized Realistic

3D Game

(All Character Design Concepts are drawn in PSD) (Choose 2 for line, 1 for full color to do later) can be Human or Creature: Creature will be for the final, so this is recommended if you need more time.

1. 1. Fortnite: See KCAD alum Drew Hill (external link)
  2. Olli Olli World (external link)
  3. Subway Surfers (external link)
  4. Mine Craft blocky
  5. Style: Short Proportions
  6. Style: Ideal Proportions with Exaggerated Assets
  7. Style: Low Poly

2D Animated Casual Game

Any type of character - You may end up using this character for the final animated rig, so consider this when you develop your images. This should have 2 arms, 2 legs, a torso, and a head.

8 Bit
Torso up like 2D Sims talking on screen
Super Dungeon Tactics: Guide (external link)
1. if you choose this we have files for you to review
2. tutorial (external link)
3. student work (external link)
Your choice but must be able to be legible on a small phone (not too detailed).

Production Art Technique Help:

All of the styles are different.

You may request specific tutorials in class.

This tutorial can take you through the steps for Entertainment Art methods, you can stop at any point, keeping flats or moving to textures, painterliness, or anywhere in between.

Shortcuts for Photoshop

Production Process example:

Photoshop
Start with a larger file to be able to zoom in.
I started with 3000 x 3000 knowing ultimately the work would need to be within the constraints of 1920 x 1080

White Fill Tutorials:

Get the board actions created by Kendall Alum Steve Heneveld which includes the White Fill

Steps:

See the Video For the Table of Contents and go directly to each part of the video.

Line Drawing
White Fill for easy flats
Change the white fill to Color Fills
Tone over the color
Textures on an overlay layer over the tone
- These include the cement block, backpack, cloth, rainbow and Covid-19
Details and more paint over all of those layers
- Lighting, highlights, focused on the hair, face, staff and mace.
Background - I chose a texture and darkening on the outside
Text Layout

Student examples:

Note that these examples were with a different set of instructions that did not specifically require a brand match and so those brand match titles are not present. Your image layouts and descriptions will be different. These examples were from all one character and bring that character to the different genres, but it will not always make sense to have a robot for a motion design to sell cookies or a cookie character to be in a game. You will have different character identities. The image of your character will photobomb an image from the show, game or other media.