AI Characters
Draw
Study the character examples and what I learned from Kung Fu Panda.
You must now choose a distinct characteristic to your character drawings that will be similar in your characters. Look at these story examples and notice how different the character appearances are compared to each other.
Grading
In choosing your characters you may want to decide how simple or complex you want to make your characters. Part of your project grade is the quality and degree of difficulty of your characters and story backgrounds. Now you do not want to make your story graphics too complex but you do not want to make them too simple. In your final project, your character drawings will be graded based on creativity, use of shapes with the pathfinder, brush strokes, level of difficulty, and individualism.
Too Simple
Above and Beyond, too Complex (Made by Tamas)
Just Right (good use of detail)
Creativity
Many of my previous students' characters lacked personality, creativity, and uniqueness although notice the personality and creativity of this character gang (e.g. pig).
You have probably seen these characters (below) before and one of the reasons they are so popular is because their appearance is so unique with plenty of characteristics. You can basically estimate their personality just by looking at them.
Although don't be like one of my students and try to create characters that look similar to cartoon characters that have already been made (e.g. tv or the movies):
Layers
Draw your protagonist character
in separate Illustrator files, 1280 x 720 document. Make sure to make any body parts or accessories that will move as separate layers and label appropriately (e.g. left arm, right eye). You do not have to make all of the body parts in separate layers and label them, only ones you plan on moving in your animation. Do not create characters which are too difficult and take too much time. This is only a draft of your characters so they don't have to be perfect yet.DivideMany times you may want to divide a shape and color part of it with a different color. To do this, simply draw your shape and draw a line with the pen tool through the shape where you want it to be divided. Select the line and go to Object > Path > Divide Object BelowKuler
Go to http://kuler.adobe.com and choose a color scheme (e.g. complimentary, coordinating, triad, etc) for your characters. Each character should have a slightly different color but a similar scheme (e.g. triad, complimentary) and look/feel. The scheme for each can be 3-5 colors. Take a screenshot of each color scheme colors and place it beneath each character and type the type of scheme it is.GradingRemember when you used shading for your self portrait? Make sure to use shading and highlights for your characters. Important.
Submit
When finished, export your antagonist and protagonist character as a JPG file with the Kuler info and email to your WordPress (cc your partner so they can see your work) and the link to the spreadsheet.
do not do:
Parts
When you create the characters, you should place any body parts that you want to be moving (animated) in your video. Later when you import the Illustrator file into After Effects to animate you will be able to select different layers to animate.
For example, when you
- Take a screenshot and upload it to the MF Picasa album. Type your classID as the caption of the uploaded image.
- Then take the screenshot and post to your Posterous along with the four AI files.
- Be sure to include the small icons of the color scheme next to each character in an organized fashion.
- Open a new AI doc the same size as the other docs and copy and paste all your characters into one doc and add your signature photo. Make sure the names are next to each character and the color scheme is below each character.
want to move an arm, the arm must be in a separate layer. Label all layers appropriately (e.g. right arm, left eye).