It has been good to see these characters come to fruition from some initial struggles. The result is vibrant and characterful, with two related but distinctive characters. I think the psychedelic colour palette, in both the designs and the graphic design really helps evoke your subject matter. I think the expression sheets could do with a little more development however, as they seem a little one dimensional. Varying the direction and positioning of the head adds visual interest and can add emotion (a happy expression with the head thrown back laughing, an angry sulk looking towards the audience etc. They can help animate and breathe life into an otherwise static series of images. The Gesture sheets are better, structural issues aside (lack of consistency with head sizes, arm weights etc) but do give a sense of what each character is about.
With your vibrant and evocative character designs, it is disappointing that you have neglected your environment. I think the setting played a huge part join the narrative of your project, so without it, the audience loses a sense of time and place. Are the characters from the past or the present? Is the action happening in an iconic location? London during this time period was a vibrant place, the heart of pop culture and music. Tapping into that (an alleyway with psychedelic posters, a hippy march, swinging Carnaby street etc) would have added a lot to the narrative. I also think this make the storyboard more readable. You may want to revisit some storyboard techniques as it is not clear whether you are indicating character or camera movements.
Overall then I think you have created some very dynamic characters, but without a sense of purpose or narrative. I would strongly recommend working on your environments and storyboards, developing them to the same standard. - JW
Character Design Feedback
ReplyDeleteIt has been good to see these characters come to fruition from some initial struggles. The result is vibrant and characterful, with two related but distinctive characters. I think the psychedelic colour palette, in both the designs and the graphic design really helps evoke your subject matter. I think the expression sheets could do with a little more development however, as they seem a little one dimensional. Varying the direction and positioning of the head adds visual interest and can add emotion (a happy expression with the head thrown back laughing, an angry sulk looking towards the audience etc. They can help animate and breathe life into an otherwise static series of images. The Gesture sheets are better, structural issues aside (lack of consistency with head sizes, arm weights etc) but do give a sense of what each character is about.
With your vibrant and evocative character designs, it is disappointing that you have neglected your environment. I think the setting played a huge part join the narrative of your project, so without it, the audience loses a sense of time and place. Are the characters from the past or the present? Is the action happening in an iconic location? London during this time period was a vibrant place, the heart of pop culture and music. Tapping into that (an alleyway with psychedelic posters, a hippy march, swinging Carnaby street etc) would have added a lot to the narrative. I also think this make the storyboard more readable. You may want to revisit some storyboard techniques as it is not clear whether you are indicating character or camera movements.
Overall then I think you have created some very dynamic characters, but without a sense of purpose or narrative. I would strongly recommend working on your environments and storyboards, developing them to the same standard. - JW