Phase 4 - Colour Composition and experimentation

At this point of the project, after spending most of the beginning designing and drawing out the characters and rough scenes for the environments, is to begin the composition ideas for the artworks. The plan is to create full artworks of characters in an environment, though I would like to experiment with how I can compose my illustrations within a given space. To explore this, I will attempt to use large brush strokes (random strokes that are uncontrollable) in Photoshop to create some empty blank space, where the artworks will be placed in. The experiments are to see any potential ideas that would enable me to be playful and to be creative with the space created by these random brush strokes. This will also allow me to shift the artwork around within the empty space where I can rearrange the artwork until it matches well with the brush composition.

Later on in this stage, I will place the colour compositions within the blank space (created by the brush strokes) to see the outcomes and to evaluate whether this idea of using space for the illustrations would be better than creating a full artwork. 

Examples of random brush strokes. The black stroke is the space where the artwork would fit in.

Quick colour compositions using the initial sketches of the environments and adding in colours. 

Combining the colour compositions with the space of the brush strokes to experiment the overall composition of potential artworks. The ones that are crossed out are unusable as they do not work 

After testing and experimenting the combinations of the brush stroke ‘space’ with the quick colour compositions the results are ok, though to be honest the randomness of the brush space can heavily interrupt the colour comps in terms of space and composition, resulting some to not fit very well. I have come to the conclusion that the brush space would probably need some control in terms of where the space would be, so it will fit better with the colour comps. I feel that the space will need to be pre-planned with the artwork that is going to go with in order to achieve the right balance between the layout, space and composition. The randomness of the brush space can help find potential ideas for visual presentation of the artwork, however the reliability of using them without putting in the thought of how the artwork’s composition would tie in with it could result in an unbalanced, cluttered composition. 

Phase 3 - Character Refinement and Gestures/Actions

After producing several rough drawings of each characters, the next stage is to fine-tune some of the details, and draw out some poses and gestures that fits in with the characters’ personality. A lot of work is needed to fix some of the proportions for the anatomy including some of their gestures that feels slightly off. I thought it would be best to draw specific poses/gestures that are relevant to the characters’ design and personality first to get some insight of the full body illustration. Further gestures and poses would be digitally done in the next stage of development after I take these characters for their digital makeover in Photoshop in the next phase for colour experimenting.

Character refinements.

Character 1 (Female) poses and gestures.

Character 2 (Boy) poses and gestures.

Character 3 (Fox) poses and gestures.

Character 4 (spirit character) objects and statues manipulations.

Phase 2 - Research for Visual References

To support the visualisation of my characters and the world I will be illustrating which will be a mixture of reality and fantasy, I mostly look into photographic imagery of objects that will be the main visual element, which will help visualise the environment some of the artworks takes place in, e.g. utility poles, bins, benches and café fronts representing the high street/town environment. Plants, statues and monuments representing the woodland/rural environment. There will be a mixture of primary (photos I had taken) and secondary (images from the internet) research to aid me for the composition and perspectives as well as visual references to help me draw particular objects. Included in the visual references are photographs I had taken over the years of the sky and during sunsets, which is something I tend to do, solely for the purpose of getting good images of colours (orange, blue and red) that will be of use for the colour palette for my works. 

Primary research of the sky, as well as during sunset times for the warm colours and colour mixing.

Primary research of other photos for perspective and composition ideas.

Secondary research from the internet for specific imagery of objects and environments. 

Statues and monuments of animals for the woodland/rural environment.

Utility poles for the high street/town environment.

Phase 1 - Initial Sketches for Characters and Scenes

To begin the development of the project, the first thing I do is to draw out faces of characters. Without putting a lot of thought at this stage with the drawings, it will enable me to be open with ideas without any design constraints. The only thing I have to aid me with the design ideas is the characters’ personality, age and occupation(s) which I have noted down for each one as their little biography. This will at least help with the development and get some sense of direction of where I want to go with in terms of character design.

At the moment it’s all in the rough stage and nothing is settled. I am hoping as I am continuing with the rough ideas there would be some happy accidents along the way that would spark some visual ideas, though it is something that I cannot rely on. I will continue drawing until there is enough that will help inform me with narrowing down the visual ideas for my characters.

Examples of rough sketches, doodles and drawings for characters. Nothing as of specific is being chosen to be put forward for further development.

Character 1 – Female character sketches

Setting 1 – Rural area – Statues, monuments, etc.

Character 2 – Male character sketches

Setting 2 – High street/Town

Character 3 – Animal character sketches

Setting 3 – Woodland sketches

Character 4 – Spiritual character sketches

Setting 4 – Lake/other environment area/sacred place

Character 3 redesign. Bird or Fox instead of Cat/Dog

The next phase for the character designs will be the refinement of the drawings as well as exploring the gestures and the poses for the characters (relevant poses/gestures for the characters' personality/biography). I will be referring back to the initial designs so i can improve on some areas when it comes to redrawing certain features or clothing, as well as referencing from visual images (photographs of clothing, action poses and objects).