Can't help picking up on the slight 'lack' of movement in terms of your creative development. This is less of an out-and-out 'nag', and more of a request that you beef up your creativity a bit. Remember - you're being asked to respond to these books in the context of an animated adaptation - which means that stylisation, expressionism and a certain theatricality is to be positively encouraged. You need to think more about using simple things like dynamic use of perspective, lighting to create mystery, apprehension or mood; these thumbnails feel less like your designing a world, and more like your trying to 'draw a shop' - they're not quite the same thing. For some encouragement and inspiration - check out some of the production drawings specifically for animation that you'll find on the great Living Lines blog:
I know you've got a toony style - because it came through in those two summer project designs; so don't let the fact that you're ostensibly dealing with 2 'real world' buildings (a shop and a red room) stop you from thinking more loosely and playfully about depicting them. Think like an animator.
Hey Katy :D Maybe you could zoom back, so you can see other shops in the view, and have the magic shop looks significantly different, wacky etc from the others, creating a real focus point and you can get all imaginative with the architecture for the shop? Or even making the colours of the magic shop bold compared to the others. Just a suggestion :D I like your work so far!
Hi Katy - okay - check out this richly atmospheric adaptation of Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart; note the deconstructed approach to building the interiors; strong use of silhouette and unapologetic embrace of 'drawn' aesthetic and distortion. This is absolutely non-real world and doesn't care!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4s9V8aQu4c
You know, perhaps it's your own drawing that is confining your ability to invent these spaces? Sometimes, when drawing is, of itself, a challenge, it can 'get in the way' of the creative bit; sometimes this is the moment to fold in some alternate ways of thinking about constructing your images (i.e. through collage and montage instead?), but also looking at alternate sorts of disciplines for inspiration - for example, theatrical set design, which often does more with less: for example;
I want you to think about using lighting perhaps to describe these spaces; think about bold use of colour too - so again, consider theatrical lighting to help bring your spaces to life:
Put simply, I'm not sure that your current method of thumbnailing is allowing you to express your spaces in a truly exploratory way; it does feel as if you're stuck drawing the same doors and staircases.
One idea for The Magic Shop might be to draw everything as if from the child's perspective. Another idea for The Red Room is to treat that space much more like a theatre set in which lighting and strong foreground/midground/background layering helps you construct it :)
Phil - Thank you for all the references, they should help get me out of my rut with the thumbnails Lucy - That's a good idea, ill try that out in a few thumbnails, thank you :)
Hey Katy, very interesting images on your influence map. Have a look at 'wunderkammers' ( Phil suggested it, it's very helpful .It will help you with the magic shop interior design.
I have just realised we have the same stories, can't wait to see more of your development thumbnails.
Hey Katy,
ReplyDeleteCan't help picking up on the slight 'lack' of movement in terms of your creative development. This is less of an out-and-out 'nag', and more of a request that you beef up your creativity a bit. Remember - you're being asked to respond to these books in the context of an animated adaptation - which means that stylisation, expressionism and a certain theatricality is to be positively encouraged. You need to think more about using simple things like dynamic use of perspective, lighting to create mystery, apprehension or mood; these thumbnails feel less like your designing a world, and more like your trying to 'draw a shop' - they're not quite the same thing. For some encouragement and inspiration - check out some of the production drawings specifically for animation that you'll find on the great Living Lines blog:
http://livlily.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/model-sheets-production-drawings.html
I know you've got a toony style - because it came through in those two summer project designs; so don't let the fact that you're ostensibly dealing with 2 'real world' buildings (a shop and a red room) stop you from thinking more loosely and playfully about depicting them. Think like an animator.
Hey Katy :D
ReplyDeleteMaybe you could zoom back, so you can see other shops in the view, and have the magic shop looks significantly different, wacky etc from the others, creating a real focus point and you can get all imaginative with the architecture for the shop? Or even making the colours of the magic shop bold compared to the others. Just a suggestion :D I like your work so far!
Hi Katy - okay - check out this richly atmospheric adaptation of Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart; note the deconstructed approach to building the interiors; strong use of silhouette and unapologetic embrace of 'drawn' aesthetic and distortion. This is absolutely non-real world and doesn't care!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4s9V8aQu4c
You know, perhaps it's your own drawing that is confining your ability to invent these spaces? Sometimes, when drawing is, of itself, a challenge, it can 'get in the way' of the creative bit; sometimes this is the moment to fold in some alternate ways of thinking about constructing your images (i.e. through collage and montage instead?), but also looking at alternate sorts of disciplines for inspiration - for example, theatrical set design, which often does more with less: for example;
http://www.creatingtheimpossible.co.uk/imagelibrary/old%20times%20ccc%20set%20x%20480.jpg
http://theredlist.fr/media/database/settings/performing-art/topics/minimalism/004-set-design-minimalism-theredlist.jpg
http://put.edidomus.it/domus/binaries/imagedata/use%20tape%20set6_UPD.jpg
http://www.raesmith.co.uk/newsletter-1/images/St-Joan-lrg-web-2.jpg
I want you to think about using lighting perhaps to describe these spaces; think about bold use of colour too - so again, consider theatrical lighting to help bring your spaces to life:
http://www.wickhamdesign.com.au/Sand-drop-Home-page-pic.jpg
http://www.windworksdesign.com/assets/lighting/lights1.jpg
Put simply, I'm not sure that your current method of thumbnailing is allowing you to express your spaces in a truly exploratory way; it does feel as if you're stuck drawing the same doors and staircases.
One idea for The Magic Shop might be to draw everything as if from the child's perspective. Another idea for The Red Room is to treat that space much more like a theatre set in which lighting and strong foreground/midground/background layering helps you construct it :)
Phil - Thank you for all the references, they should help get me out of my rut with the thumbnails
ReplyDeleteLucy - That's a good idea, ill try that out in a few thumbnails, thank you :)
Hey Katy, very interesting images on your influence map. Have a look at 'wunderkammers' ( Phil suggested it, it's very helpful .It will help you with the magic shop interior design.
ReplyDeleteI have just realised we have the same stories, can't wait to see more of your development thumbnails.