tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50674654213461768402024-03-18T13:19:34.571-07:00Character and Creature Design NotesDiscussion, inspiration, notes and links for online studentsJennifer G. Oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05921022924125424519noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-76449288711737609302012-03-03T15:50:00.007-08:002012-03-04T13:27:46.311-08:00Sculpting a Maquette with Tony Cipriano: Part One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I met Tony Cipriano in 1991 when we worked together on "Beauty and the Beast" at Walt Disney Feature Animation's studio in Florida. Tony had a most unusual path to WDFAF, which you can learn about in the videos below. Since then he's also earned credits on Disney's "Aladdin" , "Pocahontas" "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", Tarzan", Mulan", and "Brother Bear".<br />
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</div>Since 1997, Tony has been a freelance sculptor for the animation industry as well as for many toy, action figure and collectible figurine companies, including McFarlane Toys, Dark Horse Comics, Funko, Enesco, Mezco Toys, Sideshow Collectibles, Bowen Designs, DC Comics, Walt Disney Classics Collection, Toy Biz, Dreamworks Animation, Comedy Central, Hasbro, Cartoon Network, Warner Brothers Studio Stores, Scholastic, Matell, and Madison Square Garden. <br />
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Tony's studio is in Long Island, N.Y., where he lives with his wife, three children, and three dogs. Below are a few samples of Tony's amazing body of work, and further down we begin a tutorial of Tony's process in his own words.<br />
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</div><b>Sculpting Alfred E. Newman: from soup...to nut!</b><br />
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This is the Chavant clay. It doesn't have sulphur in it so it won't impede the silicone when I go to mold the bust. I prefer this for personal projects as it smooths with mineral spirits. But Super Sculpey is much better for professional work because it bakes. You can sand it smooth easier, and you can ship it. This stuff is hard to ship. It never cures because it's oil based.<br />
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My favorite tools. All of my work was done using these 4 tools and very little else. They do it all. A rake, a spatula, a large loop and a tiny loop. That's all you really need.<br />
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This is the epoxy resin I use to secure my armature. It's two parts, and you mix them equally. In a few hours, it is rock hard. Or you an speed up the process with heat.<br />
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My trusty alcohol torch. Best five bucks I ever spent. It's used to smooth/heat hard wax & clay, and also to heat tools for working with wax and hard oil clays. You just fill it with denatured Alcohol, light the wick, and squeeze gently. It emits a long flame, like a tiny blow torch. By gently passing it by the surface of the clay, it smooths and melts it subtly, leaving the surface warm so you can re-work the hard clay or add texture, etc.<br />
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<i>Below</i>: This is an incredibly useful page from the MAD style guide, specifically used to guide 3D art of Alfred.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSyNuBK0fPe_AEy_y61f1IUD4pbPA41FlvYvoYN0MnN2nQnIrnyNoK4i8vuZQY9vyi1qGDP1_wMQj_77C2aG8O9O3Y56p6Wao7W_zQQqXDqdcUqXSnJ9vq1ms03PXNjiR4-xUg7R6-Gz8/s1600/307244_174219239331999_100002317722562_399124_666937760_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSyNuBK0fPe_AEy_y61f1IUD4pbPA41FlvYvoYN0MnN2nQnIrnyNoK4i8vuZQY9vyi1qGDP1_wMQj_77C2aG8O9O3Y56p6Wao7W_zQQqXDqdcUqXSnJ9vq1ms03PXNjiR4-xUg7R6-Gz8/s320/307244_174219239331999_100002317722562_399124_666937760_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I pin up my reference material. The page on the board to the left is a PERFECT 3D statue of Alfred done by my pal, mentor and incredible sculptor, Kent Melton. The MAD issues from the 70's were mine when I was a kid. I rescued them from my mother's attic before the squirrels got them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cQv4qqWg1U0vb7GBTH84huLXYasKTvx-MdW81kkgu-mEnhmbJ_98BluRNSjufZvVzKCbHSP2rMFamsUl0yTCLzcfdP2SsYFuLTMswIX6ImFMuuc7npI2triYHhcS7V_6nIEoJd8VgjOU/s1600/304109_174219589331964_100002317722562_399133_2085827821_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cQv4qqWg1U0vb7GBTH84huLXYasKTvx-MdW81kkgu-mEnhmbJ_98BluRNSjufZvVzKCbHSP2rMFamsUl0yTCLzcfdP2SsYFuLTMswIX6ImFMuuc7npI2triYHhcS7V_6nIEoJd8VgjOU/s400/304109_174219589331964_100002317722562_399133_2085827821_n.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i> Below</i>: This is the armature. Talk about high tech, huh? It's a length of 1/4 inch aluminum wire secured to a board and a blob of epoxy putty on top. Takes about 2 minutes to make and you are ready for clay!!! ( after epoxy is hard, of course.) With this kind of armature, as opposed to a pipe, I can pose/tilt the head a little. after I begin to put the clay on</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWl_1w8iOPmzB_k8qKDjasLWPymRRFfkAsVR6jE4dhjo3uyhRwujZyyaf3YgZrJEOesgYaIBlQyKG3oAG62Qm06HwtBkKomxyCJb9XB0Po_7Uzqrs7rM4Y8cjgtoL4l265EcXbX_DUIXKS/s1600/294847_174219285998661_100002317722562_399125_202593693_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWl_1w8iOPmzB_k8qKDjasLWPymRRFfkAsVR6jE4dhjo3uyhRwujZyyaf3YgZrJEOesgYaIBlQyKG3oAG62Qm06HwtBkKomxyCJb9XB0Po_7Uzqrs7rM4Y8cjgtoL4l265EcXbX_DUIXKS/s320/294847_174219285998661_100002317722562_399125_202593693_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The clay in a baking pan, fresh out of the oven. I use low heat in the oven, even a heat lamp will do. Believe me, when this clay is cool, it will be rock hard. I work fast, trying not to burn my hands---and then I pop the tray back into the oven for a few minutes or use a heat gun to warm it up faster, scraping long shards off at a time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_X-LKwElhczscScX3EDo6jZ1lqyQjJShxcjgp7jhSCo1cHybA9_5IlPUnm51rUWl5x9mN30fUU6erhedPhG9LYnvm7YbM3ooEW3Fhn4u_mkNL7h-sHwD3vgX7QzNHuHhMuBKc6BUlVFX/s1600/300686_174219112665345_100002317722562_399121_989434985_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_X-LKwElhczscScX3EDo6jZ1lqyQjJShxcjgp7jhSCo1cHybA9_5IlPUnm51rUWl5x9mN30fUU6erhedPhG9LYnvm7YbM3ooEW3Fhn4u_mkNL7h-sHwD3vgX7QzNHuHhMuBKc6BUlVFX/s320/300686_174219112665345_100002317722562_399121_989434985_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I block out skull and shoulders. I can still reposition the head if I want.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNKT1I3xjGov4y9dRBVUk1aIFCOHDzFE70PFFh6Gp-sJ1mDDKHRKb_nfua64pRUJ02zMbPWf0CcX3QyDQy18sZUd171wo6GF1yb9FUQGgAOkZPW3rQPREnvmIShkFbkbIoZQgijQ5xwmh/s1600/298820_174219505998639_100002317722562_399131_1940486463_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNKT1I3xjGov4y9dRBVUk1aIFCOHDzFE70PFFh6Gp-sJ1mDDKHRKb_nfua64pRUJ02zMbPWf0CcX3QyDQy18sZUd171wo6GF1yb9FUQGgAOkZPW3rQPREnvmIShkFbkbIoZQgijQ5xwmh/s320/298820_174219505998639_100002317722562_399131_1940486463_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
No tools used yet, just my thumbs. I work fast to block out the forms, not worrying about any details at this stage.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnkShPVtwjYdD1N3lWkGnnRYjb5Q0z3HX-nn7sFV_s3H2iESHNccWOdTFC606LA_P7PY0CA8IFWsmQx86N-d9IH2h7jZahKb9YUs2KwcwX_rroly9sX_pIZCHpq2rbYvqoMUsBJPnABHyK/s1600/313118_174219739331949_100002317722562_399137_1224383486_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnkShPVtwjYdD1N3lWkGnnRYjb5Q0z3HX-nn7sFV_s3H2iESHNccWOdTFC606LA_P7PY0CA8IFWsmQx86N-d9IH2h7jZahKb9YUs2KwcwX_rroly9sX_pIZCHpq2rbYvqoMUsBJPnABHyK/s320/313118_174219739331949_100002317722562_399137_1224383486_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I take a pointy tool and scribe in lines to guide me, allowing me to easily see where the details and the planes are. Head has a slight tilt to the viewer right and I twisted the neck to look to his right.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1mzRp6TB_vJguYjArer0INGkL1xMqdxuggJyLkENGukwdwY9RXwMV95zF9Fv4Hoyj8BbtmZigM-wUsxFDm-fywceffr_s3py9ERRwkQL10ApIeYtGc_NDuKbxtjW4d-EKfulqqdQaOaF/s1600/317854_174220025998587_100002317722562_399144_1612481448_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1mzRp6TB_vJguYjArer0INGkL1xMqdxuggJyLkENGukwdwY9RXwMV95zF9Fv4Hoyj8BbtmZigM-wUsxFDm-fywceffr_s3py9ERRwkQL10ApIeYtGc_NDuKbxtjW4d-EKfulqqdQaOaF/s320/317854_174220025998587_100002317722562_399144_1612481448_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
Using rake to blend clay and to define planes of head.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFSh2kHIVcsEjV-ykwGanaBPU6r37yChyf9mFPAOmujYNk4ajUc-BBZ5vTi1wIfIr4RQ_S9UcsqPHB2Low-rd7Bbjz9aavPJ8YXYskSaZ7ZgpwlRHFcI89I5NMzoN2DE_NJ42Vk1db5Xd/s1600/310649_174220082665248_100002317722562_399145_1583755059_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFSh2kHIVcsEjV-ykwGanaBPU6r37yChyf9mFPAOmujYNk4ajUc-BBZ5vTi1wIfIr4RQ_S9UcsqPHB2Low-rd7Bbjz9aavPJ8YXYskSaZ7ZgpwlRHFcI89I5NMzoN2DE_NJ42Vk1db5Xd/s320/310649_174220082665248_100002317722562_399145_1583755059_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
I scoop out eye sockets, begin to add hair, more raking. I constantly turn the bust and step back away from table.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAPhuIycM_HCxOEFEYK-CRww13z3QPogeK4zXJmVjvJeFiCDDADHiigYlSnDwZ01jqrINoKQKrzJ8ARJGN-JeQ5bPxIFMVzrLPOZyC3Rqqhk8_96cfACLMHrtJzmG9S6lyb7qOGfeoFBK/s1600/298143_174220339331889_100002317722562_399149_960036515_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUAPhuIycM_HCxOEFEYK-CRww13z3QPogeK4zXJmVjvJeFiCDDADHiigYlSnDwZ01jqrINoKQKrzJ8ARJGN-JeQ5bPxIFMVzrLPOZyC3Rqqhk8_96cfACLMHrtJzmG9S6lyb7qOGfeoFBK/s320/298143_174220339331889_100002317722562_399149_960036515_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
All of the basic proportions and pertinent information are in place. Now it's noodle time!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3I4BFA-nbZrLnTZso0pEJdzwU9FzPjPobM8tcr4_fw8v-RR8n-scUf3YIcS7vmKsGP0XQlmsiX5FrlB0BI1HEx03trSX7ZlScVJkYfh2lD0d3z5DZVaPsjkxhUJz5kEa5ro0L7E37rCEA/s1600/316889_174220435998546_100002317722562_399151_795452177_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3I4BFA-nbZrLnTZso0pEJdzwU9FzPjPobM8tcr4_fw8v-RR8n-scUf3YIcS7vmKsGP0XQlmsiX5FrlB0BI1HEx03trSX7ZlScVJkYfh2lD0d3z5DZVaPsjkxhUJz5kEa5ro0L7E37rCEA/s320/316889_174220435998546_100002317722562_399151_795452177_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<i>Stay tuned for Part two: Noodling Newman!</i><br />
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<div id="watch-description-text"><div id="eow-description">This is part one of a short video made for HEROES,VILLAINS & ARTISTS TV telling a little more about Tony Cipriano and showing some of his sculpting process.</div></div><div class="horizontal-rule "><span class="first"></span> <span class="second"></span> <span class="third"></span> </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/xkqC7khUQWI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Part Two:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qPaMfbvlfn4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxw3Up8HajLH5VrCx60VZ0b_flvxHlt8SwEoqvcl60GL00WA9phboCkmTeTvisXF_wj19eEM5rswXsK1S4xuv06Ts4HA0Djvs11AV5u93X2ej-siPUYccwWiJl2H5Nl8g4dyTnqp641Z7t/s1600/319116_174219849331938_100002317722562_399140_826854965_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>Jennifer G. Oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05921022924125424519noreply@blogger.com275tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-16808973127477839182011-10-21T18:27:00.000-07:002011-10-24T18:40:21.798-07:00An Interview with Character and Creature Designer Joseph C. Pepe<style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnI1mRdKiZK1HlDESM7mFbEu-euJGFleTxzMlpGhX3zbGeELF7QMvy9SPLN-KNfAW2AOQE7kvxVbFKm4YS4Epwu3kxF0LH91za92qgNV2D-eVgSN4gAqUZ3ln6BiPjLPSb4rb1pxtoGyJ9/s1600/n1264253209_30203188_8033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnI1mRdKiZK1HlDESM7mFbEu-euJGFleTxzMlpGhX3zbGeELF7QMvy9SPLN-KNfAW2AOQE7kvxVbFKm4YS4Epwu3kxF0LH91za92qgNV2D-eVgSN4gAqUZ3ln6BiPjLPSb4rb1pxtoGyJ9/s320/n1264253209_30203188_8033.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><i>I met <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0672484/">Joseph C. Pepe</a> in 1990 when he was working as an effects animator and I as a key clean up artist on the Walt Disney Feature Animation film "The Rescuers Down Under". Since then Joe has created effects for every animated Disney Feature leading up to "Home on the Range" (2004), Including "Aladdin", "The Lion King", "Tarzan" and "Mulan". But when Joe left the Feature Animation studio in 2004 he made a career change, becoming a sought after conceptual artist and designer on films like "AVP: Alien Vs. Predator", "War of the Worlds" (2005), Fantastic Four" (2005), "Skinwalkers", and James Cameron's "Avatar". Joe has generously granted us an interview to give us a peek into his experiences, thought processes, inspirations, and tips for succeeding in a very competitive industry. - Jennifer G. Oliver</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></i><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> What kind of an art education did you receive? </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">I grew up in a household of artists. My father is a doctor and art is his hobby. My mother still creates artistic quilts and wearable art. And both my older and younger brothers are in the film industry. I’ve been around art and artists throughout my childhood. My parents took us to all the museums and art galleries in NYC and D.C. as well as visit family artist friends’ studios. I also participated in local art festivals in Central Pennsylvania. While in high school I started taking formal art classes at a local art studio. From there I studied Industrial Design and received a B.I.D. at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhaWAFhQIWSQRnVl-ForMiNeukX16DVwzOxtp0whLTbs8pZzLosJdIUi6cpWWWpB7zck6l_7z4lqHSISkzqQtsvIgq8vPqr2MYBJ7UxzaS4wJQi0MbIYd7VxmRX3Bu7RrYzilAIXbPqdcP/s1600/pepe25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhaWAFhQIWSQRnVl-ForMiNeukX16DVwzOxtp0whLTbs8pZzLosJdIUi6cpWWWpB7zck6l_7z4lqHSISkzqQtsvIgq8vPqr2MYBJ7UxzaS4wJQi0MbIYd7VxmRX3Bu7RrYzilAIXbPqdcP/s320/pepe25.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Did you always envision yourself in this type of career, or did you arrive at it through a series of unplanned events?</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">I always loved to draw and I loved film but there were no schools that we knew of that had an education program that taught you how to draw spaceships and creatures. My parents did some research on automotive design and that the artists at ILM had degrees in Industrial Design so I headed in that direction. My goal was always to get into live action film design but my career didn’t start off that way. I was accepted into an internship at Disney Feature Animation in Orlando, FL in the summer of 1990 and followed a great career in animation for over 10 years. Then I transferred to the Disney Animation studio in Burbank to “be in Hollywood” hoping that I would start meeting artists that worked in live action. And to my surprise two of the Effects Animators that I worked with both had been long term ILM animators. Gordon Baker and John Armstrong animated on WILLOW, Witches of Eastwick, Terminator 2 and several other live action films. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8XO9tTUoDQrDFSSut6-s1U5z-rEHHsUmkAx9Zcvl-L57FmWpQhdKLWkq0wMQo-6DmDxFM6eyvPOlK6-heg-C1NFXt5QBf1Dflk2XAwsgwZ6mhtl8PakN26DVfkM-yUlICFgpbYxSRQJc/s1600/pepe29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8XO9tTUoDQrDFSSut6-s1U5z-rEHHsUmkAx9Zcvl-L57FmWpQhdKLWkq0wMQo-6DmDxFM6eyvPOlK6-heg-C1NFXt5QBf1Dflk2XAwsgwZ6mhtl8PakN26DVfkM-yUlICFgpbYxSRQJc/s320/pepe29.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcK7h92HtBi2UpigAeHR6xPotCnHZjKok9vR9TOxco4Ei9gI44BEuzQzMel00S4S_RD7VUpelOVcl5xxkL8mzpsiNpXLVZEetsYr5wVhZqWyqgkLwYFH2RYPqVkrKGqVr5KZfrd1W-Fzk/s1600/pepe26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcK7h92HtBi2UpigAeHR6xPotCnHZjKok9vR9TOxco4Ei9gI44BEuzQzMel00S4S_RD7VUpelOVcl5xxkL8mzpsiNpXLVZEetsYr5wVhZqWyqgkLwYFH2RYPqVkrKGqVr5KZfrd1W-Fzk/s320/pepe26.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Could you tell us about some of the artists who have inspired you over the years?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-size: 10pt;"></span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">One of the biggest influences is Robert A. Nelson, father of Mark Nelson. My father collected Robert’s art. He is a fantasy illustrator that my father met back in the late 1970’s. Others include: Leonardo Da Vinci. Michelangelo. Bernini. Egon Schiele. Gustav Klimnt. John Auguste Dominique Ingres. Jean Leon Gerome. Degas. Hans Bellmer. Arthur Rackham. Heinrick Kley. H.R. Giger. Wayne Barlowe. Moebius. Bernie Wrightson. Nirasawa. Kathsuhiro Otomo. Syd Mead. Sorayama. Katsuya Terada. Takayuki Takeya. Mamoru Nagano. Shirow Masamune. Neal Adams. Barry Windsor Smith. John Bryne. Simon Bisley. Joe Johnston. Frank Frazetta. Renzo Piano. Lebbeus Woods. Joel-Peter Witkin. Peter Beard. Herb Ritts. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">What mediums or programs do you use to create your art?</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-size: 10pt;"></span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">I use pencil on animation paper or Arches watercolor paper; and Photoshop. I have a digital camera to take photos for integration into Photoshop also.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvE_O7J9Y7Tzt3oZ2MuzhuQ3H8xBsPspKNsFNMW3R82rIlsMdSO7ljlJv3XLjAOgI-xzgOiIoesmCmv7g0U3vHeD2-5BRY1ADYpnsdsbLGgT1Se8IDWRVs6k-eYWdCB6oopqoMFIhW0ANh/s1600/blackDeath01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvE_O7J9Y7Tzt3oZ2MuzhuQ3H8xBsPspKNsFNMW3R82rIlsMdSO7ljlJv3XLjAOgI-xzgOiIoesmCmv7g0U3vHeD2-5BRY1ADYpnsdsbLGgT1Se8IDWRVs6k-eYWdCB6oopqoMFIhW0ANh/s320/blackDeath01.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">How did you come to work for Stan Winston Studios?</span></b> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">My older brother Louis introduced me to a friend of his named Kevin McTurk who is a veteran practical FX artist. He liked my portfolio and we kept in contact. After being laid off from Disney Feature Animation Kevin contacted me to see if I was available to interview with Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr. at ADI because they were looking for a concept artist. They hired me on AVP back in July of 2003 for three months to design the weapons and armor for the predators. Once AVP was finished a friend named Chris Grossnickle asked me “where are you going next?” and I said disappointingly “home.” He said that he would introduce me to a friend from Stan Winston Studio that was coming to pick him up and that he could set up an interview to show my work. Fortunately I carried a portfolio with me every day just in case. I showed Christopher Swift, a veteran Stan Winston artist, my work on the spot. He liked it and I gave him my info. A few weeks later, while brushing my teeth, I received a call from Swift in which he asked: “How fast can you get over to the studio?” and I gurgled “15 minutes.” And that turned into my four year adventure with the gang at Stan Winston Studio.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivx2_8seNLSERamPspa-dzKB3vfWSgp4v_MHmC0ddE-RNNjWpsg9mj9LfvqgWXvkLs1vVoip8fMwBOzbluk3IKAj7DwcR_4nenDCv5MNJEQVsqayq_ynLZJOnNvYK6LXSAhqPbR4JhrSV/s1600/First+Na%2527+Vi+designs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiivx2_8seNLSERamPspa-dzKB3vfWSgp4v_MHmC0ddE-RNNjWpsg9mj9LfvqgWXvkLs1vVoip8fMwBOzbluk3IKAj7DwcR_4nenDCv5MNJEQVsqayq_ynLZJOnNvYK6LXSAhqPbR4JhrSV/s400/First+Na%2527+Vi+designs.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pepe's first Na'vi Male and Female designs done for James Cameron. 12/06/2005-AVATAR</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">How did you come to work on "Avatar", and how far had the creature designs evolved before you began to work with them?</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">While I was working at Stan Winston Studio about mid 2005, Stan Winston brought the entire studio to the display room for a meeting. He said he spoke with “Jim” (Cameron) who had already spent a year developing his next film, and that we have been given two weeks to show him something “new” and “spectacular” for his secret film “Project 880.” Winston said that only two artists would be chosen to try and accomplish this daunting task. A day later, Christopher Swift and I were called into Stan’s office for a meeting. He said that the two of us “better show Jim some cool shit!” We met with Jim Cameron that week in his Santa Monica office, were given two hours to read the scriptment (which was more than a two hour read!) I didn’t get to finish it!! I’m a slow reader. Then Jim gave us the ultimate download of images from ILM, Neville Page, Yuri Bartoli, Jordu Schell and Wayne Barlowe. I was really excited and intimidated all at once. I went back to Stan Winston Studio and started a lot of research on the Internet. Once I got to the point of starting my first image I put 150% of my time and energy into doing the best work I possibly could for the next two weeks. Lucky for me my wife was just as excited that I was working with Jim Cameron and didn’t mind that she didn’t see me for two weeks. I spent about 20 hours a day for the next 14 days cranking out artwork. Our first presentation was on my birthday, Dec 07, 2005. It was kind of surreal. It was my birthday, I was getting to show my artwork to Jim for the very first time, and both Chris Swift and John Rosengrant, our Supervisor, were telling me horror stories about working with Cameron on Terminator 2!! I was getting real nervous. In my mind, I was telling myself don’t worry, if Jim yells at me for any reason, just think “C’mon, it’s Jim Cameron yelling at me!” Fortunately, although with a poker face, he really liked my work and the two weeks turned into two months. And after Cameron’s hiatus to finish the script, I worked on Avatar for over two and a half years.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrKEBezivytRX56Gh8Sa1gJyvN9iWD5yCG2TCZe17RXopHY_2qIO0VDziEDsqtVmdlEcteKELMd8tJ65Oe3bx-iy5lobJZY8FSUx3yqMYwXleDyeqRP91TPXMSQ9VQSrqf3jpafcAYFvo/s1600/Tsu+tay+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrKEBezivytRX56Gh8Sa1gJyvN9iWD5yCG2TCZe17RXopHY_2qIO0VDziEDsqtVmdlEcteKELMd8tJ65Oe3bx-iy5lobJZY8FSUx3yqMYwXleDyeqRP91TPXMSQ9VQSrqf3jpafcAYFvo/s400/Tsu+tay+3.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LEFT: Pepe's first version of Tsu Tay 12/14/2005 RIGHT: Joe's final version of Tsu Tay, 1/15/2007 designed from a photo that he took of actor Laz Alonzo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Was a there a character or creature design on Avatar which was particularly challenging? Do you have a favorite design from the film? </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The most challenging creature to design was what became the Thanator. It was originally called a Manticore and everyone took a stab at the design. It was the only design that I know of where Jim didn’t have a complete vision in his head. He had the basic concept “ Toughest carnivore in the known universe. It is a black six-limbed panther from hell, with an armored head, a venomous striking tail, and massive distensible armored jaws.” It took months of artists and hundreds of illustrations. And still Jim didn’t like any. Then late in the production Cameron did a sketch, Neville Page fleshed it out and built the ZBrush model and it’s what you see in the film. I did over 50 iterations myself. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><style>
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</style> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">My favorite design in the film is Neytiri, not because I was a key character designer, but because she worked out so well in the film as a character. Jim Cameron really designed her. A lot of artists contributed to her overall appearance. WETA did all the hard work making her look incredible while Zoe Saldana brought her life. It just worked out incredibly well.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbDi7JZC9oQZFFAV8LGkq9J1TT0zY7LxOYlpxHtU1AnZAyocVCfIQQURF2dBctw0-IUn5IWD1a8kVTxA5qV1neyG02OR6BwlqbI_vgp1_lmxctd-s1Y7JAcQA9GBC6L6Pd908CQHUNcG8/s1600/Neytiri.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbDi7JZC9oQZFFAV8LGkq9J1TT0zY7LxOYlpxHtU1AnZAyocVCfIQQURF2dBctw0-IUn5IWD1a8kVTxA5qV1neyG02OR6BwlqbI_vgp1_lmxctd-s1Y7JAcQA9GBC6L6Pd908CQHUNcG8/s400/Neytiri.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evolution: Joe Pepe's first photo-realistic concept of Neytiri from James Cameron's concepts 12/06/2005 (left), and Pepe's final design, based upon a photo he had taken of actress Zoe Salanda 09/22/2006 (right).</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Could you tell us about the process you used to create Na'vi characters who resemble the actors who portrayed them? </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">All of the main characters resemble their actor counterpart. Since no one would see Zoe Saldana or all the other Na’Vi human actors it was decided to use the lower third of their face as a reference for the performance capture. Joe Letteri from WETA, Cameron and John Rosengrant agreed that this was a viable approach. Cameron, John Rosengrant and I developed the initial design of Neytiri with Saldana’s photo over a two and a half month period. From there I photographed all of the actors as they were cast for the film and took each one of them and put them through the Photoshop process. After the initial design was locked down with Neytiri, I was able to do a design for each actor between 2-4 days. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1m-Cz6LvjB38qKUooMvfoIfCORD8J1zlQYYNrUjEHgJC9D7gBYTbf3yD1a3RneF2Su8AFYp7taYBohYLBPwGcqFrGyJxPSsL1S6zLlXeYIKXoJ3Z6LxMB_JRKH8SoaVpWvdpLKDx-jH9v/s1600/Na%2527vi+lineup.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1m-Cz6LvjB38qKUooMvfoIfCORD8J1zlQYYNrUjEHgJC9D7gBYTbf3yD1a3RneF2Su8AFYp7taYBohYLBPwGcqFrGyJxPSsL1S6zLlXeYIKXoJ3Z6LxMB_JRKH8SoaVpWvdpLKDx-jH9v/s400/Na%2527vi+lineup.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pepe's final designs for Jake, Eytukan, and Mo'at, designed from photos he had taken of actors Sam Worthington, Wes Studi and CCH Pounder, January 2007</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Do you have any fun experiences or stories from your time working on "Avatar" that you can share with our readers?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">My favorite experience on Avatar was meeting and working with all the talent that came together to make this behemoth of a film. Working with Cameron was a lot of fun. Watching him work and listening to him think out loud about making a film was amazing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqrXZiXA_-FmIaa6RYfRKqHd2dQVx7yE3jF5dalV6eTHEQIP_wgouEkC39tZmL_da7GZlCNxiqSr6UJ0Q_L8VUUbpg5ymgW-sjeFz_MX62udq4pcE0McTtWrDviidz1hpVToG_lSBqG0LV/s1600/pepe05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqrXZiXA_-FmIaa6RYfRKqHd2dQVx7yE3jF5dalV6eTHEQIP_wgouEkC39tZmL_da7GZlCNxiqSr6UJ0Q_L8VUUbpg5ymgW-sjeFz_MX62udq4pcE0McTtWrDviidz1hpVToG_lSBqG0LV/s320/pepe05.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pepe's one and only infant Na'vi design appeared in the final film.</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Many of my students consider the use of a lot of reference in creating a character or creature a "crutch". What's your position on using reference? </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Let me start my answer by saying that if H.R. Giger didn’t reference the human body (i.e. the penis, skeleton, and BMW car parts) we wouldn’t have the original 1979 ALIEN creature. If Stan Winston didn’t take Jim Cameron’s “crab mandible” reference idea, we wouldn’t have the original PREDATOR. Not using the world around you is disempowering to the creative process. There should be no rules or boundaries to creativity and art. I don’t know of any master artist or contemporary that doesn’t or hasn’t used reference for inspiration. Everything that you have imagined is from something you have seen or experienced. I believe this is called reference. Truly creative people break barriers and don’t put limitations onto themselves or to their art. Why would you limit your creativity and art by creating rules?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQm9NdLo5QqDE-LIwtzogS0KwqUxpSYCWdamzJDPyutjaY9yTc_t0p9WOTmg4gE13KIdb8F69GLISPuoijE_rlKfUElEuXs5bLuEjaQ-Y83lNaBXFrYAl2JvjiGPpuQ0maCkWIC2_mykxq/s1600/cryptid02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQm9NdLo5QqDE-LIwtzogS0KwqUxpSYCWdamzJDPyutjaY9yTc_t0p9WOTmg4gE13KIdb8F69GLISPuoijE_rlKfUElEuXs5bLuEjaQ-Y83lNaBXFrYAl2JvjiGPpuQ0maCkWIC2_mykxq/s400/cryptid02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">What part of designing a new creature or character is the most fun? What part is the most difficult?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The most fun I have in designing is the research. I really enjoy it. The fun for me is reading about and discovering new things. Learning and seeing something new with research fascinates me. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The most difficult part is split into two sections for me. The first difficult part is starting. The second is getting an approval. A lot of the time I find it difficult to start the design unless I’m under a tight deadline. Deadlines force me to start immediately. Approvals are a whole other matter. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1R0xV8jzN9gj7f9ZKfODY74jmBqVU0BHcpWv1odRq4xM6SdBT9_2OUNRtBFwR39jhuh28SL4yqs8myW_EFVa7XauWVZAPK-8Sow7kyi0IDGmSDsLJD1u15XhqczXqoir2g9jCtsd6PKb/s1600/pepe19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1R0xV8jzN9gj7f9ZKfODY74jmBqVU0BHcpWv1odRq4xM6SdBT9_2OUNRtBFwR39jhuh28SL4yqs8myW_EFVa7XauWVZAPK-8Sow7kyi0IDGmSDsLJD1u15XhqczXqoir2g9jCtsd6PKb/s400/pepe19.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creature-personal concept</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Are there other creature designs that you have done that are favorites, either in terms of the design or work experience, and why</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> One that stands out for me that was also on Avatar was the Direhorse. It started with Wayne Barlowe who did the concept of the small jointed head with the rigid neck/mane. Neville Page and Jordu Schell did concepts and sculptures before it was passed to Stan Winston Studio to flesh it out. Since I began working on Avatar I had an ulterior motive, which was to see maquettes and sculptures created for the film by some of the top talent in the effects industry. The first artist was Christopher Swift, who designed, sculpted, supervised and puppeteered the velociraptors in all three Jurassic Park films. The second was Joey Orosco. Orosco designed and sculpted the triceratops in the first Jurassic Park and the Spinosaurus in JPIII. I wanted to see these guys sculpt! Because I was using photos in my design work and Swift wanted to sculpt I asked him to sculpt a small maquette of the direhorse head so that I could photograph it and do color designs on it. It was an awesome experience to work with Swift on that. Ultimately he sculpted the final direhorse maquette for the film. I did design modifications and color designs in Photoshop that were the finals in the movie. With Orosco, it was all about seeing him sculpt all of my character designs on life casts of the actors. Seeing my designs go from Photoshop to 3D clay sculptures was so amazing. Both are incredible artists and it was such a pleasure to be part of the process and integrate our techniques to develop the Avatar designs.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeo9nKJ-dBngNlb9qJV2pl2slnUpfY9ALE-xjM8-oZA2ZWHfOaeOP_arN4nzycA-3pEta1L0TlvHnzYnKtrLcSxtLcRRZWL-lZW4XA4h5k22pGEaIptpJws-EpUGNhHgV5zd9Tdmgy5Um0/s1600/Conan+concepts.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeo9nKJ-dBngNlb9qJV2pl2slnUpfY9ALE-xjM8-oZA2ZWHfOaeOP_arN4nzycA-3pEta1L0TlvHnzYnKtrLcSxtLcRRZWL-lZW4XA4h5k22pGEaIptpJws-EpUGNhHgV5zd9Tdmgy5Um0/s400/Conan+concepts.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mariq "injured" design and an unused concept for CONAN 2010</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Who are some of your favorite creature designers working today?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Wayne Barlowe. Takayuki Takeya and Yasushi Nirasawa. They still stand out from the rest. I see too many creatures looking like they come from the same designer, film or videogame, even though they don’t. These three artists still stand apart and have broken visual barriers and set higher standards of creativity influencing a lot of artists. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitHfKm3kBuU-81ulPY72d6Kw0ih-V2elA5ojDbtxHFrSPbun4Mu0SguGsGrtFSqyO2KWPy__ppRUQ63WhuTVLFeGSz2EiHaXozKtO331J359icG0WxAonXnY5xbeEAhpSUzPpeBzUyCPi9/s1600/pepe15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitHfKm3kBuU-81ulPY72d6Kw0ih-V2elA5ojDbtxHFrSPbun4Mu0SguGsGrtFSqyO2KWPy__ppRUQ63WhuTVLFeGSz2EiHaXozKtO331J359icG0WxAonXnY5xbeEAhpSUzPpeBzUyCPi9/s400/pepe15.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Personal project-Phantom</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">What projects are you currently working on?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">I’m currently working at Technicolor in the 3D Conversion Unit trying something different and new. I’m involved in converting a traditional Chinese animated film into 3D. As for design work, most recently I worked on several Tom Cruise films, One Shot; Rock of Ages and Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol, doing makeup, hair and prop designs. Not too long ago I did some creature and character design work on Conan the Barbarian, a live action Monkey King film with Donnie Yen, and set, prop, weapon and armor designs for Predators. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBz-cCGbEowmEY_n_RX89imxq9694_EIm28op-DnO-UpkdNTgBmfRnWHhODDWPy9qzBhmSSH6MOI7-rjEx6DtZprG3tA96Ytft_iohpGyvRLZQV6BUoSwhXlujlVNo56lDXGNCs7LvrUE/s1600/predators05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBz-cCGbEowmEY_n_RX89imxq9694_EIm28op-DnO-UpkdNTgBmfRnWHhODDWPy9qzBhmSSH6MOI7-rjEx6DtZprG3tA96Ytft_iohpGyvRLZQV6BUoSwhXlujlVNo56lDXGNCs7LvrUE/s320/predators05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">With a busy career in the film industry, do you ever find the time to work on personal projects?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">I try. I’ve been itching to do figure drawing again. It’s been too long. I think the last time I did figure drawing was at Disney. Although I do have a couple of personal film ideas or drawings that I try to keep active so that I can express my own ideas instead of others. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheptWgzq3RIb3eb-13t6FQornNQ54wxzbMAJXsHUArZp8yHqi6V-LmwO6rTXJ2wSHgxMw0AQwsOtirLgehC4RfmJ1i66MQGxwGVtKyguY82p8AS7VXJA7r-O4CsB0f3s95WfEpony-KYQw/s1600/pepe24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheptWgzq3RIb3eb-13t6FQornNQ54wxzbMAJXsHUArZp8yHqi6V-LmwO6rTXJ2wSHgxMw0AQwsOtirLgehC4RfmJ1i66MQGxwGVtKyguY82p8AS7VXJA7r-O4CsB0f3s95WfEpony-KYQw/s320/pepe24.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unused concept</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">What haven't you done yet as an artist that you would still like to do? </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">That is what I’m trying to figure out. I’ve been joking around with friends that I have a creative bucket list and I have been able to check some important artistic items off that list. But the one that escapes me is the one I haven’t discovered yet.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnEW4J6qBOzbVTkRbdPRG23XFGOJR88KN8pUYzqaW_NVFm4b26v1ZcR9J_4EtfPZB6gPePInvjNEoDCN-cqlrsebos3_HFIExHKxl4BYS4L8gFyO0V41Ax8qCRAJTWVrh-BW68Q1Pr7K7/s1600/pepe21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnEW4J6qBOzbVTkRbdPRG23XFGOJR88KN8pUYzqaW_NVFm4b26v1ZcR9J_4EtfPZB6gPePInvjNEoDCN-cqlrsebos3_HFIExHKxl4BYS4L8gFyO0V41Ax8qCRAJTWVrh-BW68Q1Pr7K7/s320/pepe21.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Personal project- Bloodrayne</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Do you ever have "artist's block"? if so, how do you overcome it?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Of course I have it. Work usually is the problem! Sometimes all it takes to overcome the block is a swift kick seeing a friend just drawing or painting like crazy and it’ll inspire me to return to my own work. Sometimes I’ll watch a favorite movie to fire up the inspiration also. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZStI-nw53B8FBk-oEP7s19idUJdfYkRVR_9nH4_YnS2kxkFoHT-8KoDgd_K9aCD-ey7uw-BT6uJNb_HqxRBn5DjgCZYrDu5ELnacj5p2tXMO3uh08qf9kx1FFbL2SHVd7HKGONuPoDY8/s1600/Props.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZStI-nw53B8FBk-oEP7s19idUJdfYkRVR_9nH4_YnS2kxkFoHT-8KoDgd_K9aCD-ey7uw-BT6uJNb_HqxRBn5DjgCZYrDu5ELnacj5p2tXMO3uh08qf9kx1FFbL2SHVd7HKGONuPoDY8/s400/Props.png" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Can you tell us about one of the most important lessons that you have learned from a fellow artist?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Don’t’ let anyone talk you out of putting your best foot forward.<b> </b>And don’t let anyone knock your enthusiasm.<b> </b>I had one artist friend tell me that I was a “show off” for producing too many designs on Avatar, after a meeting with Cameron. Although I’d like to say he was joking I believed he was trying to knock my overenthusiastic attitude and abundance of work. It just made me produce even more for the next meeting. And a close artist friend said that it would be impossible to make photorealistic designs that looked good when I started working on Avatar. He apologized to me a few years later. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_v2NMYWn6eQYkxe4rntQSLcPDCqri0Xu87NeSmfNTRhoWoNTWPP6PcjwzuA6Oyr-u8wtWWTn-zmc_o-1A7mM0EYiH-mZAxlMUJK2Kc58aTZdmLdKnRnU3L1doBt1EvuHpkMIjWOnnZmM/s1600/Unused+concepts.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_v2NMYWn6eQYkxe4rntQSLcPDCqri0Xu87NeSmfNTRhoWoNTWPP6PcjwzuA6Oyr-u8wtWWTn-zmc_o-1A7mM0EYiH-mZAxlMUJK2Kc58aTZdmLdKnRnU3L1doBt1EvuHpkMIjWOnnZmM/s400/Unused+concepts.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unused concepts</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Can you tell us about one of the most important lessons that you have learned on your own as an artist</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">There are so many talented artists out there, but there is just one of me.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8R-XPa98VcZGMpfujtHUvL7bx7Ii7FRMxGsMh_L0LRVPecRTkJN-mfnUbp99uMtEy0jlk0j_aV-Pt8YZNBpXEEa0SOuJa3KpHiI5pvObfjRVMKmS8a8GSPrwC-llAhYqtRGlKhF8p7cyh/s1600/pepe16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8R-XPa98VcZGMpfujtHUvL7bx7Ii7FRMxGsMh_L0LRVPecRTkJN-mfnUbp99uMtEy0jlk0j_aV-Pt8YZNBpXEEa0SOuJa3KpHiI5pvObfjRVMKmS8a8GSPrwC-llAhYqtRGlKhF8p7cyh/s400/pepe16.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early "Blackhat" concept 06/07/2006-PRIEST</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">What do you think is the key to creating a character or creature with "appeal"?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The key? When I find out I’ll let you know. LOL. I just go with what I think looks good. I’m not into thinking I could create an “iconic” character. The public’s response to the whole film will decide what makes a character, creature or the film appealing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">There are some artists that throw the words “iconic design” around like they can design an “iconic” character with a subtle flick of the Wacom pen. That’s quite an ego. I just don’t think that’s how it works. To me it’s the film and story that are appealing, the characters and actors then add to that.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBGssx27SO2Z1NcLE-6ADUPr4Cx1d_TfURfXTL_vdQ4iqZ8ZFnauewZbR6bzvBmmLo6x0380RrLdDCv-lzbuuKVblSN3xnI_QJckFYwgjh9-RX9kKVY3aGh8gOkiTA7tj_0arva8y7bsj/s1600/speedDemon01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXBGssx27SO2Z1NcLE-6ADUPr4Cx1d_TfURfXTL_vdQ4iqZ8ZFnauewZbR6bzvBmmLo6x0380RrLdDCv-lzbuuKVblSN3xnI_QJckFYwgjh9-RX9kKVY3aGh8gOkiTA7tj_0arva8y7bsj/s320/speedDemon01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Do you have any additional tips, advice or words of wisdom that you could give to a character or creature designer, or an artist who is just beginning their career in the film industry?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Jump in the industry and enjoy it. Don’t turn other types of artwork down. You never know who you’ll meet that could hire you on another project. And although there is a lot of negativity in the film industry, ignore it the best you can and concentrate on doing art and being creative. If you don’t, you can get caught up in some crazy shit and derailed from your goals. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgW67D57tX6iIk1u0CH7-EXCU6Z7B20NafYu-KWdXaKkXMt7Rfmfwv8wZUnx3jpkjhVflG0vWroNhKO_m8C8Ay-sDeE7RfXWHu-47jbxMMJ-4Vf4sgjlFD4MtESDtKgT3iJKtaMeJc5DU0/s1600/181548_1870294438132_1264253209_32260273_2596118_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgW67D57tX6iIk1u0CH7-EXCU6Z7B20NafYu-KWdXaKkXMt7Rfmfwv8wZUnx3jpkjhVflG0vWroNhKO_m8C8Ay-sDeE7RfXWHu-47jbxMMJ-4Vf4sgjlFD4MtESDtKgT3iJKtaMeJc5DU0/s400/181548_1870294438132_1264253209_32260273_2596118_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div></div>Jennifer G. Oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05921022924125424519noreply@blogger.com140tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-37443810365123391192011-05-07T13:50:00.000-07:002011-05-10T20:07:49.776-07:00Artists Spotlight: Brynn Metheney, Tiffany Turrill and Allison Theus<div align="center"><strong>'<span style="color:#990000;">Artists Spotlight Feature</span>'</strong><br /></div><br /><div align="center">In addition to the normal Q&A interviews I'll be including spotlight features on artists whom I feel show a high standard of quality and originality in regard to creature and character design. In this case I would like to introduce you to three very talented ladies who you may or may not know and if you don't, you should know of them.... </div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 108px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604928163489101090" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qR-5hpJxQPw/Tci0d_BZtSI/AAAAAAAAByY/ssxrfiY8ZnA/s400/spotlight-banner-tiff-brynn-all.jpg" /><br /><div align="left">I'm featuring the three of them together because aside from their unique and appealing styles, understanding of anatomy and attention to detail, they all know each other and have collaborated on a personal joint project. So without further ado, I'll start by introducing you to each of them and provide you with a little background history concerning their education, experience, their collaboration on their creature project and their relation to each other. I asked each of them a little about how they came to know one another in this vast sea of talent, seeing as how they all love drawing creatures and happen to come together forming a bond of friendship, respect and mutual interest.</div><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>Tiffany Turrill</strong> </div><div align="center"><strong>Website:</strong> <a href="http://tiffanyturrill.daportfolio.com/">http://tiffanyturrill.daportfolio.com/</a> <strong>Contact:</strong> <a href="mailto:tiffanyturrill@gmail.com">tiffanyturrill@gmail.com</a> </div><br /><p>Tiffany is 27, she grew up in Mesquite Texas and attended the California College of the Arts in San Francisco, where she graduated with a BFA in Illustration in 2006. Soon after college she was hired on as a concept artist at <a href="http://www.gazillion.com/">Gazillion Entertainment's</a> original MMORPG development wing, <strong>Slipgate Ironworks</strong> for 3 and a half years. Unfortunately the project was never released. She then went on to work for <a href="http://www.backboneentertainment.com/">Backbone Entertainment</a> in Emeryville, CA for several (also disbanded/canceled) projects, and one which will be released this fall: <span style="color:#990000;">Zombie Apocalypse 2</span>. Other clients include <strong>Hopelab.org</strong> & <strong>Blue Funk Productions</strong>.<br /><em>"....Many times while working at game studios, I was asked to design characters who seemed to be male in the extreme - overblown, exaggerated, titillation seems to be the rule. Even the enemies of many video games are simply giant musclebound men. The design aesthetics of said games were hodge-podges of whatever was 'cool' - instead of focusing on developing a compelling, cohesive experience...." - Tiffany</em><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m4VdoqlwDP0/TcXRTEhlRMI/AAAAAAAABx4/7dg4D0K2HTk/s1600/Turmoil_by_Lieserl.jpg"></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 262px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604115436894766274" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m4VdoqlwDP0/TcXRTEhlRMI/AAAAAAAABx4/7dg4D0K2HTk/s320/Turmoil_by_Lieserl.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--qwApdjevBQ/TcXRTOrPosI/AAAAAAAABxw/0GKoDd_sLO0/s1600/Zophiel_by_Lieserl.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 271px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604115439619646146" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--qwApdjevBQ/TcXRTOrPosI/AAAAAAAABxw/0GKoDd_sLO0/s320/Zophiel_by_Lieserl.jpg" /></a><em>"The critter project itself is similarly free-form, since we're all working professionally, it's intermittent and done often as a breather. Each of us also have other personal creature projects and world building stories as well, so for me, the collaboration helps to keep the brain going, and keep me from limiting myself to certain subject matter. We each provide our own original take on a prompt or word, some of which can be more ephemeral, and some more zoology-based. It's wide open. The original intent was to see what trends emerged with each design, (IE; Brynn seems to render more cat-like vertebrates, Allison has a flair for elaborate wormy things) and singling out these traits, refining them, and perhaps building three separate worlds we took turns developing creatures. So far we haven't invested too much time into it, but things have been quite busy! :) - I definitely intend to continue working on it, though, and hopefully it will turn into material for an art book, or series of art books." - Tiffany</em><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eyMAoPf7cCo/TcXRTOIKsKI/AAAAAAAABxo/FWUIzV7xdhU/s1600/cb3e091b2bbb5262b405ea34e06a294c.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 173px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604115439472521378" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eyMAoPf7cCo/TcXRTOIKsKI/AAAAAAAABxo/FWUIzV7xdhU/s320/cb3e091b2bbb5262b405ea34e06a294c.jpg" /></a><em>"My relationship with Brynn and Allison both stemmed from online interactions. I've been admiring Allison's work for years on DeviantArt, and vice versa, but on a gargantuan community like DA, it's easy to find artists with similar interests and styles....I feel that the relationship came more from a mutual respect and interest in the art, and the fact that we're both creature-making ladies was an added bonus. Similarly, Brynn was a later graduate of my art school, and one of the few people there interested in both concept art and creature design. She was also living in Oakland, and after realizing we had so much in common (and many silly interactions online) we met and became friends." - Tiffany</em><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M6Oq2h1c0CM/TcXRS2CyekI/AAAAAAAABxg/bN-PqqlUebg/s1600/a765ce708c39dabd9946539c577a9a35.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 246px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604115433007512130" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M6Oq2h1c0CM/TcXRS2CyekI/AAAAAAAABxg/bN-PqqlUebg/s320/a765ce708c39dabd9946539c577a9a35.jpg" /></a> One of the things about Tiffany's work that really caught my attention was her draftsmanship and the quality of her line drawings and sketches as well as her uniquely original and odd yet plausible designs. It's important to be well experienced in producing quality black and white line drawings and sketches for multiple production purposes as well as publishing purposes. - Mike<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BZQ-ihZgyhU/TcXP-2xW4-I/AAAAAAAABxY/xuasgvhD60E/s1600/Michael_by_Lieserl.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 247px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604113990093824994" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BZQ-ihZgyhU/TcXP-2xW4-I/AAAAAAAABxY/xuasgvhD60E/s320/Michael_by_Lieserl.jpg" /></a><em>"So, seeing the art of Brynn and Allison was something of a self-realization for me, that there WAS a place for what I do, and others with similar styles, concepts, and methods. And further, that perhaps together we could eke out a space where we could be more fully ourselves in a field built mostly of individuals. Artists do need communities, and the internet has tremendous reservoirs and opportunities for that, but unfortunately the whims of design trends keep certain art styles in vogue, and marginalize others. In order to take my interests from a hobby and make a profession out of it, there are allowances that must be made. Frankly, in my working experience, very few people know much anything about animals, how they behave, and function - and in a games context, knowing everything there is to know might initially impress your peers, but at the end of the day you'll still be tasked with designing a tiger that throws fireballs. You won't always be drawing the thing you love to draw the most." - Tiffany</em><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tiJYYwKNMyM/TcXP-mMDi9I/AAAAAAAABxQ/FqP32PRAweQ/s1600/8adb411fecd43a76c9a414a6a0b4d796.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604113985642400722" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tiJYYwKNMyM/TcXP-mMDi9I/AAAAAAAABxQ/FqP32PRAweQ/s320/8adb411fecd43a76c9a414a6a0b4d796.jpg" /></a>More recently Tiffany has begun to work her way into publishing children's books, taking several private commissions for forthcoming books - one of which will be published under <a href="http://www.greenleafbookgroup.com/">Green Leaf Book Group</a> this year. You can see some examples of her children's book art style below. - Mike<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8cSn4hCsfOg/TcXP-TaeUkI/AAAAAAAABxI/rLG-GRf7SXM/s1600/7cf35f8a4ccbffea5e62a0177af7ec91.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 243px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604113980602602050" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8cSn4hCsfOg/TcXP-TaeUkI/AAAAAAAABxI/rLG-GRf7SXM/s320/7cf35f8a4ccbffea5e62a0177af7ec91.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RYQnKdAg5f0/TcXP-A01AOI/AAAAAAAABxA/K-slG6cZgHA/s1600/6e8b1ba2b48b452ad47261ce203c6a49.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 243px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604113975612866786" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RYQnKdAg5f0/TcXP-A01AOI/AAAAAAAABxA/K-slG6cZgHA/s320/6e8b1ba2b48b452ad47261ce203c6a49.jpg" /></a> The image below shows what it takes to understand and design your own creatures as Tiffany illustrates the evolution of terrestrial mammals to marine mammals/whales in the chart below. Concept design is just as much a science as real world evolution and it's important to learn real world anatomy as the image below illustrates as a great example. - Mike<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A-ADiIOf4cs/TcXP-Oa0tyI/AAAAAAAABw4/VkNzy_I8z54/s1600/24605ea8652c0b60a6c947d58895acf2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 146px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604113979261892386" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A-ADiIOf4cs/TcXP-Oa0tyI/AAAAAAAABw4/VkNzy_I8z54/s320/24605ea8652c0b60a6c947d58895acf2.jpg" /></a><em>"I feel that Brynn, Allison, and I are each equally skilled at a breadth of work that overlaps in many places, and we certainly have the same sorts of passions artistically, but that we are each rooted into a different venue of operation professionally. We each have different sets of clients, spheres of friends and contacts, and niches we contribute to. That we are all nerdy zoology-loving girls is a very helpful reminder in what can oft-times be a very lonely profession with little to no concrete guidance. However, this is all for fun at the moment. I do know plenty of artists with similar styles who work tremendously well together and get ample work - and others who focused on the stylistic attraction and could not work well personally. I feel it's best to keep things small. Friends of mine have tried to form illustration groups of 6-8 individuals banding together to ensure work after school, and only 1-2 of the group 'made it'. It's an organic process, and although Brynn, Allison and I haven't embarked quite down that road just yet, who knows?" - Tiffany</em><br /><br /><p align="center"><strong>Brynn Metheney</strong><br /><strong>Website:</strong> <a href="http://www.brynnart.com/">http://www.brynnart.com/</a> <strong>Contact:</strong><a href="mailto:contact@brynnart.com">contact@brynnart.com</a><br />You can also check more of Brynn's work at her blog: <a href="http://www.fishhookstudio.com/">http://www.fishhookstudio.com/</a>as well as her personal project: <a href="http://www.themoraeriver.com/">http://www.themoraeriver.com/</a><br /></p><br />Brynn will turn 25 come this weekend - May 14th, she was raised in Mojave Desert, Lancaster, CA and moved to the Bay Area in 2006 and studied at the California College of the Arts and Crafts where she received a BFA in Illustration with High Distinction in 2009. Brynn specializes in creature and animal illustration for the game and entertainment industry as well as fantasy and sci-fi illustration for books and magazines. Currently she's working as a freelance/contract illustrator and Concept Artist. Some of her clients include: <a href="http://www.europacorp-corporate.com/US/index.html">EuropaCorp</a>, <strong>Sychey Games LLC</strong>, <strong>Sugar Publishing</strong>, <a href="http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/">Fantasy Flight Games</a>, <a href="http://presentcreative.com/">Present Creative</a>, <a href="http://www.imaginefx.com/">ImagineFX Magazine</a>, <strong>WIRED Magazine</strong>, <strong>“Science, Sort of” Podcast</strong> and <strong>St. Mary’s College Magazine</strong>. Her work has been featured in such publications and websites as - ImagineFX, Contém Glúten, “Science...Sort Of” Podcast - Ep. 24, Drawn! The Illustration and Cartooning Blog and the popular <a href="http://io9.com/">i09.com </a>& <a href="http://www.linesandcolors.com/">Lines and Colors</a> art blogs.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bu8uRKsmKoM/Tcm8ooFA21I/AAAAAAAAByg/9CsJlriYpbQ/s1600/227088_210443475652721_196328227064246_654349_7947037_n.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 262px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605218617378528082" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bu8uRKsmKoM/Tcm8ooFA21I/AAAAAAAAByg/9CsJlriYpbQ/s320/227088_210443475652721_196328227064246_654349_7947037_n.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CKbuF2nRUZw/TcXPqiJ_FgI/AAAAAAAABww/7bVtRVP45LI/s1600/Female_Black_Mardik.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 286px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604113640962594306" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CKbuF2nRUZw/TcXPqiJ_FgI/AAAAAAAABww/7bVtRVP45LI/s320/Female_Black_Mardik.jpg" /></a><em>"The internet is an amazing thing. I have actually been following Allison and her work since I was in the 8th grade! I believe I found her on DeviantArt or a similar site. She has inspired me for a long time, showing me the importance of online presence while I still had dial up and of course showing me her amazing skills! She does some amazing work!" - Brynn</em><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tQGjCBfQW1Y/TcXPqrbhWsI/AAAAAAAABwo/kF259u8BJAY/s1600/Elegant_Hunters.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604113643452062402" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tQGjCBfQW1Y/TcXPqrbhWsI/AAAAAAAABwo/kF259u8BJAY/s320/Elegant_Hunters.jpg" /></a><em>"I met Tiffany in sort of the same way. Apparently we went to the same school - CCAC. The teacher I was assisting at the time, Robert Hunt, had told me I should try and get in contact with a graduate named Tiffany since we had the same interests. I was so impressed with her work! I had to know her! So I found her on facebook and we started to talk more and more. A couple months later, Tiffany suggested we meet up for dinner and as we talked it turned out we had LOTS in common." - Brynn</em><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_at6tNsZnUc/TcXPqYjNdBI/AAAAAAAABwg/jm_DA_B4uNc/s1600/0bab11f90024271007736bb9e415507e-d3edwed.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604113638384038930" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_at6tNsZnUc/TcXPqYjNdBI/AAAAAAAABwg/jm_DA_B4uNc/s320/0bab11f90024271007736bb9e415507e-d3edwed.jpg" /></a><em>"We've become such good friends ever since! Tiffany and Allison then invited me to work on this side project and that's how we all sort of became a little collective. I was more than happy (and honored) to be involved and was excited that me and Allison could connect more too. These two ladies are such inspiration to me!" - Brynn</em><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UrQGbU6p6yI/TcXPbd9o1aI/AAAAAAAABwY/Sc4qZMw17QQ/s1600/Life_of_The_Morae_River.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 190px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604113382139024802" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UrQGbU6p6yI/TcXPbd9o1aI/AAAAAAAABwY/Sc4qZMw17QQ/s320/Life_of_The_Morae_River.jpg" /></a>Brynn has a great understanding of vertebrate anatomy and while most of her designs are naturalistic she is more than capable of drawing any type of creature. In the posts above and below you'll see unique designs of aquatic creatures, crustacean and alien concepts that still show a strong understanding of anatomy and plausibility. This is what makes Brynn's work stand out among so many other concept artist in the same field. She shows a great love for real world animals as is evident in her work and that's an important aspect of creature design. - Mike<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6-vdo1Zk-4/TcXPa-MVQEI/AAAAAAAABwQ/tKt2FWhOtd0/s1600/Strider.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 256px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604113373610721346" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z6-vdo1Zk-4/TcXPa-MVQEI/AAAAAAAABwQ/tKt2FWhOtd0/s320/Strider.jpg" /></a><em>"Community is such an important aspect for artists in general. Being an artist can be a very lonely profession, especially if you are working freelance. I think it's a great idea for people with similar tastes and goals to join forces. It helps with personal growth and helps keep you motivated. You have a team of people looking forward to what you might do next and that can be great to keep your mind moving forward. I have noticed a significant improvement in my work since I've been working with these two and even other creature enthusiasts on the internet." - Brynn</em><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gXLcIhE2qQ0/TcXPam5eVBI/AAAAAAAABwI/9yvOle0iAQQ/s1600/Striped_Gnoll.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 274px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604113367357608978" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gXLcIhE2qQ0/TcXPam5eVBI/AAAAAAAABwI/9yvOle0iAQQ/s320/Striped_Gnoll.jpg" /></a><em>"When it comes to myself, Tiffany and Allison, it was never actually about us being "women interested in concept art". It just so happened we were all female. I suppose we all related well in that aspect which made us all want to work together but it was always about the creatures. I think it has a lot to do with our tastes too. I have lots of male friends and role models that I admire in my industry and I'd love to work with all of them. This was just the first collaboration opportunity that came up. Later, as we were talking about our project we realized we were, in fact, a team of women. I'm not sure if we will keep it exclusive either. I know we are all proud of who we are and what we are doing and I know being female is a very big part of that but I think it's something that we'd like to keep secondary in regards to this project; our work is what come first to us." - Brynn</em><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gwIR54SWO5g/TcXPanQOdkI/AAAAAAAABwA/sNlc-jWWXxo/s1600/And_Then_It_Got_Out.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 207px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604113367453038146" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gwIR54SWO5g/TcXPanQOdkI/AAAAAAAABwA/sNlc-jWWXxo/s320/And_Then_It_Got_Out.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ydpfo6rmoB8/TcXPaaRXKII/AAAAAAAABv4/4w8ejcaogRw/s1600/Itchy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 274px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604113363968141442" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ydpfo6rmoB8/TcXPaaRXKII/AAAAAAAABv4/4w8ejcaogRw/s320/Itchy.jpg" /></a><em>"This project has actually been on hold for some time. It was meant to serve as something to work on when we had down-time or needed a place to turn to for prompts. Recently (and thankfully), we've all been too busy with work and what-not to really work on it. It's still a very loose project anyway. We are playing around with themes now and experimenting with a few single pieces here and there. We know we want it to be about creatures and world building. We have talked about making it into a book - sort of a collection of works. That's all for now really although we may start up a blog if it begins to develop more. It's just nice to have a project and soundboard to bounce ideas around in." - Brynn</em><br /><br /><p align="center"><strong>Allison Theus</strong><br /><strong>Website:</strong> <a href="http://www.oblivionunleashed.com/">http://www.oblivionunleashed.com/</a> <strong>Contact:</strong> <a href="mailto:empireshadow@gmail.com">empireshadow@gmail.com</a><br /></p><br /><p align="left">Allison is 27, she was Born/Raised in Clarksville, MD and attended Carnegie Mellon University where she received a BFA and a Masters in Entertainment Technology (focus in concept art and illustration) from Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center (ETC). She has worked for various clients including <strong>Flying Rhinocerus Studios</strong>, <a href="http://disney.go.com/disneyinteractivestudios/">Disney Interactive Studios </a>(<span style="color:#990000;">Spectrobes II</span>), <strong>Divide by Zero Games</strong>, <strong>Rainmaker Games</strong>, <strong>Rackham Games</strong>, <a href="http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/">Fantasy Flight Games </a>(<span style="color:#990000;">Arkham Horror, Call of Cthulhu LCG, LOTR LCG, Warhammer, Fantasy RPG, Talisman, <span style="color:#000000;">and</span> Warhammer 40k</span>), <a href="http://paizo.com/">Paizo Publishing</a>, <a href="http://www.koboldquarterly.com/">Kobold Quarterly </a>(<span style="color:#990000;">Tales of the Old Margreve</span>, and <span style="color:#990000;">Issue Cover #17</span>), <strong>The Escapist Magazine</strong> (animator on 'Extra Credits') & <strong>Dreamworks</strong> (<span style="color:#990000;">'I am Number Four'</span>).<br />Currently she is producing private book covers and illustrations and collaborating with one of the artists from <strong>Palladium Books</strong> on some Splicers-related work. In addition she is working on two new IP's. You can also catch a sketchbook feature coming up in <a href="http://www.imaginefx.com/">ImagineFX Magazine </a>at the end of May.</p><p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QncU8TUH990/TcXPBikNr2I/AAAAAAAABvw/Oz8VGDQ0ORI/s1600/alphabeastiary_angha.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604112936697966434" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QncU8TUH990/TcXPBikNr2I/AAAAAAAABvw/Oz8VGDQ0ORI/s320/alphabeastiary_angha.jpg" /></a> <em>"I found Tiffany some years ago on Deviantart's forums, I thought she was amazing and have been watching her art ever since. I found Brynn about a year ago through the DA's SPLICE contest. Soon after I struck up a convo with Tiffany I found out that she and Brynn knew each other, and here we are now!" - Allison</em><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g-edktkdC-I/TcXPBURm7fI/AAAAAAAABvo/CLnrrWp8kqo/s1600/8517_575977519319_4804831_33757007_7193237_n.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 253px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604112932861832690" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g-edktkdC-I/TcXPBURm7fI/AAAAAAAABvo/CLnrrWp8kqo/s320/8517_575977519319_4804831_33757007_7193237_n.jpg" /></a>Allison has a very nice fluid movement about her designs and this shows both in her line work as well as her rendered illustrations. It's easy to relate to her designs even if they seem so far outside the box and alien to our eyes, she always throws something in the design to bring us back to reality. The tail of the creature below is a great example where the head and general concept is strange and eerie but we can relate to the cold weather climate through the incorportation of fur on the legs, back and that striped tail we see in so many real world animals here on earth. - Mike<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0dnN9AnBuxo/TcXO2F_tWcI/AAAAAAAABvg/gP568fwpx2s/s1600/splicecreature_warmup_Theus.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 274px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604112740050098626" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0dnN9AnBuxo/TcXO2F_tWcI/AAAAAAAABvg/gP568fwpx2s/s320/splicecreature_warmup_Theus.jpg" /></a><em>"I think it's important to have people with similar interests around you. We are three very different people and so we interpret concepts and ideas in very different ways. Having the opportunity to look at what other artists create is always beneficial, as it allows us to see alternate solutions to the problems and challenges that we face. In our case, the fact that we were all women really didn't matter. We all had an interest in creatures and a love for creature creation, and it was around this focus that we clicked. And it is always good to have a few people you can bounce ideas off, get feedback from, and to nerd out with." - Allison</em><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8gPIfeVk1g/TcXO13rg61I/AAAAAAAABvY/vu0x0NiocxY/s1600/Enemy_by_beastofoblivion.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 258px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604112736207301458" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8gPIfeVk1g/TcXO13rg61I/AAAAAAAABvY/vu0x0NiocxY/s320/Enemy_by_beastofoblivion.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2rHxTAp-xfk/TcXFrldGhYI/AAAAAAAABvQ/VAYCNy-MHhw/s1600/patience_sized.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 264px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604102663911671170" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2rHxTAp-xfk/TcXFrldGhYI/AAAAAAAABvQ/VAYCNy-MHhw/s320/patience_sized.jpg" /></a><em>"Essentially, I was frustrated with work and with not having any time for my own art, as there's not too much in the way of creature creation in what I've been doing recently. So on a whim I contacted Tiffany about a joint book project - something fun, relaxing, an on-the-side type deal where we could pass designs back and forth and riff off each other. A 'let's get together and make cool stuff' kind of thing. She was game and then suggested we bring Brynn into the fold (that's basically how I 'met' Brynn), so we did! It's still at a pretty early stage, and this year has been downright crazy so it's on the back burner at the moment, but we're all looking forward to picking it up again soon." - Allison</em><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XM4fXieVzkE/TcXFqyT0OoI/AAAAAAAABvI/Qhe3zrSrb8k/s1600/Hellhound.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 258px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604102650182515330" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XM4fXieVzkE/TcXFqyT0OoI/AAAAAAAABvI/Qhe3zrSrb8k/s320/Hellhound.jpg" /></a>One of the things that really caught my attention with Allison's work is her sketches and crazy attention to detail and complex organisms. Allison's work still abides the laws of nature and it's easy to see she understands animal and human anatomy quite well but she also makes her monstrosities and alien designs look very natural with recognizable aspects of real world animals and anatomy. - Mike<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r9yCGyuhVYw/TcXFqvx8ZXI/AAAAAAAABvA/qGf_bCLJEH0/s1600/nautilog2_sized.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 262px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604102649503573362" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r9yCGyuhVYw/TcXFqvx8ZXI/AAAAAAAABvA/qGf_bCLJEH0/s320/nautilog2_sized.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IZBoIEkMJV4/Tcn9V164xzI/AAAAAAAAByo/VDyHoiXM9qQ/s1600/Lovecraftian.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 244px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IZBoIEkMJV4/Tcn9V164xzI/AAAAAAAAByo/VDyHoiXM9qQ/s320/Lovecraftian.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605289762932442930" /></a><br />All three of these talented ladies are also a part of the creature art blog created and run by concept artist <strong>Davi Blight</strong>: <a href="http://www.creaturespot.com/">http://www.creaturespot.com/</a> where you may find inspiration from a large list of creature and character based artist in all genres, mediums and fields of entertainment related work.<br /><br /><i>Guest blogger </i><a href="http://www.mikecorriero.com/index/Top/default.htm"><b><i><span style="color:#cc0000;">Mike Corriero</span></i></b></a><i> is a character, creature, and conceptual designer and illustrator living in New Jersey. Since graduating from Pratt Institute in 2003, Mike's client list has included Breakaway Games, Fantasy Flight Games, Allied Studios, Kingsisle Entertainment, Radical entertainment/ Vivendi Universal Games, Liquid Development, Zynga Inc, Challenge Games, Paizo Publishing and Hasbro Inc, among others. Mike's book "</i><a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/planet-to-planet/14916342"><b><span style="color:#660000;">PLANET to PLANET creatures and strange worlds</span></b></a><i>" includes hundreds of his sketches of creatures, robots, alien life forms and their environments. I recommend it for students focusing on visual development for games, or anyone who loves creature design. - J. G. O.</i> </p>Mike Corrierohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06673676156584736947noreply@blogger.com487tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-86453683345457583532011-04-18T15:25:00.000-07:002011-04-21T21:12:29.909-07:00Proper Use of Reference and Anatomy in Creature Design - Part Three<div align="center"><strong>Habitat, Environment or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecosystem">Ecosystems</a> play a major role in the development of an animal or creature's design.</strong></div>It's due to the varied terrain that animals belonging to the same family evolve over time to adapt to their surroundings. This is how individual species are born during the process of evolution, branching off from one animal into many different though similar variations. This is why the environment in which an animal lives is an integral part of creature design. It helps if you think of your design in the sense of it being a species. If you're drawing sketches and designing a creature, if you think of it as a species; then come multiple factors to keep in mind during this process. As is the case with a living animal on earth, we need to bare in mind how this creature functions in all aspects of life. How does it interact within its ecosystem, how has the anatomy come to evolve due to its surroundings? Where does it fit within its fictional Animal Kingdom? - <a href="http://characterdesignnotes.blogspot.com/2011/03/proper-use-of-reference-and-anatomy.html">Part One</a> and <a href="http://characterdesignnotes.blogspot.com/2011/03/proper-use-of-reference-and-anatomy_22.html">Part Two</a> of this series.<br /><br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork below by <a href="http://www.raul-martin.net/">Raul Martin</a>)</i></div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camouflage"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597016461077098290" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WiVYQbFF1hk/TayY0SyDrzI/AAAAAAAABuQ/XDCa0fZJ8RA/s400/messeler_urlandschaft_hoch_c_raul_martin-2.jpg" />Camouflage</a> is a result of color and pattern adorned by multiple species each for their own reasons. Color and patterns play a major role in an animal's life and the design of its markings are due to the surrounding environment. The spots of a cheetah or leopard are meant to conceal its body and break it up to blend into the environment when hunting. The same goes for the coloration of shark and fish where the underbelly is bright and the top side is a darker blue/grey/green. It's so anything below the shark looking up won't be able to distinguish the white underbelly from the white light shining down above the surface and anything above sees it disappear into the abyss. Larger animals like an elephant, rhino and hippo don't need to worry so much about attacks from predators but their color is a neutral tone in part due to their size. Usually it's a case of keeping the body temperature down especially for an animal like an elephant where a lot of energy is exerted to move such massive weight and bones. If it were too light or too dark, it might overheat or become too cool. In certain times when the heat is overwhelming, elephants will cover their bodies with mud to block the sun and to cool themselves down.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W0Y2dO8XCaM/Taxdi2ex_tI/AAAAAAAABoY/D6byJPqZ4ws/s1600/the-patriarch.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 220px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596951290236239570" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W0Y2dO8XCaM/Taxdi2ex_tI/AAAAAAAABoY/D6byJPqZ4ws/s320/the-patriarch.jpg" /></a>This kind of act of using its environment to regulate its body temperature is another thing to keep in mind when designing a creature. Thinking of various underwater and aquatic animals, you may see shrimp and crab species <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/adorn">adorning</a> and decorating their shelled exterior with living plants, algae and other aquatic vestigial life. Camouflage isn't always born through evolution or embedded in the design, sometimes it is created by use of the surrounding ecosystem and manually crafted by the animal. So how might your creature utilize its environment? How might its coloration be put to use based on its size, its purpose in life or its environment? ... always ask yourself "why?" Below are artworks by wildlife and paleontology reconstructionist artists <strong><span style="color:#990000;">Dick Van Heerde, Robert Nicholls, Tod Marshall, John Gurche, Ron Meilof, John Banovich, Jeremy Pearse, Robert Back, Nancy Howe</span></strong> and <span style="color:#990000;"><strong>Raul Martin</strong>.</span> All artwork is copyright to their resepective owners.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RuDYlr1gHSo/Taxdi7i2jZI/AAAAAAAABoQ/QhcJyhDrw5c/s1600/leopardview.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596951291595492754" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RuDYlr1gHSo/Taxdi7i2jZI/AAAAAAAABoQ/QhcJyhDrw5c/s320/leopardview.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qpOU08nJW2Q/TaxdimZhOlI/AAAAAAAABoI/Vbxu1djtEio/s1600/kb-Van-Heerde-Dick-Mothers-Pride.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 203px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596951285919201874" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qpOU08nJW2Q/TaxdimZhOlI/AAAAAAAABoI/Vbxu1djtEio/s320/kb-Van-Heerde-Dick-Mothers-Pride.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--HML6N7nGNg/Taxdio6lytI/AAAAAAAABoA/QvKH5pXfJv8/s1600/dick-van-heerde-book-cover.jpg"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TrzTPIJucnE/TaxdNkeiktI/AAAAAAAABn4/8H7kEXnZJ38/s1600/dickvanheerde1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 216px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596950924626137810" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TrzTPIJucnE/TaxdNkeiktI/AAAAAAAABn4/8H7kEXnZJ38/s320/dickvanheerde1.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DaNCWbIGeDs/TaxdNKndAVI/AAAAAAAABnw/FORg0IyT6kI/s1600/dick-van-heerde-book-cover.jpg"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j6FTC9v5T3o/TaxdM3uoUXI/AAAAAAAABno/78m6qDbBKmo/s1600/070814_070813_enschede_wild_sneeuwuil_meiloff.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 244px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596950912614027634" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j6FTC9v5T3o/TaxdM3uoUXI/AAAAAAAABno/78m6qDbBKmo/s320/070814_070813_enschede_wild_sneeuwuil_meiloff.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-znrt8PgIGzs/TaxdMoEzKeI/AAAAAAAABng/X6aEe_xoLa8/s1600/Dick%252520van%252520Heerde%2525204.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 216px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596950908412045794" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-znrt8PgIGzs/TaxdMoEzKeI/AAAAAAAABng/X6aEe_xoLa8/s320/Dick%252520van%252520Heerde%2525204.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lXsHJx01yHQ/TaxdMshxkFI/AAAAAAAABnY/FCJuN84S4xY/s1600/a-giant-among-giants-by-banovich-680.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 243px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596950909607317586" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lXsHJx01yHQ/TaxdMshxkFI/AAAAAAAABnY/FCJuN84S4xY/s320/a-giant-among-giants-by-banovich-680.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5R4ZdQYktLc/Taxdx3RUlZI/AAAAAAAABo4/2Ib8EMhG_ec/s1600/fossil-fish-mouth.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596951548146259346" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5R4ZdQYktLc/Taxdx3RUlZI/AAAAAAAABo4/2Ib8EMhG_ec/s320/fossil-fish-mouth.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gMkSb4Go6SY/Taxdx3FgelI/AAAAAAAABow/xJiOxPUDM9A/s1600/lashoyasdos.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 104px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596951548096707154" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gMkSb4Go6SY/Taxdx3FgelI/AAAAAAAABow/xJiOxPUDM9A/s320/lashoyasdos.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-41z-4pqraoM/Taxdxgkp8xI/AAAAAAAABoo/jV5bpuY2JYY/s1600/messeler_urlandschaft_hoch_c_raul_martin-2.jpg"></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-32kBwE0S85A/TaxdjKtY2JI/AAAAAAAABog/Ivz8PIqzNSs/s1600/NancyHowe-Sunday-ec.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 224px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596951295666215058" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-32kBwE0S85A/TaxdjKtY2JI/AAAAAAAABog/Ivz8PIqzNSs/s320/NancyHowe-Sunday-ec.jpg" /></a>If so many variations of animals can fall under the same class of marine mammals, the family of delphinidae there must be a purpose why each individual species evolved with distinct attributes. The length of the body or a dorsal fin, the shape and length of a tail fin, the shape of the head, length of the nose, the type of teeth etc. So when you're making decisions in design of your creature, make conscious decisions. Once you're done with your concept, go back to it and examine it... learn from it. Whichever species of animal you borrowed anatomy from, they had a specific purpose so it would help to research that animal and its anatomy to better understand the function of your design.<br /><br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: The montage of dolphin species below is by concept artist and illustrator <a href="http://tiffanyturrill.blogspot.com/">Tiffany Turill</a></i></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ErHy6aFAyc/TaxdyA5pXYI/AAAAAAAABpA/m93Q6ZxWN-U/s1600/dolphins_of_japan_by_lieserl-d2zygrq3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 227px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596951550731312514" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ErHy6aFAyc/TaxdyA5pXYI/AAAAAAAABpA/m93Q6ZxWN-U/s320/dolphins_of_japan_by_lieserl-d2zygrq3.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-39HjgNxHyd0/TaxhptNENMI/AAAAAAAABt4/IzxB9oQUgiQ/s1600/Ichthyosaurs_final.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 274px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596955806051611842" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-39HjgNxHyd0/TaxhptNENMI/AAAAAAAABt4/IzxB9oQUgiQ/s320/Ichthyosaurs_final.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5W6Jhwz9KtI/TaxhjAqQWNI/AAAAAAAABtw/KBfqjQmZ8ws/s1600/holzmaden.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 204px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596955691015231698" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5W6Jhwz9KtI/TaxhjAqQWNI/AAAAAAAABtw/KBfqjQmZ8ws/s320/holzmaden.jpg" /></a>Below is artwork of a fictional creature designed by Alex Ries aka <a href="http://abiogenisis.deviantart.com/">Abiogenesis</a>. His Barnard's Swordswallower exhibits a similarity to multiple marine species that exist here on earth but it is unique in its construction and purpose. The anatomy choices in design suit the environment as do the markings in the creature's coloration (light underbelly, dark above).<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Th5Pkt7TJZ0/Taxhi0vOtrI/AAAAAAAABto/5Gsy5hAd6Iw/s1600/Barnards___Swordswallower_by_Abiogenisis.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 182px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596955687814870706" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Th5Pkt7TJZ0/Taxhi0vOtrI/AAAAAAAABto/5Gsy5hAd6Iw/s320/Barnards___Swordswallower_by_Abiogenisis.jpg" /></a> Just as we see species and animals evolve over time here on earth, you should build a history and background to the existence of your own creature designs. Writing little notes or a small story or description about the creature will help. Perhaps there are other creatures similar to it that the creature evolved from or species that have evolved from or are related to it. I mentioned once before in <a href="http://characterdesignnotes.blogspot.com/2011/03/proper-use-of-reference-and-anatomy.html#comments">part 01</a> and <a href="http://characterdesignnotes.blogspot.com/2011/03/proper-use-of-reference-and-anatomy_22.html">part 02</a> of this series that it's best if you think of your creature design as an animal species no matter how bizarre it is. Now of course there are "monsters" or "characters - creatures of an individual personality" but we will discuss that in another topic.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8ylrh5iMx6g/TaxhilLsl6I/AAAAAAAABtg/h8DW_3Un22A/s1600/Acanthostega.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 231px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596955683639302050" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8ylrh5iMx6g/TaxhilLsl6I/AAAAAAAABtg/h8DW_3Un22A/s320/Acanthostega.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hXDTM_c6ENs/TaxhiOlpYgI/AAAAAAAABtY/wBeAGBoBYHk/s1600/acanthostega_pai.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 272px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596955677574128130" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hXDTM_c6ENs/TaxhiOlpYgI/AAAAAAAABtY/wBeAGBoBYHk/s320/acanthostega_pai.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zh0vS2Eqxmk/Taxhh3hx88I/AAAAAAAABtQ/jgCxPYu83aw/s1600/ichtyostega.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 156px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596955671383897026" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zh0vS2Eqxmk/Taxhh3hx88I/AAAAAAAABtQ/jgCxPYu83aw/s320/ichtyostega.jpg" /></a> Nothing on an animal's body occurs by mistake, it's all developed and designed over time for very specific reasons. Just as is the case with concept design, some of those changes or choices are discarded and the more affective ones survive. The body of one animal and it's differences from another are relevant to the way that animal runs, eats, hunts, breathes, births offspring, mates or courts a mate, how it digs, balances, jumps, hides and survives the weather. Everything in life has a purpose and with that statement, you should implement that reasoning into your own thought process.<br /><br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork below by <a href="http://sheil.deviantart.com/">adeptka biotechu</a>)</i></div><br /><br /><p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U-zj0E-kbek/TaxhIdxSKGI/AAAAAAAABtI/dcFmEnZ6JUg/s1600/b7973208518913465042ab9f26cb8713.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 226px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596955234972870754" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U-zj0E-kbek/TaxhIdxSKGI/AAAAAAAABtI/dcFmEnZ6JUg/s320/b7973208518913465042ab9f26cb8713.jpg" /></a> There are species of dinosaurs, raptors, oviraptors and pterosaurs with many similar features and body structures depicted with feathered vestigial limbs or bodies. As the design of these extinct animals came to resemble birds more and more over time, it's not hard to imagine a relation. As certain species of dinosaurs evolved into small bird-like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theropoda">theropods</a> there must have been a reason for the development of feathers and eventually species capable of flight. The same reason that other similar animals like the penguin or ostrich though birds had evolved where flight was not a necessity. It has to do with the living conditions, the environment and the necessity of surviving in such conditions that cause an animal to evolve and adapt to its surroundings. Penguins have adapted to cold arctic winds, they migrate on foot, they swim, catch and feed on fish using their beaks. Other birds like a Falcon or Hawk glide and attack from above with talons for grasping and ripping into the flesh of smaller mammals and other birds or snakes. Then still, birds like the Ostrich run quick and gallantly with long strides, they attack with large powerful legs equipped with large nails and they feed on mostly vegetation of sorts and some insects.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m_0jQnlZ3cc/TaxfQOqd7tI/AAAAAAAABqI/dzFreqm1XVg/s1600/Dromaeosaurus-Raul-Martin.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 246px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596953169333448402" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m_0jQnlZ3cc/TaxfQOqd7tI/AAAAAAAABqI/dzFreqm1XVg/s320/Dromaeosaurus-Raul-Martin.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dR6bvZOomCk/TaxfP3nCAvI/AAAAAAAABqA/4jxQ60qfEwA/s1600/dino2-large.jpg"></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1ciFWKwsP8o/TaxfPunbfwI/AAAAAAAABp4/8pdFi41btAM/s1600/Deinonychus-no-pest.jpg"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XIlHJXGWXYo/TaxfPes9MGI/AAAAAAAABpw/vz0BEI4rlPo/s1600/1-Raptorex-flesh-drawing1.jpg"></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l8pBx22HBJE/TaxfQH6xWuI/AAAAAAAABqQ/-1gXu4hkCYU/s1600/Anchiornis.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 158px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596953167522781922" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l8pBx22HBJE/TaxfQH6xWuI/AAAAAAAABqQ/-1gXu4hkCYU/s320/Anchiornis.jpg" /></a>We're capable of classifying animals such as a polar bear, a grizzly bear and a black bear to have all developed from the same ancestor. If a polar bear lives in the arctic circle and is constantly surrounded by snow and ice it's by no mistake that the animal's fur coat is white. In this example the purpose is to allow the animal to remain hidden from hunting prey, yet in other examples of the arctic hare (rabbit) its purpose is to conceal itself as a form of hiding/camouflage. So the color of an animal or the color of your creature is also very important. Don't simply choose without reason to make your giant terrestrial arhropod that lives on a red planet like mars to be a bright white just because it looks cool in contrast (Though aesthetics in design are often important as much as the reasoning behind the choice.) make sure you put as much thought into the color scheme as you would the functionality of the body and its limbs. Artwork below by Alex Ries aka <a href="http://abiogenisis.deviantart.com/">Abiogenesis</a>. This is his own rendition of the largest flying animal in recorded history, the Quetzalcoatlus pterosaur. (A 12-15 meter wingspan, standing in comparison to the equivalent of a giraffe.) It's important to understand what was possible to make what doesn't exist believable.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LLDwoH-mb2I/TaxhIN3vNMI/AAAAAAAABtA/cyIwZncyZig/s1600/brushfire_by_abiogenisis-d31h02c.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596955230704972994" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LLDwoH-mb2I/TaxhIN3vNMI/AAAAAAAABtA/cyIwZncyZig/s320/brushfire_by_abiogenisis-d31h02c.jpg" /></a>Now the difference of the artwork below by artist <a href="http://sheil.deviantart.com/">Adeptka Biotechu</a> is an Oviraptor a small flightless bird-like dinosaur, as scientist have suggested possibly feathered species otherwise known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theropods">theropods</a>. This would be more closely related to large flightless birds such as the Ostrich or other <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratites">Ratites</a> like the Emu or Rhea. Other than the largely obvious distinguishable feature that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterosaur">Pterosaurs</a> flew and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oviraptor">Oviraptors</a> didn't, they are both bird-like dinosaurs. Think back to Penguins versus Falcons. It's interesting when you study the body of pterosaurs because it's believed most or all couldn't take off from the ground (generally having to fly off cliffs, and rather than flap much like birds today they mostly glided using wind currents and heat pockets - we see the same tactic used by the largest of birds of flight today). Aside from flying or taking off from the ground, they had to walk as well. You can see in Adeptka's rendition above there is one pterosaur landing from flight and one walking. It's too in depth to discuss in this post but research a bit about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avian_flight">Avian Flight </a>and you'll see just how difficult it would be for such large animals or creatures to fly.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8dkxzI5JrQ/TaxhH2HUEZI/AAAAAAAABs4/ax5VjVOwWR4/s1600/Citipati-Sheil.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 275px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596955224327852434" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8dkxzI5JrQ/TaxhH2HUEZI/AAAAAAAABs4/ax5VjVOwWR4/s320/Citipati-Sheil.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WGxuEllzf6s/TaxhH8_5bFI/AAAAAAAABsw/RtGFXkatlk0/s1600/342.jpg"></a><em>Action and interaction:</em> Once you start to place your creature into a setting involving an environment, other creatures whether predator or prey and the elements of nature, you'll better understand how it functions. You'll want to consider it's general size, how it's bone structure (if it has one; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertebrate">vertebrates</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invertebrate">invertebrates</a>) is comprised, how much it weighs, what it eats..etc again, you need to at least consider these options otherwise it's just a random shape that moves without reason or function. Provide yourself with a starting point. Figure out where your creation lives, does it live on land, or water, underground, in the air, in space, jungles, desserts, cold or hot regions etc..<div align="center"><i>(Note: The 1st image below is by artist John Gurche, other paleo works are by Raul Martin and Todd Marshall as well as others mentioned at the top of this post)</i></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7kLhExHuzrA/Ta-hwZs_AAI/AAAAAAAABuo/JjLWEi4_uI8/s1600/4984799543_2b99b5c9f5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 287px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7kLhExHuzrA/Ta-hwZs_AAI/AAAAAAAABuo/JjLWEi4_uI8/s400/4984799543_2b99b5c9f5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597870714750173186" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aiTZgZneQZY/TaxgzhPdRcI/AAAAAAAABsg/dGEVpFioNl0/s1600/chuanjiesaurus%2By%2Ballosauridos.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 241px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596954875127481794" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aiTZgZneQZY/TaxgzhPdRcI/AAAAAAAABsg/dGEVpFioNl0/s320/chuanjiesaurus%2By%2Ballosauridos.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E5DAymcZJek/TaxgzBRwrmI/AAAAAAAABsY/LRYzPq8oUFo/s1600/Deinonychus-Michael-Skrepnick.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 246px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596954866547207778" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E5DAymcZJek/TaxgzBRwrmI/AAAAAAAABsY/LRYzPq8oUFo/s320/Deinonychus-Michael-Skrepnick.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mc3QZe0fBvw/TaxgyyrR8TI/AAAAAAAABsQ/AGUVxeiVtOA/s1600/guanlong.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 208px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596954862627713330" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mc3QZe0fBvw/TaxgyyrR8TI/AAAAAAAABsQ/AGUVxeiVtOA/s320/guanlong.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B4ONjgMh8EM/Taxgy50NuFI/AAAAAAAABsI/-YoqyoO7lDU/s1600/Majungatholus-Raul-Martin.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 185px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596954864544233554" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B4ONjgMh8EM/Taxgy50NuFI/AAAAAAAABsI/-YoqyoO7lDU/s320/Majungatholus-Raul-Martin.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xdgQwzudzJg/TaxgnbwolRI/AAAAAAAABsA/dyX_vaH_hyQ/s1600/oviraptor202.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 176px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596954667497592082" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xdgQwzudzJg/TaxgnbwolRI/AAAAAAAABsA/dyX_vaH_hyQ/s320/oviraptor202.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6N6BShdSJrM/TaxgnLbzEvI/AAAAAAAABr4/xJKkziODvYw/s1600/Psitacosaurus.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 124px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596954663115231986" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6N6BShdSJrM/TaxgnLbzEvI/AAAAAAAABr4/xJKkziODvYw/s320/Psitacosaurus.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LR1NuUWlW84/Taxgm48Q_lI/AAAAAAAABrw/dy2ma0xJfKU/s1600/psittacosaurus_crias.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 290px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596954658151136850" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LR1NuUWlW84/Taxgm48Q_lI/AAAAAAAABrw/dy2ma0xJfKU/s320/psittacosaurus_crias.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JF6xg-uRZkM/TaxgmYBerRI/AAAAAAAABro/Hv9EwJGZ8FQ/s1600/rm_iguanodon.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 137px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596954649314635026" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JF6xg-uRZkM/TaxgmYBerRI/AAAAAAAABro/Hv9EwJGZ8FQ/s320/rm_iguanodon.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L1o3MLTSewU/TaxgmYenFGI/AAAAAAAABrg/15C7zuqZvRE/s1600/Tyrannosaurus-Raul-Martin.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 237px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596954649436820578" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L1o3MLTSewU/TaxgmYenFGI/AAAAAAAABrg/15C7zuqZvRE/s320/Tyrannosaurus-Raul-Martin.jpg" /></a>An observation of life in the wild. A sketch of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesperornis">Hesperornis</a> below: By artist John Conway (An Extinct flightless aquatic bird, much like the penguin) shows this species engaged in hunting for food. This is something that should be constantly studied and examined when watching series like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Earth-Complete-HD-DVD/dp/B000MRAAJW">Planet Earth</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-David-Attenborough/dp/B002UXRGLG/ref=ed_oe_dvd">Life</a> or any other show on The Discovery Channel and Animal planet that document animals and their living habits. These are all things you can put to use in your creature designs.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W1lLv60pQkI/TaxgWTLKCGI/AAAAAAAABrY/jGc4iD6q3cg/s1600/Hesperornis-John-Conway-resized-Sept-2010.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 242px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596954373135140962" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W1lLv60pQkI/TaxgWTLKCGI/AAAAAAAABrY/jGc4iD6q3cg/s320/Hesperornis-John-Conway-resized-Sept-2010.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V4Wk_IX1xkE/TaxeaS5GM_I/AAAAAAAABpo/JfkJqPMRz68/s1600/william-d-berry-williambear.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596952242755613682" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V4Wk_IX1xkE/TaxeaS5GM_I/AAAAAAAABpo/JfkJqPMRz68/s320/william-d-berry-williambear.jpg" /></a> As we see in the drawing below by artist Virgil C. Stephens, we have 3 species from 2 different classes (The Mountain Lion and two Buck Deer as well as a bird flying in the background - the Mountain Lion also known as a cougar or puma and the Buck Deer fit in the class: Mammals and the bird in the background though unidentifiable fits within the class: Birds) The most important thing about this drawing is the interaction of 2 species of animal and how they fit within the surrounding ecosystem. This is a classic scenario of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predation">Predation</a> (Predator versus Prey), in which the Mountain Lion is giving chase to two male deer. Things to note when glancing at this drawing:<br /><b>1:</b><em>Notice the difference in strides of the Mountain Lion and the Buck Deer as well as how the muscles and bone joints of each animal differ from one another.</em><br /><b>2:</b><em>Note the difference in size of the Predator in comparison to the prey. What allows a predator such as this to hunt prey that is larger and heavier in size? (Predators: Often armed with anatomy meant for attacking, grasping, breaking bones, piercing skin, ripping flesh IE; Sharp Incisors and Claws.) </em>These are all things that are important to remember when designing your own creature. Where does it fit within the food chain of its own ecosystem? Is it a predator or is it prey? Does it hunt for its food or does it <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scavenge">scavenge</a> or eat flora (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbivore">herbivore</a>); Flowers, Plants, Fruit, Grass, Berries and Trees/Leaves? What enables your design to be capable of hunting in a similar chasing down fashion as the Mountain Lion? Is it capable of agile speed, is it equipped with the ability to grasp, slice, tackle, tear, rip or attack its prey and how does it do this? Ask yourself these questions while designing and it will help create something more believable with more meaning, even if it's only a winged mutli-eyed creature with tentacles and talons.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t2Q_JVGlFms/TaxeaGR3rYI/AAAAAAAABpg/gj1aAveAsms/s1600/virgil-c-stephens_bwart_LifeIsFullOfChoices.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 177px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596952239369858434" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t2Q_JVGlFms/TaxeaGR3rYI/AAAAAAAABpg/gj1aAveAsms/s320/virgil-c-stephens_bwart_LifeIsFullOfChoices.jpg" /></a> The sketches below by artist William D. Berry are a perfect example of what every aspiring creature artist should be doing in their sketchbooks. Visit a local zoo, or study birds, squirrels, rabbits and any other indigenous wild life that live within your area. Take notes, jot them down in your sketchbook as you draw quick sketches in observation of how the animal interacts in the wild.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fo78H6OklEY/TaxeaJ8QFrI/AAAAAAAABpY/kYY0syto5Wc/s1600/berry-mountain-goat.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 234px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596952240352925362" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fo78H6OklEY/TaxeaJ8QFrI/AAAAAAAABpY/kYY0syto5Wc/s320/berry-mountain-goat.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LKAEvRH8WiY/TaxeZ-jKofI/AAAAAAAABpQ/qXtaW1JewoM/s1600/berry-grizzly-bear.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 276px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596952237294920178" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LKAEvRH8WiY/TaxeZ-jKofI/AAAAAAAABpQ/qXtaW1JewoM/s320/berry-grizzly-bear.jpg" /></a> Study the movement of an animal, watch how the joints bend, how the muscles contract and expand as it jumps or climbs and how they twist and stretch. Every animal is different so it's important that you at least try to cover the main classes: Mammal, Reptile, Amphibian, Birds, Fish, Arthropods. They'll each provide enough of a varying degree of movement and use of limbs that is distinct from one to the next.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hzZiZCqSJFI/TaxeZxbWPRI/AAAAAAAABpI/pK7sWa2ios8/s1600/berry-dall-sheep.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 262px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596952233772465426" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hzZiZCqSJFI/TaxeZxbWPRI/AAAAAAAABpI/pK7sWa2ios8/s320/berry-dall-sheep.jpg" /></a>When it's possible, study the muscles and bones beneath the surface. Whether you fully understand the complexity of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscular_system">muscular system </a>or not it's always good to know the basic functions. The same goes for the skeleton, which if you were to take note of a Moose Skull or any other similar animal such as a Deer, Horse, Cow or Goat it may appear quite different from the animal itself because of anatomy constructed of cartilage, tissue and muscle. An elephant skull is a perfect example because of the lack of ears and the trunk. The skull itself appears almost alien compared to the animal itself. This is why appendages such as the trunk are so flexible (it's all muscle/tissue, the same goes for the lips of various animals which are prehensile and serve as an additional way to extend, grab and tear off foliage, leaves, fruit and grass (the lips and tongue of a giraffe).<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vMojOXQfdsQ/Taxr5RVl2XI/AAAAAAAABuI/3a67ZgjpIgM/s1600/wd-berry-p54.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 243px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596967068565363058" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vMojOXQfdsQ/Taxr5RVl2XI/AAAAAAAABuI/3a67ZgjpIgM/s320/wd-berry-p54.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SapaJ5PzRKs/Taxr5P6yqDI/AAAAAAAABuA/8-niov-WWFU/s1600/berry-william-fox.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 208px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596967068184520754" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SapaJ5PzRKs/Taxr5P6yqDI/AAAAAAAABuA/8-niov-WWFU/s320/berry-william-fox.jpg" /></a> After studying real world animals, their habits, how they function in the wild, what their purpose in life is and how they fit within an ecosystem you'll understand how to combine all of these factors when producing something imaginary. It will help ground your concept even if it's an alien life form from space or another dimension. You may want to check out a few additional art books if you can find them: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Best-Wildlife-Rachel-Rubin-Wolf/dp/0891347437/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1303164675&sr=1-1">The Best of Wildlife Art</a> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Painting-Drama-Wildlife-Step/dp/158180363X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1303164700&sr=1-1">Painting the Drama of Wildlife step by step</a> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Dinosaurs-Paul-Barrett/dp/0792282248">National Geographic Dinosaurs</a>. Also be sure to check out <a href="http://www.raul-martin.net/">RAUL MARTIN </a>'s website where the majority of this paleo artwork came from, he's an amazing paleo reconstructionist.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Keb-8I3pbU8/TaxgB3WmGdI/AAAAAAAABrQ/_sdA_JaLZ0E/s1600/raul-martin-a-triassic-reptile-effigia-okeeffeae-resembling-a-dinosaur.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596954022069541330" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Keb-8I3pbU8/TaxgB3WmGdI/AAAAAAAABrQ/_sdA_JaLZ0E/s320/raul-martin-a-triassic-reptile-effigia-okeeffeae-resembling-a-dinosaur.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jr_PUn-Xcw4/TaxgBdOgdZI/AAAAAAAABrI/IdlCHFmtxTc/s1600/rm_apatosaurus.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 121px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596954015056295314" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jr_PUn-Xcw4/TaxgBdOgdZI/AAAAAAAABrI/IdlCHFmtxTc/s320/rm_apatosaurus.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QdJpbjbAytc/TaxgBZrNEbI/AAAAAAAABrA/FNyk26synJg/s1600/aca7435cd81b51436e169039909a_grande.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596954014102917554" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QdJpbjbAytc/TaxgBZrNEbI/AAAAAAAABrA/FNyk26synJg/s320/aca7435cd81b51436e169039909a_grande.jpg" /></a> The possibilities of design are endless because life and evolution are endless, it never stops evolving and changing. If you have so many resources, references and information to study from you should be capable of coming up with an infinate amount of ideas. I'll leave off by including some art studies of the evolution of prehistoric and extinct ancestors of the crocodile by artist <strong>Todd Marshall</strong>.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G_3J87FtzJ0/Tay5Eq-LJHI/AAAAAAAABug/4txRx121wi8/s1600/dogcroc.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 196px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597051926820365426" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G_3J87FtzJ0/Tay5Eq-LJHI/AAAAAAAABug/4txRx121wi8/s400/dogcroc.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bvgtr7nXMWY/Tay5Ee7jVgI/AAAAAAAABuY/93K4FqKvjF0/s1600/duckcroc.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 184px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597051923588142594" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bvgtr7nXMWY/Tay5Ee7jVgI/AAAAAAAABuY/93K4FqKvjF0/s400/duckcroc.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q8R6vn4e-F0/TaxfnyBcsyI/AAAAAAAABq4/_mmZzNWdoro/s1600/dogcroc.jpg"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kMr2Ubw4D3U/TaxfnriYDDI/AAAAAAAABqw/cfC8JQybE04/s1600/duckcroc.jpg"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1eiazjWeP-U/TaxfnZJ3ZSI/AAAAAAAABqo/e9BOYdMJBqc/s1600/crocs_01.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 211px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596953567286486306" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1eiazjWeP-U/TaxfnZJ3ZSI/AAAAAAAABqo/e9BOYdMJBqc/s320/crocs_01.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3zOQfVO4rNg/Taxfnfi9eQI/AAAAAAAABqg/N_3sre6z5RQ/s1600/ratcroc.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 211px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596953569002354946" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3zOQfVO4rNg/Taxfnfi9eQI/AAAAAAAABqg/N_3sre6z5RQ/s320/ratcroc.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wijMarK4f6Y/TaxfnSkfDRI/AAAAAAAABqY/7T08yP0mFv8/s1600/pancakecroc.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 109px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596953565519088914" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wijMarK4f6Y/TaxfnSkfDRI/AAAAAAAABqY/7T08yP0mFv8/s320/pancakecroc.jpg" /></a></p><br /><br /><p>I hope this was instructive and insightful, please share your thoughts and provide feedback.<br />Mike C -</p><br /><i>Guest blogger </i><a href="http://www.mikecorriero.com/index/Top/default.htm"><b><i><span style="color:#cc0000;">Mike Corriero</span></i></b></a><i> is a character, creature, and conceptual designer and illustrator living in New Jersey. Since graduating from Pratt Institute in 2003, Mike's client list has included Breakaway Games, Fantasy Flight Games, Allied Studios, Kingsisle Entertainment, Radical entertainment/ Vivendi Universal Games, Liquid Development, Zynga Inc, Challenge Games, Paizo Publishing and Hasbro Inc, among others. Mike's book "</i><a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/planet-to-planet/14916342"><b><span style="color:#660000;">PLANET to PLANET creatures and strange worlds</span></b></a><i>" includes hundreds of his sketches of creatures, robots, alien life forms and their environments. I recommend it for students focusing on visual development for games, or anyone who loves creature design. - J. G. O.</i>Mike Corrierohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06673676156584736947noreply@blogger.com156tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-81023864217138041542011-04-06T14:00:00.000-07:002011-04-06T16:02:45.475-07:00An Interview with Jerad S. Marantz - Part TwoTo those who have missed it, the first portion of this interview can be seen here: <a href="http://characterdesignnotes.blogspot.com/2011/03/interview-with-jerad-s-marantz-part-one.html">Part One - an interview with Jerad S. Marantz</a> Jerad is an accomplished Creature and Character design artist working for the film and video game industries. In addition to concept work he also teaches a course at the <em>Concept Design Academy</em> and <em>The Gnomon School of Visual FX</em>. Jerad has worked on a number of projects including <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0978764/">Sucker Punch</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800320/">Clash of the Titans</a>, <a href="http://www.infamousthegame.com/country-selector.html">Infamous 2</a> and many many more..<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fU0cGhAivBI/TZzUpu5RxwI/AAAAAAAABj4/qyagHZKc2rI/s1600/%255BFRED-n-Alien-Soldier.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 217px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592578650715309826" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fU0cGhAivBI/TZzUpu5RxwI/AAAAAAAABj4/qyagHZKc2rI/s400/%255BFRED-n-Alien-Soldier.jpg" /></a> <em>MC: I see you have worked on both games and films. What in your opinion is the difference in creating concepts for one or the other? Which do you prefer to design for, video games or films and for what reason?</em> <br /><p>JSM: I’ve done a lot of work for both the film and game industries. There are quite a few differences, but the basics are the same. For film, the level of finish in the initial design phase is incredibly high. As I mentioned before, oftentimes in the first pass of a creature design, I have to take it as far as I possibly can so that the design looks like a still from the potential film. In video games you don’t do that. In video games you literally design from the silhouette out. You determine what the basic shape is of the creature and then start to flesh out the details. In film you’re doing both at the same time and it’s a bit more hectic. Also in film, the time in which you have to work is much shorter. You don’t often have time to go and explore.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-207UeTWqCIA/TZzXz0zkhfI/AAAAAAAABkI/d7KHK97yOmk/s1600/pyre%2BFull%2Bspread.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 124px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592582122635560434" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-207UeTWqCIA/TZzXz0zkhfI/AAAAAAAABkI/d7KHK97yOmk/s320/pyre%2BFull%2Bspread.jpg" /></a>In video games, you will get that time. In film, you will end up using more 3D, more photo elements to convincingly execute the designs. In games you can pretty much just work traditionally in Photoshop without having to add any photo elements until the very end, if at all. The level of detail is very different in games and film. There are also different restrictions. If you’re working on a film and you’re designing a creature suit, you have to make sure that a performer can walk in this thing successfully. You have to keep in mind weight distribution, the weight of materials that are going to be used to create the suit. A lot of factors are involved. If it’s a visual effects character, that goes out the window.<br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: Images below are from the film "Sucker Punch")</i></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5vYFs7j6SlU/TZzevo0et_I/AAAAAAAABnQ/zBDSiBHd5qg/s1600/Samurai%25281-3%2529.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592589747280066546" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5vYFs7j6SlU/TZzevo0et_I/AAAAAAAABnQ/zBDSiBHd5qg/s320/Samurai%25281-3%2529.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dmijrz_OHrs/TZzevfaPg-I/AAAAAAAABnI/PsD9lXCd4KA/s1600/Fat%2BORc%2Brevis-n-sketches.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 123px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592589744754099170" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Dmijrz_OHrs/TZzevfaPg-I/AAAAAAAABnI/PsD9lXCd4KA/s320/Fat%2BORc%2Brevis-n-sketches.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VwquyfPPZYE/TZzevJIEiHI/AAAAAAAABnA/_8qIibnpzQ0/s1600/Orc%2BHeads.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 248px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592589738772301938" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VwquyfPPZYE/TZzevJIEiHI/AAAAAAAABnA/_8qIibnpzQ0/s320/Orc%2BHeads.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5FJUpEOz_D8/TZzeu86gDsI/AAAAAAAABm4/RveG4-JkCcE/s1600/German%2BZombies.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 166px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592589735494160066" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5FJUpEOz_D8/TZzeu86gDsI/AAAAAAAABm4/RveG4-JkCcE/s320/German%2BZombies.jpg" /></a>For video games, you might have to design around a specific poly count. They might not have a lot of polys to resolve your design so you might have to design very simply if it’s a low level bad guy. Sometimes in a game, you actually have to design creatures around the same animation rigs. It’s very common in video games for different characters to share animation rigs, and you have to design it accordingly so that the creature’s limbs don’t collide with the geometry and can actually share the same animation cycle. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ueumYhbsoCg/TZzX0AYAxHI/AAAAAAAABkQ/5EYmKNsEeZY/s1600/PYRE%2Bportrait-helmet.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 245px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592582125741196402" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ueumYhbsoCg/TZzX0AYAxHI/AAAAAAAABkQ/5EYmKNsEeZY/s320/PYRE%2Bportrait-helmet.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oKcQLA7xGlY/TZzXzj5uepI/AAAAAAAABkA/SXyriHY9l3I/s1600/Copy%2Bof%2BP2%2Bc2%2Bcopy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 178px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592582118097975954" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oKcQLA7xGlY/TZzXzj5uepI/AAAAAAAABkA/SXyriHY9l3I/s320/Copy%2Bof%2BP2%2Bc2%2Bcopy.jpg" /></a> <em>MC: Can you provide any tips on creating orthographic (turnaround) design sheets? What are the specifics (views and details) a CG modeler usually needs in order to turn the 2D design into a 3D design? <p> </em>JSM: Fortunately, nowadays I don’t really do that many orthographic views. I’ve rarely done an orthographic view for a film; that tends to be unnecessary. In video games I used to do them all the time and there are a few tricks. One I would use in particular was that after I designed the creature and did a full painting, the pose of that creature would usually be three quarters. I would find that creature’s center line, the very center of the design, select it, and select half of the creature and drag it onto a new document in Photoshop. Then I would warp and distort that three quarter view until it was a full front view. I would also flip that so I could get the full front view of the creature. Now, the front view and the back view are identical in silhouette. So once I finished doing the front view, it was very easy to do the back view. Then finally I would do a profile and that’s simply just a matter of drawing guidelines from all the key landmarks and connecting the dots in profile. It’s a very boring process and I’m glad I don’t do it that often anymore. <br /><div align="center"><em>(Note: Images below are older concepts meant to show the Ortho sheet process discussed)</em></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yKjPM2TNOgg/TZzcFPQnR-I/AAAAAAAABlg/Tp8v1QiBg9E/s1600/l_cac6b8b56c9e72a50b2ac3c2312f0576.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 309px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592586819840985058" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yKjPM2TNOgg/TZzcFPQnR-I/AAAAAAAABlg/Tp8v1QiBg9E/s400/l_cac6b8b56c9e72a50b2ac3c2312f0576.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iVdVeXSewfs/TZzcE1fxdAI/AAAAAAAABlY/zi6IdfS3HIo/s1600/l_47ab6f400c1f206b0771b0e84d1ad30b.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 325px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592586812925244418" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iVdVeXSewfs/TZzcE1fxdAI/AAAAAAAABlY/zi6IdfS3HIo/s400/l_47ab6f400c1f206b0771b0e84d1ad30b.jpg" /></a> <em>MC: Out of every project and every creature you have worked on and produced, what do you feel is the most successful concept you have come up with? What is it about that design that you feel makes it the most memorable?</em><p> JSM: Of all the projects so far, I think my all time favorite was “Clash of the Titans”, specifically the Kraken design. There is something incredibly powerful about that creature and I was pretty happy about the way it was executed. With that particular design, I went from loose sketches to finalized renders in Zbrush and Photoshop, and it took a very long time to design. So when it finally made it on screen, it was awesome to see the fruits of my labors come out so well. What I like about the design I think the most is how incredibly powerful the character is. It is unstoppable. It’s gigantic. It’s really just over the top, and the kid in me has always wanted to design something that massive and that powerful. To have that opportunity was just amazing. I was also just thrilled at how well it was executed. <em><a href="http://characterdesignnotes.blogspot.com/2011/03/interview-with-jerad-s-marantz-part-one.html">(Check for Clash of the Titan's concept art in Part 01 here)</a></em> I was on a lot of creatures for that film—I designed Medusa, I did several passes on Calibus, I designed the witches, but the Kraken was the climax of the film. It was a big deal and it took a very long time to get right. It was just a very exciting process.<br /><div align="center"><em>(Note: Silent Hill - video game - final boss designs below)</em></div> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-48T7-UTzs8U/TZzZJfSii4I/AAAAAAAABko/H1HBjrzUbX4/s1600/Silent_hill_Boss_concept_paint_by_JSMarantz.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592583594328624002" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-48T7-UTzs8U/TZzZJfSii4I/AAAAAAAABko/H1HBjrzUbX4/s320/Silent_hill_Boss_concept_paint_by_JSMarantz.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UnBvpfBNOD8/TZzZJAu9wBI/AAAAAAAABkg/UWItuICZKt4/s1600/jerad_demonsketch-001.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 186px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592583586126348306" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UnBvpfBNOD8/TZzZJAu9wBI/AAAAAAAABkg/UWItuICZKt4/s320/jerad_demonsketch-001.jpg" /></a> <em>MC: Is there any genre, subject matter or field of work you haven't yet had the opportunity to work on that you would love to be involved in? IE; horror, sci-fi, film, games, whimsical, animated..</em><p> JSM: I’ve always been interested in working on an animated film. I’ve been looking at a lot of animated movies lately and have been floored by them. The production design, the attention to detail… I’d love to try that out. Currently I’m writing an animated series and I’ve had the opportunity to design my own characters for a show that I’ll be pitching this year, so that’s exciting. An animated film would be very appealing because it’s actually the opposite of what I do. Having to simplify forms and get characters to read with as few lines as possible would be a fun challenge.<br /><div align="center"><em>(Note: Work below is from X-Men: Origins - Wolverine. Sketches of "Deadpool")</em></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 247px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592587538379370882" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oZ937CWleDw/TZzcvEBg8YI/AAAAAAAABl4/zk4lJkHOyfw/s320/JPG32.jpg" /> <em>MC: How does the use of 3D programs like Zbrush work to benefit a concept artist? Do you feel it is an essential tool to learn if you want to speed up the process or learn to draw your design from multiple angles? What are the advantages of a program like that to you? </em><p> JSM: Learning a 3D program is essential. I work mainly with Zbrush. Zbrush has a lot of benefits. One of the biggest things I find that students struggle with isn’t necessarily the design of the creature, but how to execute it: how to draw it in perspective and how to light that creature. With <a href="http://www.pixologic.com/home.php">Zbrush</a> that isn’t an issue. You simply sculpt it and you get the lighting and perspective for free. The program has a ton of advantages. You can render out your character in different materials, light the creature and you can also show orthographic views of your design instantly.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b8S-0-p-Dtk/TZzYtM0dafI/AAAAAAAABkY/gPpOoYpOFvU/s1600/JPG%2B45.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 112px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592583108334283250" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b8S-0-p-Dtk/TZzYtM0dafI/AAAAAAAABkY/gPpOoYpOFvU/s320/JPG%2B45.jpg" /></a>It’s a lot harder to do that from the ground up going into Photoshop, designing the character in grayscale, painting over it, and adding photo elements, while making sure that your lighting and perspective all work. Learning 3D is essential to the survival of concept artists today. I’m often surprised, when I’ve had the opportunity to work with other concept artists, to see how many of them are actually using 3D. Even concept artists whose work seems very painterly will actually rough out a composition in a program like Maya or Moto and paint directly on top of it. Even for environment artists, just using a simple program like <a href="http://sketchup.google.com/">Google Sketchup </a>can make the process go much more quickly. As a matter of fact, if you were to use a combination of Google Sketchup and a lighting program called V Ray, you could finish sixty percent of your design in the computer. So again, very very important to learn 3D.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j9-hsb3NF5U/TZzbekrU8UI/AAAAAAAABlQ/kNfVBdVIOzI/s1600/HEX%2B%25288%2529-copy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 193px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592586155575275842" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j9-hsb3NF5U/TZzbekrU8UI/AAAAAAAABlQ/kNfVBdVIOzI/s400/HEX%2B%25288%2529-copy.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GGRyuGIaWh0/TZzbeFcSVJI/AAAAAAAABlI/YWehWV5EWYo/s1600/HEX%2B%25285%2529.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592586147190690962" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GGRyuGIaWh0/TZzbeFcSVJI/AAAAAAAABlI/YWehWV5EWYo/s400/HEX%2B%25285%2529.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kP2DvPnKAk4/TZzbeF9t_mI/AAAAAAAABlA/NsIBi9ZKEE0/s1600/HEX%2B%25284%2529.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592586147330915938" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kP2DvPnKAk4/TZzbeF9t_mI/AAAAAAAABlA/NsIBi9ZKEE0/s400/HEX%2B%25284%2529.jpg" /></a> <em>MC: What do you feel really helped to kick start your career and what allowed you to focus completely on designing creatures/characters? Do you ever get asked to produce other types of assets? IE; environments, weapons, vehicles..</em><p> JSM: What really jumpstarted my career was working in effects houses when I was a kid. I lucked out. I got an internship at a low budget effects house thanks to my sculpting teacher when I was just thirteen, a man by the name of <a href="http://schellstudio.com/gallery/index.php">Jordu Schell</a>. He’s most likely the industry’s best maquette sculptor and definitely one of the best sculptors in general. While interning at these special effects houses, I tried everything. I did everything from sculpting to mold making, and realized throughout the process that I didn’t really care much for making molds. I enjoyed sculpting, but noticed that a lot of sculptors out there didn’t necessarily design. Through the process of trying everything, I discovered that I really only cared about designing and was able to just focus on that. Once I had figured that out, my path became much clearer.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5WOtdpmzbXU/TZzcvNBtqJI/AAAAAAAABlw/ogt5qeXnd1A/s1600/ASSASSINS2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 254px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592587540796123282" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5WOtdpmzbXU/TZzcvNBtqJI/AAAAAAAABlw/ogt5qeXnd1A/s320/ASSASSINS2.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fYtTKOkHtHs/TZzcu-1YqzI/AAAAAAAABlo/NDmIhK5yZ7U/s1600/ASSASSINS1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 236px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592587536986319666" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fYtTKOkHtHs/TZzcu-1YqzI/AAAAAAAABlo/NDmIhK5yZ7U/s320/ASSASSINS1.jpg" /></a>I hit the books pretty hard looking for inspiration, looking at other creature artists and studying their techniques. Mainly the illustrative designers like <a href="http://www.milesteves.com/gallery/main.php">Miles Teves </a>and Crash McCreery. I looked at a lot of comic book artists. I often do more than creature design. There are very few people out there who survive only as a creature designer, and as a concept designer, I’ve discovered that the more you can do, the longer you can stay on a show and the more secure your position can be. Not only do I do creature design, though that is my specialty, I also do character design, I do costume design, I do a little bit of environments and scenes, I do props, and I do vehicles as well. Being able to do everything is really important. Not to say that having a specialty isn’t, but being able to do everything just helps you survive and that’s really important as a concept artist. You will not always get the most ideal job. There have been times where I’ve had to just take on work that was really boring when the film industry slows down.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l4WcOHiJuYA/TZzdIurj3bI/AAAAAAAABmQ/_vPo1HsDlDc/s1600/Monster_Sketches_by_JSMarantz.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 247px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592587979326741938" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l4WcOHiJuYA/TZzdIurj3bI/AAAAAAAABmQ/_vPo1HsDlDc/s320/Monster_Sketches_by_JSMarantz.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gpfXyhrX3kw/TZzdIJWHfwI/AAAAAAAABmI/oJGaAYmHLCw/s1600/C5.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 238px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592587969304690434" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gpfXyhrX3kw/TZzdIJWHfwI/AAAAAAAABmI/oJGaAYmHLCw/s320/C5.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dL0DAH12kFc/TZzdIP5AM_I/AAAAAAAABmA/X4zoFNLJ0vw/s1600/C7red.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 143px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592587971061625842" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dL0DAH12kFc/TZzdIP5AM_I/AAAAAAAABmA/X4zoFNLJ0vw/s320/C7red.jpg" /></a> <em>MC: What advice can you offer as a last bit of experience when it comes to building a strong portfolio? What do you think would help one artist get noticed over another; what should they include in their portfolio if they want to pursue a career in creature design?</em><p> JSM: When I got out of Art Center, I started working immediately at <a href="http://www.stanwinstonstudio.com/home.html">Stan Winston’s</a>. It was an amazing experience and it was incredibly validating. I believe what got me the job was the fact that I had a portfolio filled with original design work. No academic work, no still lives, no figure drawings, just one design after the other of aliens, werewolves, cyborgs, mechs, just anything that I could do to show range.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3tRwhMQBka8/TZzZuzlEM0I/AAAAAAAABk4/gKpEpRav-GI/s1600/Corps%2Bwolf2%2Bcolor%2Bcopy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 209px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592584235430196034" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3tRwhMQBka8/TZzZuzlEM0I/AAAAAAAABk4/gKpEpRav-GI/s320/Corps%2Bwolf2%2Bcolor%2Bcopy.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yeo6_y-Fl5w/TZzZul9f1NI/AAAAAAAABkw/rO8kDr9fWmE/s1600/devi-wolf-01-02.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 289px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592584231774573778" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yeo6_y-Fl5w/TZzZul9f1NI/AAAAAAAABkw/rO8kDr9fWmE/s320/devi-wolf-01-02.jpg" /></a>A bit of advice that I would give students who want to be creature designers in this industry, is to just focus on an original portfolio for as long as they can while they’re in school. Try to do a creature a week. Cover your bases. Do an alien. A werewolf. Almost every genre of creature that you can come up against. Don’t neglect fantasy, science fiction, horror— all of your bases should be covered. There is no maximum of images in a portfolio. The more the merrier. Of course you want to have the strongest images in your book, but quantity as well as quality will tell a potential client quite a bit about you. Show range. Show range of abilities, not just the same execution every time on every image. Show that you have designs that are accomplished in 3D, show drawings, show paintings, show photo manipulated pieces, show your clients what you can offer them. A portfolio is a very powerful tool. When I’m showing a potential client my book, I’m looking at the client’s reaction to the work. If they gloss over my drawings quickly, that means they don’t read drawings very well. If they’re focusing on the 3D work, then that’s how I will produce work for them. Whatever they are responding to. A portfolio acts as a menu to a client and you have to watch them go through your work to determine how best to design for them. Keep academic assignments out of your portfolio. I’ve noticed a lot of portfolios are filled with descriptions, and they’re really formatted, there’s a lot of text in there describing the artist’s process… the truth is if the images don’t catch the client’s attention, the words won’t. No one reviewing a portfolio ever reads your notes. It doesn’t matter what you write, it really is just about the images.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K-dFbmXd8wQ/TZzd9qOCdeI/AAAAAAAABmo/kWz8rD4LmWg/s1600/Minotaur%2Bfin%2Bcopy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 212px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592588888662242786" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K-dFbmXd8wQ/TZzd9qOCdeI/AAAAAAAABmo/kWz8rD4LmWg/s320/Minotaur%2Bfin%2Bcopy.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t9roCSqUQ5k/TZzd9is70bI/AAAAAAAABmg/tWbfGsqzw2o/s1600/orc-trolls.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 235px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592588886644347314" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t9roCSqUQ5k/TZzd9is70bI/AAAAAAAABmg/tWbfGsqzw2o/s320/orc-trolls.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DYbXxlGNlAE/TZzd9Ton1oI/AAAAAAAABmY/LXCma58HxBk/s1600/W.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 238px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592588882599728770" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DYbXxlGNlAE/TZzd9Ton1oI/AAAAAAAABmY/LXCma58HxBk/s320/W.jpg" /></a>As for other pieces of advice, while in school students will learn quite a bit of theory, and this is good. This is all necessary. Color theory, shape theory, rules when it comes to producing convincing creature designs or design in general. The harsh truth that all students will come to realize is that as soon as they’re designing for the real world, for real clients, theory doesn’t mean much. In film, the people who are signing off on designs don’t know about shape theory. They don’t know about what it is exactly that academically makes a design good; they simply know what they like. I have found that once I understand what the client likes, I can get designs through. It is a harsh truth, but it’s very true. By the time you get into the real world, you will no longer be designing for your teachers; you’re going to be designing for your clients. So don’t butt your head up against a wall. Don’t fight your clients. Help them develop their ideas and be as accommodating as possible. Maybe later on when you’re accomplished enough, your opinion or your work will be sought after and you’ll be more trusted, but when you start working make sure you make your clients happy. You’ll last a lot longer.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cHX9Ly1L3W4/TZzeunYGKWI/AAAAAAAABmw/kn3Kx6Bo8e4/s1600/Dragon.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 184px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592589729712712034" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cHX9Ly1L3W4/TZzeunYGKWI/AAAAAAAABmw/kn3Kx6Bo8e4/s320/Dragon.jpg" /></a> <em>MC: Jerad, I want to Thank you for all your time and the advice you have to offer regarding the in depth answers. I hope to continue to see your work in the film industry and your magnificent creatures grace the big screen. Good luck with the continued success of your career.</em> To everyone reading, you can check out more of Jerad's work and continue to follow his updates on his blog: <a href="http://jeradsmarantz.blogspot.com/">The Art of Jerad S. Marantz </a><br /><p><i>Guest blogger </i><a href="http://www.mikecorriero.com/index/Top/default.htm"><b><span style="color:#cc0000;"><em>Mike Corriero</em></span></b></a><em><i> is a character, creature, and conceptual designer and illustrator living in New Jersey. Since graduating from Pratt Institute in 2003, Mike's client list has included Breakaway Games, Fantasy Flight Games, Allied Studios, Kingsisle Entertainment, Radical entertainment/ Vivendi Universal Games, Liquid Development, Zynga Inc, Challenge Games, Paizo Publishing and Hasbro Inc, among others. Mike's book "</em><a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/planet-to-planet/14916342"><b><span style="color:#660000;"><em>PLANET to PLANET creatures and strange worlds</em></span></b></a><em>" includes hundreds of his sketches of creatures, robots, alien life forms and their environments. I recommend it for students focusing on visual development for games, or anyone who loves creature design. - J. G. O.</i> </em></p>Mike Corrierohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06673676156584736947noreply@blogger.com116tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-61604001495654607802011-04-02T23:51:00.000-07:002011-04-02T23:54:54.812-07:00Foot (and Shoe) Reference Part 2When it comes to challenging parts of anatomy, feet rank right up there with hands and faces in terms of difficulty. Look at the paintings of <a href="http://www.frankfrazetta.net/">Frank Frazetta</a>; he would often go to great lengths to avoid painting a character's feet, even though they were perfectly acceptable when he did paint them. Drawing feet in shoes is challenging for many as well; I don't know how many odd kidney bean and smooshed bread loaf like appendages I've seen drawn at the bottom of a figure's legs over the years. But fret not, Jack Hamm has given us these wonderful guidelines in his classic figure drawing manual "Drawing the head & figure":<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKdQBv9p4TbQhWR19XoMyOnp28_7cAKVi3scN9lOqHLy_Mld-5n0csSEtmcfud3Qowj4wudbjGDAa12gP19nnt1PxZ_Iz5QNgwH0Q8KMcBL39CJDLklDwGsrdvcvBKFeT0JjjZNRFeV5R/s1600/PhotoshopSnapz008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKdQBv9p4TbQhWR19XoMyOnp28_7cAKVi3scN9lOqHLy_Mld-5n0csSEtmcfud3Qowj4wudbjGDAa12gP19nnt1PxZ_Iz5QNgwH0Q8KMcBL39CJDLklDwGsrdvcvBKFeT0JjjZNRFeV5R/s320/PhotoshopSnapz008.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7fUqdsS1DyeOo_qeQ2A8KmDgsJGCkNxgf1Qeh1P7VdLNyKAftPcOTTg40zqOBdHFSiuQ4sCZVWUXxf2FDB3x6bt-A4cLhhDCkiW8WGEuGcic3Y12yiGAeG5yALcKcYOHYaC3zKKh-qGIH/s1600/PhotoshopSnapz009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7fUqdsS1DyeOo_qeQ2A8KmDgsJGCkNxgf1Qeh1P7VdLNyKAftPcOTTg40zqOBdHFSiuQ4sCZVWUXxf2FDB3x6bt-A4cLhhDCkiW8WGEuGcic3Y12yiGAeG5yALcKcYOHYaC3zKKh-qGIH/s320/PhotoshopSnapz009.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9oRg1WD8fbI-xcgUExr_zDvuid17jtvwz3E6QCQ6KnpdnxbJ5sNIQI69Sm1xWD22c3CXiM2by57RoU6h4GZErzrxgP7pRenqscTpFsZxPaGHIsJrkvkZs1JNbMMkmj5WwwUzp-Ftfq7P/s1600/PhotoshopSnapz006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9oRg1WD8fbI-xcgUExr_zDvuid17jtvwz3E6QCQ6KnpdnxbJ5sNIQI69Sm1xWD22c3CXiM2by57RoU6h4GZErzrxgP7pRenqscTpFsZxPaGHIsJrkvkZs1JNbMMkmj5WwwUzp-Ftfq7P/s320/PhotoshopSnapz006.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNT62Fx3AXKDqXuvTZuZ7G_dwtmA2XtVVzHkjkEbgMQnChrm8aoMTcuZyS2SKY4QLiXj07WlCCKGlT30N16K_WtcSJ7HyKySzu-bQgs6gaI6o5mvJtj6QtZ3vDnUc78E6McJ4Z29loyZM/s1600/PhotoshopSnapz007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNT62Fx3AXKDqXuvTZuZ7G_dwtmA2XtVVzHkjkEbgMQnChrm8aoMTcuZyS2SKY4QLiXj07WlCCKGlT30N16K_WtcSJ7HyKySzu-bQgs6gaI6o5mvJtj6QtZ3vDnUc78E6McJ4Z29loyZM/s320/PhotoshopSnapz007.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOlf5ODAOKiKB7V5-wHzv-bBPeWPQ6TPVTvl-dSjiKdc5W-hm-NW5OXG-EPdH6-d4L0IqXFEcgU9isD2gVb3_Ltf_LBS0P3uNOOjdx2yjsCQph3amC5i0DXrH8urv-aCCW9EceOLCslJP/s1600/PhotoshopSnapz005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOlf5ODAOKiKB7V5-wHzv-bBPeWPQ6TPVTvl-dSjiKdc5W-hm-NW5OXG-EPdH6-d4L0IqXFEcgU9isD2gVb3_Ltf_LBS0P3uNOOjdx2yjsCQph3amC5i0DXrH8urv-aCCW9EceOLCslJP/s320/PhotoshopSnapz005.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6E6FEHXtRBgu8wJwvWXTXBGB9n3HfXYHSpetG8wbuQAitCrOJfH4r5eWZ2ymVVJKDS-OPQz52v9jRxLMTYLL4NJl0HR9a4WuhHE2LP2kDE_BmLMz_PUAZpgVME5CU3p9n8ZW9s6xGgTI/s1600/PhotoshopSnapz004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6E6FEHXtRBgu8wJwvWXTXBGB9n3HfXYHSpetG8wbuQAitCrOJfH4r5eWZ2ymVVJKDS-OPQz52v9jRxLMTYLL4NJl0HR9a4WuhHE2LP2kDE_BmLMz_PUAZpgVME5CU3p9n8ZW9s6xGgTI/s320/PhotoshopSnapz004.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEuOdpeYmjl48-wX9hp3fKfPNwVwJvcWbpECB6mXQhRh5BKCkoux6vPeh3RLW5N7U461uw2Wx8PbTNCtwK0bNY2ZftldXxaznTGSJ7lsINqP_kFs1lvoU0xOcHVcKE2EX7zudWAxQZ6n2Z/s1600/PhotoshopSnapz002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEuOdpeYmjl48-wX9hp3fKfPNwVwJvcWbpECB6mXQhRh5BKCkoux6vPeh3RLW5N7U461uw2Wx8PbTNCtwK0bNY2ZftldXxaznTGSJ7lsINqP_kFs1lvoU0xOcHVcKE2EX7zudWAxQZ6n2Z/s320/PhotoshopSnapz002.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFL-4UTR0GZrnxgJV2V_GDmfHNvxuJEQR_LQ-VdH3mneDMLiEI77WoD-vpSK6LkmbeBwLlj48MziMOiZphlodccdDCFvASLZQVBdR_koBNJDULOW5QS02i7F5eHx4sBsDySf7qDpy9RLs/s1600/PhotoshopSnapz003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFL-4UTR0GZrnxgJV2V_GDmfHNvxuJEQR_LQ-VdH3mneDMLiEI77WoD-vpSK6LkmbeBwLlj48MziMOiZphlodccdDCFvASLZQVBdR_koBNJDULOW5QS02i7F5eHx4sBsDySf7qDpy9RLs/s320/PhotoshopSnapz003.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCzze0igw-3r7VhspAf0X1UtRu_3LlBAr8GlytP-LvF9kWx_0FzVoywidhiO0rihHVZzdO0U5SlG6pautsqIu6JsxDgNxsigxBBryZsMbKM2SB5kZmchJ3br_8ey8nRR57WxUC-gdgm3o/s1600/PhotoshopSnapz001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCzze0igw-3r7VhspAf0X1UtRu_3LlBAr8GlytP-LvF9kWx_0FzVoywidhiO0rihHVZzdO0U5SlG6pautsqIu6JsxDgNxsigxBBryZsMbKM2SB5kZmchJ3br_8ey8nRR57WxUC-gdgm3o/s320/PhotoshopSnapz001.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>Yes, the footwear is somewhat dated. But with a little imagination one should be able to turn them into anything from strappy sandals to cowboy boots. I highly recommend Hamm's book; particularly for it's section on drawing the head, which is far too extensive to post here!<br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=JenniferG.Oliver&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0399507914&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Jennifer G. Oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05921022924125424519noreply@blogger.com247tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-46102279203005515052011-03-25T19:33:00.001-07:002011-03-26T19:43:33.750-07:00An interview with Jerad S. Marantz - Part OneI have come across <a href="http://jeradsmarantz.blogspot.com/">Jerad's </a>work many times, whether I'm lurking on art forums, or art blogs, google images, looking up art for various films or games. His work always stood out to me before I really knew who created it, because of the striking silhouettes and the unique designs of classic creatures.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f3pn_ck4uFs/TY58ZTbn3DI/AAAAAAAABhc/KZ8lF0OxCyU/s1600/P%2Bcolor%2Bcopy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 262px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588540961768070194" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f3pn_ck4uFs/TY58ZTbn3DI/AAAAAAAABhc/KZ8lF0OxCyU/s400/P%2Bcolor%2Bcopy.jpg" /></a>Jerad studied illustration with a minor in entertainment design at the <a href="http://www.artcenter.edu/accd/index.jsp">Pasadena Art Center College of Design</a>, graduating in 2005 (at the time the entertainment department was still being formed and entertainment design was not available as a major). Prior to college, Jerad only started to really study creature design at the age of 13 taking an interest in creature sculpture, figure drawing and character design at a school in Sherman Oaks California called Associates in Art where he was taught by industry professionals. He also attended the Los Angeles County High school of the Arts in East LA. During which time he had taken an internship at a local special FX House. While attending the local FX House, he learned everything from sculpting to mold making.<br /><br /><div align="center"><i>(Left; Jerad S. Marantz, "Clash of the Titans", "The Burrowers")</i></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eni7j2kWLFg/TY0nMEEQxoI/AAAAAAAABa4/hu5QK3gR2Ic/s1600/02-port.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 187px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588165800840185474" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eni7j2kWLFg/TY0nMEEQxoI/AAAAAAAABa4/hu5QK3gR2Ic/s400/02-port.jpg" /></a><a href="http://jeradsmarantz.blogspot.com/">Jerad S. Marantz </a>is currently lead artist at the <a href="http://www.aaron-sims.com/">Aaron Sims Company</a>. He also freelances for many FX houses like <em>Tinsley Studios, Legacy FX / Stan Winston’s, Amalgamated Dynamics Inc</em>., and <em>Quantum Creations</em>. He also works directly for <em>Universal</em> from time to time. In addition to film, Jerad also spends a lot of time producing work for the video game industry. He has worked for such companies as <em>Ncsoft, Sony, THQ, Midway, Respawn</em> and <em>Konomi</em>. One of his most recent jobs was designing the creatures for <a href="http://www.infamousthegame.com/country-selector.html">Infamous 2</a>.<br /><br /><div align="center"><i>(At "The Clash of the Titans" premier, Left to Right: Courtney Bell, Jerad S. Marantz, Aaron Sims, John Norris, Steffen Reichstadt)</i></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0IP6ddL5Ik4/TY0h36mY8zI/AAAAAAAABZ4/MgTB59-uX6I/s1600/25384_387044504259_658774259_3741333_7592739_n.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 350px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 263px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588159957143450418" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0IP6ddL5Ik4/TY0h36mY8zI/AAAAAAAABZ4/MgTB59-uX6I/s400/25384_387044504259_658774259_3741333_7592739_n.jpg" /></a>Most of his latest jobs have been on big budget films; to name a few: <span style="color:#990000;"><em>Spiderman (2012), Transformers 3, X-Men First Class, Ghost Rider: Spirit of vengeance, Sucker Punch,</em> <span style="color:#000000;">and</span> <em>Green Lantern</em>.</span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8vYl5Fd40XM/TY0s9GqdHPI/AAAAAAAABbI/4rv1sOfR6-U/s1600/02-02.jpg"><span style="color:#990000;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 192px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588172140908977394" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8vYl5Fd40XM/TY0s9GqdHPI/AAAAAAAABbI/4rv1sOfR6-U/s400/02-02.jpg" /></span></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YJXX8W9OwUI/TY0s9Dca9mI/AAAAAAAABbA/SMar4z85B8c/s1600/01-01.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 153px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588172140044809826" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YJXX8W9OwUI/TY0s9Dca9mI/AAAAAAAABbA/SMar4z85B8c/s400/01-01.jpg" /></a>JSM: My Favorite past projects are <em>Clash of the Titans</em> and T<em>he Burrowers</em>. Clash of the Titans was an amazing project and I loved designing for <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0504642/">Louis Leterrier</a>. This was also the first big budget film I worked on where I could really see my designs come through. The Burrowers was a great project even though it ended up being a direct to DVD flick. I really like the tone of that film and the creature was a blast to design.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U_V9yCrS2Us/TY1GciSQc9I/AAAAAAAABfA/CAV-NtfN888/s1600/JPG%2B%252814%2529.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 247px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588200168690316242" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U_V9yCrS2Us/TY1GciSQc9I/AAAAAAAABfA/CAV-NtfN888/s320/JPG%2B%252814%2529.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lWChEAWMf0M/TY1GcgamN6I/AAAAAAAABe4/iJJY4Zo2tKI/s1600/JPG%2B%252813%2529.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 241px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588200168188426146" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lWChEAWMf0M/TY1GcgamN6I/AAAAAAAABe4/iJJY4Zo2tKI/s320/JPG%2B%252813%2529.jpg" /></a>I design using a wide range of techniques. I feel that being able to switch up the way you work makes the process consistently interesting and it keeps me on my toes when I’m working an eighteen hour day. I’ll draw, paint in Photoshop, integrate photos in paintings, just photo-bash, model in Zbrush, or sculpt in clay. Unfortunately I haven’t sculpted in clay for years, but do miss it. I find that with programs like Zbrush the results come much faster and require no set up or cleanup. As a designer the more portable you are the better. I used to need a scanner for my drawings, but now I’ll draw directly in Photoshop. It’s just more efficient and speed is a big factor in design. <div align="center"><i>(Note: Older Traditional Clay Sculptures by Jerad)</i></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TTIdkxCZ2_8/TY0yDPG5rEI/AAAAAAAABbo/QwlxKT0tY_A/s1600/%2528308%2529.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 236px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588177743813127234" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TTIdkxCZ2_8/TY0yDPG5rEI/AAAAAAAABbo/QwlxKT0tY_A/s320/%2528308%2529.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kSex3OLsQQg/TY0yC9-_m8I/AAAAAAAABbg/PhsTFkt6JF8/s1600/Sculpt%2B%25286%2529.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 198px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588177739216559042" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kSex3OLsQQg/TY0yC9-_m8I/AAAAAAAABbg/PhsTFkt6JF8/s320/Sculpt%2B%25286%2529.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GGEPE4UnwVg/TY0yCi4-aWI/AAAAAAAABbY/T_RQbPyJcU8/s1600/%2528307%2529.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 190px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588177731943557474" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GGEPE4UnwVg/TY0yCi4-aWI/AAAAAAAABbY/T_RQbPyJcU8/s320/%2528307%2529.jpg" /></a><br /><em>MC: How important is it to study human and animal anatomy both from life as well as photos when it comes time to designing a fictional creature? Do you often visit zoos or local museums, life drawing sessions and or draw anatomy studies from books and reference material online?</em><br /><br />JSM: Studying anatomy is insanely important. I’ve been studying it for years. I got my first anatomy book when I was around 12, and it was called “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Anatomy-Artists-Fritz-Schider/dp/0486202410">An Atlas of Anatomy for Artists</a>” by Fritz Schneider. After that I moved on to my favorite anatomy book, which is “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Anatomy-Artists-Elements-Form/dp/0195142144">Animal Anatomy for Artists</a>” by Eliot Goldfinger. I highly recommend that book, as well as “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Human-Anatomy-Artists-Elements-Form/dp/0195052064">An Atlas of Human Anatomy</a>”, also by Goldfinger.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jo_sCwJ9NRA/TY01-0alczI/AAAAAAAABb4/bLJ0wbAxc4U/s1600/08D21_p4.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 107px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588182065974965042" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jo_sCwJ9NRA/TY01-0alczI/AAAAAAAABb4/bLJ0wbAxc4U/s200/08D21_p4.jpg" /></a>I prefer these books to anything else because of their accurate portrayal of anatomy. With many anatomy books, the artists who illustrate them tend to over exaggerate and bulk out the muscle groups. Muscles are thick overlapping sheets, essentially, and to draw them any other way is inaccurate, especially when you keep in mind that there is skin over these muscles. In my studio I tend to surround myself with a lot of anatomy charts, mainly human. There isn’t a lot of difference among mammals. All mammals have the same basic structure, proportioned differently, but with very similar skeletons and muscle groups.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EHVkWwpaMVk/TY055uC4bFI/AAAAAAAABcY/dSd-2wA2fJ4/s1600/51NDYTPGCAL__SS500_sds.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 145px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588186376412097618" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EHVkWwpaMVk/TY055uC4bFI/AAAAAAAABcY/dSd-2wA2fJ4/s320/51NDYTPGCAL__SS500_sds.jpg" /></a>When I first started seriously studying art, I went straight into figure drawing. I’ve been figure drawing for years. It was something that I knew I should be disciplined in, but I would never refer to myself as an accomplished figure drawer. For some reason I don’t have the patience to draw things directly in front of me, so I’ve never drawn at a zoo. I tend to be more efficient at drawing directly out of my head, but without studying, without years of observation, drawing out of one’s head would be completely pointless. Everything I do is grounded. When I start an assignment, I’ll actually create collages of reference so that I know I’m pulling from reality. I actually assign the reference collages in my creature design classes. Reference is essential in creating convincing creatures.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4jEozPsbCpA/TY5-UlT91TI/AAAAAAAABhs/_luXJ0KwzG0/s1600/Humaniod%2BEarth%2B2%2Bweek4%2Bcolor-and-sketch.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 234px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588543079691703602" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4jEozPsbCpA/TY5-UlT91TI/AAAAAAAABhs/_luXJ0KwzG0/s320/Humaniod%2BEarth%2B2%2Bweek4%2Bcolor-and-sketch.jpg" /></a><br /><em>MC: When working on a long term freelance contract or working on a project that demands a large array of variants and ideation's of multiple creatures and characters; Do you feel that it is to your benefit to work digitally over traditionally? Would you tell students that it is essential to learn at least 1 or 2 digital painting programs if they choose to pursue a career in the concept art and entertainment industry?</em><br /><br />JSM: It is imperative now more than ever that an entertainment designer knows more than one program. It’s not enough to know Photoshop, you really need to know a 3D program as well. The level of finish that’s required of designers today is higher than it’s ever been. I’m often required to create images that look like stills from the potential film. In order to accomplish this I’ll end up doing a few sketches at first. Once a direction is resolved, I’ll start modeling it in Zbrush and then I’ll bring it into Photoshop to finish. Zbrush is a great program for a creature or character designer to know. When it comes to more illustrative assignments, I’ll actually use Google Sketchup to block in a composition so that the perspective is already resolved and I can just focus on designing. Working with 3D is also important because once a direction is committed to and the initial render is done, it becomes very efficient to just do variations over that render in Photoshop. For example, when I was working on the Kraken for “Clash if the Titans,” we would start with a base model, and basically just paint over it in Photoshop using different sea creatures and photo textures to come up with multiple variations so that the director could pick and choose. Ideally, if you’re working with a director who can do this, they will kind of mix and match elements from the many variations and combine them to construct their particular vision.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WkP3XrdTLI8/TY1A0MyT1wI/AAAAAAAABc4/DHZ3H5QGfoE/s1600/Head%2B1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 238px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588193978166269698" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WkP3XrdTLI8/TY1A0MyT1wI/AAAAAAAABc4/DHZ3H5QGfoE/s320/Head%2B1.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P3-nAfMk2hc/TY1BQf8fatI/AAAAAAAABdA/Exv8J9nUH2E/s1600/Head%2B3_3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 228px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588194464345582290" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P3-nAfMk2hc/TY1BQf8fatI/AAAAAAAABdA/Exv8J9nUH2E/s400/Head%2B3_3.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_R0kcQWQ9Yg/TY1BYOP6TsI/AAAAAAAABdI/b_qYG84tsb0/s1600/Copy%2Bof%2B1-27-09_KrakenRender3%2Bcopy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 195px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588194597034151618" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_R0kcQWQ9Yg/TY1BYOP6TsI/AAAAAAAABdI/b_qYG84tsb0/s320/Copy%2Bof%2B1-27-09_KrakenRender3%2Bcopy.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f3VxRNBQxdU/TY56VEMHXaI/AAAAAAAABhU/XoJhK9jG3oU/s1600/K%2B%2B2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 132px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588538689933761954" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f3VxRNBQxdU/TY56VEMHXaI/AAAAAAAABhU/XoJhK9jG3oU/s320/K%2B%2B2.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6f_IVCFHZxs/TY56VPW_f2I/AAAAAAAABhM/oGb5HVkAOCQ/s1600/K%2B3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 139px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588538692932173666" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6f_IVCFHZxs/TY56VPW_f2I/AAAAAAAABhM/oGb5HVkAOCQ/s320/K%2B3.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PMQxJ-b2URU/TY56U5GLFAI/AAAAAAAABhE/eT1oNIe4zag/s1600/12-01-08%2BKraken%2BV%2B%25282%2529.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 125px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588538686956049410" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PMQxJ-b2URU/TY56U5GLFAI/AAAAAAAABhE/eT1oNIe4zag/s320/12-01-08%2BKraken%2BV%2B%25282%2529.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VCPWjJpY2hg/TY1HroL0hgI/AAAAAAAABfo/wdOVUTXdmDw/s1600/Kra1%2B%25281%2529.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 107px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588201527483598338" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VCPWjJpY2hg/TY1HroL0hgI/AAAAAAAABfo/wdOVUTXdmDw/s320/Kra1%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a><br /><em>MC: If you've ever hit a creative block or felt that the beginning phase of designs on a project are becoming stiff and uninspired, what do you usually do to clear your head and begin with a fresh frame of thought? Can you offer any tips to overcoming the overwhelming feeling of restrictions or limitations that cause a creative block?</em><br /><br />JSM: I very rarely hit creative blocks. Imagination is a muscle, and like any other part of your body, you can exercise it. I find that I tend to do exercises in my head all the time, whether I’m working or not. I’m always curious and I’m always, for some reason, thinking about creatures and trying to create new designs. That being said, there are several ways to get out of a creative block. I find that by having many ways in which to work, multiple methods in which to design, one rarely comes across a mental block.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aI6XaUUzrDg/TY1AaF6ALFI/AAAAAAAABcw/LHJ6tfYbAS8/s1600/Plant%2BGolem%2Brender%2Bclosed.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 269px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588193529642888274" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aI6XaUUzrDg/TY1AaF6ALFI/AAAAAAAABcw/LHJ6tfYbAS8/s320/Plant%2BGolem%2Brender%2Bclosed.jpg" /></a>There are also different ways of thinking about creature design. Aside from combining animals that already exist, you can think in terms of just basic shapes—triangles, squares, circles. All of these basic shapes have a different emotional reads and when you try to design within shapes, it frees you up to explore fascinating silhouettes. Of course you need an in-depth understanding of anatomy to eventually make sense of those silhouettes and shapes, but changing the way that you approach the design can often free you from a creative block.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dpxQCrfglNs/TY1AZrxzw9I/AAAAAAAABco/UcE87-LMtLQ/s1600/Plant%2BGolem%2Bpass%2B3%2B%25281%2529.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 312px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588193522629198802" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dpxQCrfglNs/TY1AZrxzw9I/AAAAAAAABco/UcE87-LMtLQ/s320/Plant%2BGolem%2Bpass%2B3%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a>Oftentimes when I’m working I have to work on multiple shows at once. So I find that if I simply write one-sentence descriptions of the variations of the creature that I want to do, all of the imagination part is pretty much over and I just have to execute it. If I had to do a werewolf creature, and I have to do five options, I would literally start writing five short phrases, one per design. For example: werewolf/racing dog. Instantly, what would come to mind is a wolf with the physique of a racing dog—very slender and fast. A good creature designer will instantly be able to visualize that potential design and execute it. I’ll continue: I’ll write bat/werewolf. Instantly you can imagine combining elements of a bat with a werewolf, and again there’s a new design. Armadillo/werewolf, rhino/werewolf… it just goes on like that, and it simply becomes a matter of executing the points on the list.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uuk0D3wTxsQ/TY1AZopp7XI/AAAAAAAABcg/lsbj7MrOD-I/s1600/Plant%2BGolem%2Brender%2B%25281%2529.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 269px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588193521789693298" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uuk0D3wTxsQ/TY1AZopp7XI/AAAAAAAABcg/lsbj7MrOD-I/s320/Plant%2BGolem%2Brender%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a><br /><em>MC: I notice you start a lot of your designs in traditional pencil or pens, providing multiple variations in a traditional format before moving on to rendering in digital programs. What do you feel is the difference and or advantage between the two mediums?</em><br /><br />JSM: I like to start my designs in pencil. I can design a creature in a half hour, just simply with line work, and there is nothing faster. The biggest problem with working in pencil is that it’s simply not enough. It doesn’t answer enough questions, especially textures and color. Many directors and producers struggle with reading drawings, and have come to expect designs that look photo real.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XK8XdfGTwoc/TY59VexAxoI/AAAAAAAABhk/_JluhPpLcUw/s1600/FeNU-and-theHunter.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 314px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588541995602724482" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XK8XdfGTwoc/TY59VexAxoI/AAAAAAAABhk/_JluhPpLcUw/s400/FeNU-and-theHunter.jpg" /></a>When I jump on a project, I like to deliver my first set of designs in a way that really helps me understand what the director can interpret. I’ll include line drawings, grayscale tone work done in Photoshop, and also very realized designs done either in Zbrush or that have a very heavy photo base in Photoshop. Working this way, I can tell what the director responds to. While I was working on “Clash of the Titans”, the design process was a very efficient because Louis Letterier could read everything from a fairly tight drawing to a napkin doodle. Drawing is an imperative skill.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cqhgyIJCcLM/TY1Fog3ws2I/AAAAAAAABew/sBT6ZjA6eEQ/s1600/12-02-08%2BMedusa%2Bv%25283%2529.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588199274957550434" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cqhgyIJCcLM/TY1Fog3ws2I/AAAAAAAABew/sBT6ZjA6eEQ/s320/12-02-08%2BMedusa%2Bv%25283%2529.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uEKWkSFk21Y/TY55pvvywaI/AAAAAAAABg8/BrsTRk7iRZs/s1600/Med%2BSpread%2Bcopy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 119px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588537945711886754" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uEKWkSFk21Y/TY55pvvywaI/AAAAAAAABg8/BrsTRk7iRZs/s320/Med%2BSpread%2Bcopy.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmNQZwcrdjI/TY1FdSXZ0II/AAAAAAAABeo/iB7ZOYqpz8c/s1600/M10.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 102px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588199082085175426" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmNQZwcrdjI/TY1FdSXZ0II/AAAAAAAABeo/iB7ZOYqpz8c/s320/M10.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xH-gD2gyBfo/TY1JCA7YWAI/AAAAAAAABgQ/QHqe3XA7GtY/s1600/M21.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588203011594278914" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xH-gD2gyBfo/TY1JCA7YWAI/AAAAAAAABgQ/QHqe3XA7GtY/s320/M21.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DOP1WHAshrk/TY1HNMxT43I/AAAAAAAABfg/U9g0aqREA1M/s1600/Kalibos-stages.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 238px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588201004728574834" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DOP1WHAshrk/TY1HNMxT43I/AAAAAAAABfg/U9g0aqREA1M/s320/Kalibos-stages.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rDZw6o-1IUk/TY1HMm4ezuI/AAAAAAAABfY/PMYLtbCd4Xg/s1600/K%2B3.jpg"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ukrZoc1xtns/TY1HMqczShI/AAAAAAAABfQ/0Px-mjk51iE/s1600/K2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 148px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588200995515746834" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ukrZoc1xtns/TY1HMqczShI/AAAAAAAABfQ/0Px-mjk51iE/s320/K2.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0nHts72AOHQ/TY1J73NBXeI/AAAAAAAABgY/0zcFnChs-eE/s1600/Untitled-2%2Bcopy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 255px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588204005416328674" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0nHts72AOHQ/TY1J73NBXeI/AAAAAAAABgY/0zcFnChs-eE/s320/Untitled-2%2Bcopy.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bBbViH-cHMg/TY1KTv11tHI/AAAAAAAABgg/dvg3fYULCpo/s1600/W3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 216px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588204415756907634" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bBbViH-cHMg/TY1KTv11tHI/AAAAAAAABgg/dvg3fYULCpo/s320/W3.jpg" /></a> <div><div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x-Eus7pbqjE/TY1Fc8j_kjI/AAAAAAAABeY/ibdK9-HOJ2Y/s1600/12-11-08%2BWitches%2Bv%2B%25284%2529.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 255px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588199076232401458" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x-Eus7pbqjE/TY1Fc8j_kjI/AAAAAAAABeY/ibdK9-HOJ2Y/s320/12-11-08%2BWitches%2Bv%2B%25284%2529.jpg" /></a><br /><em>MC: To provide students with a basis on the fundamentals of creature design, what are a few of the most important things they need to study, understand and consider when approaching the most basic elements of conceptual monsters? Where should they start?</em><br /><br />JSM: The first thing that students need to have is a solid understanding of anatomy, both human and animal. I teach at two different schools, the Concept Design Academy in Pasadena and Gnomon School of Visual Effects over in West Hollywood. I’ve been teaching now for four years and I’ve noticed that most students lack a basic understanding of anatomy. Second, I would encourage students to also study evolution.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ExfLbjd3Ni4/TY1Fc63gr3I/AAAAAAAABeQ/pV5HAnObKPk/s1600/1-09-09-Harpie_v%2B%25283%2529.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588199075777392498" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ExfLbjd3Ni4/TY1Fc63gr3I/AAAAAAAABeQ/pV5HAnObKPk/s320/1-09-09-Harpie_v%2B%25283%2529.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0W3jbZx6ZjM/TY53mqPyn-I/AAAAAAAABg0/gTD_TTvV2tw/s1600/H11.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 189px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588535693672620002" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0W3jbZx6ZjM/TY53mqPyn-I/AAAAAAAABg0/gTD_TTvV2tw/s320/H11.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PQOdpS_0puI/TY53mfi5AQI/AAAAAAAABgs/NpPBEpPxN64/s1600/H6.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 123px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588535690799939842" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PQOdpS_0puI/TY53mfi5AQI/AAAAAAAABgs/NpPBEpPxN64/s320/H6.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fdyzlf1JtJc/TY1Dx1PmM3I/AAAAAAAABeA/v4kNjiYhVVQ/s1600/jerad_Creeps.jpg"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dplUj9zkvtY/TY1DxsoN6KI/AAAAAAAABd4/ghSb1Jt9Exg/s1600/%2528537%2529.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 227px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588197233709148322" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dplUj9zkvtY/TY1DxsoN6KI/AAAAAAAABd4/ghSb1Jt9Exg/s320/%2528537%2529.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dvN21zZXsKE/TY1DxW3qgcI/AAAAAAAABdw/IS8wm1tmklQ/s1600/%2528536%2529.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 247px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588197227868357058" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dvN21zZXsKE/TY1DxW3qgcI/AAAAAAAABdw/IS8wm1tmklQ/s320/%2528536%2529.jpg" /></a><br /><em>MC: It's easy for artist to fall into a generic sense of design, usually just redrawing portions of photos. What would you suggest they do in order to stray as far outside the box as possible, so as to come up with unique and plausible creatures.</em><br /><br />JSM: It’s very easy to start repeating yourself as a creature designer. Often times what keeps me from it are just the many different assignments I take on. It’s crucial that you study your own work. It makes you aware of the patterns you fall into. I look at my work from time to time and I see the patterns. For awhile I was obsessed with backward legs. And in 2006, all I would design were creatures with large neck muscles that made the silhouette look like a hood. It’s important that you study your own work and you identify your patterns, so that you can break them. There is of course something to be said for style; there are a lot of creature designers who identify themselves with a certain style, but in my opinion, style contradicts entertainment design. You do not want your book to have a heavy style at all. Having a heavy style will limit the work you take on. Ideally you want to convince a potential client that you can take on anything he throws at you, whether the creature is nightmarish or adorable.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qzuzyq3w7pU/TY1C-6JjQeI/AAAAAAAABdY/3XqI_oU4vq8/s1600/A-2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 187px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588196361165292002" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qzuzyq3w7pU/TY1C-6JjQeI/AAAAAAAABdY/3XqI_oU4vq8/s320/A-2.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D5CuCfgDBw8/TY1C-zdNP9I/AAAAAAAABdQ/O51ioZZFgwI/s1600/A-1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 197px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588196359368687570" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D5CuCfgDBw8/TY1C-zdNP9I/AAAAAAAABdQ/O51ioZZFgwI/s320/A-1.jpg" /></a><br /><em>MC: Who are some creature and character artist you look at for inspiration? How has their work and their sense of design influenced you and your own work?</em><br /><br />JSM: There are a lot of creature designers out there that have really influenced me. To name a few: Miles Teves, his work feels very natural to me. Aaron Sims had a profound influence over my work. His level of finish just fascinated me and it was something I wanted to be able to accomplish myself, which is of course why I now work with him. Another one of my favorite creature designers is Nirasawa. His Creature Core and Nira Works books are amazing. His work probably had the most influence on me as a child. It’s incredibly out of the box and yet is grounded in a very solid sense of anatomy.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IBGsNdfTuAU/TY1DUTarVyI/AAAAAAAABdo/33x_ldItw7k/s1600/DEMON.jpg"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s3p6QMsyeSk/TY1C_Dsu31I/AAAAAAAABdg/_4vXJhFQG24/s1600/A-3%2Bcopy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 262px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588196363728772946" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s3p6QMsyeSk/TY1C_Dsu31I/AAAAAAAABdg/_4vXJhFQG24/s320/A-3%2Bcopy.jpg" /></a> <div><br /><strong><span style="color:#990000;">>> Part Two up Next >></span></strong></div><em>MC: I'd like to invite you guys to check back soon and keep an eye out as Jerad has a lot more helpful information to share in the second half of this interview which will be up shortly. Jerad, thanks for taking out the time to reply to my tediously in depth questions, as I think it helps to try and get a little new info out of professionals working in the field and it's very much appreciated. Part Two up next. </em></div><div><em><br /></em><div><strong>As an additional Note:</strong> Just so artist/students looking to head into entertainment design understand. In addition to working on dream gigs, sometimes things don't always work out for the best. Expect to do your research, study, work hard and expect failures and work you're proud of to be canned quite often whether by art directors or studios.<br /><span style="color:#990000;">"Jerad points out in his resume multiple features that never saw the light of day. Some of which include: <em>Monstersquad, Fantastic Four (Re-Launch), Dune, God of War, Dark Samurai</em> and <em>Creature from the Black Lagoon</em> to name a few."<br /></span>You'll sometimes have the option to feature the work produced for the project and to include the credit in your resume but your designs and effort will sometimes feel as if it were all for nothing.<br />At the end of the day, as a designer you need to realize that it's your creativity, your determination, inspiration, motivation and the experience as well as improvement that count more than anything else. If you drew what you perceived to be your best design ever and lost the file or the drawing was ripped up, you need to chock it up as a learning experience and you can only do better next time. - Mike C -<br /><br /><i>Guest blogger </i><a href="http://www.mikecorriero.com/index/Top/default.htm"><b><span style="color:#cc0000;"><em>Mike Corriero</em></span></b></a><em><i> is a character, creature, and conceptual designer and illustrator living in New Jersey. Since graduating from Pratt Institute in 2003, Mike's client list has included Breakaway Games, Fantasy Flight Games, Allied Studios, Kingsisle Entertainment, Radical entertainment/ Vivendi Universal Games, Liquid Development, Zynga Inc, Challenge Games, Paizo Publishing and Hasbro Inc, among others. Mike's book "</em><a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/planet-to-planet/14916342"><b><span style="color:#660000;"><em>PLANET to PLANET creatures and strange worlds</em></span></b></a><em>" includes hundreds of his sketches of creatures, robots, alien life forms and their environments. I recommend it for students focusing on visual development for games, or anyone who loves creature design. - J. G. O.</i> </em></div></div></div></div>Mike Corrierohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06673676156584736947noreply@blogger.com152tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-43012101134842192932011-03-22T19:22:00.000-07:002011-03-22T22:10:44.466-07:00Proper Use of Reference and Anatomy regarding Creature Design - Part TwoCheck here for <a href="http://characterdesignnotes.blogspot.com/2011/03/proper-use-of-reference-and-anatomy.html#comments">Part One</a>. In part one you'll find a great deal of links to books for research on animals and extinct mammals and dinosaurs. I'll include a few extra<em> online</em> resources for this type of subject matter here in part two.<br /><div align="center"><strong>Proper use of Reference - What is correct and what is counterproductive?</strong> </div>Photo reference is important, but there are many ways of using such reference, some of which are more productive whereas others are counterproductive. I'll explain a couple reasons why this is so important to designing a more effective creature design. As a note to the drawings and imagery below, it's important to fully understand how real world anatomy is constructed, how it reacts to the functionality and daily purposes of the elements in regard to the creature's surroundings and life style. <div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork and Photos copyright to their respected creators/owners where not appropriately credited or otherwise noted)</i></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 314px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587062252472308514" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KThDlBqKUlQ/TYk7hGCbEyI/AAAAAAAABWw/1Hx2jWE9u90/s320/Patagopt.gif" /> <div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork by Zhao Chuang & Xing Lida)</i></div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CUCgrqle-R8/TYk8En_acRI/AAAAAAAABXg/OT1qEexDh50/s1600/dino-feathers%2B-zhao-chuang-xing-lida.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587062862881911058" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CUCgrqle-R8/TYk8En_acRI/AAAAAAAABXg/OT1qEexDh50/s320/dino-feathers%2B-zhao-chuang-xing-lida.jpg" /></em></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RXOycUqNDgw/TYk8Ea-B_-I/AAAAAAAABXY/3w3Gg9pYVHg/s1600/anchiornis-colors.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 202px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587062859386453986" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RXOycUqNDgw/TYk8Ea-B_-I/AAAAAAAABXY/3w3Gg9pYVHg/s320/anchiornis-colors.jpg" /></em></a><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 319px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587062257403376498" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1alCxGDrWj8/TYk7hYaFM3I/AAAAAAAABW4/CHsDQtb-S2Y/s320/MKramer-Bullockornis_planei-Prehistoric_Goose-from_Australia-m.jpg" /><br />I'll often refer to an animal as a creature as there is no real distinction between the two nor should there be. A creature in a film or a game is simply an animal that is other worldly or of a different reality other than our own. If we can't relate to a being as having derived from our own world and in regard to its intelligence or lack there of, we determine it to be a creature, alien or extraterrestrial. If we had never seen a Hippopotamus or other large mammals such as the Rhino and Elephant, they would seem so alien and strange as each have such distinct and unique physical designs IE; the long flexible trunk, the long sharp horns, the enormous tusks and wide jaws. The Hippo oddly enough is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquatic_mammal">aquatic mammal or semi aquatic mammal</a> and then there are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_mammals">marine mammals</a> like the dolphin. If the Hippo thought of in regard to other classifications, it might seem that it is a large <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphibian">amphibian</a> considering its life style. The Hippo is more at home in the water than it is on land and this is where it's capable of maneuvering with little effort whereas its weight hinders its mobility on land - though they are much quicker than they would appear in short spurts.<br /><div align="center"><em>(Note: Artwork below is by Mauricio Anton)</em></div><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 237px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584858687920591538" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6r_Soyuxzbs/TYFnYwZC0rI/AAAAAAAABPw/l-lrQEwfosI/s320/hippo-fig10-1.jpg" /></em> <div align="center"><em>(Note: Artwork by (c) </em><a href="http://www.kjhayler.co.uk/"><em>K.J. Hayler</em></a><em>)</em></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qjd56P2Cbyk/TYFnYwCwdmI/AAAAAAAABPo/xedBn-3zJUc/s1600/2429401994_5cfe2f1ec1.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 301px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584858687827113570" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qjd56P2Cbyk/TYFnYwCwdmI/AAAAAAAABPo/xedBn-3zJUc/s320/2429401994_5cfe2f1ec1.jpg" /></em></a><em></em> <div align="center"><em>(Note: Image Copyright (c) Photographer unknown)</em></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SCOfQ4Uw1Y0/TYFnYuCeh3I/AAAAAAAABPg/GLa2ZLIkTrg/s1600/36c7fc7c6968732b980e0e4b9b23_grande.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584858687289067378" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SCOfQ4Uw1Y0/TYFnYuCeh3I/AAAAAAAABPg/GLa2ZLIkTrg/s320/36c7fc7c6968732b980e0e4b9b23_grande.jpg" /></em></a><em></em> <div align="center"><em>(Note: Image Copyright (c) Photographer unknown </em><a href="http://lionsforfun.com/2007/11/29/chapter-10-get-away-from-the-canoe/"><em>source</em></a><em>)</em></div><p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wqyRNVQ6TgA/TYFnYedfP9I/AAAAAAAABPY/t3eO7Wm0PD4/s1600/big-hippo-skull_2.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584858683107393490" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wqyRNVQ6TgA/TYFnYedfP9I/AAAAAAAABPY/t3eO7Wm0PD4/s320/big-hippo-skull_2.jpg" /></em></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RYzk9j9ag-M/TYFBXtUnvKI/AAAAAAAABPI/S3_pfl-Wmnw/s1600/hipposkellyd2.JPG"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 148px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584816888475008162" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RYzk9j9ag-M/TYFBXtUnvKI/AAAAAAAABPI/S3_pfl-Wmnw/s320/hipposkellyd2.JPG" /></em></a>When you take a second to think about various animals on Earth, we have birds that don't fly and spend more time in water than they do in the air, and mammals that fly and spend more time in the air than on land IE; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penguin">Penguins</a> & <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat">Bats</a> - We have mammals that without scientific evidence and observation might at first glance be considered a species of fish IE; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin">Dolphin</a> or species of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale">Whale</a>. With such odd diversities even in regard to what seem to be simple classifications, would it be so hard to conceive of mammalian-like creatures with more than 4 limbs? Most large mammals on Earth are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadrupeds">quadrupeds</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipeds">bipeds</a>, but this is only due to the restrictions of environment or our laws of gravity and the affects of evolution in reaction to such rules. Although it's important to recognize these rules when designing creatures it's not necessary to abide by them. However, understanding the rules is what makes for more believable designs. What might a mammal like a Hippo look like if it consisted of an exoskeleton and a chitinous shelled body similar to a beetle? <div align="center"><strong>Blending Anatomy of Different Species</strong></div><div align="center"><em>(Note: 5 Artwork images below are by Mike Corriero)</em></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w0zX03SfGJw/TYk-Z8AcSqI/AAAAAAAABYI/4TOQNeIRE4o/s1600/Crustaci.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 260px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587065428055444130" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w0zX03SfGJw/TYk-Z8AcSqI/AAAAAAAABYI/4TOQNeIRE4o/s320/Crustaci.jpg" /></em></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KNgh4I0iNkw/TYk-ZqpjlXI/AAAAAAAABYA/U1MGufoiZOA/s1600/Insectoid_birds.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587065423396050290" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KNgh4I0iNkw/TYk-ZqpjlXI/AAAAAAAABYA/U1MGufoiZOA/s320/Insectoid_birds.jpg" /></em></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--OIZY6KlkMI/TYk-ZYaT41I/AAAAAAAABX4/FmuYBMgIJX8/s1600/Fig_-05_Creature.jpg"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AQ-fkBYB9YY/TYk-ZONu-uI/AAAAAAAABXw/3zvucQs5eG0/s1600/feathered_insects.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587065415763163874" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AQ-fkBYB9YY/TYk-ZONu-uI/AAAAAAAABXw/3zvucQs5eG0/s320/feathered_insects.jpg" /></em></a> <div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 189px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587062268097018178" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3MV35a_zKYs/TYk7iAPpOUI/AAAAAAAABXI/olUoQln1yDA/s320/Fig_-08_Cicada.jpg" /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M6bauMUYE50/TYk_Qg-TgWI/AAAAAAAABYY/T56SxsCyWm0/s1600/Fig.-03_Ostrich.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 261px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587066365691527522" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M6bauMUYE50/TYk_Qg-TgWI/AAAAAAAABYY/T56SxsCyWm0/s320/Fig.-03_Ostrich.jpg" /></em></a>The biggest mistake artists make when designing a creature is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimera_(mythology)">Chimera</a> effect IE; A lion's head on the body of a goat with bat wings and a snake tail. Sowing together various animal anatomy in a cut and paste process to design what they perceive to be a creature. It's true, if you slap together various elements of multiple species that in the end you're creating something unique and it could only be considered a creature. In the most simplest of explanations it IS a creature but it's a poor excuse to the misunderstanding of how to blend anatomy. As I mentioned before, think of the process of evolution and think of the creature as a species rather than an individual monster. The Chimera is a creature and it is possible to make one that looks aesthetically pleasing and even quite plausible, but you need to fully understand anatomy to pull that off. There is a game aptly titled <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/games/impossiblecreatures/">Impossible Creatures</a> which in my opinion is a perfect example of how NOT to use reference for designing a creature and it perfectly reflects the poor use of the Chimera effect<em>.</em><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nBIVS9Dk354/TYk55qrX4xI/AAAAAAAABWo/dNSID1w9FDQ/s1600/chimera.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 222px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587060475601347346" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nBIVS9Dk354/TYk55qrX4xI/AAAAAAAABWo/dNSID1w9FDQ/s320/chimera.jpg" /></em></a>A great online resource for high res. animal photo reference is <a href="http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=768656">Igor Siwanowicz's Photo Gallery </a>another one for Invertebrates is the <a href="http://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/sertc/gallery.htm">Southeastern Regional Taxonomic Center</a> and you might also like to check out photos by <a href="http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=405311">Marina Cano </a>& <a href="http://nationalzoo.si.edu/">The Smithsonian National Zoological Park Website</a>. It's important to study reference so that you really observe and learn from it instead of just copying it line for line or stroke for stroke. It's like reading a book, if you just skim through the pages at a rapid rate, you're not really soaking the information in. Well in this case, if you're trying to copy a photo down to the very last detail you're missing what's truly important. It's more productive if you focus on the key elements in design and incorporate what you have learned into your next drawing instead of over detailing and "copying" what is right in front of you.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HT7bY_AtX68/TYk-Y-fcgDI/AAAAAAAABXo/0YdQGc-6wYc/s1600/reptamph.gif"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 265px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587065411542482994" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HT7bY_AtX68/TYk-Y-fcgDI/AAAAAAAABXo/0YdQGc-6wYc/s320/reptamph.gif" /></em></a> <div align="center"><em>(Note: 2 Artwork images below are by Mike Corriero)</em></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YZZ-BWNAtw0/TYlAtXu-5XI/AAAAAAAABZA/w39UhVK4GJY/s1600/Fig_-07_Amphibian_Axolotl.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 202px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587067960939177330" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YZZ-BWNAtw0/TYlAtXu-5XI/AAAAAAAABZA/w39UhVK4GJY/s320/Fig_-07_Amphibian_Axolotl.jpg" /></em></a><em> </em><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tUJF2icbmFo/TYk_QQ4eKOI/AAAAAAAABYQ/JrJKgJJQ7sg/s1600/Fig_-05_Creature.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 220px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587066361372092642" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tUJF2icbmFo/TYk_QQ4eKOI/AAAAAAAABYQ/JrJKgJJQ7sg/s320/Fig_-05_Creature.jpg" /></em></a><em> </em><em>A well designed creature will often blend anatomy together so it's hard to distinguish that any single limb or element was simply redrawn from photo reference and slapped into place.<br /></em><div align="center"><em>(Note: Artwork below is by Mike Corriero)</em></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KYVKIvZRSWg/TYKozYCdtwI/AAAAAAAABWA/M2LesBGRmvQ/s1600/Softskin-critters-montage-sketches-Mike-Corriero-2011.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 217px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585212088472418050" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KYVKIvZRSWg/TYKozYCdtwI/AAAAAAAABWA/M2LesBGRmvQ/s320/Softskin-critters-montage-sketches-Mike-Corriero-2011.jpg" /></em></a>You're better off conceptualizing a creature design and bringing that design as far as you can go with your imagination first and only referring to relevant references later, once you have taken a design as far as it can go on your own. The reason for this is because most artist when starting out at an amateur level will simply "copy" what they see in front of them and they tend to neglect the actual learning process. The extreme details and copying of a photo is completely unnecessary if in the end you learned nothing from it, you'll just waste your time. In order to understand how the anatomy functions and is designed based on photos, it's best to keep your studies to simple line work and simple shapes. Research as much as possible about the animal as well, studying photos of it in movement, from different points of view and reading up on its living habits, diet, mating rituals, reproduction etc. It will also be to your benefit to find photos of the animals skeleton and various stages of life cycle IE; infancy, young adult, fully grown adult. I can't stress enough how important it is to stay away from over-detailing a drawing while you're learning. It will do no good to render eyelashes and nose hairs if you don't understand how the skull or abdomen are constructed, spend your effort on the dominate forms and structures that comprise the animals most basic silhouette. Playing around with various proportions at thumbnail scales is quite helpful. <div align="center"><em>(Note: 2 Artworks below are by Heinrich Kley)</em></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3bt9xUJXH9Q/TYKmZPcWU2I/AAAAAAAABVg/mZQa_WyofGY/s1600/yay_engagment2.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 313px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585209440465212258" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3bt9xUJXH9Q/TYKmZPcWU2I/AAAAAAAABVg/mZQa_WyofGY/s320/yay_engagment2.jpg" /></em></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OJG18EGzPoA/TYKmUbft8bI/AAAAAAAABVQ/xXy8OCQf7wo/s1600/acovermesilla_05.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 220px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585209357801222578" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OJG18EGzPoA/TYKmUbft8bI/AAAAAAAABVQ/xXy8OCQf7wo/s320/acovermesilla_05.jpg" /></em></a><br /><div align="center"><em>(Note: Different stages in a species life cycle: Photo (c) copyright and by Marina Cano)</em></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Si3sNQhAmk/TYk4qW6e_zI/AAAAAAAABWg/LIGQXc9obXA/s1600/7118010-md.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 189px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587059113086353202" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Si3sNQhAmk/TYk4qW6e_zI/AAAAAAAABWg/LIGQXc9obXA/s320/7118010-md.jpg" /></em></a><em></em> <div align="center"><em>(Note: Artwork Copyright National Geographic - Artwork by </em><a href="http://www.kenniskennis.com/index2.html"><em>Kennis and Kennis</em></a><em>)</em></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2lMw25jar0Q/TYKglXMuYPI/AAAAAAAABTg/dQSwUhDQ-Kk/s1600/FEEDINGSTATION.jpg"></a><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 314px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585203048179770146" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Umhjr2xyu60/TYKglKUvIyI/AAAAAAAABTQ/Gg9l4EsWwpE/s320/2.jpg" /></em> <div align="center"><em>(Note: Artwork by (c) </em><a href="http://www.kjhayler.co.uk/"><em>K.J. Hayler</em></a><em>)</em></div><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 185px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585204299232018178" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E3xIYqj_lvA/TYKht-21fwI/AAAAAAAABTo/VOb02DcKtDs/s320/FEEDINGSTATION.jpg" /></em> <div align="center"><em>(Note: Image Copyright (c) Photographer unknown)</em></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 162px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585203045030437682" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TXwzJOdDONQ/TYKgk-l4IzI/AAAAAAAABTI/lKZwJKqZ_70/s320/800px-TapirSkelLyd2.JPG" /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TMxPnjIF2xk/TYKglL7dPvI/AAAAAAAABTY/rkHQHQGce18/s1600/800px-Arsinoitherium_zitteli.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 215px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585203048610610930" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TMxPnjIF2xk/TYKglL7dPvI/AAAAAAAABTY/rkHQHQGce18/s320/800px-Arsinoitherium_zitteli.jpg" /></em></a><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585202671002402962" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gYqLsXg_5rs/TYKgPNOpQJI/AAAAAAAABTA/pSlWjxdI9ug/s320/800px-hippo_skull_dark.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 157px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585209352420489202" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3-Cz2znYSCA/TYKmUHc2d_I/AAAAAAAABVI/_CvvlgaoGnI/s320/kley9.gif" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 172px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585209339697127298" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6XO8I4nESPA/TYKmTYDXX4I/AAAAAAAABVA/SCxiknFtWWA/s320/kley.jpg" /> <div align="center"><strong>A Few Exercises to Improve Memory and Understanding of Anatomy</strong></div>In the first part of this exercise you're going to draw an animal based off of a single photo (keep it rather simple, in terms of line work, focusing on the basic dominate structures IE; Head, Body Construction and Limbs). Then try to redraw that same animal keeping in mind the proportions in relation to one another and the basic elements of anatomy that make the animal unique from any other. <div align="center"><em>(Note: 3 Artwork images below are by Mike Corriero)</em></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 234px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587066377306341026" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9lopYVqs3kU/TYk_RMPffqI/AAAAAAAABYo/w7CbxCgdW5k/s320/mammals-12-08-08.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 258px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587066368284908946" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uU4r3qGOt-c/TYk_QqonXZI/AAAAAAAABYg/wBxZSqUNWvk/s320/mammals-12-08-08_02.jpg" /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c7ieo1QE6K0/TYk_ReXE9SI/AAAAAAAABYw/rqox6GyOnPI/s1600/TerrorBirds_03.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 242px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587066382169994530" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c7ieo1QE6K0/TYk_ReXE9SI/AAAAAAAABYw/rqox6GyOnPI/s320/TerrorBirds_03.jpg" /></em></a><em></em> <div align="center"><em></em></div>Next up, you'll want to take two reference photos (you can find anything online in google images) of the same animal, make sure at least one photo is a profile view and the other can be anything in motion, frontal or three quarter views. It will also help if you take a look at a third photo of a full body image of the skeleton in order to better understand all of the joints. If you study animal skeletons and try to reproduce the animal based on the skeletal structure you'll begin to learn how to construct the muscles and anatomy that cover the bones. It may help to look at a lot of prehistoric mammals and dinosaur references; reconstructions, artwork and skeleton photos. Composing categorized reference folders for such purposes will come in handy at some point. <div align="center"><em>(Note: Artwork and Photos copyright to their respected creators/owners )</em></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QGEx-2-JFAA/TYlIY7ASemI/AAAAAAAABZo/lcW8_o7Ld_M/s1600/Brachylophosaurus_Juvenile.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 112px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587076405722774114" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QGEx-2-JFAA/TYlIY7ASemI/AAAAAAAABZo/lcW8_o7Ld_M/s320/Brachylophosaurus_Juvenile.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DIxJTXezLws/TYlIYsvPzmI/AAAAAAAABZg/j5Gcsh2F5Ak/s1600/Anteosaurus.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 126px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587076401893199458" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DIxJTXezLws/TYlIYsvPzmI/AAAAAAAABZg/j5Gcsh2F5Ak/s320/Anteosaurus.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QxWeRXOWcTE/TYlIYQ73WJI/AAAAAAAABZY/mhMfVnO7WZw/s1600/Pachyrhinosaurus_Skeleton_Rough.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 149px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587076394429929618" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QxWeRXOWcTE/TYlIYQ73WJI/AAAAAAAABZY/mhMfVnO7WZw/s320/Pachyrhinosaurus_Skeleton_Rough.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eu2xBp6uzmc/TYlIXzNfUNI/AAAAAAAABZQ/oGXMmo2mCFk/s1600/triceratops.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587076386450788562" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eu2xBp6uzmc/TYlIXzNfUNI/AAAAAAAABZQ/oGXMmo2mCFk/s320/triceratops.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MPqbk27Fb7I/TYlIXusZqoI/AAAAAAAABZI/v4O3CiYUlac/s1600/Bonadonna_et_al_poster-resized.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 198px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587076385238264450" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MPqbk27Fb7I/TYlIXusZqoI/AAAAAAAABZI/v4O3CiYUlac/s320/Bonadonna_et_al_poster-resized.jpg" /></a> <div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mwg99zKY7Gc/TYk7hjQBu7I/AAAAAAAABXA/-doEyc2TvgU/s1600/Euparker.gif"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587062260313996210" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mwg99zKY7Gc/TYk7hjQBu7I/AAAAAAAABXA/-doEyc2TvgU/s320/Euparker.gif" /></em></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c44sPhJ2WJA/TYKozJUe0kI/AAAAAAAABV4/vLvMjQbnWTY/s1600/10052010114945.jpg"></a>In this process of observing and learning you're going to draw this animal based off the 2 new reference photos. The only difference is this time, you'll focus on the references and your drawing should position the animal in any other stance, point of view or action other than what you see in the two references. Only use those two reference and nothing else. The point of all of this is to take what you learned from the first step, having drawn the animal from one photo source, and again from memory. <div align="center"><em>(Note: Artwork Copyright National Geographic - Artwork by </em><a href="http://www.kenniskennis.com/index2.html"><em>Kennis and Kennis</em></a><em>)</em></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fOkP8wcWxes/TYKoyvZ344I/AAAAAAAABVw/onjxM8FnPWk/s1600/3.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 271px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585212077564748674" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fOkP8wcWxes/TYKoyvZ344I/AAAAAAAABVw/onjxM8FnPWk/s320/3.jpg" /></em></a><em></em> <div align="center"><em>(Note: Artwork below is by Mike Corriero)</em></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4LVrtzGkh6A/TYk__B_uhVI/AAAAAAAABY4/diik_dTSj8U/s1600/quadrapeck.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 251px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587067164829844818" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4LVrtzGkh6A/TYk__B_uhVI/AAAAAAAABY4/diik_dTSj8U/s320/quadrapeck.jpg" /></em></a>This second step is to help you learn to better observe what is truly important from the two photos and try to produce this animal in a pose that is unique to the two in front of you. In the process of drawing the animal from a different point of view or action, you'll almost be forced to pay better attention to the anatomy without relying on simply copying the photo detail for detail. The images below by Heinrick Kley show a masterful understanding of anatomy, so much so that he is capable of drawing an animal like an elephant in elegant dance and caricature poses that in reality would be impossible while still retaining the initial body structure. This is a great example of the manipulation and understanding of anatomy. Note the lack of fine details, he is drawing distinct elements of anatomy and producing quick gesture poses.<div align="center"><em>(Note: 4 Artworks Below are by Heinrick Kley)</em></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-An3mhDpoTYM/TYKbfs9PAGI/AAAAAAAABSY/wTDfaj1EtBc/s1600/byrnes132-big.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 234px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585197456839082082" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-An3mhDpoTYM/TYKbfs9PAGI/AAAAAAAABSY/wTDfaj1EtBc/s320/byrnes132-big.jpg" /></em></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sc107wJOIvU/TYKbfUIT9UI/AAAAAAAABSQ/Tspb8zn7gNI/s1600/elephants_heinrich_kley.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 246px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585197450174657858" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Sc107wJOIvU/TYKbfUIT9UI/AAAAAAAABSQ/Tspb8zn7gNI/s320/elephants_heinrich_kley.jpg" /></em></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ezn0PM_m9VI/TYKbfas2lcI/AAAAAAAABSI/jtdaBfrgP1k/s1600/heinrich%2Bkley%2Bink%2Bstudy.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585197451938534850" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ezn0PM_m9VI/TYKbfas2lcI/AAAAAAAABSI/jtdaBfrgP1k/s320/heinrich%2Bkley%2Bink%2Bstudy.jpg" /></em></a><em>Rendering minute details, shading and skin textures should only be produced after you grasp the understanding of the basic body structure, proportions and pose gestures.</em><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iWkPoMzYSVg/TYKbfGNm9II/AAAAAAAABSA/qwmYJDOKM38/s1600/Kley001.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 203px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585197446438777986" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iWkPoMzYSVg/TYKbfGNm9II/AAAAAAAABSA/qwmYJDOKM38/s320/Kley001.jpg" /></em></a>You may want to continue these exercises a few times, with various types of animals from different species to different families, vertebrates & invertebrates. Once you have fully grasped the understanding of the anatomy of at least 2 different species and how to put it to use in an original point of view, you're going to design a creature from memory directly after all of these studies. The conceptual creature design should be pushed as far as it can be pushed, until you feel it is completely necessary to refer to photo references that will then be used to refine and hone the details and functional designs of what is relevant to your creature's anatomy<em>.</em> <div align="center"><em>(Note: Artwork below is by Heinrich Kley)</em></div><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OYQhAiF7buM/TYKmUtQCFXI/AAAAAAAABVY/E54tFAjg45A/s1600/torts.jpg"><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 245px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585209362567271794" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OYQhAiF7buM/TYKmUtQCFXI/AAAAAAAABVY/E54tFAjg45A/s320/torts.jpg" /></em></a><br />In the third portion of this series, we'll conclude by discussing how environment, habitat and ecosystems affect an animal and what affect that would have on why a creature is comprised of various choices in anatomy. You'll see this question "Why?" quite often as it's always best to have an answer for why you chose to design a creature with distinct types of anatomy and how that relates to its history. - Mike C<br /><br /><em>Guest blogger </em><a href="http://www.mikecorriero.com/index/Top/default.htm"><b><span style="color:#cc0000;"><em>Mike Corriero</em></span></b></a><em> is a character, creature, and conceptual designer and illustrator living in New Jersey. Since graduating from Pratt Institute in 2003, Mike's client list has included Breakaway Games, Fantasy Flight Games, Allied Studios, Kingsisle Entertainment, Radical entertainment/ Vivendi Universal Games, Liquid Development, Zynga Inc, Challenge Games, Paizo Publishing and Hasbro Inc, among others. Mike's book "</em><a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/planet-to-planet/14916342"><b><span style="color:#660000;"><em>PLANET to PLANET creatures and strange worlds</em></span></b></a><em>" includes hundreds of his sketches of creatures, robots, alien life forms and their environments. I recommend it for students focusing on visual development for games, or anyone who loves creature design. - J. G. O. </em></p></div></div></div></div>Mike Corrierohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06673676156584736947noreply@blogger.com250tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-56648236583111021732011-03-19T21:01:00.000-07:002011-03-19T22:20:24.320-07:00An Interview with Greg Broadmore - Part TwoIn the first portion of this interview we discussed Greg's early career as an artist, with the disappointments of Fine Arts Courses and working in a Video Game store to his struggles as a Children's Book Illustrator. Greg thought there was no hope of a career as an artist so long as he lived in New Zealand. It wasn't until he discovered <a href="http://www.wetanz.com/weta-workshop-services/">Weta Workshop </a>that Greg entered the film industry and began working as a concept artist for one of the biggest and well known pre-production concept art and special FX visuals facility in the world. The first entry of this interview can be found here: <a href="http://characterdesignnotes.blogspot.com/2011/03/interview-with-greg-broadmore-part-one_13.html">Part 01 with Greg Broadmore</a>.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lNDMYNGhRWs/TXBiqZqRxnI/AAAAAAAABGE/5fhGUlddDjc/s1600/Moon_Maiden_Print.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 202px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580068418894284402" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lNDMYNGhRWs/TXBiqZqRxnI/AAAAAAAABGE/5fhGUlddDjc/s320/Moon_Maiden_Print.jpg" /></a><i>MC: Once the design is transitioned from 2D Concept Art to a fully animated and functional 3D Model, have you come across problematic areas concerning the function of the anatomy making sense?</i><br /><br />GB: Yes. That's where the the rubber meets the road, and you find out quickly how many errors you've gone and built into your design. It's almost inevitable that a laundry list of problems will flow out from the design having to be practically implemented. You have to be flexible and try and figure out and accommodate solutions as best you can.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hPgSPhwyKzE/TXBhhwnVPlI/AAAAAAAABF0/kNVn0NXoaU0/s1600/ShallowBeakedGrogan_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 260px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580067170925493842" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hPgSPhwyKzE/TXBhhwnVPlI/AAAAAAAABF0/kNVn0NXoaU0/s320/ShallowBeakedGrogan_web.jpg" /></a><br /><i>MC: Do you usually work closely with a CG modeler when they are working based off of one of your designs? If need be, do you go through revision phases at this point if some of the anatomy isn't making sense or completely plausible in a functional form?</i><br /><br />GB: If it's possible I try to, but that's not always the case. I try and art direct all my designs from start to completion if I can but that's not always easy when working with a team and deadlines are against you.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S6cvazlAX1A/TXBje5NqPXI/AAAAAAAABGM/mVNQrlaClRg/s1600/Earth_Elite_Forces_Print.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 233px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580069320717385074" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S6cvazlAX1A/TXBje5NqPXI/AAAAAAAABGM/mVNQrlaClRg/s320/Earth_Elite_Forces_Print.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZhPlMVp1s0/TXBhh7X6ToI/AAAAAAAABF8/kPT0ZlHBT_E/s1600/RandallsFluteyBuckBuck_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 226px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580067173813603970" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZhPlMVp1s0/TXBhh7X6ToI/AAAAAAAABF8/kPT0ZlHBT_E/s320/RandallsFluteyBuckBuck_web.jpg" /></a><br /><i>MC: What is your favorite part about concept design? Is it the rough pre-production stages where you get to really explore ideas of a broad range, or is it more satisfying to see a design once it's nearing completion and given the green light to move on to animation?</i><br /><br />GB: Oh, definitely at the very beginning of pre-production when nearly anything is possible. I often get pretty bored having to resolve every detail. Spamming out a bunch of concepts is good fun however you look at it. It's one of the things I miss as I do less film work.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tZPf7KXeaFc/TXBkK873PjI/AAAAAAAABGU/nAxDTkWKwhY/s1600/Suck_it_and_see_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580070077630725682" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tZPf7KXeaFc/TXBkK873PjI/AAAAAAAABGU/nAxDTkWKwhY/s320/Suck_it_and_see_web.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><i>MC: Out of all the projects you've worked on, what creature/character that you played a part in designing is the most memorable for you? Why do you feel it stands out from the rest?</i><br /><br />GB: For me, the Exo suit in District 9 is my favorite design. I was really happy with the design (even though it was the second full and completed design - the original design was axed at the last minute even though we'd built it completely as a prop and shipped it to South Africa). In all honesty it's probably my favorite just because the scenes it's in are so great. So, it has nothing to do with my design - all credit to Neill and the animators and Embassy VFX.<br /><br /><div align="center"><i><i>Please Note: District 9 concept art Copyright © 2011 Sony Pictures</i></i></div><div align="center"><i>(Final design as seen in Film: Below)</i></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EAQ0Swfc19Q/TXBOy6HEZuI/AAAAAAAABD0/boDEnk-W9SU/s1600/905EXO_SEP08_i_fin_GB.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 224px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580046574811375330" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EAQ0Swfc19Q/TXBOy6HEZuI/AAAAAAAABD0/boDEnk-W9SU/s320/905EXO_SEP08_i_fin_GB.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WH03CTO5LfE/TXBwBiCCqcI/AAAAAAAABHE/NTYoBvnXNBY/s1600/1263721211_EXO_black_1000.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 226px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580083109929593282" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WH03CTO5LfE/TXBwBiCCqcI/AAAAAAAABHE/NTYoBvnXNBY/s320/1263721211_EXO_black_1000.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HOTdsn4C2mw/TXBwBtDqNhI/AAAAAAAABG8/76Ip_W_VpIw/s1600/1264224551_EXO_SEP08_i_frnt2_1000.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 226px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580083112889169426" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HOTdsn4C2mw/TXBwBtDqNhI/AAAAAAAABG8/76Ip_W_VpIw/s320/1264224551_EXO_SEP08_i_frnt2_1000.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RRjOI08jlfc/TXBwBcHKvJI/AAAAAAAABG0/GybjgPnJ0ek/s1600/1264224519_EXO_SEP08_i_back_1200.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 226px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580083108340481170" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RRjOI08jlfc/TXBwBcHKvJI/AAAAAAAABG0/GybjgPnJ0ek/s320/1264224519_EXO_SEP08_i_back_1200.jpg" /></a> <div align="center"><i>(Below is the original Exosuit design) "The original which was locked off and built as a full scale prop. During the 3d modelling process, Neill decided he wanted a heavier, more mechanical design so I started again and we built what you saw in the film. - Greg"</i></div><br /><i></i><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wkSheguOmB0/TXBOywn1c_I/AAAAAAAABDs/Y4OWHfH5OW0/s1600/491Exo_Organo10_fin_GB.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 226px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580046572264453106" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wkSheguOmB0/TXBOywn1c_I/AAAAAAAABDs/Y4OWHfH5OW0/s320/491Exo_Organo10_fin_GB.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3jT3tYxJ1Po/TXBOzH7_gMI/AAAAAAAABD8/5H0QARnNYXY/s1600/D9_poster2e_flat.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 226px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580046578523013314" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3jT3tYxJ1Po/TXBOzH7_gMI/AAAAAAAABD8/5H0QARnNYXY/s320/D9_poster2e_flat.jpg" /></a><br /><i>MC: If students are inspired by an artist' work, what is most important for them to focus on if they want to pursue a similar career in the same field? Do you think it's healthy or beneficial for them to try and mimic that artist' style?</i><br /><br />GB: Hmm. that's a pretty tricky question. My gut answer is no, but when starting out of course I did the same as most artists when they're young. I tried to mimic the styles of many 2000 AD artists, like Simon Bisley for instance. So it's probably a very valuable thing to do - to examine an artists style in detail by copying aspects of it. But I wouldn't recommend doing it for too long. You'll go blind.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKYhid0h3-I/TXBl1q6lxrI/AAAAAAAABGc/A-ZhzI714_Q/s1600/The_Stroll_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 272px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580071911039551154" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKYhid0h3-I/TXBl1q6lxrI/AAAAAAAABGc/A-ZhzI714_Q/s320/The_Stroll_web.jpg" /></a><br /><i>MC: Who are some of the creature/character artist that have inspired you? What is it about their work that motivates you and interest you?</i><br /><br />GB: I don't have an answer for that really. I think most of the artists that have inspired me have been from outside the film industry. I grew up with 2000 AD and soaked that up, and then as an adult I've been inspired by N.C. Wyeth among others. I think James Gurney is an artist whose design work has been inspirational too. Oh, and James Cameron of course - I was stunned when I learned that he had designed so much of the tech in "Aliens" and it still stands out to me as a high water mark.<br />There are two books available by Greg including work produced for his Doctor Grordbort Project for those of you interested: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Grordborts-Contrapulatronic-Directory-Catalogue/dp/1593078765/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299366501&sr=8-1">Doctor Grordbort's Contrapulatronic Dingus Directory</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Doctor-Grordbort-Presents-Scientific-Adventure/dp/1595824634/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299366501&sr=8-2">Doctor Grordbort Presents: Victory (Dr. Grordbort Presents Victory: Scientific Adventure Violence)</a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C8f8zLGdJMU/TXBg-y9EKXI/AAAAAAAABFk/VFqGMsvRCOc/s1600/Victory_spread.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 226px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580066570258098546" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C8f8zLGdJMU/TXBg-y9EKXI/AAAAAAAABFk/VFqGMsvRCOc/s320/Victory_spread.jpg" /></a> <div align="center"><i>(Please Note: Photography of Dr. Grordbort Exhibit by Jacek Irzykowski)</i></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4-iHTPcEKVQ/TXBmDDr6YiI/AAAAAAAABGs/nGG3kbDffe8/s1600/DrG_Exceptional_exhibition2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 312px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580072141027172898" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4-iHTPcEKVQ/TXBmDDr6YiI/AAAAAAAABGs/nGG3kbDffe8/s320/DrG_Exceptional_exhibition2.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_LQxj-0Yxug/TXBmDHlsO3I/AAAAAAAABGk/3ceYPM_vQLw/s1600/DrG_Exceptional_exhibition1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580072142074821490" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_LQxj-0Yxug/TXBmDHlsO3I/AAAAAAAABGk/3ceYPM_vQLw/s320/DrG_Exceptional_exhibition1.jpg" /></a><br /><i>MC: What type of project; Film, Genre, Subject Matter or Video Game have you not yet had the chance to work on that you'd like to get the opportunity to tackle? What would be your ultimate dream gig?</i><br /><br />GB: That's really tricky to answer. I think the thing I'm most excited about is bringing the <a href="http://www.drgrordborts.com/">Dr. Grordbort's world</a> to life. I'm really lucky to have the chance to develop it, and it really is my dream gig as you say. <div align="center"><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S--QAx9fzog/TXBdB07nkyI/AAAAAAAABEc/6NMGHYfyzhA/s1600/Victory_cover_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 226px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580062224281998114" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S--QAx9fzog/TXBdB07nkyI/AAAAAAAABEc/6NMGHYfyzhA/s320/Victory_cover_web.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s0HCNMcLOys/TXBdB1hW4EI/AAAAAAAABEk/CAkoGg-cxds/s1600/Bennetts_Jealous_hackjaw_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 226px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580062224440287298" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s0HCNMcLOys/TXBdB1hW4EI/AAAAAAAABEk/CAkoGg-cxds/s320/Bennetts_Jealous_hackjaw_web.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I0wDEfAkNfg/TXBdCrPcKzI/AAAAAAAABE8/T71hAR6020Y/s1600/Unwins_Double_Backed_Shrovel_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 233px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580062238860651314" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I0wDEfAkNfg/TXBdCrPcKzI/AAAAAAAABE8/T71hAR6020Y/s320/Unwins_Double_Backed_Shrovel_web.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3lu8xdnyO_Y/TXBdCRC_DDI/AAAAAAAABE0/-JkiSH7QNwM/s1600/Felchs_Spring_Neck_Oik_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 226px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580062231829089330" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3lu8xdnyO_Y/TXBdCRC_DDI/AAAAAAAABE0/-JkiSH7QNwM/s320/Felchs_Spring_Neck_Oik_web.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mMeLdnLcWHY/TXBdCDX3WiI/AAAAAAAABEs/ReTeRy3JxT4/s1600/Gripe_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580062228158568994" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mMeLdnLcWHY/TXBdCDX3WiI/AAAAAAAABEs/ReTeRy3JxT4/s320/Gripe_web.jpg" /></a></div><br /><i>MC: What project have you worked on that you felt really kick started your career and has gotten you noticed? How do you think that gig helped build your reputation?</i><br /><br />GB: I think Kong was a big one for me. I loved working on that film, and we got some great opportunities to get our work noticed in it. District 9 is ultimately the film that I've made the largest mark in. I've worked on many films where dozens of designers contribute, and while I've enjoyed that, it always amazed me how wasteful the process was. I wanted to work on a film where I got more of my original ideas and thoughts to show through, and D9 became that film.<br /><br /><div align="center"><i>(Please Note: District 9 concept art Copyright © 2011 Sony Pictures)</i><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GQslEtE-t9c/TXBx1bwpojI/AAAAAAAABHM/Oc7_iydnWdY/s1600/District-9-Concept-Art-di-Peter-Jackson-.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 211px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580085101110862386" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GQslEtE-t9c/TXBx1bwpojI/AAAAAAAABHM/Oc7_iydnWdY/s320/District-9-Concept-Art-di-Peter-Jackson-.jpg" /></a><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 226px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580060678996314194" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wrjQw5lw16w/TXBbn4SzSFI/AAAAAAAABEU/Eb8X3atxSF8/s320/D9_poster1f_flat.jpg" /></div><div align="center"><i>(Please Note: The Concept Design of the Alien Prawns were designed by David Meng. Model/Concept by Jamie Beswarick. The Paint Color Scheme and Textures of the face and carapace were designed by Greg)</i></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-orhdr8-e1D4/TXBbniHpBmI/AAAAAAAABEM/qlZsawSEqdM/s1600/880Lil_CJ_Col3c_fin_GB.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 226px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580060673043924578" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-orhdr8-e1D4/TXBbniHpBmI/AAAAAAAABEM/qlZsawSEqdM/s320/880Lil_CJ_Col3c_fin_GB.jpg" /></a> <div align="center"><i>(Please Note: The Concept Design of the Alien Prawns were designed by David Meng. The Paint Color Scheme and Textures of the face and carapace were designed by Greg)</i></div><div align="center"><br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KvnDJVjTRfo/TXBbnkadg-I/AAAAAAAABEE/gXQ6RYre5QE/s1600/877New_alien3_col3b_fin_GB.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 226px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580060673659732962" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KvnDJVjTRfo/TXBbnkadg-I/AAAAAAAABEE/gXQ6RYre5QE/s320/877New_alien3_col3b_fin_GB.jpg" /></a><br /><i>MC: Leaving off with a last piece of advice to aspiring creature designers, what can you suggest to students who continue to hit creative blocks and are looking for inspiration and motivation to help get them past the block?</i><br /><br />GB: Blocks are tricky. They're almost always emotional. I think it's best to remind yourself, that this is entertainment, it's not really serious at all. It's about fun. And you can't really get it wrong.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3_GAOI3IDFE/TXBhhm1j_lI/AAAAAAAABFs/3bx7jZow1GE/s1600/shithud_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 256px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580067168300826194" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3_GAOI3IDFE/TXBhhm1j_lI/AAAAAAAABFs/3bx7jZow1GE/s320/shithud_web.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AwiJCDLLZ18/TXB88649R8I/AAAAAAAABHU/TQbSDThStxc/s1600/BarnabysThruskfin2.jpg"></a><br /><i>MC: Greg, it has been a pleasure. I personally want to thank you for taking the time out to answer these questions and on behalf of Jen, Myself and all of the students at AAU. Good luck with your future career; I'm sure we'll see great things from you in the years to come and I look forward to all the weird and wacky designs you continue to produce. I hope one day we get to see the world and mind of Greg Broadmore come to life in full fruition.</i><br /><i><br />Everyone can check out more of Greg's work at the following sites:<br /><a href="http://www.thebattery.co.nz/">http://www.thebattery.co.nz/</a><br /><a href="http://gregbroadmore.blogspot.com/">http://gregbroadmore.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://www.wetanz.com/greg-broadmore/">http://www.wetanz.com/greg-broadmore/</a><br /><a href="http://www.drgrordborts.com/">http://www.drgrordborts.com/</a><br /><br /><i>Guest blogger </i><a href="http://www.mikecorriero.com/index/Top/default.htm"><b><i><span style="color:#cc0000;">Mike Corriero</span></i></b></a><i> is a character, creature, and conceptual designer and illustrator living in New Jersey. Since graduating from Pratt Institute in 2003, Mike's client list has included Breakaway Games, Fantasy Flight Games, Allied Studios, Kingsisle Entertainment, Radical entertainment/ Vivendi Universal Games, Liquid Development, Zynga Inc, Challenge Games, Paizo Publishing and Hasbro Inc, among others. Mike's book "</i><a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/planet-to-planet/14916342"><b><span style="color:#660000;">PLANET to PLANET creatures and strange worlds</span></b></a><i>" includes hundreds of his sketches of creatures, robots, alien life forms and their environments. I recommend it for students focusing on visual development for games, or anyone who loves creature design. - J. G. O.</i> </i>Mike Corrierohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06673676156584736947noreply@blogger.com209tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-61620424774421758052011-03-17T23:11:00.000-07:002011-03-19T21:07:54.442-07:00Proper Use of Reference and Anatomy: Creature Design - Part One<div align="center"><b>Reference, Research & Studies are Key Elements<br />to Understanding and Improving your sense of Creature Design</b></div>The use of references and research regarding animal anatomy is a vital and practically mandatory part of creature design. It's a necessity to understand the function of living and extinct animals, prehistoric mammals and dinosaurs. Whether you create a design that is a horrid monster of mutilated and malformed flesh, teeth and spikes- or a more subtle, naturalistic concept- it's equally important to understand the basics of skeletal, musculature and anatomical structures of all things living, both past and present. We'll discuss monsters, both horrific, scary abominations and magical or mythical aesthetically pleasing designs another time. This series of topics will focus on an approach to more naturalistic creatures.<br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork Copyright National Geographic - Artwork by <a href="http://www.kenniskennis.com/index2.html">Kennis and Kennis</a>)</i></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584773359905180338" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dDYvuy38eAM/TYEZyAw2irI/AAAAAAAABNY/TKI_loXNzgg/s320/mammal-evolution-718983-sw.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 191px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585212075292251314" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-euqUSrslRQw/TYKoym8EVLI/AAAAAAAABVo/eHrNPCenPKY/s320/15.jpg" /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zd_krpE6f0k/TYEZyfOfJII/AAAAAAAABNg/Zj8Nr_A74uE/s1600/kennis-kennis.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 134px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584773368082539650" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zd_krpE6f0k/TYEZyfOfJII/AAAAAAAABNg/Zj8Nr_A74uE/s320/kennis-kennis.jpg" /></a>Visiting zoos, museums, observing indigenous life, researching online, collecting photos and drawing from books are all great resources to gather information and reference. Photo reference can be very helpful if used properly; if used incorrectly it can become counterproductive. I'll explain why in Part Two. Three great books to pick up for animal references, social behavior, motion and other important information are all produced by DK Publishing and all are Smithsonian books <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Definitive-Visual-Worlds-Wildlife/dp/0756616344/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300302915&sr=8-1">ANIMAL</a> , <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Life-Secrets-Revealed-American/dp/075667221X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300303002&sr=1-1">ANIMAL LIFE </a>and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Natural-History-Smithsonian-DK-Publishing/dp/0756667526/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300302957&sr=1-1">NATURAL HISTORY</a><br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork Copyright National Geographic - Artwork by <a href="http://www.kenniskennis.com/index2.html">Kennis and Kennis</a>)</i></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584813740309005378" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KaC-lnghtNo/TYE-gdfWxEI/AAAAAAAABOY/bDf1UdKDtNY/s320/mammoth.jpg" /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RmACb2U030c/TYE-6lfqkqI/AAAAAAAABOg/Gr9Mo6tIhDg/s1600/4545.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 198px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584814189134385826" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RmACb2U030c/TYE-6lfqkqI/AAAAAAAABOg/Gr9Mo6tIhDg/s320/4545.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: Image taken from <a href="http://www.dkimages.com/discover/Home/Animals/Mammals/Elephants/Anatomy/Skeletons/Skeletons-1.html">DK IMAGES</a> photo by Dave King (c) Dorling Kindersley)</i></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-91uZqVVsor4/TYGgOibbiJI/AAAAAAAABQI/XQBZhjA68IA/s1600/85000445.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 297px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584921184536594578" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-91uZqVVsor4/TYGgOibbiJI/AAAAAAAABQI/XQBZhjA68IA/s320/85000445.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork by (c) <a href="http://www.kjhayler.co.uk/">K.J. Hayler</a>)</i></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rCscn9g3uJY/TYGgOXFxajI/AAAAAAAABQA/7ZZ6uUmAC90/s1600/JUMBOFAMILY.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584921181492963890" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rCscn9g3uJY/TYGgOXFxajI/AAAAAAAABQA/7ZZ6uUmAC90/s320/JUMBOFAMILY.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: Reconstructed skeleton of Peale's "mammoth" (after Cuvier, 1825.)</i></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 239px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584921180168257922" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K5JfhFvqD3s/TYGgOSJ8AYI/AAAAAAAABP4/uGjzf0MLgys/s320/mammut_skeleton-georges%2Bcuvier.jpg" /><br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork below by Heinrich Kley.)<br /></i></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I1d9dYbfmNI/TYKmTQuOMCI/AAAAAAAABU4/slf6qtZ4mik/s1600/Kley_Elephant_sm.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 311px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585209337729396770" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I1d9dYbfmNI/TYKmTQuOMCI/AAAAAAAABU4/slf6qtZ4mik/s320/Kley_Elephant_sm.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="center"><b>The Circle of Life - History and Background<br /></b></div>In the wild lands of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa">Africa</a> some of the most diverse species of animal life live among one another. Certain species tend to live in solitude such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheetah">Cheetah</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leapord">Leopard</a> (though sometimes males from the same litter will hunt together) or the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_lion">Lion</a> who live in large groups called prides often comprised of 13 females or as large as up to 40 and generally 1 dominate male. Within this continent there exist some of the largest of animal species (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_elephant">African Elephant</a>) as well as some of the most rare (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okapi">Okapi</a>) and some of the smallest (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nairobi_fly">Nairobi Fly</a>) all cohabiting the same land though various species are separated within the vast terrains and borders of such a large continent.<br /><br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork Below Copyright National Geographic - by <a href="http://www.kenniskennis.com/index2.html">Kennis and Kennis</a>)</i></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-omDJ2s62pMk/TYFAy8_A4aI/AAAAAAAABO4/wEcK9R0pAc0/s1600/7.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 138px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584816257024188834" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-omDJ2s62pMk/TYFAy8_A4aI/AAAAAAAABO4/wEcK9R0pAc0/s320/7.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: 2 images below; Animal anatomical engraving from Handbuch der Anatomie der Tiere für Künstler' - Hermann Dittrich, illustrator.)<br /></i></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5byGqakHO9s/TYGhN78sqGI/AAAAAAAABQY/xdot8VeA9fw/s1600/Cow_anatomy_musculature.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 250px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584922273718773858" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5byGqakHO9s/TYGhN78sqGI/AAAAAAAABQY/xdot8VeA9fw/s320/Cow_anatomy_musculature.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-40Xgf9RbNG0/TYGhNlG6lkI/AAAAAAAABQQ/Iws0yZz8S3g/s1600/Cow_anatomy.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 250px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584922267587614274" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-40Xgf9RbNG0/TYGhNlG6lkI/AAAAAAAABQQ/Iws0yZz8S3g/s320/Cow_anatomy.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork below by Fred V Theobald – from Agricultural Zoology)</i></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d2m5RYJPJvY/TYFBXnhDKdI/AAAAAAAABPQ/7Q9ERCNq-Y4/s1600/skeletoncow_12383_lg.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 198px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584816886916524498" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d2m5RYJPJvY/TYFBXnhDKdI/AAAAAAAABPQ/7Q9ERCNq-Y4/s320/skeletoncow_12383_lg.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork Below Copyright National Geographic - by <a href="http://www.kenniskennis.com/index2.html">Kennis and Kennis</a>)</i></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0qdiMOOw-50/TYFAzBgC9cI/AAAAAAAABPA/5chnZL_Kx8Y/s1600/8.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 166px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584816258236478914" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0qdiMOOw-50/TYFAzBgC9cI/AAAAAAAABPA/5chnZL_Kx8Y/s320/8.jpg" /></a><br />The best-known taxonomic ranks are, in order: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life">life</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_%28biology%29">domain</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_%28biology%29">kingdom</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phylum">phylum</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_%28biology%29">class</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_%28biology%29">order</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_%28biology%29">family</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genus">genus</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species">species</a>. An immediate distinction between 3 different species all having evolved within the same Family would be the Cheetah, Leopard and the Lion. The Cheetah has a slim lengthy build for speed and agility, while the Leopard is more stout with shorter limbs, lives in solitude, is more powerfully built for climbing and tends to relax or carry its prey into trees. The Lion being of the largest and strongest of the three hunts and lives in large prides. Those are huge differences even among only three species all deriving from the same "Big Cat" Family. Aside from living animals, you have prehistoric mammals and other animals that have gone extinct as well as dinosaurs. A few good books to check out for dinosaur skeletons, illustrations and reconstructions along with other important information are <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Feathered-Dinosaurs-Origin-John-Long/dp/0195372662/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2AV60DBGUPD49&colid=9QSVIZZ8UY7E">Feathered Dinosaurs - The Origin of Birds</a> , <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Great-Dinosaur-Discoveries-Darren-Naish/dp/0520259750/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I17DFGO10MZL37&colid=9QSVIZZ8UY7E">The Great Dinosaur Discoveries </a>and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prehistoric-Life-Definitive-Visual-History/dp/0756655730/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3M2HXOHFWBM6T&colid=9QSVIZZ8UY7E">Prehistoric Life - The Definitive Visual History of Life on Earth</a>. I can't stress enough how much I highly recommend adding at least 1 or 2 of these 3 books to your reference libary. Pick up one of these along with the above mentioned "Smithsonian 'Natural History'".<br /><div align="center">Remember: <i>Research, read, study, sketch, observe, learn, practice, absorb.</i></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NDUYCU1IRyY/TYE0s5lVxBI/AAAAAAAABOA/vWRd9cQKWrg/s1600/519OGQ3LKTL__SS400_.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 150px; HEIGHT: 150px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584802958892450834" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NDUYCU1IRyY/TYE0s5lVxBI/AAAAAAAABOA/vWRd9cQKWrg/s320/519OGQ3LKTL__SS400_.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ipHgCTUPcI/TYE0sxHGTdI/AAAAAAAABOI/6VaIpUhowxk/s1600/9780520259751.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 116px; HEIGHT: 150px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584802956618124754" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ipHgCTUPcI/TYE0sxHGTdI/AAAAAAAABOI/6VaIpUhowxk/s320/9780520259751.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMuCTxPw4p8/TYE0sgcslgI/AAAAAAAABN4/fAkH4KJWzlk/s1600/61fxoyffn7L__SS500_.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 150px; HEIGHT: 150px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584802952145311234" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMuCTxPw4p8/TYE0sgcslgI/AAAAAAAABN4/fAkH4KJWzlk/s320/61fxoyffn7L__SS500_.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: Images taken from the book "Prehistoric Life" (c) DK Publishing.)<i></i></i></div><i><i></i></i><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LEX_60lM0Kg/TYGoBWFBHcI/AAAAAAAABR4/l3JtsjElwFY/s1600/68429585.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 152px; HEIGHT: 90px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584929753976085954" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LEX_60lM0Kg/TYGoBWFBHcI/AAAAAAAABR4/l3JtsjElwFY/s200/68429585.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sO_N2IyHoq4/TYGoBSKEncI/AAAAAAAABRw/VGkXoVBA174/s1600/68429575.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 152px; HEIGHT: 90px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584929752923545026" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sO_N2IyHoq4/TYGoBSKEncI/AAAAAAAABRw/VGkXoVBA174/s200/68429575.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MEePR0v9EOY/TYGoBY5Fu7I/AAAAAAAABRo/krCf9MZL87s/s1600/2456_z.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 90px; HEIGHT: 90px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584929754731363250" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MEePR0v9EOY/TYGoBY5Fu7I/AAAAAAAABRo/krCf9MZL87s/s200/2456_z.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: 4 Images below taken from the book "Feathered Dinosaurs - The Origin of Birds" (c) DK Publishing.)</i></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1QFDMnWgWJA/TYKlCRnoJUI/AAAAAAAABUw/F0FtVpH3L78/s1600/513lwoFy%252BJL__SS400_.jpg"><i><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 197px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585207946400769346" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1QFDMnWgWJA/TYKlCRnoJUI/AAAAAAAABUw/F0FtVpH3L78/s320/513lwoFy%252BJL__SS400_.jpg" /></i></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FCxqAkN0LJ0/TYKlCM3XHpI/AAAAAAAABUo/FlYILUejAQw/s1600/51%252BBhxYAblL__SS400_.jpg"><i><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 197px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585207945124585106" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FCxqAkN0LJ0/TYKlCM3XHpI/AAAAAAAABUo/FlYILUejAQw/s320/51%252BBhxYAblL__SS400_.jpg" /></i></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VgX0RSu9kEc/TYKlB0LUhyI/AAAAAAAABUg/Yg_MEafA2CU/s1600/41RzxZ6VdjL__SS400_.jpg"><i><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 197px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585207938497414946" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VgX0RSu9kEc/TYKlB0LUhyI/AAAAAAAABUg/Yg_MEafA2CU/s320/41RzxZ6VdjL__SS400_.jpg" /></i></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--zTXuHzu7EQ/TYKlB7_U8tI/AAAAAAAABUY/mzKwT296HFs/s1600/41RF2jqjrkL__SS400_.jpg"><i><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 197px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585207940594594514" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--zTXuHzu7EQ/TYKlB7_U8tI/AAAAAAAABUY/mzKwT296HFs/s320/41RF2jqjrkL__SS400_.jpg" /></i></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aD3icIsKE18/TYKkSd4ZaXI/AAAAAAAABUQ/vy7Pxw5vJ9o/s1600/513lwoFy%252BJL__SS400_.jpg"></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7vTXM-IYUF4/TYKkSBQzcsI/AAAAAAAABUI/MRB4Szq7sDA/s1600/800px-Greater_Flamingoes_%2528Phoenicopterus_roseus%2529_taking_off_W_IMG_9854.jpg"></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z_11XBW2wmk/TYKkRytQfYI/AAAAAAAABUA/dfngSrQG1Bo/s1600/51%252BBhxYAblL__SS400_.jpg"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-73uX7vS4Qek/TYKkRhLGu9I/AAAAAAAABT4/77L1CoWbwec/s1600/41RzxZ6VdjL__SS400_.jpg"></a><i> </i><br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: Image taken from the book "Prehistoric Life" (c) DK Publishing.)</i></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rkY1xE0ORsw/TYKkRef0FkI/AAAAAAAABTw/GdW3eNHFMYo/s1600/41RF2jqjrkL__SS400_.jpg"></a></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0WTtHdq-CJM/TYKgNn5_z6I/AAAAAAAABSg/Bwmfp_7oP30/s1600/Tyrannosaurus_DK_visual_tour_16-10-2009.jpg"><i><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 189px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585202643803819938" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0WTtHdq-CJM/TYKgNn5_z6I/AAAAAAAABSg/Bwmfp_7oP30/s320/Tyrannosaurus_DK_visual_tour_16-10-2009.jpg" /></i></a>The reason I chose Africa as an introduction into animal anatomy and reference is because it is the second largest continent on Earth and it's the only continent to stretch from the northern temperate to the southern temperate. Meaning<i> "it's climate ranges from </i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_climate"><i>tropical</i></a><i> to </i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subarctic"><i>subarctic</i></a><i> on its highest peaks. Its northern half is primarily </i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert"><i>desert</i></a><i> or </i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arid"><i>arid</i></a><i>, while its central and southern areas contain both </i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savanna"><i>savanna</i></a><i> </i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain"><i>plains</i></a><i> and very dense </i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungle"><i>jungle</i></a><i> (</i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainforest"><i>rainforest</i></a><i>) regions. In between, there is a convergence where vegetation patterns such as </i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahel"><i>sahel</i></a><i>, and </i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steppe"><i>steppe</i></a><i> dominate." - </i><a href="http://www.wikipedia.org/"><i>Wikipedia</i></a><i><br /></i><br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork by (c) </i><a href="http://www.kjhayler.co.uk/"><i>K.J. Hayler</i></a><i>)</i></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-npQUR_hl8BY/TYGkE410j_I/AAAAAAAABRI/Aa2Du-erdwI/s1600/FOCUSEDFELINE.jpg"><i><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 184px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584925416800686066" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-npQUR_hl8BY/TYGkE410j_I/AAAAAAAABRI/Aa2Du-erdwI/s320/FOCUSEDFELINE.jpg" /></i></a><i><br /></i><br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: 2 images below; Copyright National Geographic - Artwork by </i><a href="http://www.kenniskennis.com/index2.html"><i>Kennis and Kennis</i></a><i>)</i></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--o8tn86RtMs/TYFAyrtSHbI/AAAAAAAABOo/cbnGTyWyg4g/s1600/5.jpg"><i><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 319px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584816252386418098" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--o8tn86RtMs/TYFAyrtSHbI/AAAAAAAABOo/cbnGTyWyg4g/s320/5.jpg" /></i></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qcEfUPGHlw8/TYFAy5Ms1FI/AAAAAAAABOw/tkOUw6i-1ME/s1600/6.jpg"><i><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 186px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584816256007853138" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qcEfUPGHlw8/TYFAy5Ms1FI/AAAAAAAABOw/tkOUw6i-1ME/s320/6.jpg" /></i></a><br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: 3 images below; Animal anatomical engraving from Handbuch der Anatomie der Tiere für Künstler' - Hermann Dittrich, illustrator.)<br /></i></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4M33VONxMKc/TYGiekQv0kI/AAAAAAAABQw/V612x__JSl4/s1600/lion_anatomy_head.jpg"><i><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 250px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584923658929820226" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4M33VONxMKc/TYGiekQv0kI/AAAAAAAABQw/V612x__JSl4/s320/lion_anatomy_head.jpg" /></i></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iUYusBEJRoQ/TYGieX34abI/AAAAAAAABQo/WleaBCbPbtc/s1600/Lion_anatomy_lateral_skeleton_view.jpg"><i><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 249px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584923655604300210" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iUYusBEJRoQ/TYGieX34abI/AAAAAAAABQo/WleaBCbPbtc/s320/Lion_anatomy_lateral_skeleton_view.jpg" /></i></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IQdM3nMoTic/TYGieGhiOqI/AAAAAAAABQg/YgcSNsY3wU4/s1600/Lion_anatomy_anterior_view.jpg"><i><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 249px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584923650947168930" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IQdM3nMoTic/TYGieGhiOqI/AAAAAAAABQg/YgcSNsY3wU4/s320/Lion_anatomy_anterior_view.jpg" /></i></a><b>Male and Female:</b> The sex of an animal may determine differences in a species regarding size, weight, additions of antlers, horns or manes of fur and so on. The sex of a creature is another factor to take into account when designing, even if you have no intention of showing one or the other. It might also interest you to research and recognize that certain species of animals can reproduce <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asexual_reproduction">Asexually</a> where the offspring inherits the genes and traits of a single parent. There are various methods of asexual reproduction, in some cases eggs are laid and fertilized by the same animal (male/female - there is no distinction. They are referred to as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermaphrodite">Hermaphrodites</a>). In other cases, though reproduction is performed in a similar fashion, animals like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_anemone">Sea Anemone </a>perform reproduction by budding and breaking off small pieces that regenerate and begin to grow into a entirely new Sea Anemone. This process of reproduction appears to be a form of cloning. Note the difference of a Male Lion and a Female Lion in the photo below.<br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: Photographer Unknown(c).)</i></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wf5RnXdfOxc/TYLtMRwSgEI/AAAAAAAABWQ/qCBnLn6yauo/s1600/Lion-And-Lioness-wild-animals-2785468-800-600.jpg"><i><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585287283072991298" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wf5RnXdfOxc/TYLtMRwSgEI/AAAAAAAABWQ/qCBnLn6yauo/s320/Lion-And-Lioness-wild-animals-2785468-800-600.jpg" /></i></a>Aside from male and female differences among a species, you also have interbreeding of closely related species within the same Family that branch off into something that design wise is very familiar but with the introduction of a few distinct differences. In the photo below you'll see a Tigon and you'll notice the slight striped pattern on the fur as well as a minor difference in the length and pattern in which the mane has grown. Physiologically there are minor anatomical differences that take affect as well. The size of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liger">Liger</a> or a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiglon">Tigon</a> may vary and in most cases grow much larger than either of the species it originated from. These are all things to consider when referencing images, research/reading and observing animal anatomy.<br /><div align="center"><i>(Note: Photographer Unknown(c).)</i></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-46Gzm5NrANY/TYLtMGXensI/AAAAAAAABWI/9jvEjHQisv8/s1600/liger.jpg"><i><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 223px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585287280016137922" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-46Gzm5NrANY/TYLtMGXensI/AAAAAAAABWI/9jvEjHQisv8/s320/liger.jpg" /></i></a><i> <b>Coming up in Part Two:</b> Proper use of Reference - What is correct and what is counterproductive?</i> Photo reference is important, but there are many ways of using such reference, some of which are more productive whereas others are more counterproductive....Check back soon.<br /><br /><i>Guest blogger </i><a href="http://www.mikecorriero.com/index/Top/default.htm"><b><span style="color:#cc0000;"><i>Mike Corriero</i></span></b></a><i> is a character, creature, and conceptual designer and illustrator living in New Jersey. Since graduating from Pratt Institute in 2003, Mike's client list has included Breakaway Games, Fantasy Flight Games, Allied Studios, Kingsisle Entertainment, Radical entertainment/ Vivendi Universal Games, Liquid Development, Zynga Inc, Challenge Games, Paizo Publishing and Hasbro Inc, among others. Mike's book "</i><a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/planet-to-planet/14916342"><b><span style="color:#660000;"><i>PLANET to PLANET creatures and strange worlds</i></span></b></a><i>" includes hundreds of his sketches of creatures, robots, alien life forms and their environments. I recommend it for students focusing on visual development for games, or anyone who loves creature design. - J. G. O. </i>Mike Corrierohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06673676156584736947noreply@blogger.com75tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-51519188951669893452011-03-16T02:52:00.001-07:002012-03-16T13:03:40.267-07:00An Interview with Wouter Tulp<i>Though a resident of Rotterdam, Netherlands, Illustrator Woulter Tulp is swiftly gaining a reputation across the globe for his masterful caricatures. His amazing body of work, which spans from editorial and children's book illustration, cover art for the publishing industry, and concept art for animation, has garnered Wouter an enviable client list from across Europe and the U.S., including Reader's Digest, O Magazine, Playboy and Esquire. Since our character design students at AAU are studying and working on caricatures this week, I asked Wouter to share some of his experience and insights with us. He was kind enough to squeeze this interview into his very busy schedule. </i><br />
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<i>JGO: Thank you so much for giving us your time to do this interview. First question; what kind of art education did you receive?</i><br />
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WT: I have been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember. My father, who is a painter used to take me to the countryside from an early age to paint landscapes, and he taught me the basics of drawing and painting. I drew a lot of comics as a child, something I stopped doing since I went to the Willem de Kooning academy. Although the academy lacked technical schooling completely, my four years there gave me a chance to discover and explore a lot of art and illustration, meet professionals and get to know the world of illustration. Nowadays I keep educating myself by visiting workshops, reading books, looking at art, watching tutorial dvd’s and most of all, by painting and drawing.<br />
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<i>J</i><i>GO: Did you always have an interest in caricature, and how did you begin your career?</i><br />
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WT: I guess I did. When I was about 8 years old, I used to draw caricatures of my classmates and teachers, or tv personalities, inspired by a book called: 'the arts of David Levine', containing many of his caricatures and watercolors. He still has a huge influence on my work.<br />
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When I finished the art academy in 2001, I started freelancing immediately. The internet was not the mass medium it is nowadays, so I personally went to see every editorial department I could think of and show my portfolio there. In the beginning it was hard to get in, but after a while it became easier to get jobs because I could show them some published work. I used to take on every job I could get, which resulted in a varied portfolio. The good thing was, that it gave me the opportunity to learn a lot about the complete range of illustration jobs there are, and eventually what it is I want, and where I feel comfortable.<br />
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<i>JGO: Who are some of your favorite caricaturists, both past and present?</i><br />
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WT: Daniel Adel, Natalie Ascencios, Philip Burke, David Levine, Hermann Mejia, Jan Opdebeeck, Jean Mulatier,Roberto Parada, Jason Seiler, Sebastian Kruger, Didier Loubat.<br />
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What these guys have in common, is their strong personal vision. In each of their illustrations you see strong decision making, and a personal touch. It goes far, far beyond just a big nose and a funny smile.<br />
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<i>JGO: Could you tell us about some of the other artists who have inspired you over the years? </i><br />
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WT: One of my major inspirations is John Singer Sargent (1856-1925). When I first discovered his work, I was struggling with color and light. Studying his paintings made me see how he used color in his shadows, how he accented the important areas of a painting to lead the eye, and how he used edges. These, and many other techniques, I learned by studying the paintings of John Singer Sargent.<br />
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Another influence is Andre Franquin (1924-1997). He’s a Belgian comic artist. His work is very funny, and the characters act so vividly. I spent a lot of my childhood copying his drawings. At that moment, I had no idea, that a great understanding of human anatomy was needed to create such apparently simple characters. Their expressions and poses are extremely subtle.<br />
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The work of Mary Blair made me see the power of design in an illustration. I was not aware of this before I saw her beautifully balanced work, but now I can’t imagine myself doing an illustration without thinking of the design quality of it. She has such a beautiful way of composing colors, lines and shapes and combine 2D and 3D worlds in such a harmonious way. Very inspiring!<br />
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<i>JGO: What mediums or programs do you use to create your art?</i><br />
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WT: Digitally I mainly use Photoshop. Traditional mediums I use are: Gouache, oils, charcoal, acrylics, ink and (colored) pencil.<br />
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<i>JGO: If an art student has never drawn a caricature before, what are some of the most important things that they should keep in mind as they begin?</i><br />
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WT: To me the most important thing to make any drawing is to answer this question: Why am I making this drawing? I ask myself this question in order to make as clear as possible what it is I want to communicate with my illustration.<br />
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The most common way of caricaturing is this: you look at someone, and you find out what features are typical for that person. Then you push those features. When you let ten caricaturists, or even a hundred, draw a caricature of the same person, all drawings will be different. That’s where it becomes interesting. When you are looking at your subject, the question you should ask yourself is not: ‘What do I “SEE”?’, but: ‘What do “I” see?’ . Find out what it is you see, feel or experience when you look at your subject, and magnify that.<br />
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These are questions you can ask yourself, before even putting a pencil on paper. To me they are very important, and I believe they lead to art that is personal and true.<br />
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The next step is: now that I know what I want: "How do I do it?"<br />
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To answer the question: “What do “I”see?” It is important to understand ‘What do I “SEE”. It is very important to understand shapes. You can study the traditional way of drawing portraits, which is the foundation for drawing caricatures. In caricatures, these shapes are moulded and moved around, to enhance the facial features, but maintain likeness. Study the shape of which a head consists, try to understand what is the essence of his likeness. What changes can I make to enhance likeness, and when does likeness disappear? How do the old masters use light to show the 3D features of a face, what is the effect of different colors in a face?<br />
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</a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGB9VLEnY_K74hCwU8di_DXoFsn7thyjKALSK8rUJI2q0rPs64vddSMcPUj8dY1n8LV_OX5wJmqUHZDIuxHlskCE6u-OiBTpyKyRfgVIrIlxYwi00qWB1Tis22W_eV_uwiLoX9hQoiQBh/s1600/29479_109118702463192_100000951876912_54651_7922593_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><i>JGO: Can a caricature be pushed too far?</i><br />
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WT: I can't see how. How far a caricature is pushed all depends on what it is you want to express. The Caricatures of Grigor Eftomov are pushed extremely, but still they still get the message across.<br />
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<i> Caricature by Grigor Eftimov, above</i><br />
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<i>JGO: Do you work from a single image as reference when creating a caricature, or a collection of images? </i><br />
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WT: I mentioned that shapes are very important. To get a good notion the three dimensionality of the facial shapes I always use several pictures. Even though I may end up using one image as main reference, I keep the other images for details, or shape information<br />
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JGO: What part of your work is the most fun? What part is the most difficult?<br />
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WT: I always love the creative process. So the stage where I come up with an idea and make several thumbnails, preliminary sketches and color sketches are the most fun. In this stage, anything can still happen. <br />
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I guess I am an optimist, for I don’t think in terms of ‘difficult’. Of course I struggle with many things, but to me it is always a challenge to find out and learn from an experience when my skills or ideas fall short. <br />
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<i>JGO: Which illustrations that you have done are among your favorites?</i><br />
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WT: I don’t look back and have favorites. I always want to move forward and explore and learn and do a better job than I already did. I am pleased though, when I have learned something in the process of making an illustration. Those are the illustrations I remember.<br />
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For example the caricature of Marylin Monroe was the fist time I controlled my value and color in order to establish the concept. I still like the effect of this high key approach.<br />
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In the illustration of the old woman in an old folks home, I like the way I put story, design and caricature together in one image. I approached the face as a caricature, but the design and concept of the illustration make it tragic instead of funny.<br />
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The caricature of Danny Trejo is a good example of visual stroytelling. I love it when the concept and the technique become one. The actor Danny Trejo has a rough face full of scars. I chose a rough brush and let the structure of the brushstrokes give the impression of roughness.<br />
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JGO: What haven't you done yet as an artist that you would still like to do?</i><br />
<br />
WT: I love to do concept art for an animated feature film. <br />
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<i>JGO: Have you ever been contacted by a well known person that you had caricatured?</i><br />
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WT: In the Netherlands, yes. I don’t think Emile Ratelband is famous anywhere else. He liked what I did and wanted to buy the illustration.<br />
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<i>JGO: Do you ever have "artist's block", or a day when your drawings are just not coming together? if so, how do you overcome it?</i><br />
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WT: Artist’s block, no, because I believe you just have to start. Once you created something, you can decide whether it’s what you want or not, but doing nothing leads to nothing…<br />
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I do of course have days when things are not coming together. Facebook and blogs, where people share their best works, give the impression that everybody is always successful. Well, I’m not, I have my off days. I always find it hard to accept that things are not working for no apparent reason. There can be many causes for this. Lack of sleep, no clear communication with the art director, triyng to do something I am unable to do…..and so on…<br />
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If it has to do with me, and things are just not working, I take a break. If I take a walk in the city or the forest, suddenly new ideas come.<br />
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If it has to do with the job conditions, I try to avoid these kind of jobs in the future.<br />
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<i>JGO: Can you tell us about one of the most important lessons that you have learned from a fellow artist?</i><br />
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WT: Someone once told me: Never be afraid to do too much. He meant that I shouldn’t be satisfied to easily, and always do some extra effort to make an illustration really good. If you did a lot of work already, and you suddenly see that the foundation of the illustration is not what it should be, start over, and don’t be okay with less. If you leave something in a painting that does not express completely what you want it to, it’s like saying tomato when you mean cheese…<br />
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<i>JGO: Can you tell us about one of the most important lessons that you have learned on your own as an artist?</i><br />
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WT: Two things:<br />
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-There may be many artists out there, who are more skillful, and better draftsmen, more successful than you, but there is nobody better at being you. The things that define you; your experiences, your beliefs, your culture your passions; is where your art should come from. In that way, your art is an expression of who you are. <br />
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-Don’t be afraid to share what you have learned. There is nothing to lose by doing that.<br />
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</a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgplGShnSop5Kq6MTRGl0uIKJCiDg-s-3suyD37ZXHBoYi8qF5xl7IZlcaR5pIZLGahnKBSjtUisKqmueoNvBN1YCYFgzqvdFVZkxruiEe5mxu5UQHY2FZTeD5wgY-kiRe0Ct4CeUwkdNo2/s1600/15012_100978309943898_100000951876912_4874_4424805_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><i>JGO: What do you think is the key to creating a character with "appeal"?</i><br />
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WT: Empathy. When I draw a character, I become the character. How do I feel in such a situation, where are my hands, how do I hold my feet… It’s like acting. Get to know your character . Look in the real world. Draw from your experience. Everything you design should push what the character must radiate.<br />
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</div><br />
<i>JGO: Do you have any additional tips, advice or words of wisdom that you could give to an artist who is just beginning their career?</i><br />
<br />
WT: First of all: Draw draw draw draw paint paint paint!!!!! The best way to learn drawing and painting is to draw and paint. Stay true to yourself. Explore and learn from everything you see. Most of all: have fun! Drawing is fun! Whatever skill level you have, you can start right now and create your own universe and have fun doing it. If you have fun doing it and be passionate about it, there’s no stopping you!<br />
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Wouter Tulp's Website: <a href="http://www.woutertulp.nl/">www.woutertulp.nl</a><br />
<br />
His must read Blog: <a href="http://www.woutertulp.blogspot.com/">www.woutertulp.blogspot.com</a><br />
<br />
And his newly launched tutorial blog:<a href="http://tulptorials.blogspot.com/"> http://tulptorials.blogspot.com/.</a><br />
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<i>Many thanks to Wouter for sharing his art, tips and insights with us. Be sure to check out the links above; you'll certainly want to bookmark them once you do!</i><br />
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<i>All images copyright Wouter Tulp unless otherwise noted. </i>Jennifer G. Oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05921022924125424519noreply@blogger.com101tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-72790561910977774792011-03-13T19:13:00.000-07:002011-09-16T13:58:20.007-07:00An Interview with Greg Broadmore - Part one<div align="left">I first came across the work of <a href="http://gregbroadmore.blogspot.com/"><b>Greg Broadmore</b></a> sometime around 2005-early 2006 after watching <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Jackson">Peter Jackson's</a><i> </i>remake of the classic film "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0360717/">King Kong</a>". The creatures and stunning visuals immediately captivated me and I was very intrigued to check out more of this familiar yet new, lush and beautiful but unforgiving world of Kong. It was in the 'art of' book aptly titled " <a href="http://www.amazon.com/World-Kong-Natural-History-Island/dp/1416505199/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299297096&sr=8-1">The World of Kong: A natural History of Skull Island</a>" that I first came across Greg's amazing concept work. While following his blog: <a href="http://gregbroadmore.blogspot.com/">The King of Fatboss</a> it became apparent that he also had an equal love for Robots and Sci-fi tech as well as creatures.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MnQZs0n6yxo/TXANQKfFctI/AAAAAAAABBc/lCROGHJw5uY/s1600/1235388048_Lonelybot_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579974509655847634" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MnQZs0n6yxo/TXANQKfFctI/AAAAAAAABBc/lCROGHJw5uY/s320/1235388048_Lonelybot_web.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2aXgR_scdtI/TXAQSeOfpoI/AAAAAAAABB8/ksS4nEpbaHs/s1600/bot_fall1_fin_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579977847849592450" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2aXgR_scdtI/TXAQSeOfpoI/AAAAAAAABB8/ksS4nEpbaHs/s320/bot_fall1_fin_web.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fjTTR4VsE1g/TXAQSEyh_ZI/AAAAAAAABB0/QYb2NW-U0_E/s1600/WWfun_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 157px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579977841021418898" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fjTTR4VsE1g/TXAQSEyh_ZI/AAAAAAAABB0/QYb2NW-U0_E/s320/WWfun_web.jpg" /></a>Since then I have kept a close eye on his work and his unique and recognizable style. Greg's creature design displays some of the strongest in understanding of anatomy and originality that I have had the pleasure of coming across, but his creative skills don't end there. You may remember a little film called "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1136608/">District 9</a>" which was directed by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0088955/">Neill Blomkamp </a>with pre-production concept art and special FX visuals provided by the multi-award winning conceptual design and physical manufacturing facility <a href="http://www.wetanz.com/weta-workshop-services/">Weta Workshop</a> founded by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0853050/">Richard Taylor</a>.<br />The studio is known for such titles as <b>The Lord of the Rings Trilogy</b>, <b>King Kong</b>, <b>The Chronicles of Narnia Trilogy</b> as well as <b>District 9</b> and countless other big budget films including <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000116/">James Cameron's</a> <b>Avatar</b>. As a lead concept designer, Greg was one of only a handful of artists producing concept art for District 9. Although the film had a rather tight budget in comparison to films like King Kong, it made a huge mark in the industry and was immediately a hit. Greg produced concepts for the prawns and played a large role in designing the prawn's Exo-Suit. He also was involved in industrial design related concepts, including multiple weapons, the mother ship, the drop ship and even playing a part in the designs of the MNU armor and security vehicle.<br /><div align="center">(left to right: Greg Broadmore, Tania Rodger, Richard Taylor)<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pObJyqbsHP8/TXAFoSqZyAI/AAAAAAAABA8/ui2zJ3D95N0/s1600/info.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579966128074639362" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pObJyqbsHP8/TXAFoSqZyAI/AAAAAAAABA8/ui2zJ3D95N0/s320/info.jpg" /></a> <i></div>MC: Greg, I want to thank you for taking part in this interview and sharing your film industry experience and knowledge with us. If you could, would you please explain a little about your background as an artist. What life was like before and up to working for Weta Workshop.</i><br /><br />GB: I was born and grew up in a small town in the Eastern Bay of New Zealand called Whakatane. There was absolutely no way to make a living from art there, and I never even entertained the thought. I assumed that I would be unemployed my whole life really. I moved to some of New Zealand's larger cities later, and I tried to send some artwork around the world (pre-internet of course) to a few companies, but I was basically resigned to the fact that New Zealand, which I love, is not a place to make a career in art.<br />I tried taking a course in Fine Art, and I quickly discovered that it was completely wrong for me. I quit after a few months, later returning to the dole and played in punk rock and metal bands around New Zealand. Eventually, while living in Hamilton, I got fired from the dole (Yes, it's possible and I'm proof). I had to sell everything I had scrimped and saved to buy over the years and decided to move to Wellington. In Wellington I worked at a video game store, while trying my hardest to get some work as an artist (I did illustration for around 30 children's books in the end) but I struggled with it a lot.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YtfQK9cZvaE/TXAKsFMXumI/AAAAAAAABBE/gc1MbG9jQRw/s1600/1237712137_Idris_alien_wall_fin_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 160px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579971690736630370" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YtfQK9cZvaE/TXAKsFMXumI/AAAAAAAABBE/gc1MbG9jQRw/s320/1237712137_Idris_alien_wall_fin_web.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dKodOSRk8eE/TXAK_X1Yv1I/AAAAAAAABBU/Jttmem4VY2Y/s1600/Angry_Lil_Machine_title2_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579972022158016338" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dKodOSRk8eE/TXAK_X1Yv1I/AAAAAAAABBU/Jttmem4VY2Y/s320/Angry_Lil_Machine_title2_web.jpg" /></a><br />Then the first Lord of the Rings movie came out and I was stunned. I had been a fan of Peter's movies for a long time, but I had never even considered the possibility of working in the film industry. The realization that there was a company, in the very city I was living in, making fantasy films, was like an epiphany to me. So, I sent in a portfolio to Weta and I got a call from Richard Taylor, and a few short weeks later I had visited Weta, met the designers of the LOTR films and had myself a job in short order. I was stunned, terrified, amazed, elated.... It has proved to be a defining part of my life. I have learned more in the last 10 years while working at Weta than I have ever learned previously. In fact it'd be fair to say that I learned more in the first year at Weta than I had in my previous decades.<br />While at Weta I've worked on many, many films. District 9 has been the film that I'm most proud to have worked on, but I also enjoyed Kong as I am a big Dinosaur enthusiast. I've worked on little films like Black Sheep, as well as monsters for films like Narnia and then there are all the films that never made it - Evangelion, Halo etc...<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HIZBnTTw0S4/TXAOiIvwGCI/AAAAAAAABBs/xdUmNxIxK9s/s1600/Beerbot_web2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 272px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579975917938153506" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HIZBnTTw0S4/TXAOiIvwGCI/AAAAAAAABBs/xdUmNxIxK9s/s320/Beerbot_web2.jpg" /></a><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 203px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579975911909246674" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u04jQ50xmeo/TXAOhySWRtI/AAAAAAAABBk/B1o8LhhvSP0/s320/1237712197_working_out_fin_web.jpg" /><br />I tend to steer clear of film work these days as I have projects of my own like <a href="http://www.drgrordborts.com/">Dr. Grordbort's </a>that I'm developing either at Weta or in my own time. While I've loved many of the films I've done, I really got into film by chance. It was as they say, being at the right place at the right time. I love it, but it doesn't define me, and to be honest, most of what gets presented as ideas for film leaves me cold. It's very seldom that someone like Neill Blomkamp <i>(Director of District 9)</i> comes along whose vision inspires and motivates me. So my focus these days is creating art that interests me, and developing my own ideas and seeing where I can take them. That might be film, or games, or simply comics and illustration. As long as I'm inspired I'm happy. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="center">(Greg proudly holding a Dr. Grordbort weapon design)</div><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--sDzNt2cpls/TXAEqMGYw1I/AAAAAAAABA0/EeewPBMw480/s1600/GregBroadmoreBlunderbuss.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 305px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 314px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579965061161075538" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--sDzNt2cpls/TXAEqMGYw1I/AAAAAAAABA0/EeewPBMw480/s320/GregBroadmoreBlunderbuss.jpg" /></a><br /><i>MC: Have you had any formal education concerning concept art, entertainment design or illustration? If so, what school did you attend and what did you study?</i><br /><br />GB: Nope, nope and nope.<br />After failing to get into New Zealand's best fine arts course, I tried my hand at a commercial art course. It basically involved bone carving, sign writing, typography (using letraset and hand created fonts - not computers). So all I really learned from that experience was that I was certain I did not want to be a sign writer.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TMySf1f43FI/TXAK_M1zPwI/AAAAAAAABBM/S_rMduYq8k4/s1600/bork_fin_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579972019206962946" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TMySf1f43FI/TXAK_M1zPwI/AAAAAAAABBM/S_rMduYq8k4/s320/bork_fin_web.jpg" /></a><br /><i>MC: What inspires or motivates you, and what kind of reference and research do you do when coming up with creature or character designs?</i><br /><br />GB: I am inspired by the natural world, science and technology. I don't really look very often at other works of fiction when designing creatures, although they do serve as reference points.<br />I have studied a lot of anatomy over the years. Weta Workshop has been brilliant in regards to improving an artist's understanding of anatomy. When I first started producing concept art, designers like Jamie Beswarick, Ben Wootten and Warren Mahy helped to focus my natural tendencies in design, and I learned to look at creature design in a more specific way.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yST6wMqrAlg/TXAmbYW9hwI/AAAAAAAABCk/DaMD5mvbM9U/s1600/1237712171_Poor_Dragon_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 224px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580002190149125890" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yST6wMqrAlg/TXAmbYW9hwI/AAAAAAAABCk/DaMD5mvbM9U/s320/1237712171_Poor_Dragon_web.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uDCsgKWeR6A/TXAmbOH91sI/AAAAAAAABCc/Ya_jGHPoHgE/s1600/1237712120_Dragon1_web_fin.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 217px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580002187401877186" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uDCsgKWeR6A/TXAmbOH91sI/AAAAAAAABCc/Ya_jGHPoHgE/s320/1237712120_Dragon1_web_fin.jpg" /></a><br />When working on a realistic creature for a film, you need to think form and function at the same time. You have form specific requirements from the director, but function specific requirements from the pragmatic side of film making. A creature still needs to be able to function properly in it's role in the film, to move and be animated in a naturalistic way. Movement is a natural outcome of the form, so it needs to be informed by nature. Nature has solved or set the best example already, and it makes sense (for realistic design at least) to design with the laws of nature in mind.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--eyh045q2DA/TXAlEBTIjVI/AAAAAAAABCU/TeRv5BS5GmE/s1600/1235388016_Kroglor_reduxor_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 252px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580000689310436690" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--eyh045q2DA/TXAlEBTIjVI/AAAAAAAABCU/TeRv5BS5GmE/s320/1235388016_Kroglor_reduxor_web.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xt0S5AfzpeE/TXAlD0RI3dI/AAAAAAAABCM/3DN92zUBHU0/s1600/1237712104_Dino_run_fin_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 226px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580000685812407762" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xt0S5AfzpeE/TXAlD0RI3dI/AAAAAAAABCM/3DN92zUBHU0/s320/1237712104_Dino_run_fin_web.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nwTszNjAgzM/TXAlDwh8iuI/AAAAAAAABCE/z4R5OtTQgFw/s1600/Dino_Head_lores_screen.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 173px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580000684809161442" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nwTszNjAgzM/TXAlDwh8iuI/AAAAAAAABCE/z4R5OtTQgFw/s320/Dino_Head_lores_screen.jpg" /></a><br />Of course, as a film artist you are fighting a battle for both sides of two opposing ideas. You want to create a unique or visually distinct creature, while at the same time making sure it functions in a pragmatic sense. These are opposing concepts and they certainly don't make the job any easier. They're on different ends of the scale and finding the right blend is the real challenge. However, when you get it right, it makes you smile.<br /><div align="center"><i>(Please Note: King Kong concept art Copyright © 2011 Universal Studios/Wingnut Films)</i></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jFBNOdCc0BI/TXAnL-VikOI/AAAAAAAABC8/jniT_8cVPL4/s1600/1236192885_New_Dino_Attack_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 153px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580003024977432802" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jFBNOdCc0BI/TXAnL-VikOI/AAAAAAAABC8/jniT_8cVPL4/s320/1236192885_New_Dino_Attack_web.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B76M3EYZC2U/TXAnLiERdgI/AAAAAAAABCs/raAA7fX0Mkk/s1600/1236192278_Cuddlosaur_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 170px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580003017388815874" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B76M3EYZC2U/TXAnLiERdgI/AAAAAAAABCs/raAA7fX0Mkk/s320/1236192278_Cuddlosaur_web.jpg" /></a><br /><i>MC: Something I noticed when looking at the fictional paleo designs you produced for Peter Jackson's' "King Kong", is that they have a very strong sense of musculature, skeletal structure and realistic anatomy that lay beneath the surface. Have you had any formal training in paleo anatomy or was it all gathered and learned through your own research and observations from museums, other artists renditions of dinosaurs and studying real world animals? What ultimately prepared you for that type of project?</i><br /><br />GB: It's a combination of things I've learned. I have taught myself and learned from great sculptors and designers while at Weta. The standards here are quite high, and you learn a lot very quickly under such circumstances. I've always had an interest in anatomy in general and particularly with dinosaurs. I had referenced artists like Douglas Henderson and Gregory S. Paul, so I had self taught myself a lot over the years regarding prehistoric biology but there is always room for improvement.<br /><div align="center"><i>(Please Note: King Kong concept art Copyright © 2011 Universal Studios/Wingnut Films)</i></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vcRc9RaJwBk/TXAoNIy599I/AAAAAAAABDE/wvoPFIXqSfA/s1600/1236192040_CeraSlorter_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 136px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580004144476452818" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vcRc9RaJwBk/TXAoNIy599I/AAAAAAAABDE/wvoPFIXqSfA/s320/1236192040_CeraSlorter_web.jpg" /></a><br />You're always learning more too right? As an artist, as a visual person, you're always observing and absorbing. You pay attention to the details of certain things and over time they begin to form a mental library of information. <br />I often think of creature designs as structurally engineered objects. I think of the creature in context - scale,mass, center of gravity, leg structure etc... and compare that with what I know of the real world. So if it makes sense in reality, it's bound to make sense in design. On top of that, you try and fit the creature into it's ecology, what role does it fit in its fictional animal kingdom or habitat? Besides all that, sometimes you just want to create something surprising, something that just comes completely out of left field. That's form versus function again - uniqueness versus practicality. Sometimes 'fuck that's cool' wins completely.<br /><div align="center"><i>(Please Note: King Kong concept art Copyright © 2011 Universal Studios/Wingnut Films)</i></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FOx3VDTafiA/TXAoNcS8FEI/AAAAAAAABDU/g4SYawYorVg/s1600/1236240977_Rhino_on_holiday_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 226px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580004149711082562" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FOx3VDTafiA/TXAoNcS8FEI/AAAAAAAABDU/g4SYawYorVg/s320/1236240977_Rhino_on_holiday_web.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Ua68blCjxE/TXAoN5-jjeI/AAAAAAAABDk/Iyl9H9rTIPQ/s1600/1236241160_Styrack_of_terror_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580004157678652898" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Ua68blCjxE/TXAoN5-jjeI/AAAAAAAABDk/Iyl9H9rTIPQ/s320/1236241160_Styrack_of_terror_web.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-abmjo0XtJzU/TXAoNrAFtHI/AAAAAAAABDc/dFiFNLD9H-U/s1600/1236192946_not_dead_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 211px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580004153658553458" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-abmjo0XtJzU/TXAoNrAFtHI/AAAAAAAABDc/dFiFNLD9H-U/s320/1236192946_not_dead_web.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZBAD9bEknE/TXAnLr5krXI/AAAAAAAABC0/FtkseULYqpU/s1600/1236192810_Log_lizard_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 175px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580003020028292466" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5ZBAD9bEknE/TXAnLr5krXI/AAAAAAAABC0/FtkseULYqpU/s320/1236192810_Log_lizard_web.jpg" /></a><br /><i>MC: Prior to working for Weta Workshop in New Zealand, What sort of work did you do and who did you work for? Were you always in love with drawing creatures and monsters?</i><br /><br />GB: Yes. I've loved drawing creatures all my life. Mainly dinosaurs. The first thing I ever sculpted - in fact the last thing I ever sculpted before starting at Weta, was a T-Rex while I was at church with my grandmother. How fitting! When I started at Weta, Richard Taylor told me that learning to sculpt would be a great benefit, so I did a practice sculpt at home in super-sculpey. What did I sculpt? A T-Rex of course.<br /><div align="center"><i>(Please Note: King Kong concept art Copyright © 2011 Universal Studios/Wingnut Films)</i></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580004146103978146" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y0pNtMhgkrk/TXAoNO28CKI/AAAAAAAABDM/_QocmAaJhOU/s320/1236193103_Rexomatic_web.jpg" /><br /><i>MC: Aside from functional and plausible anatomy, what do you feel makes for a memorable creature/character? What advice can you offer on designing something that will stand out from the masses of generic concepts?</i><br /><br />GB: For me, that's a next to impossible question to answer. The answer is a visual one - you know it when you see it. Advice on creating something that stands out is much easier - <em>stop</em> looking at other concept design.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VaB8cYsk8l8/TXBekCfGCbI/AAAAAAAABFc/lJkSm6OUHIU/s1600/Bosche_Brute_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 226px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580063911547636146" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VaB8cYsk8l8/TXBekCfGCbI/AAAAAAAABFc/lJkSm6OUHIU/s320/Bosche_Brute_web.jpg" /></a><br /><i>MC: When producing creature or alien designs in the rough stages, do you usually try and think about how they would function, walk, run, eat and attack at that stage, or is it more about unique and interesting shapes and aesthetic at that phase?</i><br /><br />GB: I think that the battle I mentioned earlier starts almost straight away. Form really is the first thing - you move your hand. Those movements may be informed by an idea you have, but for me, the first forms are subconscious and the design flows from these forms. I steer the forms towards my goal as rationally as I have skill or patience for, though there's very likely a lot of post- rationalisation going on too. It's very easy to trick yourself.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 226px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580062928377193330" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BCf_5V0OGfk/TXBdqz4_o3I/AAAAAAAABFU/8PTLe36pRA4/s320/1236847829_GB04.jpg" /><br /><div align="center"><i>(Please Note: King Kong concept art Copyright © 2011 Universal Studios/Wingnut Films)</i></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eOfEaFK6xFE/TXBdqx0CP0I/AAAAAAAABFM/QRSLA441_bE/s1600/1236847818_GB03.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 238px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580062927819521858" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eOfEaFK6xFE/TXBdqx0CP0I/AAAAAAAABFM/QRSLA441_bE/s320/1236847818_GB03.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0sOcGqcR-Yk/TXBdqirETfI/AAAAAAAABFE/bhc7lUUsTL0/s1600/1236241466_Ceratops_hates_sailors_web.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 231px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580062923755376114" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0sOcGqcR-Yk/TXBdqirETfI/AAAAAAAABFE/bhc7lUUsTL0/s320/1236241466_Ceratops_hates_sailors_web.jpg" /></a><br /><em>In Part 02 of the interview we'll be talking with Greg and finding out more about his personal project and the World of Dr. Grordbort. We'll also get to hear about the film that in my opinion has become a cult classic "District 9" so check back soon! Mike C -</em><br />Everyone can check out more of Greg's work at the following sites:<br /><a href="http://www.thebattery.co.nz/">http://www.thebattery.co.nz/</a><br /><a href="http://gregbroadmore.blogspot.com/">http://gregbroadmore.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://www.wetanz.com/greg-broadmore/">http://www.wetanz.com/greg-broadmore/</a><br /><a href="http://www.drgrordborts.com/">http://www.drgrordborts.com/</a><br /><br /><i>Guest blogger </i><a href="http://www.mikecorriero.com/index/Top/default.htm"><b><i><span style="color:#cc0000;">Mike Corriero</span></i></b></a><i> is a character, creature, and conceptual designer and illustrator living in New Jersey. Since graduating from Pratt Institute in 2003, Mike's client list has included Breakaway Games, Fantasy Flight Games, Allied Studios, Kingsisle Entertainment, Radical entertainment/ Vivendi Universal Games, Liquid Development, Zynga Inc, Challenge Games, Paizo Publishing and Hasbro Inc, among others. Mike's book "</i><a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/planet-to-planet/14916342"><b><span style="color:#660000;">PLANET to PLANET creatures and strange worlds</span></b></a><i>" includes hundreds of his sketches of creatures, robots, alien life forms and their environments. I recommend it for students focusing on visual development for games, or anyone who loves creature design. - J. G. O.</i>Mike Corrierohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06673676156584736947noreply@blogger.com57tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-54067914121483319882011-03-12T02:42:00.000-08:002011-03-12T02:51:55.951-08:00Wallace TrippMany of you who were around in the 1970's and 1980's in America probably have seen at least a few illustrations by <a href="http://trippgallery.com/">Wallace Tripp</a>, and many others may have a copy or several of his popular children's books, greeting cards, or calendar's tucked away. His distinctive chock-full-o'-appeal anthropomorphic animals have attracted the attention and admiration of many animators and fellow illustrators over the years, and his visual puns have likely garnered as many groans as guffaws. His characters are cute without being overly sentimental; viewers often feel an odd kinship with his portly moles, bedraggled steeds, enthusiastic mice and thoughtful hounds. His drawings feel fresh and immediate, relaxed yet precise, and have a terrific sense of weight and dimension. I find myself wondering how many professionals working today count Wallace Tripp as an influence. <br />
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WALLACE WHITNEY TRIPP (born June 26, 1940) is an American illustrator, anthologist, and author. He is known for creating anthropomorphic animal characters of emotional complexity and for his great visual and verbal humor. He is one of several illustrators of the Amelia Bedelia series of children's stories. He has illustrated over forty books,including Marguerite, Go Wash Your Feet (1985), Wallace Tripp's Wurst Seller (1981), Casey at the Bat (1978), and A Great Big Ugly Man Came Up and Tied His Horse to Me (1973). Tripp has also drawn many greeting cards for the Pawprints line, now available in limited quantities from Recycled Paper Greetings in Chicago.<br />
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</a></div>Wallace Tripp was born in Boston and grew up in rural New Hampshire and New York. He attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (SMFA} where he studied graphic arts. He received a bachelor's degree in education from Keene State College and an M.A. in English from the University of New Hampshire. He then taught English for three years until choosing to devote himself full-time to illustration. For a time, Tripp ran a publishing house, Sparhawk Books, and also created many greeting cards for Pawprints, his family-owned business. He now lives in Hancock, New Hampshire (*NB: his Harper Collins author's page lists him as living in Pasadena, CA) and he typically works for HarperCollins. He is married to Marcia (Marcy) Tripp who was president of Pawprints, Inc. They have three children, two sons and a daughter. He has been retired for over twenty-five years due to Parkinson's disease.<br />
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Some of Wallace Tripp's quotations include:<br />
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"Genius is rare as turtle fangs, but talent is common enough."<br />
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<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Riley_0-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace_Tripp#cite_note-Riley-0"></a></sup><br />
"Illustrators are word people who happen to draw. We work with one foot in a book, the other stuck in a paint pot. Our shoes are a disgrace."<br />
<br />
<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Riley_0-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace_Tripp#cite_note-Riley-0"></a></sup><br />
"The experienced illustrator subscribes to the principle of the application of the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair. Should inspiration whisk down your chimney, be at your table. The first ten thousand drawings are the hardest. Put another way, you have ten thousand bad drawings within and should expel them as quickly as possible."<br />
<br />
"In children's books I look for artists (not necessarily the best draftsmen, either) with vitality, integrity, humor and a powerful story-telling bent. There is too much arty, pretentious, self-indulgent illustration (often not a considered accurate reflection of what the story says) looking as if intended as a portfolio presentation or a contest entry. Give me <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N.C._Wyeth">N.C. Wyeth</a>, <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Shepard" title="Ernest Shepard">Ernest Shepard</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Williams">Garth Williams</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Peet">Bill Peet</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Briggs">Raymond Briggs</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Scarry">Richard Scarry</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Oakley">Graham Oakley</a> and forget those [who perpetrate] lovely curlicues and fabulous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puce">puce</a> washes."<br />
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His bibliography, both as author and Illustrator, can be found <a href="http://here./">here</a>, and you can also visit him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wallace-Tripp/51779654410">Facebook</a>.<br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=JenniferG.Oliver&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0688093388&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=JenniferG.Oliver&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0960577602&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=JenniferG.Oliver&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0698203399&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=JenniferG.Oliver&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0395398940&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=JenniferG.Oliver&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0316854409&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Jennifer G. Oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05921022924125424519noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-45839847031223638602011-03-10T23:42:00.000-08:002011-03-10T23:52:43.351-08:00An Interview with Terryl Whitlatch - Part Two<i>We continue our interview with famed paleo reconstructionist</i>, <i>illustrator, educator, character and creature designer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terryl_Whitlatch">Terryl Whitlatch</a>. You can read part one <a href="http://characterdesignnotes.blogspot.com/2011/03/interview-with-terryl-whitlatch-part.html">here</a>. </i><br />
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<i>JGO: What were some of your favorite characters that you've worked on over the course of your career?</i><br />
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TW: The moose brothers in Brother Bear, Sebulba and <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Ketwol">Ketwol</a> from Star Wars are among my favorites. I like the Sando Aqua Monster, also from Star Wars.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3ptuu6wMKP-zz1dYO4NH5Hc1zbtMdcojpoGWtJeEc_NQU_2ahc2ZSDa2gVsM6dFXXQZqtS8rAhWBGG3MSFTC99KPeVisUsHExkZLGXqzHEQMrbuTEWEXje5lrbr-j85s0i_Cxcvq01vc/s1600/terryl-whitlatch-portfolio-1-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3ptuu6wMKP-zz1dYO4NH5Hc1zbtMdcojpoGWtJeEc_NQU_2ahc2ZSDa2gVsM6dFXXQZqtS8rAhWBGG3MSFTC99KPeVisUsHExkZLGXqzHEQMrbuTEWEXje5lrbr-j85s0i_Cxcvq01vc/s320/terryl-whitlatch-portfolio-1-large.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie69DX9e1JYV4Z-GJVq2jonUvMeOeJMnK-cyLy5cxgzs4GEc_49Utjb3QowQcpCN7OIWM4m_eJ-kUo9vTqH8_CyPxlwpPyl0dc7xl2alaL4LoAqT42xsn7JHzeX4dfJs-tR9Y1dQWU1MXi/s1600/terryl-whitlatch-portfolio-5-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie69DX9e1JYV4Z-GJVq2jonUvMeOeJMnK-cyLy5cxgzs4GEc_49Utjb3QowQcpCN7OIWM4m_eJ-kUo9vTqH8_CyPxlwpPyl0dc7xl2alaL4LoAqT42xsn7JHzeX4dfJs-tR9Y1dQWU1MXi/s320/terryl-whitlatch-portfolio-5-large.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghepSSNhF_EU3d9HMBrcm4jSqO6fQfi84FSakAlJgsU81Hceb2KebXrHGjxx-2fV6I2h7COIGVSLDTFbB0kzvHbhSp1qRAlPoPz9U1tlTflQtr6SiIL0PrF6fWSnA4M-maS9Tm1BF6eANQ/s1600/sebulba1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghepSSNhF_EU3d9HMBrcm4jSqO6fQfi84FSakAlJgsU81Hceb2KebXrHGjxx-2fV6I2h7COIGVSLDTFbB0kzvHbhSp1qRAlPoPz9U1tlTflQtr6SiIL0PrF6fWSnA4M-maS9Tm1BF6eANQ/s320/sebulba1.jpg" width="188" /></a></div><i><a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Sebulba">Sebulba</a> (above) the podracer and the <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Sando_aqua_monster">Sando Aqua Monster</a>; a massive aquatic mammal (below) , both appear in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120915/">Star Wars, Episode 1: The Phantom Menace</a>.</i><br />
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<i>JGO: Typically, what types of stages does a character design go through from written description in a script to final film version?" I realize that there may not be a one-size-fits-all answer, but it was a question that popped into my head as i was trying to sleep last night and I suspect that would-be creature designers would be interested to know more about the process.</i><br />
TW: Regarding the stages a character goes through, of course, it is a step by step process, depending upon the project's overall nature, and the desired degree of naturalism. Typically, it goes from realistic to stylized, for a conventional 2D production, to extremely realistic (and expensive) interpretations for a 3D production such as Narnia. There can be any number of intermediate exploratory stages, depending on the vision of the director. For Star Wars, Jar Jar Binx took a year to design--literally several hundred drawings, including roughs, while Sebulba was "sold" in an afternoon. George Lucas gives his art departments lots of blue sky, while it is more typical of Stephen Spielberg to have a more precise idea of what the character looks like.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Terryl's conceptual drawings for the Moose Brother, Tuke and Rutt, from Disney's "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0328880/">Brother Bear</a>" Early designs so a more naturalistic set of Moose Brothers who gradually evolve with more stylization and personality. As I often tell my students: part of character design is showing us WHO the characters are, not simply WHAT they are. We get a sense of who Tuke and Rutt are through Terryl's expressive, action packed drawings, and their good natured goofiness continues to be displayed through the clean up model sheets and final film. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<i>JGO: What skills should creature design students focus on developing if they want a career in the film industry?</i><br />
TW: Drawing, anatomy, drawing, anatomy, and more drawing and anatomy of all sorts of animals.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9l-fsobxM5ZPphVROaiD6Q6d8FEAeItBncZT-aOhMQjyS9Kbd-_Cg5ButIfGM9omRkLPAtDbIsKcIJWRyX0TW52J42gODGNzOlWPqyB1rCyI4Jaxh_W_oCEXXadqwiTl8x1fMcBiaQQ7/s1600/kogallery23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9l-fsobxM5ZPphVROaiD6Q6d8FEAeItBncZT-aOhMQjyS9Kbd-_Cg5ButIfGM9omRkLPAtDbIsKcIJWRyX0TW52J42gODGNzOlWPqyB1rCyI4Jaxh_W_oCEXXadqwiTl8x1fMcBiaQQ7/s320/kogallery23.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3xJcKKG0Cv5XPu8SpRGwg0bZygafyJaL3OM3dzPFzgtUr8yScEx_ELtrOZ5tx_1IBwCEOEshMAxz6CsOlrSNeznlbPA2l3kc0yPBjVvrQl9LijX0Gtbc5LrKazKhbOhJfEjAru5PLORL/s1600/kogallery08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3xJcKKG0Cv5XPu8SpRGwg0bZygafyJaL3OM3dzPFzgtUr8yScEx_ELtrOZ5tx_1IBwCEOEshMAxz6CsOlrSNeznlbPA2l3kc0yPBjVvrQl9LijX0Gtbc5LrKazKhbOhJfEjAru5PLORL/s320/kogallery08.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRlMX3j7K5sWmplTG6sJAR1ho-ijWG7nvpYRYCkpgd9ffP21dliYifj1Ps1QkOA5MSJX0efPd8Cox0URaKAlJHWIykZuCHynxoI5FZdHojnwowdV3PNW4iqZMuQmZjLmJ1hB-cgSI78X6/s1600/kogallery06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRlMX3j7K5sWmplTG6sJAR1ho-ijWG7nvpYRYCkpgd9ffP21dliYifj1Ps1QkOA5MSJX0efPd8Cox0URaKAlJHWIykZuCHynxoI5FZdHojnwowdV3PNW4iqZMuQmZjLmJ1hB-cgSI78X6/s320/kogallery06.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<i>JGO: What is one of the most important lessons that you learned from another artist?<br />
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</i>TW: To keep on learning, that you will never “make it” in this lifetime, and to be bold and adventuresome.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2vMnDRhhY4KOA17U6sOOhr5EDvhyphenhyphenvcU-sFOEq_vgcTD5N0X44MxcRMyRUS6vlQkW_1qhsUQEv68CCVA3ShxhRTtHPI5FgMVk98i4MctVe_y4ESIqO33ink69FpYTgPGQMsjC6Alnnl_I/s1600/5614_118775949432_682409432_1943254_7765722_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2vMnDRhhY4KOA17U6sOOhr5EDvhyphenhyphenvcU-sFOEq_vgcTD5N0X44MxcRMyRUS6vlQkW_1qhsUQEv68CCVA3ShxhRTtHPI5FgMVk98i4MctVe_y4ESIqO33ink69FpYTgPGQMsjC6Alnnl_I/s320/5614_118775949432_682409432_1943254_7765722_n.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Pk8uMzQuVDea1mOyioiAHFnhtdoFNKENXunIP62i7dENz5EgHz2yM3bkx5PF4uvo0r0kOTNAWq-CnDgGsFeRLffoxY2zx7z0Y6LCmyKkl9o9Ch6ilrolY-YEudNTN1nK1CCiLQp9l_D1/s1600/Muudabok.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Pk8uMzQuVDea1mOyioiAHFnhtdoFNKENXunIP62i7dENz5EgHz2yM3bkx5PF4uvo0r0kOTNAWq-CnDgGsFeRLffoxY2zx7z0Y6LCmyKkl9o9Ch6ilrolY-YEudNTN1nK1CCiLQp9l_D1/s320/Muudabok.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4a6UHs2B5hP8Mwoky4JCka1_OvULnDvSpN5nr3wEIUkP7nbTQEin5sr7Nogi-H_fdTqeZXPmxhr1w5wlqOESs6y4UeOMh8aCD1TYjVyHgLAiHDB0bXDJy2lZwTWGgLzppXu2LlfmUnL2X/s1600/388px-Jubba_Bird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4a6UHs2B5hP8Mwoky4JCka1_OvULnDvSpN5nr3wEIUkP7nbTQEin5sr7Nogi-H_fdTqeZXPmxhr1w5wlqOESs6y4UeOMh8aCD1TYjVyHgLAiHDB0bXDJy2lZwTWGgLzppXu2LlfmUnL2X/s320/388px-Jubba_Bird.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><i>JGO: What is one of the most important lessons that you learned on your own as an artist?<br />
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</i>TW: That I will never be perfect, that I must always be open to learning, that I can find a way to improve each day, and can learn from nature and other artists constantly. Mistakes can be my best teachers.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-GFHFh5L-Vb3fXUlJNndwrKI3lOhhAhTw6MDfQCtzu7HSvDbfwzFqIc_-G3Hs5jB_r1ETr0s2hG9pNQABlN2R-gSXkotkJe2UJ3brhbrX5B9RlMTjQQtykP76dB3wrzv9RqnhWSLplNhV/s1600/13862_214706429432_682409432_2824381_1419973_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-GFHFh5L-Vb3fXUlJNndwrKI3lOhhAhTw6MDfQCtzu7HSvDbfwzFqIc_-G3Hs5jB_r1ETr0s2hG9pNQABlN2R-gSXkotkJe2UJ3brhbrX5B9RlMTjQQtykP76dB3wrzv9RqnhWSLplNhV/s320/13862_214706429432_682409432_2824381_1419973_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXJM2SE1rUhCVy2OQ0BrlRtsxSzNtCs_2pEhDsInv0dqnQGhswhBHXBA3fTeFDNeRRVZ5lcqwE2dkcg4aoDpcTUrzqPPC15l2AM9YY8MxpCAuJJmLVp-au7XO9VXuadJ-HBNQbiNhuy2k/s1600/13862_214706424432_682409432_2824380_3011144_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXJM2SE1rUhCVy2OQ0BrlRtsxSzNtCs_2pEhDsInv0dqnQGhswhBHXBA3fTeFDNeRRVZ5lcqwE2dkcg4aoDpcTUrzqPPC15l2AM9YY8MxpCAuJJmLVp-au7XO9VXuadJ-HBNQbiNhuy2k/s320/13862_214706424432_682409432_2824380_3011144_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zkBLYHD0g81rK1-iFp6-7w0QAEEo9xfNIcsje-CgD8I9dftqlbkJPRBEn67FLqRmPtPCcCAP2QgGXIot8mKI-CpaNEwtj7lKpyeMj2bVhOUTmhc_2q_EpStd_SJ0ykBqJut9-hmAfnDY/s1600/Terryl+rhino-dino367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zkBLYHD0g81rK1-iFp6-7w0QAEEo9xfNIcsje-CgD8I9dftqlbkJPRBEn67FLqRmPtPCcCAP2QgGXIot8mKI-CpaNEwtj7lKpyeMj2bVhOUTmhc_2q_EpStd_SJ0ykBqJut9-hmAfnDY/s320/Terryl+rhino-dino367.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<i>JGO: You've been amazingly prolific throughout your career. Do you ever deal with artist's block, and if so, how do you overcome it?</i><br />
TW: It’s more a case of self-intimidation, trying to overachieve what I’ve done in the past, and living up to others as well as my own expectations. That’s what can be paralyzing. However, I’ve realized that what that is, is a nasty concoction of fear and pride of my own making, and as soon as I recognize that, I tell myself to “stop that”, and get out of myself.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNazTtnsfyg_nCFjy14ov1Vq_Oa6GNnuOph_6Emp2cYkno9WvjAWqhPIHVQtLtQGVS_hyXTtejJNW7dWb_gXlWPgcftAgv5mcI7Z0_2sN5LGRf0FnGiMZfmQD6rV63tKcYrpkrSQe6quS6/s1600/lrsTKO052WhitlatchTerryl-TouchingtheDream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNazTtnsfyg_nCFjy14ov1Vq_Oa6GNnuOph_6Emp2cYkno9WvjAWqhPIHVQtLtQGVS_hyXTtejJNW7dWb_gXlWPgcftAgv5mcI7Z0_2sN5LGRf0FnGiMZfmQD6rV63tKcYrpkrSQe6quS6/s320/lrsTKO052WhitlatchTerryl-TouchingtheDream.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<i>JGO: Thank you so much for giving us your time, Terryl. We look forward to seeing all of the amazing animals, both real and imagined, that you create in the future!</i><br />
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<i>Students: watch free creature design tutorials by Terryl Whitlatch at the Academy of Art University website, <a href="http://online.academyart.edu/resources/creature-design-demonstrations/">HERE</a>. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i></i><b><i>Los Angeles residents, mark your calendars! Terryl and her editor, Gilbert Banducci, will be in L.A. between March 17th and March 19th for lectures and book signings regarding "Animals Real and Imagined". Below is a poster with all the details of the dates, times and places:</i></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszUDo2MkcOtna7j_UeM8RpQYUW4DxkDMrDQDb7mPrpGVeY9m97rUO9nyd6fIbtzO-itbOwJJSTrDx5p7EFcHxnrOpMkeo2cKHLPSGNxSRdVgper0s97j2zrXd5QQZ03uEGH1vcLX0gJjP/s1600/182923_10150121413464433_682409432_6076854_6486966_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszUDo2MkcOtna7j_UeM8RpQYUW4DxkDMrDQDb7mPrpGVeY9m97rUO9nyd6fIbtzO-itbOwJJSTrDx5p7EFcHxnrOpMkeo2cKHLPSGNxSRdVgper0s97j2zrXd5QQZ03uEGH1vcLX0gJjP/s320/182923_10150121413464433_682409432_6076854_6486966_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i></i><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=JenniferG.Oliver&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0743225007&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=JenniferG.Oliver&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1933492910&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=JenniferG.Oliver&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0811847365&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Jennifer G. Oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05921022924125424519noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-56452169031371647142011-03-07T14:59:00.000-08:002011-03-09T18:25:34.246-08:00The use of Silhouettes in Concept DesignSilhouette thumbnails are among the most helpful and productive methods of design when it's necessary to produce a large quantity of variations of concepts within a short period of time. It's not a method used by all concept artist and it's certainly not a necessity to design a creature or a character purely based off of a silhouette shape. That doesn't go to say that all designers don't subconsciously focus on shapes and designs that make a strong impact on the viewer. We often refer to a silhouette as a black outlined shape, much like a shadow. This doesn't always need to be the case, as a simple line sketch or simple shades of value can still provide the same effect and are just as efficient.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EXMGxR8R3Os/TXXSHO_gusI/AAAAAAAABKo/522PQfaFSI4/s1600/Mechateck-Line-Up.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581598334920997570" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EXMGxR8R3Os/TXXSHO_gusI/AAAAAAAABKo/522PQfaFSI4/s320/Mechateck-Line-Up.jpg" style="display: block; height: 180px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>Whether consciously or subconsciously we are always designing through the use of interesting dominate shapes that work well together. One of the best ways to go about this is through the basic silhouette. <br />
<div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork below is by Feng Zhu) Feng's work can be found at <a href="http://www.fengzhudesign.com/">http://www.fengzhudesign.com/</a></i></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j_Fdi_WvaSI/TXXIqVjh1rI/AAAAAAAABKg/BuBmZlvmYDY/s1600/fzd_Moreau_00.JPG"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j_Fdi_WvaSI/TXXIqVjh1rI/AAAAAAAABKg/BuBmZlvmYDY/s1600/fzd_Moreau_00.JPG"></a><br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581587942861821618" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j_Fdi_WvaSI/TXXIqVjh1rI/AAAAAAAABKg/BuBmZlvmYDY/s320/fzd_Moreau_00.JPG" style="display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KuZL1RxK60Q/TXXGIoSV76I/AAAAAAAABKQ/cPQBOdbYhZg/s1600/fzd_Moreau_01.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581585164751204258" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KuZL1RxK60Q/TXXGIoSV76I/AAAAAAAABKQ/cPQBOdbYhZg/s320/fzd_Moreau_01.JPG" style="display: block; height: 214px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>Typically the use of this type of design is a pre-production phase of concept art that is generally only seen by the artist or art director if working on set or in-house. A lot of times when freelancing this stage of design isn't shown to an art director and is merely a quick process of finding solutions and multiple designs for the artist eyes only. The silhouette doesn't need to be as clean or clear as the ones seen below in order to achieve the same desired effect. We might often find more chaotic and textured shapes easier to identify with and productive in letting loose and having fun. <br />
<div align="center"><i>(Note: Designs by Ben Mauro, copyright Sony Pictures Animation) Ben's work can be found at <a href="http://www.artofben.com/">The Art of Ben Mauro</a></i></div><i></i><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0xyUPAfFNms/TXW70CQK_nI/AAAAAAAABHg/CoykbBV4udw/s1600/Ben-Mauro-line-up.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581573815827889778" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0xyUPAfFNms/TXW70CQK_nI/AAAAAAAABHg/CoykbBV4udw/s320/Ben-Mauro-line-up.jpg" style="display: block; height: 231px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>It allows a designer to produce striking iconic shapes that will stand out among multiple characters or creatures. The purpose of finding a strong and interesting silhouette is so that it becomes easily recognizable from a distance to the person playing a video game or watching a movie for example. <br />
<div align="center">You can see more of Ben's work here: <a href="http://benmauro.blogspot.com/">http://benmauro.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<i>(Note: Designs by Ben Mauro, copyright Sony Pictures Animation)</i></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NTkZRVdNKLQ/TXW8Br2iP9I/AAAAAAAABII/QsBaLZuquJU/s1600/SPA_06_BM.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581574050332950482" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NTkZRVdNKLQ/TXW8Br2iP9I/AAAAAAAABII/QsBaLZuquJU/s320/SPA_06_BM.jpg" style="display: block; height: 207px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jZlifaWxVpM/TXW8BsL0cII/AAAAAAAABIA/0TTVruzTYKA/s1600/SPA_05_BM.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581574050422222978" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jZlifaWxVpM/TXW8BsL0cII/AAAAAAAABIA/0TTVruzTYKA/s320/SPA_05_BM.jpg" style="display: block; height: 207px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CqCZl8gumFE/TXW8BbOin-I/AAAAAAAABH4/PvIjItQZwx8/s1600/SPA_03_BM.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581574045870235618" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CqCZl8gumFE/TXW8BbOin-I/AAAAAAAABH4/PvIjItQZwx8/s320/SPA_03_BM.jpg" style="display: block; height: 207px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AbwHKYvOVHg/TXW8BG8weGI/AAAAAAAABHw/dbvHP1HFXig/s1600/SPA_02_BM.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581574040426936418" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AbwHKYvOVHg/TXW8BG8weGI/AAAAAAAABHw/dbvHP1HFXig/s320/SPA_02_BM.jpg" style="display: block; height: 219px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6zUr1jt4yr0/TXW8Aw3g2-I/AAAAAAAABHo/CSI_8MklI54/s1600/SPA_01b_BM.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581574034499361762" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6zUr1jt4yr0/TXW8Aw3g2-I/AAAAAAAABHo/CSI_8MklI54/s320/SPA_01b_BM.jpg" style="display: block; height: 219px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>Silhouettes can be used in multiple methods of design from the abstract to the symmetrical and beyond. Whether you have it in mind to design a specific type of creature/character or something more abstract, you can begin the silhouette process by pasting down large black shapes on a 3/4 point of view or by mirroring shapes to be used in terms of a front, back or top down view. One of the best things about this quick design method is you don't need to focus on hands, feet, fingers, eyes and all the little intricacies that take up time. As seen below in some examples, you can produce broken shapes and ghost line effects while you let your mind fill in the gaps. You can worry later and work out the missing elements once you have chosen a strong dominate shape.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Sgw5C1o2wI/TXW9CJGFPJI/AAAAAAAABIg/VBBlp-BbXE4/s1600/Silhouette-thumbnailing.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581575157694413970" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Sgw5C1o2wI/TXW9CJGFPJI/AAAAAAAABIg/VBBlp-BbXE4/s320/Silhouette-thumbnailing.jpg" style="display: block; height: 224px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lQq_Ws0q1fE/TXW9CNVoqJI/AAAAAAAABIY/vRfh-fEC07Y/s1600/Silhouette-thumbnailing-8thumbs.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581575158833391762" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lQq_Ws0q1fE/TXW9CNVoqJI/AAAAAAAABIY/vRfh-fEC07Y/s320/Silhouette-thumbnailing-8thumbs.jpg" style="display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fk5X2KpAIGw/TXW9Bz4Bs7I/AAAAAAAABIQ/A4d1fKPU0_w/s1600/Silhouette-thumbnailing-10thumbs.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581575151998317490" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fk5X2KpAIGw/TXW9Bz4Bs7I/AAAAAAAABIQ/A4d1fKPU0_w/s320/Silhouette-thumbnailing-10thumbs.jpg" style="display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>The mirroring of such shapes is the quickest and simplest solution to producing a huge array of variants in your original design. These symmetrical shapes as mentioned can be perceived from a front, top or back view to be used as a reference point and then produced at a more 3-dimensional angle at a later point in time.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rs_t0zfrttA/TXa1qeDx6PI/AAAAAAAABK4/8GVhx_nnLq4/s1600/WorldWar-landmine-Crab-Final_Mike-Corriero-web.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581848529400359154" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rs_t0zfrttA/TXa1qeDx6PI/AAAAAAAABK4/8GVhx_nnLq4/s320/WorldWar-landmine-Crab-Final_Mike-Corriero-web.jpg" style="display: block; height: 204px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><i>Note: The image above shows the final concept design in detail along with the chosen silhouette thumbnail. Artwork by <a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/planet-to-planet/14916342">Mike Corriero</a>. The image below was a rough 3/4 sketch designed based on the thumbnails beneath it.</i><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--9GvI-AHHEs/TXW9XjUVEHI/AAAAAAAABIw/wNqSBKypf6c/s1600/Silhouette-thumbnailing-to-Final.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581575525510746226" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--9GvI-AHHEs/TXW9XjUVEHI/AAAAAAAABIw/wNqSBKypf6c/s320/Silhouette-thumbnailing-to-Final.jpg" style="display: block; height: 199px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0EvEg5Gj9v4/TXW9XTP-x1I/AAAAAAAABIo/23i3hgz91to/s1600/Silhouette-thumbnailing-to-Symmetrical-small.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581575521197541202" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0EvEg5Gj9v4/TXW9XTP-x1I/AAAAAAAABIo/23i3hgz91to/s320/Silhouette-thumbnailing-to-Symmetrical-small.jpg" style="display: block; height: 106px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>It's important to recognize that your design needs to provide a striking impact on the viewer from multiple angles, so although a silhouette shape may appear strong and iconic from the front or side view, you need to continue to play around with multiple angles to really come up with something memorable and recognizable no matter where the camera's POV(point of view) appears.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wUoAw6TwiYU/TXXVbEdXycI/AAAAAAAABKw/n3wJEeP4gYA/s1600/Warpling-ortho.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581601974225717698" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wUoAw6TwiYU/TXXVbEdXycI/AAAAAAAABKw/n3wJEeP4gYA/s320/Warpling-ortho.jpg" style="display: block; height: 190px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>Orthograph sheets or "turn around" design sheets such as the image above and below show the designs from multiple angles IE; front, back, side (Ortho's or turn around design sheets are used by the modeler to produce the CG model)<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-30zX2ZavFo0/TXW-4hk2YeI/AAAAAAAABJI/VC_644IMvao/s1600/Fungoidbossortho.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581577191490478562" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-30zX2ZavFo0/TXW-4hk2YeI/AAAAAAAABJI/VC_644IMvao/s320/Fungoidbossortho.jpg" style="display: block; height: 119px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EVvB7Bc2r6U/TXW-4p5F1aI/AAAAAAAABJA/pgu0jQxuGnI/s1600/hyperactivethumbs.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581577193722860962" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EVvB7Bc2r6U/TXW-4p5F1aI/AAAAAAAABJA/pgu0jQxuGnI/s320/hyperactivethumbs.jpg" style="display: block; height: 173px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dSBdSIXtPfg/TXW-4ZzUn_I/AAAAAAAABI4/nbXKihOdL_o/s1600/stilt-stalker-thumbs-01.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581577189403697138" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dSBdSIXtPfg/TXW-4ZzUn_I/AAAAAAAABI4/nbXKihOdL_o/s320/stilt-stalker-thumbs-01.jpg" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 232px;" /></a> <br />
<div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork below is by Feng Zhu)</i></div><i></i><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kUhywCwd1VA/TXXGIM0nr_I/AAAAAAAABJ4/yikjBwuYxCk/s1600/fzd_walker_01.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581585157378781170" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kUhywCwd1VA/TXXGIM0nr_I/AAAAAAAABJ4/yikjBwuYxCk/s320/fzd_walker_01.jpg" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 182px;" /></a>As a matter of importance, you should be capable of recognizing one design from the next in the same manner of picking out any existing animal on earth in a profile line up by a mere silhouette. Most of the world's population is capable of recognizing an animal by a simple outlined shape, so it's important to try and incorporate this same iconic principle within your conceptual creatures and characters.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cyY1XTX-YqM/TXXGzAAJfZI/AAAAAAAABKY/Hsiww3FvteQ/s1600/Animal-Kingdom.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581585892671847826" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cyY1XTX-YqM/TXXGzAAJfZI/AAAAAAAABKY/Hsiww3FvteQ/s320/Animal-Kingdom.jpg" style="display: block; height: 224px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <br />
<div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork below is by Feng Zhu)</i></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--MkhAZ8VNEw/TXXGHzFDx5I/AAAAAAAABJw/ZZNE3gJ-cNs/s1600/fzd_PRJ_Char_Page02_Animals.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581585150468409234" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--MkhAZ8VNEw/TXXGHzFDx5I/AAAAAAAABJw/ZZNE3gJ-cNs/s320/fzd_PRJ_Char_Page02_Animals.jpg" style="display: block; height: 230px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>Inanimate objects as well as living animals and other imagery can be used to begin this phase in design. You never know where the most interesting of shapes will take form, so play around with all the tools and tricks of the trade that are at your disposal. The use of photography and icons can often help kick start the beginning of a unique and original design that the vast majority of the public can relate to. As per example, you might take the shape of an animal's skull - reduce it to a black silhouette and begin the process of using that shape as the body for an original creature design.This method of design can also be applied to structures, weapons, vehicles, robots, spaceships etc. <br />
<div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork below is by Feng Zhu)</i></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ISFoXiRjPKo/TXbVWVC2tAI/AAAAAAAABLg/GIxZRGZkOBU/s1600/fzd_sketchpainting_03.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581883367755265026" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ISFoXiRjPKo/TXbVWVC2tAI/AAAAAAAABLg/GIxZRGZkOBU/s320/fzd_sketchpainting_03.JPG" style="display: block; height: 134px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0MNr0I8y0EU/TXbVWFHJpXI/AAAAAAAABLY/0oiXpU6GlhU/s1600/fzd_sketchpainting_09c.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581883363478316402" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0MNr0I8y0EU/TXbVWFHJpXI/AAAAAAAABLY/0oiXpU6GlhU/s320/fzd_sketchpainting_09c.JPG" style="display: block; height: 266px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ve2VhXiozjI/TXbVV8WG4GI/AAAAAAAABLQ/v6tbpy-CFYU/s1600/fzd_tower_01_combined_06.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581883361125130338" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ve2VhXiozjI/TXbVV8WG4GI/AAAAAAAABLQ/v6tbpy-CFYU/s320/fzd_tower_01_combined_06.JPG" style="display: block; height: 154px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sbcZYLQ46JU/TXbVVc_IUxI/AAAAAAAABLI/wBz07NPFjeU/s1600/fzd_tower_painting_02b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581883352707257106" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sbcZYLQ46JU/TXbVVc_IUxI/AAAAAAAABLI/wBz07NPFjeU/s320/fzd_tower_painting_02b.jpg" style="display: block; height: 174px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bXAd8JxFFSI/TXbVVWDCiyI/AAAAAAAABLA/JpgaplIFnR4/s1600/fzd_value_studies_00.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581883350844607266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bXAd8JxFFSI/TXbVVWDCiyI/AAAAAAAABLA/JpgaplIFnR4/s320/fzd_value_studies_00.JPG" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 298px;" /></a>When producing designs at this stage of development, it helps to line them up or scatter them all out on the same page at a thumbnail scale. At this point, you're looking for a shape and a design that you can relate to and something that has the most potential for a unique idea. Often some of the more simple shapes become some of the more easily recognized. This is the case of using dominate and iconic shapes that blend well together. Proportion of shapes play a major role in this stage of silhouette design, so although it's not always important to know what's what during this phase you may want to keep it in mind for the next step. <br />
<div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork is from "<a href="http://www.designstudiopress.com/new_site/book_pages/pics_skillful_huntsman/book_skillful_huntsman.html">The Skillful Huntsman</a>" Copyright 2011 <a href="http://www.designstudiopress.com/">Design Studio Press</a> & <a href="http://www.drawthrough.com/">Scott Robertson</a> - artwork by <a href="http://mikeyamada.blogspot.com/">Mike Yamada</a>.)</i></div><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xxeRnxwVBYs/TXbZVW24CgI/AAAAAAAABL4/E1Goj_4KedU/s1600/SkillfulHuntsman_96CMYK-72.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581887749108533762" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xxeRnxwVBYs/TXbZVW24CgI/AAAAAAAABL4/E1Goj_4KedU/s320/SkillfulHuntsman_96CMYK-72.jpg" style="display: block; height: 160px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xrnAo2NvuAw/TXbZVBVtYRI/AAAAAAAABLo/vwfd3QisAFM/s1600/SkillfulHuntsman_96CMYK-10.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581887743332278546" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xrnAo2NvuAw/TXbZVBVtYRI/AAAAAAAABLo/vwfd3QisAFM/s320/SkillfulHuntsman_96CMYK-10.jpg" style="display: block; height: 160px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <br />
<div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork is by <a href="http://www.khangle.net/">Khang Le</a>)</i></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rYTHDYu5g8k/TXbZVcnsocI/AAAAAAAABLw/yXLKl1EP5Qw/s1600/SkillfulHuntsman_96CMYK-71.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581887750655484354" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rYTHDYu5g8k/TXbZVcnsocI/AAAAAAAABLw/yXLKl1EP5Qw/s320/SkillfulHuntsman_96CMYK-71.jpg" style="display: block; height: 160px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <br />
<div align="center"><i>(I also recommend checking out another book by Design Studio Press called "<a href="http://www.designstudiopress.com/new_site/book_pages/pics_alienrace/book_alienrace.html">Alien Race</a>")</i></div>"<b>Body proportion variations</b>: Within a silhouette the basic elements from the abdomen, upper torso, head, arms and legs can easily determine the size, height and general appearance of a character. Everything from the width of the chest to the size of the forearm compared to the size and length of the bicep are ways to distinguish from one concept to the next when involving human or humanoid designs. It's those little differences of the dominate shapes and appendages that can help identify one concept from the next concerning designs with similar body structures. <br />
<div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork below is from "The Skillful Huntsman" Copyright 2011 Design Studio Press & Scott Robertson - artwork 'left' is by <b>Felix Yoon</b> - artwork 'right' is by <a href="http://www.khangle.net/">Khang Le</a>)</i></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9QCPM77tv74/TXbfBHiDyiI/AAAAAAAABMY/89UYclZIl7Q/s1600/SkillfulHuntsman_96CMYK-56.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581893998467074594" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9QCPM77tv74/TXbfBHiDyiI/AAAAAAAABMY/89UYclZIl7Q/s320/SkillfulHuntsman_96CMYK-56.jpg" style="display: block; height: 160px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <br />
<div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork below is from "The Skillful Huntsman" Copyright 2011 Design Studio Press & Scott Robertson - artwork is by <a href="http://www.khangle.net/">Khang Le</a>)</i></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WCmtwyZ-v-A/TXbfA4NLhrI/AAAAAAAABMQ/6hPVjsFE-Gg/s1600/SkillfulHuntsman_96CMYK-46.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581893994352969394" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WCmtwyZ-v-A/TXbfA4NLhrI/AAAAAAAABMQ/6hPVjsFE-Gg/s320/SkillfulHuntsman_96CMYK-46.jpg" style="display: block; height: 160px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FYwKLN3WoAY/TXbfAZjqe7I/AAAAAAAABMI/bmNWdKGVIQ4/s1600/SkillfulHuntsman_96CMYK-43.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581893986125773746" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FYwKLN3WoAY/TXbfAZjqe7I/AAAAAAAABMI/bmNWdKGVIQ4/s320/SkillfulHuntsman_96CMYK-43.jpg" style="display: block; height: 160px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-skCA1E_UP1w/TXbe_veu2kI/AAAAAAAABMA/ohN3fcJew1o/s1600/SkillfulHuntsman_96CMYK-41.jpg"></a><br />
<div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork below is by <b>Mike Corriero</b>)</i></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MQzr9tSJlUQ/TXW_LJs2h5I/AAAAAAAABJQ/Um-ZHOm9lro/s1600/digi-humanoids-small.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581577511499106194" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MQzr9tSJlUQ/TXW_LJs2h5I/AAAAAAAABJQ/Um-ZHOm9lro/s320/digi-humanoids-small.jpg" style="display: block; height: 253px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <br />
<div align="center"><i>(Note: Final Product based off of a quick thumbnail, chosen to be one of the stronger designs in silhouette)</i></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9M3GDrXyCNI/TXXCc7qcNlI/AAAAAAAABJo/yTcqVFxm53U/s1600/RockJaw-final.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581581115503425106" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9M3GDrXyCNI/TXXCc7qcNlI/AAAAAAAABJo/yTcqVFxm53U/s320/RockJaw-final.jpg" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 225px;" /></a>After choosing the best silhouette for the job at hand, you can take that shape and lower the opacity to begin the process of sketching a rough base of anatomy within the shapes. It's fine to modify a few things here and there at this point, but the ultimate goal is to make sense of the shapes in such a way as to retain that striking iconic silhouette you began with. This can be done in two ways. You can either lower the opacity of the silhouette and begin sketching in the form of line work, or you can keep the silhouette as is and begin blocking in forms of lighter values. <br />
<div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork below is from "The Skillful Huntsman" Copyright 2011 Design Studio Press & Scott Robertson - artwork by <a href="http://mikeyamada.blogspot.com/">Mike Yamada</a>.)</i></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r0_6-djwrwE/TXbiiYdTm8I/AAAAAAAABMo/W4EovsKuUPI/s1600/SkillfulHuntsman_96CMYK-60.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581897868481108930" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r0_6-djwrwE/TXbiiYdTm8I/AAAAAAAABMo/W4EovsKuUPI/s320/SkillfulHuntsman_96CMYK-60.jpg" style="display: block; height: 160px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <br />
<div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork below is from "The Skillful Huntsman" Copyright 2011 Design Studio Press & Scott Robertson - artwork by <a href="http://www.khangle.net/">Khang Le</a>)</i></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-19TDGQjgacg/TXbiiCZnH8I/AAAAAAAABMg/SGYRtTZXXIo/s1600/SkillfulHuntsman_96CMYK-74.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581897862560030658" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-19TDGQjgacg/TXbiiCZnH8I/AAAAAAAABMg/SGYRtTZXXIo/s320/SkillfulHuntsman_96CMYK-74.jpg" style="display: block; height: 160px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <br />
<div align="center"><i>(Note: Artwork below is by <b>Mike Corriero</b>)</i></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5IvZv0GFv_A/TXW_sdsEgfI/AAAAAAAABJY/8ZtNB972fOY/s1600/Silhouette-thumbnailing-brushtip.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581578083800220146" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5IvZv0GFv_A/TXW_sdsEgfI/AAAAAAAABJY/8ZtNB972fOY/s320/Silhouette-thumbnailing-brushtip.jpg" style="display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>When you begin to work out the details of the design and anatomy within the silhouette in the method of values and form, this opens up a lot of options for variations of where you can push the anatomy hidden within. You may even want to make some minor adjustments to the outline of the silhouette for some additional distinction.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SR3C9gCQcKA/TXW_sZJ1QRI/AAAAAAAABJg/olM30HIL9ec/s1600/Reevaluating_Silhouette.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581578082582872338" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SR3C9gCQcKA/TXW_sZJ1QRI/AAAAAAAABJg/olM30HIL9ec/s320/Reevaluating_Silhouette.jpg" style="display: block; height: 217px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
I hope you find these examples and the information helpful and give this method of design a try for yourselves. It may help you open up to new ways of thinking and alternate methods in generating ideas. As is always the case, remember to use reference when necessary. Once I finished the "Landmine Crustacean" rough silhouette I referred to a photo of a crab's claw instead of guessing how it's constructed. Photo reference and research is always important no matter what the job or project involves. - Mike Corriero<br />
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<i>Guest blogger </i><a href="http://www.mikecorriero.com/index/Top/default.htm"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Mike Corriero</span></i></b></a><i> is a character, creature, and conceptual designer and illustrator living in New Jersey. Since graduating from Pratt Institute in 2003, Mike's client list has included Breakaway Games, Fantasy Flight Games, Allied Studios, Kingsisle Entertainment, Radical entertainment/ Vivendi Universal Games, Liquid Development, Zynga Inc, Challenge Games, Paizo Publishing and Hasbro Inc, among others. Mike's book "</i><a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/planet-to-planet/14916342"><b><span style="color: #660000;">PLANET to PLANET creatures and strange worlds</span></b></a><i>" includes hundreds of his sketches of creatures, robots, alien life forms and their environments. I recommend it for students focusing on visual development for games, or anyone who loves creature design. - J. G. O.</i> <br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=JenniferG.Oliver&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0972667644&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
<i></i>Mike Corrierohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06673676156584736947noreply@blogger.com292tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-89124771467681921552011-03-05T01:02:00.000-08:002011-03-05T10:56:21.229-08:00An Interview with Terryl Whitlatch - Part One<i>Born in Oakland, California, Terryl Whitlatch started drawing at less than three years of age. Blessed with a mother who was, and still is, a talented artist-illustrator, and a father who taught biology, her fascination with animals started early. Countless weekends were spent visiting zoos, aquariums, and museums, and her father was constantly bringing home mounted skeletons, creatures preserved in jars, and living animals as well - chicken hatchlings, bullfrogs, iguanas, and insects.<br />
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After studying illustration at the California College of Arts and the Academy of Art University, Terryl began a career that has spanned over 25 years. She has worked with many major studios and effects houses as a highly sought after creature and concept designer. Clients include Industrial Light and Magic, Lucas Film Ltd., Pixar, Walt Disney Feature Animation, PDI, Entertainment Arts, LucasArts, Chronicle Books, and various zoos and natural history museums.<br />
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Terryl is a former instructor and course developer for animal anatomy and creature design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and is the creator and illustrator of three books, The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide , The Katurran Odyssey, and the newly released Animals Real and Imagined. She is currently living in Northern California and doing visual development for the film industry. </i><br />
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<i> JGO: Thank you so much for granting us this interview. First question; what originally drew you (no pun intended) to a career in creature design?</i><br />
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TW: It was accidental—I am a paleo reconstructionist and animal artist—ILM needed someone who could do animals well, and from there after designing the zebras and monkeys for Jumanji, I had plenty of opportunities to do creatures. I also did a lot of creatures for LucasArts and LucasLearning.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YwPh1gdmU_9n8vJmCNZ4uo8-nM7JeXQMl4dG-qpgrmkiCdRLS4_uVoHrfmbfY6ADCiW-xVtqLOxmwhiVKqVmT8jGLe13TwdEmcTilU82cmrL09h4gG1QJfmCbq61B_iH7fwemy7a-q85/s1600/180272_10150108934029433_682409432_5934762_5001306_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YwPh1gdmU_9n8vJmCNZ4uo8-nM7JeXQMl4dG-qpgrmkiCdRLS4_uVoHrfmbfY6ADCiW-xVtqLOxmwhiVKqVmT8jGLe13TwdEmcTilU82cmrL09h4gG1QJfmCbq61B_iH7fwemy7a-q85/s320/180272_10150108934029433_682409432_5934762_5001306_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i> JGO: What inspired the creation of your new book "Animals, real and imagined?"</i><br />
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TW: A nagging art director by the name of Gilbert Banducci. He was in it for fame and profit –just kidding!<br />
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<i>JGO: When you begin the design process, how do you prioritize the creature's design? Do you put the creature's behavior first , or do you begin with the environment that it inhabits? Does it change from creature to creature?</i><br />
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TW: While it can be a case by case situation, I usually have a story and place/environment that the creature exists in—this determines to a great deal what types of behaviors and functional lifestyles, and what type of anatomy it needs to survive successfully.<br />
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<i>JGO: What are some of the greatest challenges that a creature designer faces when working as a part of a team on a feature film?</i><br />
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</i>TW: The greatest challenge is communication and understanding of the big picture that you are all trying to achieve together, and to understand and appreciate one another’s individual skills and responsibilities. All have unique talents that complement one another’s. There is never room for prima donnas.<br />
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<i>JGO: Other than clothing or ornament, what are some of the characteristics that a designer might include when creating highly intelligent (sentient) creatures?</i><br />
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TW: Physical size, individual characteristics, personality, and secondary sexual differences (male vs female), age—old, mature, juvenile, infant, hatchling, etc. Facial expression and emotional abilities are important to indicate intelligence in species.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25tpnQUyixltYSRftgSVDdeWT21Zk8aN3HV5fpgHe_WBj1u94x0IWmxBVgzsTz202hyphenhyphenqtmCmMXHq1VdIdgWTYJ9uTsQ8vWkpJI5alw78iAUoekNizwXk5bdxij945rsnXBDbqmCOSab9D/s1600/6774_120919809432_682409432_1977920_7705652_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25tpnQUyixltYSRftgSVDdeWT21Zk8aN3HV5fpgHe_WBj1u94x0IWmxBVgzsTz202hyphenhyphenqtmCmMXHq1VdIdgWTYJ9uTsQ8vWkpJI5alw78iAUoekNizwXk5bdxij945rsnXBDbqmCOSab9D/s320/6774_120919809432_682409432_1977920_7705652_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><i>Above: Terryl works surrounded by her reference images. She has a substantial library of images to refer to inside a wall of file cabinets. Research, reference and knowledge of anatomy are essential to creating believable creatures and characters.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpDWLvBIb5QhohdQVIV5kXdQ9HXIs9r_a1nnVIJz1Ab_NhzpYwviy97SWBvut_mI-V4Vn-llQJEOv9ZcdBr_nVFV9tLzPjpp6t1gMn5YD1eUXnd374qDQz51mr_JBgZBObqGruVORVLLh/s1600/4955_110186899432_682409432_1808113_4872622_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpDWLvBIb5QhohdQVIV5kXdQ9HXIs9r_a1nnVIJz1Ab_NhzpYwviy97SWBvut_mI-V4Vn-llQJEOv9ZcdBr_nVFV9tLzPjpp6t1gMn5YD1eUXnd374qDQz51mr_JBgZBObqGruVORVLLh/s320/4955_110186899432_682409432_1808113_4872622_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>Above: Terryl uses<a href="http://www.amazon.com/COPIC-Original-Markers-Piece-Set/dp/B000QEUTUG"> Copic markers</a> (both original and sketch) to paint her illustrations. The markers have both broad and narrow nibs, are refillable, and can be layered to create varying effects.</i><br />
<i>Below: finished illustration.</i><br />
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<i>JGO: Aside from the level of detail, are there any differences between designing creatures for 2D animation and designing creatures for live action films?</i><br />
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TW: In actuality, there are not really any significant differences in designing between 2D and 3D venues. They both require accurate spot-on drawing and anatomical knowledge, even if the end result is for extreme stylization in the characters. Most animation studios want to start out very realistic, and then stylize in degrees from that point. The anatomy simply is stylized each step of the way.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzb00UKrXpLLQXO8quKUqkZElAyqy6DfdsazDst2VREpQ5wY8lNGBZuEZ00B91UCyxhLedjxf4FxnfEnV7OZ1484foRWJrtz0FCv1uwtjdsuJlSyOKb5Mv8y7dztArGpjObBr5zzqvg3pb/s1600/4bear+anat_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzb00UKrXpLLQXO8quKUqkZElAyqy6DfdsazDst2VREpQ5wY8lNGBZuEZ00B91UCyxhLedjxf4FxnfEnV7OZ1484foRWJrtz0FCv1uwtjdsuJlSyOKb5Mv8y7dztArGpjObBr5zzqvg3pb/s320/4bear+anat_small.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i>Above: bear anatomical studies by Terryl Whitatch done for Walt Disney's animated feature film "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brother-Bear-Welcome-Clark-Wakabayashi/dp/0786854200/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299306270&sr=1-1">Brother Bear</a>". Below: clean up scene sample model sheets (animation by Rune Brandt Bennicke, clean up by David Nethery) demonstrates how Terryl's informative studies were put to use in the final film.<br />
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<i>JGO: There's been a recent trend in films to add extra limbs or eyes to alien creatures. Are there any environmental factors that would lead to the development of, say, large hexapedal animals, or do such designs simply require a willing suspension of disbelief from the audience?</i><br />
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TW: Such designs do indeed require a willing suspension of disbelief. On the planet Earth, the only successful animals with 6 or more limbs are the arthropods—insects, arachnids, and crustaceans. They all tend to be very small and/or water dwelling. These animals do not need the extra calories that would be required to support and move extra pairs of limbs, which are heavy and require considerable energy and nutrition. The forces of physics alone negate any advantages that extra legs might have. In our world, extra limbs on normally four-legged animals such as amphibians, reptiles, mammals, or birds, would be counter-productive to the survival of the animal, and in most cases, would be a fatal mutation.<br />
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<b><i>Stay tuned for part two. And in the meantime, Los Angeles residents can mark their calendars! Terryl and her editor, Gilbert Banducci, will be in L.A. between March 17th and March 19th for lectures and book signings regarding "Animals Real and Imagined". Below is a poster with all the details of the dates, times and places:</i></b><br />
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<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":"msg"}"><span class="messageBody"><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=widgetsamazon-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0811847365&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=widgetsamazon-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0743225007&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=widgetsamazon-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0786854200&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
</span></h6>Jennifer G. Oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05921022924125424519noreply@blogger.com61tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-63080926675293167742011-03-04T21:52:00.000-08:002011-03-05T10:50:46.047-08:00J.C. LeyendeckerThis week our class focuses on creating costumed characters with clothing that displays believable drapery and folds. Few artists have ever been as skilled at rendering garb of every type as was Joesph Christian (J.C.) Leyendecker (1874-1951). Born in Germany, Leyendecker and his family moved to America in 1882. He attended the Chicago Art Institute and, along with his younger brother Frank, was enrolled in the Academie Julian in Paris. The brothers returned to Chicago in 1899 and set up their studio on South Michigan Ave. Joe soon received his first commission for a <i><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Evening_Post" title="Saturday Evening Post">Saturday Evening Post</a></i> cover, and would later produce 322 covers for the magazine.<br />
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Leyendecker also did covers for Collier's Magazine, and by 1900 had moved with his brother and sister to New York City to begin an enormously successful career as a commercial artist and illustrator. His client list included Kuppenheimer Suits, Interwoven Socks, Kellogg's and, most notably, Arrow shirt collars. The Arrow Collar Man-a male answer to the Gibson Girl-came to define the fashionable American male during the early decades of the twentieth century. For the illustrations <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-americanillustration.org_2-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Christian_Leyendecker#cite_note-americanillustration.org-2"></a></sup>Leyendecker often used his favorite model <a class="new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charles_Beach&action=edit&redlink=1" title="Charles Beach (page does not exist)">Charles Beach</a> (1886–1952) who later became his manager and lived with him until the end of his days.<br />
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Leyendecker preceded Norman Rockwell, who was hugely influenced by the illustrator, particularly early on in his career. The two became good friends and remained so throughout their lives. Through his work for the Saturday Evening Post, J.C. Leyendecker created lasting cultural images for the early half of the 20th Century in America. The mainstream image of Santa Claus as a jolly fat man in a red fur-trimmed coat was popularized by Leyendecker, as was the image of the New Year Baby. The tradition of giving flowers as a gift on Mother's Day was started by Leyendecker's May 30, 1914 <i><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Evening_Post" title="Saturday Evening Post">Saturday Evening Post</a></i> cover depicting a young bellhop carrying hyacinths. It was created as a commemoration of President Woodrow Wilson's declaration of Mother's Day as an official holiday that year.<br />
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<b>Method</b>: In December of 1950, Saturday Evening Post cover artist J.C. Leyendecker outlined his basic method in a letter to a student:<br />
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“My first step is to fill a sketch pad with a number of small rough sketches about two by three inches, keeping them on one sheet so you can compare them at a glance. Select the one that seems to tell the story most clearly and has an interesting design. Enlarge this by square to the size of the magazine cover, adding more detail and color as needed.<br />
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You are now ready for the model. First make a number of pencil or charcoal studies. Select the most promising and on a sketch canvas do these in full color, oil or water with plenty of detail. Keep an open mind and be alert to capture any movement or pose that may improve your original idea.<br />
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“You may now dismiss your model, but be sure you have all the material needed with separate studies of parts to choose from, for you are now on your own and must work entirely from your studies.<br />
This canvas will somewhat resemble a picture puzzle, and it is up to you to assemble it and fit it into your design at the same time simplify wherever possible by eliminating all un-essentials. All this is done on tracing paper and retraced on the final canvas. Your finished painting may be any size to suit you, but is usually about twice the size of the reproduction."<br />
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“As a rule, I start work with a round or flat sable using a thin wash, with turps as a medium. Keep shadows very transparent, and as the work progresses, apply the paint more thickly on lighted areas, adding some poppy oil or linseed oil if necessary, and using a larger flat bristle brush for the heavier paint, but still keeping the shadows thin and vibrant. When the work is dry, apply a quick drying retouching varnish either with a brush or an atomizer.<br />
Sometimes because of prohibitive model rates or other reasons, one is forced to use photography, but try and avoid it if possible."<br />
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Leyendecker's defined, highly structured-even sculptural-style influenced that of the character designs of Disney's "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Pocahontas-Stephen-Rebello/dp/0786862114/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299304271&sr=1-1">Pocahontas</a>" (animator Glen Keane, among others, is a long time admirer of J. C. Leyendecker's works), as well as the video games <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_Fortress_2">Team Fortress 2</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dagger_of_Amon_Ra">The Dagger of Amon Ra</a>.<br />
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<i>Special thanks to lines and colors and Gurney Journey for publishing Leyendecker's process. </i><br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=widgetsamazon-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0810995212&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Jennifer G. Oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05921022924125424519noreply@blogger.com88tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-19267053812612571822011-02-27T16:07:00.000-08:002011-03-02T22:30:00.819-08:00Overcoming an Artist's Creative BlockJen has shared some comments from her students and has told me a few people have been asking how to overcome an artist's creative block. It's something that happens to the best of us, whether you're an amateur or a seasoned pro, so don't feel like it's expected that you always be capable of busting out a great idea on cue. Most artists produce some quick random sketches and doodles to warm up. These don't always have to be original or make sense to anyone except yourself. Drawing at a smaller scale allows you to bounce around more quickly from one idea to the next, and you don't need to concern or frustrate yourself with perfect anatomy or unnecessary details.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DZa6PkgBYKQ/TWs_OXUwF7I/AAAAAAAAA9o/HTn1N8_EJkg/s1600/doodles-simplicity-thumbs.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 282px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578622079440263090" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DZa6PkgBYKQ/TWs_OXUwF7I/AAAAAAAAA9o/HTn1N8_EJkg/s320/doodles-simplicity-thumbs.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H07_flRue9w/TWw6bSsH4wI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/fgp_0t1RO7Q/s1600/doodles-simplicity-thumbs2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 280px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578898278952985346" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H07_flRue9w/TWw6bSsH4wI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/fgp_0t1RO7Q/s320/doodles-simplicity-thumbs2.jpg" /></a>When you hit a creative block, throw all plausibility and functionality out the window. At this point you can drop all the rules and limitations of reality and push more toward the strange, abstract and completely random ideas that are more aesthetically pleasing or iconic and graphically designed in shape. Tiny doodles that almost appear as stick figures or jellyfish can be turned into something more plausible and functional at a later point in time. I find that cropping portions of these quick sketches, duplicating them, flipping horizontally/Vertically and mirroring the image can sometimes quickly spark ideas to use as a base point for a more detailed concept.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DX_ouoXQheo/TWtB431ODdI/AAAAAAAAA-Y/Y3jMSKWIjyU/s1600/doodles-simplicity.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578625008744140242" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DX_ouoXQheo/TWtB431ODdI/AAAAAAAAA-Y/Y3jMSKWIjyU/s320/doodles-simplicity.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K8gRU5dEJ1A/TWtB4pvfQeI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/HO2aL_wcMmQ/s1600/mirrored-thoughtless-sketches.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 244px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578625004962005474" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K8gRU5dEJ1A/TWtB4pvfQeI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/HO2aL_wcMmQ/s320/mirrored-thoughtless-sketches.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gdl_ksJ65-o/TWtB4ptwQ0I/AAAAAAAAA-I/mhRNn4VLKmY/s1600/abstract-designs.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 248px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578625004954731330" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gdl_ksJ65-o/TWtB4ptwQ0I/AAAAAAAAA-I/mhRNn4VLKmY/s320/abstract-designs.jpg" /></a>As artists our minds constantly work overtime (which is why it's generally common that artists have trouble sleeping or develop <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insomnia">Insomnia</a> as a result); Our minds are never at rest. We wonder then why it is that we stare at a blank piece of paper incapable of coming up with even one good idea. This is just a normal reaction to an overabundance of thoughts; in essence it's the same as bursting a metaphorical bubble, in this case it's our creative bubble that bursts leaving our minds blank. Surround yourself with your own work and other artists works. Pin some of your favorite imagery up on walls. As you're drawing it will generally help to keep things simple and loose while trying to overcome that creative block. Try creating a few variations of one similar idea, leaving each new sketch on the screen or on the same canvas or sketchbook page for reference and inspiration. This way you immediately skip past the trouble of coming up with something completely new and you can work with what you've already produced, letting those doodles and sketches continue to evolve and develop.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KZLkfbZtzvg/TWxJc_kEOlI/AAAAAAAAA_o/bMQRfA44H4c/s1600/Insect-concept-variants.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 206px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578914800853072466" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KZLkfbZtzvg/TWxJc_kEOlI/AAAAAAAAA_o/bMQRfA44H4c/s320/Insect-concept-variants.jpg" /></a>First and foremost, never try to force a drawing if you're coming up with blanks and expecting some profound concept to just burst out of thin air. The more you force it, you're more likely to become frustrated and feel like giving up. This usually results in some of the most uninspired and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic">generic</a> designs.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zE9bA8-vAOk/TWxkk335PRI/AAAAAAAAA_4/s9GpSDzABlg/s1600/thumb-explor.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 116px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578944623041658130" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zE9bA8-vAOk/TWxkk335PRI/AAAAAAAAA_4/s9GpSDzABlg/s320/thumb-explor.jpg" /></a>Never stare at a blank piece of paper. Don't assume that you're going to see a great design floating around in your mind and you'll easily be capable of translating that down on paper. Most artists may have thousands of ideas pass through their <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subconscious">subconscious</a> on any given day. My suggestion is to get up and walk away from the sketchbook or the computer. Go for a walk, listen to music, read a book, watch a movie, play a video game or check out other artists works on Art Forums. It doesn't hurt to take a 10 minute break or even an hour or two. Below are a few good art forums worth checking out:<br /><div align="center"><a href="http://cghub.com/forum/">CGHUB</a> - <a href="http://www.creaturespot.com/">CreatureSpot.com </a>- <a href="http://www.conceptart.org/forums/">ConceptArt.org</a> - <a href="http://forums.cgsociety.org/">CGtalk</a> - <a href="http://community.imaginefx.com/forums/">ImagineFX</a> - <a href="http://forums.thegnomonworkshop.com/index.php">Gnomon</a></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4xhyo_DQwmw/TWw9Ew484uI/AAAAAAAAA_g/RnYgjpBxn7w/s1600/Icon-Thumbnails.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 224px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578901190457746146" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4xhyo_DQwmw/TWw9Ew484uI/AAAAAAAAA_g/RnYgjpBxn7w/s320/Icon-Thumbnails.jpg" /></a>If you want a simple solution to jumping that imaginary hurdle we call a creative block, just simply begin writing down ideas in your sketchbook as you would write your random thoughts down in a journal. If you wake up and had a crazy dream, make sure you have a small book available at your bedside to grab it and write it down. The same goes for watching a movie, or talking to a friend. As soon as an interesting concept or illustration idea pops in your head, realize that you don't need to take the time to draw the entire thing then and there. The frustration that might come with trying to jot it down in such detail at that very moment might sabotage you. You merely need to just write a few sentences or key words, or at the very most a tiny doodle of a thumbnail as a reminder. This type of artist's journal can be a resource similar to an encyclopedia worth of inspiration and material that are your own original thoughts and ideas, something you can refer to at anytime when you feel like you've hit a block. It's often more affective to write out a little description of a back story for your design so you have something to work with before you begin drawing. You might also try revisiting old sketchbooks and producing updated versions and re-designs of old concepts.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qQd1o_9h6hA/TWxeyG-mKPI/AAAAAAAAA_w/6CiIHISh77M/s1600/artist-journal.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 233px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578938253364832498" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qQd1o_9h6hA/TWxeyG-mKPI/AAAAAAAAA_w/6CiIHISh77M/s320/artist-journal.jpg" /></a>Another simple solution is to use a topic generator. One of which was made very popular by artists <b>Hydropix</b>, <b>Vyle</b>, <b>Viag</b>, <b>Sparth</b> and <b>Barontieri</b> called 3CH. You can download the 3CH topic generator here: <a href="http://3ch.redwhirlpool.com/3CH/3CHMODS.zip">http://3ch.redwhirlpool.com/3CH/3CHMODS.zip</a> You'll see a few sample topics below.<br /><ul><li><b><span style="color:#cc0000;">A gigantic golem embraces a woman in a desert.</span></b></li><li><b><span style="color:#cc0000;">An ectoplasmic scorpion flees a sentinel in a landscape of bubbles.</span></b></li><li><div align="left"><b><span style="color:#cc0000;">A dark shaman bombs a carnivorous plant in the abyssals zone.</span></b></div></li></ul><div align="left">If you've ever stared into the sky and seen images in clouds that don't really exist the same principal goes for staring at patterns in decorated rugs or photo textures - <a href="http://mayang.com/textures/">Mayang Texture Library</a> - of things like mossy grass or dry cracked dirt. We're capable of seeing "something" more than most other people because we can 'connect the dots' so to speak. We can more quickly identify what appears to be an eye, mouth, nose, a body of an animal or a cartoon character and other similar imagery. All we need is a <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/vague">vague</a> starting point in order to begin the creative process. So why do we stare at a blank white page? By taking this same idea and incorporating it into your sketchbook or your digital canvas, it will help to get the creative juices of your mind flowing. You can see some samples below that use what I like to call "Cloud Lines" or photo textures which you can use in order to get past that white page. Anything to break up the blank white space will help.</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 318px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578622483675127970" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v9MNC-Gu05Y/TWs_l5N2oKI/AAAAAAAAA94/Z4MJ4iIPA44/s320/cloud-lines-02.jpg" /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NOFUW_M1gzw/TWs_lrUIZ7I/AAAAAAAAA9w/tvsVJ-Zxi-0/s1600/cloud-lines-03.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 261px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578622479943362482" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NOFUW_M1gzw/TWs_lrUIZ7I/AAAAAAAAA9w/tvsVJ-Zxi-0/s320/cloud-lines-03.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4goBqlhvTtM/TWs_7WOdoxI/AAAAAAAAA-A/Yh9OVceZUSc/s1600/cloud-lines-01.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 318px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578622852239565586" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4goBqlhvTtM/TWs_7WOdoxI/AAAAAAAAA-A/Yh9OVceZUSc/s320/cloud-lines-01.jpg" /></a>Draw a bunch of very light scribbles, doodles and random fluid or geometric shapes. If you're doing this digitally, you can just continuously duplicate, <a href="http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/articles/concept_free_transform.html">free-transform</a> and paste these scribbles and shapes all over a canvas as a starting point. Aside from this Cloud-Like effect as a base point to start with, you could either use a photo texture and just obscure the imagery, pattern or what have you, and then lower the opacity, flip and rotate or modify the original content so it no longer becomes recognizable.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WSgKk5QzBdQ/TWxxyjNrgzI/AAAAAAAABAA/cQruCN5XJyU/s1600/textured-background-example-creature-small.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 236px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578959151665218354" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WSgKk5QzBdQ/TWxxyjNrgzI/AAAAAAAABAA/cQruCN5XJyU/s320/textured-background-example-creature-small.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jLDE1e-7zWo/TWw5ejwngsI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/cHBJEyRmqyA/s1600/textured-background-example-creature-small.jpg"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b7WzrhaA3W8/TWwji8DjYOI/AAAAAAAAA-w/I-5RDHr0ixE/s1600/textured-background-base.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 234px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578873121548755170" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b7WzrhaA3W8/TWwji8DjYOI/AAAAAAAAA-w/I-5RDHr0ixE/s320/textured-background-base.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xy4BoO1orTM/TWwjiy03pQI/AAAAAAAAA-o/PrgVVAPNGus/s1600/Photo-text-mantage.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 234px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578873119071249666" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xy4BoO1orTM/TWwjiy03pQI/AAAAAAAAA-o/PrgVVAPNGus/s320/Photo-text-mantage.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TOXVqeDW5wo/TWwjiie1eAI/AAAAAAAAA-g/HOtXccSRtdo/s1600/Photo-text-mantage-examples.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 234px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578873114683865090" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TOXVqeDW5wo/TWwjiie1eAI/AAAAAAAAA-g/HOtXccSRtdo/s320/Photo-text-mantage-examples.jpg" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplicity">Simplicity</a> is key. In using a simple <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silhouette">silhouette</a> of an <a href="http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_an_inanimate_object">inanimate</a> object, or merely drawing a simple oblong shape you can give yourself a challenge or a little puzzle to exercise your brain and your imagination. Take this <a href="http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_do_you_call_a_shape_resembling_an_oval&firstAnswer=1&updated=1&waNoAnsSet=1&status=T1BUSU1JWkVBTk9OWU1PVVNBTlNXRVJT">oblong shape</a> and try to determine what could be a head, where the main torso is, what can you add to it at this point to continue the process? In the process of trying to create a living creature out of a random unplanned shape you've already overcome the dreaded blank page and creative block that causes so much frustration among artists.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nmbjjSs3huI/TWw3utL79SI/AAAAAAAAA-4/tyw9o9e9vXQ/s1600/sil-design.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 226px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578895313948374306" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nmbjjSs3huI/TWw3utL79SI/AAAAAAAAA-4/tyw9o9e9vXQ/s320/sil-design.jpg" /></a>Where are you more likely to be inspired; In a stark blank white room with no doors or windows? Or out in the open at a zoo or park surrounded by animals, people, vegetation, colors, life, noise and motion? Perhaps take your sketchbook outdoors rather than inside a quiet room you've become used to. You can find inspiration by talking to people, reading a good book, heading out to the park for a walk or a jog, interacting with life, observing <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/indigenous">indigenous</a> animals, how light affects the color of leaves, plants, flowers and trees. The way shadows fall on surface textures of bricks, cracked stone, pebbles and bark. Expose yourself to new surroundings.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3pBf8zdvAHg/TWw4o1M3rHI/AAAAAAAAA_I/gxHcDMgpBfQ/s1600/Softskin-critters-02.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 279px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578896312532184178" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3pBf8zdvAHg/TWw4o1M3rHI/AAAAAAAAA_I/gxHcDMgpBfQ/s320/Softskin-critters-02.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nT0KeSzsed4/TWw4owu6ZvI/AAAAAAAAA_A/YvY19-wft5o/s1600/Softskin-critters.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578896311332792050" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nT0KeSzsed4/TWw4owu6ZvI/AAAAAAAAA_A/YvY19-wft5o/s320/Softskin-critters.jpg" /></a><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/abstraction">Abstraction</a>, Subtraction, Addition & Imagination; It's better to sketch anything at all over just waiting for ideas to pop in your head while staring at a white sheet of paper.<br /><br />If you still find it intolerable and frustrating to come up with anything at all; When in doubt just do some research and studies. It's important to draw studies of human or animal anatomy to begin with, so it may help to drag 3 or 4 photos of various animals on to your screen and observe their anatomy. A little exercise that comes in handy is to draw two animals with reference and then a third animal or "creature" based off of what you just learned from the two studies you produced. It works best if you draw two animals from completely different "Classes" in the Animal Kingdom IE; A water buffalo - Class: Mammal & an Anole - Class: Reptile. In this specific design I used anatomy of Iguana, Cattle, Water Buffalo etc.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M7TH5ZhS-qY/TWs94kA67lI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/Gdg1MdzOlAc/s1600/Beladron.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 224px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578620605377998418" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M7TH5ZhS-qY/TWs94kA67lI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/Gdg1MdzOlAc/s320/Beladron.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dKOyVMSqiTg/TWs945O38kI/AAAAAAAAA9g/G2hoWZ7Zmrg/s1600/Classes_Combined.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 117px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578620611073667650" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dKOyVMSqiTg/TWs945O38kI/AAAAAAAAA9g/G2hoWZ7Zmrg/s320/Classes_Combined.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qYr2M7qCmow/TWs940IT3RI/AAAAAAAAA9Y/wALRQcR29JI/s1600/Beladron-Skel.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 223px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578620609703959826" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qYr2M7qCmow/TWs940IT3RI/AAAAAAAAA9Y/wALRQcR29JI/s320/Beladron-Skel.jpg" /></a>I'll touch more upon the Animal Kingdom, on mixing and matching various animal anatomy and how important it is to use reference, to research and read, study and observe and understand the biology of these studies rather than just trying to re-draw line for line what you're looking at in a photo. (We'll get to that next time). A few other subjects for future topics will include body structures, line weight, use of color, skin texture & patterns, thumbnails, Sketch to Final Color, symmetrical & asymmetrical designs, Focal Points, Use of Silhouettes etc..<br /><br /><em>Guest blogger </em><a href="http://www.mikecorriero.com/index/Top/default.htm"><b><em><span style="color:#cc0000;">Mike Corriero</span></em></b></a><em> is a character, creature, and conceptual designer and illustrator living in New Jersey. Since graduating from Pratt Institute in 2003, Mike's client list has included Breakaway Games, Fantasy Flight Games, Allied Studios, Kingsisle Entertainment, Radical entertainment/ Vivendi Universal Games, Liquid Development, Zynga Inc, Challenge Games, Paizo Publishing and Hasbro Inc, among others. Mike's book "</em><a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/planet-to-planet/14916342"><b><span style="color:#660000;">PLANET to PLANET creatures and strange worlds</span></b></a><em>" includes hundreds of his sketches of creatures, robots, alien life forms and their environments. I recommend it for students focusing on visual development for games, or anyone who loves creature design. - J. G. O.</em>Mike Corrierohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06673676156584736947noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-66318531601365296962011-02-26T23:53:00.000-08:002011-02-27T00:00:48.679-08:00Shane GlinesCharacter designer, illustrator and animator <a href="http://www.shaneglines.net/">Shane Glines</a> never anticipated his own success. The Oregon native's career got it's start in 1992 when he sent a letter to <a href="http://www.spumco.com/">Spumco animation studios</a>, along with a few samples of his work, asking for a little advice on where to get the best education and how to then break into the business. The reply he received in essence told him that the best way to go was to ditch the classes and seminars and come on down to Spumco to start working as an intern on the "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101178/">Ren and Stimpy</a>" show. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-8XsFM7jhJ3ci5YuX-4s1h4DGIeQw8GIbKZuUsJdarfb-66qwHfuLiJFr9C2cFFXVNgmd4itK1e6c7xL1ozWkW40IYQpLcRZlaSeV1kX15ExNWtJaLEkFdMp5c43D5O3vgLpWX4Rq0cy/s1600/4159213880_c068572d19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-8XsFM7jhJ3ci5YuX-4s1h4DGIeQw8GIbKZuUsJdarfb-66qwHfuLiJFr9C2cFFXVNgmd4itK1e6c7xL1ozWkW40IYQpLcRZlaSeV1kX15ExNWtJaLEkFdMp5c43D5O3vgLpWX4Rq0cy/s320/4159213880_c068572d19.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbapoamV6d2izcngqpLjvhXF3Oo9EGb4LBjfGeUnILK3RqZQGIaFY-M2th_rOUFyDrLQVqhx-FeKz23IDu_niyDq4_4fbIAf8rRTpZxnekkxvDYHYDrUaid2wkby39GGvmFcn3BGrQUJm7/s1600/tumblr_kv1bxhsMmc1qzun0bo1_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbapoamV6d2izcngqpLjvhXF3Oo9EGb4LBjfGeUnILK3RqZQGIaFY-M2th_rOUFyDrLQVqhx-FeKz23IDu_niyDq4_4fbIAf8rRTpZxnekkxvDYHYDrUaid2wkby39GGvmFcn3BGrQUJm7/s320/tumblr_kv1bxhsMmc1qzun0bo1_400.jpg" width="244" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6a22YqfdviYzTzDKFMg0qKcvyyKl1dY3e9zAKenBaS1ZlqLCzEmHXHpIy2b-A8kU9pWUF-2YyjspZsENv46yqiZJJW4IHuxxXuWYuCAPc4mAv82MxljZfsdn1moM_QQssSHPfmzzGlDaY/s1600/shane-glines-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6a22YqfdviYzTzDKFMg0qKcvyyKl1dY3e9zAKenBaS1ZlqLCzEmHXHpIy2b-A8kU9pWUF-2YyjspZsENv46yqiZJJW4IHuxxXuWYuCAPc4mAv82MxljZfsdn1moM_QQssSHPfmzzGlDaY/s320/shane-glines-6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>That fortuitous offer turned into an animation career that lasted for several years for Glines. He revelled in the creative atmosphere at Spumco, and enjoyed the creative community that worked behind the scenes in the entertainment industry in general. The decision makers at Spumco had been correct; on the job training was honing his skills through the collaborative atmosphere of the studio. <br />
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During a visit to the San Diego Comic Con, Glines met an artist he hugely admired; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Timm">Bruce Timm</a>. Once again the humble Glines asked for some critique of his drawings and handed Timm his sketchbook. Timm was so impressed that he offered Glines a position on "Superman: the animated series". Glines took the job and ended up working from 1994-2002 with Timm and the Warner Brothers animation team. Projects included "Batman: the animated series"" <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_Beyond">Batman Beyond</a>", and "The Justice League", along with the Cartoon Network's pilot for "Samurai Jack". Though most characters passed through many designers hands, Glines was primarily responsible for some of the villains in "Batman Beyond", and, of course, many of the girl characters in various productions.<br />
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But despite his many successes and achievements-perhaps <i>because </i>of his success and achievements- art didn't always come easily to Glines. At one point during his career the anxiety that he felt when creating for others became so overwhelming that he no longer enjoyed drawing and considered changing careers. He was so paralyzed by artistic performance anxiety that beginning new work became agonizing. Art itself became a bitter chore instead of being the exciting and fulfilling part of his life, as it had been for so much of it. But Glines fought his way back; using every approach from Tony Robbins books and tapes to studying NLT (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuro-linguistic_programming">Neuro- linguistic programming</a>). Through considerable hard work, a new focus on organization and learning to draw for himself, Glines finally regained his love of his craft.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN780GCEeDlKikJ8KFYdD5YVYtYq4uJtbfDS6fhFP-9sCApgx-Q6EdFFQSGJbLccPvBhktsOAzu_qLUE1uU6lYmxscyFB5K5TNX2zjerDyFPqGAZlPc-0uLL301SxjQc6Qm0IY7MKpK0fW/s1600/ShaneGlines1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN780GCEeDlKikJ8KFYdD5YVYtYq4uJtbfDS6fhFP-9sCApgx-Q6EdFFQSGJbLccPvBhktsOAzu_qLUE1uU6lYmxscyFB5K5TNX2zjerDyFPqGAZlPc-0uLL301SxjQc6Qm0IY7MKpK0fW/s320/ShaneGlines1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxJWxwblevOc3LKe4l6t9wwJgfkr3OjiBIzzz2vDZCaDoc-5A-t1lKbYASFdNfPP1hyXkvwzXE5Dtk4g2uQxDqa-7dgqbDdhqGQH52f1YHTazLSj0n8oP3doN5Q3Bqtrfb3EUp0Jf4zKf/s1600/471652537_427f589834_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kEra9VPAbgAKGfNUxZVmBiVDI2PV_nBhIHrwUSjWqffMovQQGjCf0mkUVn8eB_X2DdF0Ki-hz8-pB3Z8d3ioLLJizx7eT6jlYdFBtENKHnXYkVuF5NR8Igqa1DX-TxEaX5S8OGwPe6sS/s1600/shane-glines-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kEra9VPAbgAKGfNUxZVmBiVDI2PV_nBhIHrwUSjWqffMovQQGjCf0mkUVn8eB_X2DdF0Ki-hz8-pB3Z8d3ioLLJizx7eT6jlYdFBtENKHnXYkVuF5NR8Igqa1DX-TxEaX5S8OGwPe6sS/s320/shane-glines-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kEra9VPAbgAKGfNUxZVmBiVDI2PV_nBhIHrwUSjWqffMovQQGjCf0mkUVn8eB_X2DdF0Ki-hz8-pB3Z8d3ioLLJizx7eT6jlYdFBtENKHnXYkVuF5NR8Igqa1DX-TxEaX5S8OGwPe6sS/s1600/shane-glines-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kEra9VPAbgAKGfNUxZVmBiVDI2PV_nBhIHrwUSjWqffMovQQGjCf0mkUVn8eB_X2DdF0Ki-hz8-pB3Z8d3ioLLJizx7eT6jlYdFBtENKHnXYkVuF5NR8Igqa1DX-TxEaX5S8OGwPe6sS/s1600/shane-glines-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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Shane Glines' sexy, sultry, and vivacious pinup girls have legions of fans across the globe, and his unique style continues to inspires hundreds, if not thousands, of imitators. Lucky were the few that purchased his 400+ page gallery of work "S Curves: the art of Shane Glines" on Lulu while it was available. But new fans need not despair; <a href="http://www.brandstudiopress.com/store/index.php">brandstudio press</a> is now printing multiple volumes of "<a href="http://www.brandstudiopress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=95">Shane Glines' Cartoon Retro</a>".<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbEg-8AFKk3co3SOshO9aJJzOjPjfJXnXhQFzk0nrkTL8-NLiKA5cMhBjDgjet0K_ZCpuFE4_mBY_ht67VcGjBqlOkjR0vfA8YRK5DXfehDYFq0e-ByMnS0BqGER9hsGqWLzaP10Ug8zS/s1600/shane_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbEg-8AFKk3co3SOshO9aJJzOjPjfJXnXhQFzk0nrkTL8-NLiKA5cMhBjDgjet0K_ZCpuFE4_mBY_ht67VcGjBqlOkjR0vfA8YRK5DXfehDYFq0e-ByMnS0BqGER9hsGqWLzaP10Ug8zS/s320/shane_03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Shane Glines is currently President of <a href="http://cartoonretro.com/">Cartoon Retro</a> and authors the Cartoon Retro <a href="http://cartoonretro.blogspot.com/">blog</a>. Glines continues to mostly draw for himself. <br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=widgetsamazon-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0025V0MHS&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=widgetsamazon-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1600100651&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Jennifer G. Oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05921022924125424519noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-68503370963392569272011-02-19T19:08:00.000-08:002011-03-01T00:53:11.276-08:00Creature Design for Video GamesAs the technology in video games continues to develop and expand, the possibilities of what concept artists are capable of producing also becomes open to a broader range of detail and functions. Still, even as far as video games have come since the days of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Nintendo_Entertainment_System">Super Nintendo </a>and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega">Sega</a>, the In-Game design and models fall short to the fluid movement and amount of detail you may see in live action films (where anything is possible but they need to more strictly obey the laws of nature based upon the subject matter).<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-InDUZU5EKW4/TWCSKAybi2I/AAAAAAAAA84/s7zh2xj-Nok/s1600/littlehuminoids-02.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 291px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575617039392541538" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-InDUZU5EKW4/TWCSKAybi2I/AAAAAAAAA84/s7zh2xj-Nok/s320/littlehuminoids-02.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B3MQdxM_4Zs/TWCSKU2_bCI/AAAAAAAAA9A/kpQ8-P38qYE/s1600/roughs_07-08-07_b11.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 282px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575617044780379170" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B3MQdxM_4Zs/TWCSKU2_bCI/AAAAAAAAA9A/kpQ8-P38qYE/s320/roughs_07-08-07_b11.jpg" /></a>A few key elements of design to keep in mind for game designs are a strong <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silhouette">silhouette</a>, recognizable color schemes for the creature or character and distinct <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_proportions">proportions in anatomy</a>. It's just as important to know the basics of animal and human anatomy when designing a creature for a video game as it would be for anything else, so you still need to study real world animals whether from life or photos. I would recommend visiting local Zoos or even pet shops, studying your own pets and animals outside as well as watching documentaries on TV and picking up photo reference books. A few books I recommend for animal reference are the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Definitive-Visual-Worlds-Wildlife/dp/0756616344/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298969424&sr=8-1">Smithsonian Institution - Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife </a> & <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Natural-History-Smithsonian-DK-Publishing/dp/0756667526/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1WP456MAY1EIV&colid=9QSVIZZ8UY7E">Natural History (Smithsonian) The Ultimate Visual Guide to Everything on Earth</a>. While you're at it, pick up a volume or two on human anatomy as well. Those containing photos and one that is hand drawn and capable of showing the musculature, skeletal and organ systems such as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Human-Anatomy-Function-Movement/dp/0823024156/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1298153528&sr=1-1#_">Classic Human Anatomy: The Artist's Guide to Form, Function, and Movement</a>. Human and Animal anatomy go hand in hand when molding and transforming animals, humans, creatures, humanoids and everything beyond and in between.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dXm5_--nBU4/TWCTCmL7ofI/AAAAAAAAA9I/cR_l7Rcd2sY/s1600/Humanoids-2009.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 306px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575618011504288242" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dXm5_--nBU4/TWCTCmL7ofI/AAAAAAAAA9I/cR_l7Rcd2sY/s320/Humanoids-2009.jpg" /></a>The primary difference you need to keep in mind when designing for a video game is that there are more limitations as to the amount of functions and fluid movement or details that will be visible to the gamer. With that in mind, you need to utilize other ways to make a strong impact on the gamer even if the creature is seen from afar or only at a quick glance. Game designs especially if it's a fast paced action shooter or an isometric RPG are all about "Concept" and iconic designs rather than fully rendered and polished drawings with tiny details since most of that won't even get a chance to be seen, or in the case of an isometric RPG the model will be so small it wouldn't be worth including certain details as it would go to waste. In an isometric game, details such as fur and hair are often just painted into the bump and texture maps as well as a lot of other fine details that would take up too many poly's to bother modeling at such small scales.<br />Take the game series <a href="http://www.capcom.com/monsterhunter/">Monster Hunter </a>for example. This is a Platform RPG.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p7yCrB8183E/TWBOItGEVjI/AAAAAAAAA6g/V88TSSh-gM0/s1600/mhchart.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 241px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575542250135639602" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p7yCrB8183E/TWBOItGEVjI/AAAAAAAAA6g/V88TSSh-gM0/s320/mhchart.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MhmCJ9uzS3U/TWBP9ZEr42I/AAAAAAAAA6o/h5Cz0Mkxy0U/s1600/090522-monster-hunter.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 215px" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575544254805828450" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MhmCJ9uzS3U/TWBP9ZEr42I/AAAAAAAAA6o/h5Cz0Mkxy0U/s320/090522-monster-hunter.jpg" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OMT5jznSRSo/TWBTFzEEB_I/AAAAAAAAA7o/ARLgQcV6RHE/s1600/3423348898_e281dd3b07.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575547697756375026" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OMT5jznSRSo/TWBTFzEEB_I/AAAAAAAAA7o/ARLgQcV6RHE/s320/3423348898_e281dd3b07.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1T1rhtwFydI/TWBTFy1rodI/AAAAAAAAA7g/W7yRcNrcG38/s1600/3423365394_887cd42989_z.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575547697696055762" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1T1rhtwFydI/TWBTFy1rodI/AAAAAAAAA7g/W7yRcNrcG38/s320/3423365394_887cd42989_z.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ywhDvN6sQeE/TWBTFtwOmaI/AAAAAAAAA7Y/8gaKmpncKcU/s1600/3423348362_1f8616f6d3_z.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575547696331004322" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ywhDvN6sQeE/TWBTFtwOmaI/AAAAAAAAA7Y/8gaKmpncKcU/s320/3423348362_1f8616f6d3_z.jpg" /></a>Some of the better designs are those with unique body structures and proportions that may look awkward if they existed in a live action film, but they leave the biggest impact on gamers. So the anatomy of creatures in video games provides a lot more leeway and freedom for creativity, since less adherence to the laws of nature is expected in a game world. You're less likely to question why a creature with the body structure of a hippo can fly with wings the size of a hawk because you know it's "just a game" and you're more willing to suspend your disbelief than if it were a live action film. This opens up a huge array of possibilities and ways to design a unique creature without having to explain too much about the function of design choices.<br />A lot of this comes down to pure aesthetic and eye candy over plausible design. Still, even then it's important to know the basics of anatomy and how your design is intended to function in the game. You'll often work back and forth with the CG modeler to fix mistakes, or explain things that might not communicate too well in 2D once it's transfered over into 3D.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><center><iframe title="YouTube video player" height="293" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4XvxNCyUGJk?rel=0" frameborder="0" width="480" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></center>When you design creatures for a video game it's not important to play the game, as you may not have the time, but it is important to research and watch in-game trailers and take note to what is and isn't possible. If you take a look at the game<br /><a href="http://www.capcom.com/monsterhunter/">Monster Hunter</a> the series you'll come across a very broad range of creature designs. The most important thing to keep in mind is the first impression the creature will make when seen in-game. A few of the designs below are concepts that succeed very well in that case. They have strong and unique silhouettes and exaggerated body proportions.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wPTNyyV94YE/TWBSZ8tlepI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/N_z4TMB3FiE/s1600/monster-hunter-3-20090722011120017_640w.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575546944432208530" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wPTNyyV94YE/TWBSZ8tlepI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/N_z4TMB3FiE/s320/monster-hunter-3-20090722011120017_640w.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VSnVKXNUX6I/TWBSZg5blSI/AAAAAAAAA7I/D6_lOs435f8/s1600/2132373927_view.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575546936965698850" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VSnVKXNUX6I/TWBSZg5blSI/AAAAAAAAA7I/D6_lOs435f8/s320/2132373927_view.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ulh5l8a2S40/TWBSZfUYiUI/AAAAAAAAA7A/dhiMDAVGk-U/s1600/566px-Rhenoplos.png"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 199px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575546936541874498" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ulh5l8a2S40/TWBSZfUYiUI/AAAAAAAAA7A/dhiMDAVGk-U/s320/566px-Rhenoplos.png" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wxPeiymgjuQ/TWBSZCNyw9I/AAAAAAAAA64/txcv1vYKxTs/s1600/555px-Plum-Daimyo-Hermitaur.png"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 203px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575546928729605074" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wxPeiymgjuQ/TWBSZCNyw9I/AAAAAAAAA64/txcv1vYKxTs/s320/555px-Plum-Daimyo-Hermitaur.png" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-86q8aNQSq2Q/TWBSZL7NEPI/AAAAAAAAA6w/cRGE7lsr3Us/s1600/425_m01.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 177px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575546931335991538" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-86q8aNQSq2Q/TWBSZL7NEPI/AAAAAAAAA6w/cRGE7lsr3Us/s320/425_m01.jpg" /></a>Various types of games restrict details even further, and this is when you really need to focus on what's important in order to produce a design that will communicate and be easily identifiable to the gamer. These type of games are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isometric_projection">Isometric</a> RPG's such as <a href="http://us.blizzard.com/diablo3/">Diablo 3</a>. Now there has been the advancement where you're capable of scrolling with the mouse to a more eye level view in these games, as well as zooming in at times, but your design needs to focus more on how it will look at a 3/4 top down view and at a thumbnail size. This is where you'll focus very heavily on largely exaggerated proportions and color schemes to really make your creature distinct from a distance. In this sort of game platform, you'll rarely if ever see the underside of a creature. So if you decide to put eyes on the underside of the chest of a quadruped body structure, you may never see those eyes; Just something to keep in mind.<br />Refer to this In-Game trailer of <a href="http://us.blizzard.com/diablo3/">Diablo 3</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><center><iframe title="YouTube video player" height="293" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ukzRQkhb1jI?rel=0" frameborder="0" width="480"></iframe></center>The concepts below focus heavily on exaggerated proportions and silhouette. When you take a look at the concepts in the game, a lot of the designs often get lost at such a small scale and this is why it's important to really push the proportions to the extreme. Gravity can't play a big factor here, it's more important that something be almost ridiculously large so it will be seen and register with the viewer rather than fit correct proportions.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dsm6aAFgNz4/TWBhJBDX_NI/AAAAAAAAA8Q/zHCPGQ3vQUA/s1600/Unburied-art.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 209px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575563146213981394" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dsm6aAFgNz4/TWBhJBDX_NI/AAAAAAAAA8Q/zHCPGQ3vQUA/s320/Unburied-art.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xeiVLrHE7WI/TWBhIxkrcZI/AAAAAAAAA8I/j6qJJiCcxbg/s1600/mistress-of-pain.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 247px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575563142058701202" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xeiVLrHE7WI/TWBhIxkrcZI/AAAAAAAAA8I/j6qJJiCcxbg/s320/mistress-of-pain.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KiXYmXccyDA/TWBhIg9jzlI/AAAAAAAAA8A/0J-utjA5HEE/s1600/aw-20080918_04_wuestenhai2.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 231px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575563137599655506" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KiXYmXccyDA/TWBhIg9jzlI/AAAAAAAAA8A/0J-utjA5HEE/s320/aw-20080918_04_wuestenhai2.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m5q2AUXoVjI/TWBhIP9QRcI/AAAAAAAAA74/b01F8e50-Vk/s1600/673px-Unburied_03s.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 285px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575563133034972610" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m5q2AUXoVjI/TWBhIP9QRcI/AAAAAAAAA74/b01F8e50-Vk/s320/673px-Unburied_03s.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WbZweb_n8yo/TWBhIMwovUI/AAAAAAAAA7w/8iQTJiuovA4/s1600/595px-Malformed.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 318px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575563132176743746" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WbZweb_n8yo/TWBhIMwovUI/AAAAAAAAA7w/8iQTJiuovA4/s320/595px-Malformed.jpg" /></a>This is why it's important to learn to draw your design from various angles, overhead, from behind, at a 3/4 back view and so forth (this is called a "turnaround"). In this type of game you may end up exaggerating proportions of anatomy 3 or 4 times greater than that of a game like Monster Hunter, since the design is seen at a birds eye view in most cases. It's also important to recognize then that tedious details are not quite as important, since skin textures, little imperfections of scars, bumps on a nose or torn ears may never be visible to the gamer. Those are things that can be painted into the bump and texture maps. It's also important to take into account what types of actions the creature or character may perform in-game, whether the creature explodes into 50 tiny eel-like sub-forms or whether it needs to be capable of expanding its body to 10 times the initial size like a puffer fish.<br />So don't just produce a pretty looking creature that is appealing to the eye from one angle and looks good at a stand still static pose. It's your job as the concept artist to come up with possible attack actions, walk cycles, death and or birth cycles and how these actions are possible based on the anatomy and design of the creature as well as various color schemes and color reactions to what happens in-game.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hICRyCb7H8o/TWBhogk-fiI/AAAAAAAAA8g/1l5tcv3EeQY/s1600/Bild_1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 173px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575563687252360738" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hICRyCb7H8o/TWBhogk-fiI/AAAAAAAAA8g/1l5tcv3EeQY/s320/Bild_1.jpg" /></a><br />You should be able to identify a creature in a game as easily as you can identify the type of animal simply based on its silhouette. That's when you know you've succeeded in designing a creature that will leave a lasting impression on the gamer. In the isometric style RPG's the creatures often come and go so quickly and are bunched together in hordes that you hardly have time to recognize what they look like. That's why color, silhouette and exaggerated proportions are key to a successful design.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TfEYqe01zyE/TWBh-BQHXdI/AAAAAAAAA8w/dBtYSDSbmC8/s1600/ss82.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575564056800484818" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TfEYqe01zyE/TWBh-BQHXdI/AAAAAAAAA8w/dBtYSDSbmC8/s320/ss82.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A1ZBds6Jq0I/TWBh-OMXUyI/AAAAAAAAA8o/9qDqIPz3XFM/s1600/ss39.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575564060274414370" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A1ZBds6Jq0I/TWBh-OMXUyI/AAAAAAAAA8o/9qDqIPz3XFM/s320/ss39.jpg" /></a><br /><i>Guest blogger <b><a href="http://www.mikecorriero.com/index/Top/default.htm">Mike Corriero</a> </b>is a character, creature, and conceptual designer and illustrator living in New Jersey. Since graduating from Pratt Institute in 2003, Mike's client list has included Breakaway Games, Fantasy Flight Games, Allied Studios, Kingsisle Entertainment, Radical entertainment/ Vivendi Universal Games, Liquid Development, Zynga Inc, Challenge Games, Paizo Publishing and Hasbro Inc, among others.</i> <i>Mike's book</i> "<b><a href="http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/planet-to-planet/14916342">PLANET to PLANET creatures and strange worlds</a></b>" <i>includes hundreds of his sketches of creatures, robots, alien life forms and their environments. I recommend it for students focusing on visual development for games, or anyone who loves creature design. -J. G. O</i><br /><iframe style="WIDTH: 131px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; HEIGHT: 245px; PADDING-TOP: 5px" marginheight="0" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=widgetsamazon-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0823024156&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" align="left"></iframe>Mike Corrierohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06673676156584736947noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-58631567138308370062011-02-14T00:26:00.000-08:002011-03-05T13:04:05.151-08:00Shannon Tindle-the Best and Worst Animated Characters, ExplainedSalon.com recently featured an interview with <a href="http://shannontindle.blogspot.com/">Shannon Tindle</a>, and Emmy-award winning character designer who worked on "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coraline_%28film%29">Coraline</a>" along with numerous Dreamworks projects. The subject? Why are some animated character designs appealing and unforgettable, while others range from unremarkable to hideous. Here's an excerpt from the article:<br />
<br />
<b>What do you think distinguishes good character design from bad character design?</b><br />
<b> </b> <br />
<i>For me, it should be something that's believable but not necessarily realistic. Those are two things that people interchange quite a bit on productions -- and I've been involved in a lot of them. From my point of view, it's been proven that realism is not really appealing to an audience. Two good examples of successful design that audiences embraced -- "Kung Fu Panda" and "Up" -- are films that certainly were not realistic but had believable characters. A lot of people are actually afraid of stylizing characters in animated films, period. They tend to want to push it to be more realistic, but the first thing people see in an animated film is the characters, and if it's a character that doesn't have an appealing, believable design, they're not going to feel any connection to it. -S.T.</i><br />
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Some of the character designs on Mr. Tindle's "best" list:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_mAymqnUfEITtPBI2-rplp-eDqPZZqXAMJ2QH0dLhXjYtJFFpoaUjfJTCqkaH3HOZWetLWP3PP_7e4FTUe3qqYU5OkkH0cfTfO9UU0Ow1sJ3MpfdsxBsVDgHJZqBk3w9Rl9wtkuCzeI56/s1600/kung_fu_panda27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_mAymqnUfEITtPBI2-rplp-eDqPZZqXAMJ2QH0dLhXjYtJFFpoaUjfJTCqkaH3HOZWetLWP3PP_7e4FTUe3qqYU5OkkH0cfTfO9UU0Ow1sJ3MpfdsxBsVDgHJZqBk3w9Rl9wtkuCzeI56/s320/kung_fu_panda27.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-TobX28Ea3iSOq5w-BmMYff4VP-aE3OcAh4ie78m60zoDoM2wHDeDdWI6ZJnFzjLuN8hIZNNEVxg0TvRHdUjlxfx16q3ENbwNbsHfJerGqpjZ-gqlibV78jY95CWJQXRrQrkLGmyW9lN/s1600/finding-nemo-the-tank-gang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-TobX28Ea3iSOq5w-BmMYff4VP-aE3OcAh4ie78m60zoDoM2wHDeDdWI6ZJnFzjLuN8hIZNNEVxg0TvRHdUjlxfx16q3ENbwNbsHfJerGqpjZ-gqlibV78jY95CWJQXRrQrkLGmyW9lN/s320/finding-nemo-the-tank-gang.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPI4wLQaQj__mBGarphPgfiNbHcp9GAQdu3Cmq8e3dfTZwLOvC01DzQDgzOgD5j7rdeKVzFyf5xUXGXVfNY99g4OOj3B74wNk_tffFk_K6-YAdESMGnSfnMUuUWmfV3wMDmVAhnvVvagf/s1600/how-to-train-your-dragon-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPI4wLQaQj__mBGarphPgfiNbHcp9GAQdu3Cmq8e3dfTZwLOvC01DzQDgzOgD5j7rdeKVzFyf5xUXGXVfNY99g4OOj3B74wNk_tffFk_K6-YAdESMGnSfnMUuUWmfV3wMDmVAhnvVvagf/s320/how-to-train-your-dragon-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPI4wLQaQj__mBGarphPgfiNbHcp9GAQdu3Cmq8e3dfTZwLOvC01DzQDgzOgD5j7rdeKVzFyf5xUXGXVfNY99g4OOj3B74wNk_tffFk_K6-YAdESMGnSfnMUuUWmfV3wMDmVAhnvVvagf/s1600/how-to-train-your-dragon-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSlxJFIsxaUQPSdy6DVkIvSvDgf-QTJTqv2WILPSuXsrQ-vJuyqnNZFd-oFkg9e4aSbgTtR1hHm2xB_TddFFJpNGuLLmFgpe13XxZtQQCb_4qfLWPxDY5ua2t3H7ysxB5LJXLQCsoeC9hE/s1600/incredibles.photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSlxJFIsxaUQPSdy6DVkIvSvDgf-QTJTqv2WILPSuXsrQ-vJuyqnNZFd-oFkg9e4aSbgTtR1hHm2xB_TddFFJpNGuLLmFgpe13XxZtQQCb_4qfLWPxDY5ua2t3H7ysxB5LJXLQCsoeC9hE/s320/incredibles.photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvefLyyJxv1lOx7XE2h2SUYFGjR8qVWH09PUnBfIeTopZ6OHheoPps9_C5uipUsknLgcmcYFULkkk1V0VcGsv6CZVaIiNS2aqeuZZGCcwJc66u2obhM4S1TSa_DE1hwunnznPVsaOhlaF/s1600/main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvefLyyJxv1lOx7XE2h2SUYFGjR8qVWH09PUnBfIeTopZ6OHheoPps9_C5uipUsknLgcmcYFULkkk1V0VcGsv6CZVaIiNS2aqeuZZGCcwJc66u2obhM4S1TSa_DE1hwunnznPVsaOhlaF/s320/main.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
And a few of those that get a thumbs down:<br />
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</a></div><br />
The entire article is well worth a read, and you can find it <a href="http://www.salon.com/entertainment/movies/film_salon/2011/02/09/gnomeo_and_juliet_character_design">HERE</a>.<br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=JenniferG.Oliver&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1933784571&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=JenniferG.Oliver&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1557048630&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=JenniferG.Oliver&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0811839753&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=JenniferG.Oliver&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0811866025&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>Jennifer G. Oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05921022924125424519noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-42430781355405824102011-02-08T21:22:00.000-08:002011-02-08T21:25:03.109-08:00Notes on Expressions from Lackadaisy (and other goodies)<a href="http://www.lackadaisycats.com/index.php">Lackadaisy</a> is an award winning webcomic created by Tracy J. Butler that is set in 1927 St. Louis (a place and era that Butler has researched extensively). Although the comic is populated by <a href="http://characterdesignnotes.blogspot.com/2010/10/study-in-anthropomorphism-disneys-robin.html">anthropomorphic</a> cats, it owes more to Disney, Bluth and Manga than anything that falls under the heading of "furry". It's tremendously talented creator has generously shared her processes, tips and techniques on the website, including this very informative and entertaining<a href="http://www.lackadaisycats.com/exhibit.php?exhibitid=333"> page on expressions</a>. Below is just a segment of what's offered:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSx-rmzmbS9rGBnggnM3j9ZhrUBb5wF8WJmUufwsIzLDWsVxH-EBrrAwx8WveBxY9vT2jCAtZUSRzFrVE45J-orHyk_GuluYmoFZc_DqqCQdsyffERTtpuHvBDPc6YgEQZOJZioeZ47J2A/s1600/FirefoxSnapz011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSx-rmzmbS9rGBnggnM3j9ZhrUBb5wF8WJmUufwsIzLDWsVxH-EBrrAwx8WveBxY9vT2jCAtZUSRzFrVE45J-orHyk_GuluYmoFZc_DqqCQdsyffERTtpuHvBDPc6YgEQZOJZioeZ47J2A/s320/FirefoxSnapz011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Also, be sure to check out her other tutorials: <a href="http://www.lackadaisycats.com/howtodraw.php">How to Draw</a>,<a href="http://www.lackadaisycats.com/howtopaint.php"> How to Paint</a>, and <a href="http://www.lackadaisycats.com/makingacomic.php">Making a Comic</a>. And a heads up to my students; in the near future you will be given an assignment that involves drawing convincing drapery and costuming. Butler gives us some excellent examples of simplified yet very solid clothing and fabric throughout her comics. See a few of the samples below, and be sure to visit the <a href="http://www.lackadaisycats.com/archive.php">archives</a> for more!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrmLDRQIBdJVvSoR4qOlIQyAMcmiEwqWaGhZWZOwyKvDwv1AxiwtoC8wnVir66bsnqhxzpQ9NUSyIaw7_sx7nNsiuHtnvAgcda67303kt2RDm1rhyphenhyphenDidhWy8R1gec-VFdf-3aQJUremyp/s1600/Lackadaisy+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkrmLDRQIBdJVvSoR4qOlIQyAMcmiEwqWaGhZWZOwyKvDwv1AxiwtoC8wnVir66bsnqhxzpQ9NUSyIaw7_sx7nNsiuHtnvAgcda67303kt2RDm1rhyphenhyphenDidhWy8R1gec-VFdf-3aQJUremyp/s320/Lackadaisy+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Jennifer G. Oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05921022924125424519noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-8001247364236953672011-02-05T23:00:00.000-08:002011-02-27T00:15:44.468-08:00Hand Reference, Part FourAnother reminder to students who are finishing up this week's assignments; when art directors look at figure studies in portfolios, they always check to make sure that the artist has not avoided drawing <b>Hands, Feet, </b>and <b>Heads/ Faces</b>. If the AD gets a sense that the artist is avoiding structured drawings of those areas, it sends up a red flag. Don't allow your portfolio to end up in the wrong pile; include hands, feet and well structured heads and faces on as many figure studies that you include in your portfolio as possible!<br />
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To help you with this, here are some notes on drawing hands from Walt Reed's book "<a href="http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?qwork=2305775&matches=11&keyword=the+figure+an+approach&cm_sp=works*listing*title">The Figure</a>; <i><a href="http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?qwork=2305775&matches=11&keyword=the+figure+an+approach&cm_sp=works*listing*title">An Approach to Drawing & Construction"</a>.</i><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=widgetsamazon-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0891340971&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Jennifer G. Oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05921022924125424519noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-70579376236374022202011-02-02T01:43:00.000-08:002011-02-02T01:45:30.388-08:00Kei AcederaWelcome to the Spring 2011 semester, students! As you finish checking into your classes, take some time to stop by this week's discussion thread to talk about the character designers who most inspire you. My own list is very long and I've already shared just a few of them on this blog. One of my more recent favorites is Toronto based character designer Kei Acedera.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKVnXemvpaEn5PNF9YeoAfQNy0UfM1QcuQhIi8lpbpRqUCEa73EoOCoWs9t1Dn5U89FYcnhwjp8ZMEii1Zr6aqf7EF9aQ8NOpXNJ42mXuXglNBNd-LdKMdhRxo3VFPTbayHWUmRdsiwoy/s1600/Ant-Parade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKVnXemvpaEn5PNF9YeoAfQNy0UfM1QcuQhIi8lpbpRqUCEa73EoOCoWs9t1Dn5U89FYcnhwjp8ZMEii1Zr6aqf7EF9aQ8NOpXNJ42mXuXglNBNd-LdKMdhRxo3VFPTbayHWUmRdsiwoy/s320/Ant-Parade.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPnnt9mf4u3RKdxTGxo4dlX7X5_4Krp1MB22_pFCTYZZkKjmVz49WaNQQ7jjyNFewID92P-bGVkRGYFgfYN6q8zZEpai3mN5nDZBGjbsq_YEkXSyI4KGcm8X2cyNI2lHe1NZpcLmJHVYUU/s1600/Unexpected_Visitor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPnnt9mf4u3RKdxTGxo4dlX7X5_4Krp1MB22_pFCTYZZkKjmVz49WaNQQ7jjyNFewID92P-bGVkRGYFgfYN6q8zZEpai3mN5nDZBGjbsq_YEkXSyI4KGcm8X2cyNI2lHe1NZpcLmJHVYUU/s320/Unexpected_Visitor.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-eNKzLx3jwTaxEUlPmBuMQorRPGhVupFYE47RKVUFwXHmJKnLgTv3cND4l2KbJEw_9ukQ18wP0yH8AU5HJM0NGV1johlNVYDIl1nqIq5069mGovKU1oiY78UCRHLhhnDQr1uEgR6oore/s1600/03_charactersamples.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Kei was born in the Philippines and moved to Toronto Canada at the age of 12. Her career began early, at the age of 16 when she worked as a professional muralist. At age 18 she took a job at a small animation studio doing breakdowns and inbetweens, and was soon majoring in animation at Sheridan College. There she met fellow character designer Bobby Chui, who invited her to join him at his newly formed company,<a href="http://www.imaginismstudios.com/"> Imaginism Studios</a>. Soon both were designing characters for television, video games, magazines, advertising and commercials. In 2009 Kei and Bobby signed on to design characters for the 2010 Tim Burton adaptation of "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1014759/">Alice in Wonderland</a>". <br />
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Knowing who her characters are and focusing on personality and emotion are top priorities for Kei during the design process, which generally begins with many loose drawings that explore shape, line, and styles that will best suit the character's personality. She works in Photoshop and Corel Painter as well as traditional media such as ink, gouache and colored pencil.<br />
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As for advice to other artists, Kei says " There is no such thing as talent. There IS, however, such a thing as passion and hard work. If you really want it, you can get it." and "If you truly want to be an artist, you must be obsessive and passionate about it. Being able to draw is only the beginning."<br />
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Books, prints and iPhone apps featuring Kei Acedera's illustrations, designs and sketches can be found at the Imaginism Studios <a href="http://www.imaginismstudios.com/store">store</a>. Editions of their more popular titles do often go out of print, so if there's something you really have your eye on there it's best to snap it up early!<br />
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I suspect that we will be seeing much, much more of Kei Acedera's charming, lively and always engaging character designs in the future!Jennifer G. Oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05921022924125424519noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5067465421346176840.post-48691317436800521492010-12-30T23:48:00.000-08:002011-02-27T00:28:22.318-08:00The SnowmanI had quite a few Illustration majors enrolled in my classes last semester, and several of them seemed almost apologetic for wanting to focus their careers on children's picture books and not animation. I assured them that the two often influence one another and have a great deal in common, including character design, storytelling, staging, and (at times) backgrounds. There are dozens of examples of picture books having been adapted into everything from simple animated shorts, like this early rendition of "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_the_Wild_Things_Are">Where the Wild Things Are</a>" by <a href="http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2010/12/turning-picture-books-into-art-house-films-the-story-of-weston-woods/">Weston Woods</a> , to feature length CGI films like the 2008 adaptation of Dr. Seuss' "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451079/">Horton Hears a Who!</a>". But few adaptations retain the look and spirit of the original like the 1982 BBC Channel 4's 26 minute animated version of author Illustrator Raymond Briggs' picture book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Snowman-Raymond-Briggs/dp/0394839730/ref=pd_bxgy_d_img_b">The Snowman</a>". <br />
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Aside from the introduction (two versions exist, one featuring a very blond <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeVaj4zkWy0">David Bowie</a>) and the now classic song (shown above), which was sung by a young <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Auty">Peter Auty</a>, the film is wordless, as is the picture book it was based upon. The animation retains the look of Briggs' sensitive colored pencil illustrations because it is hand animated in colored pencil on frosted cel vinyl, which is truly a monumental achievement and an almost unimaginable undertaking by today's standards. The film was brought about by independent Producer John Coates, who in 1981 seized upon Channel 4's call for new independent projects and teamed up with late Director and animator Dianne Jackson. Jackson animated the snowmen's Christmas party sequence herself. The sequence where the boy his brought by the Snowman to meet Father Christmas was also added by Jackson. Author Briggs was <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/3670140/Raymond-Briggs-I-dont-believe-in-happy-endings.html">not pleased by the addition</a>, though critics agreed that the added sequence felt like a natural extension of the original tale.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YKhCtUQBmyvFuo1zbhQ-SxvvBWcGuaXaX3sdYVnjoGFyWwW06fYJzzsLJBO6RZs7slxPiM4z-Op2Nv_1ih7l4UYf9Pjh0DiI2YUAV7fPDkiZaVfLmZP4fJDvsQgG-JiH0HUWRerLB2kO/s1600/arts-graphics-2007_1182876a-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YKhCtUQBmyvFuo1zbhQ-SxvvBWcGuaXaX3sdYVnjoGFyWwW06fYJzzsLJBO6RZs7slxPiM4z-Op2Nv_1ih7l4UYf9Pjh0DiI2YUAV7fPDkiZaVfLmZP4fJDvsQgG-JiH0HUWRerLB2kO/s320/arts-graphics-2007_1182876a-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Snowman, left, and author/ illustrator Briggs, right</span></i><br />
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Though Coates had to mortgage his home and hit up The Snowman's original publisher, Hamish Hamilton, to supplement Channel 4's original investment and enable the film to be completed, the gamble paid off. The film was broadcast to great acclaim during Channel 4's first Christmas. It has been a holiday classic for British audiences ever since, and has continued on to success in other Countries through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Raymond-Briggs-Snowman-Peter-Auty/dp/B000HIVIOW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293780706&sr=8-1">DVD</a> and <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/album/walking-in-the-air/id268239430?i=268240366&ign-mpt=uo%3D5">soundtrack</a> sales. I personally saw it for the first time when we had a screening of it in 1989 at Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida. At that time we were told that it was one of veteran Disney animator Glen Keane's favorite animated shorts, and it's easy to see why.<br />
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View <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeVaj4zkWy0&feature=related">Part1</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs3KwUNCLAY&feature=related">Part 2</a>, and<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE78XSQKMxI&feature=related"> Part 3</a> The quality of the uploads on YouTube is quite poor in comparison to the DVD quality.<br />
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Official website: <a href="http://www.thesnowman.co.uk/home.htm">http://www.thesnowman.co.uk/home.htm</a><br />
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=widgetsamazon-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000HIVIOW&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> Jennifer G. Oliverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05921022924125424519noreply@blogger.com56