DART 110 F- Character Design I with instructor Philip Dimitriadis

TURNAROUND PRINCIPLES

Pick a character that you have already designed in this class (must be human), and start sketching an Orthographic turn as indicated in the reference below. Always start with Primary orthographic turns, then we will move to the perspective turns once the orthographic turns are complete.

There are 2 sets-

-1st set is Orthographic front view, side view, and rear view with no depth at the feet or indication of perspective.
-2nd set is Perspective Turn Around drawing with a Horizon Line in the middle or lower segment of the body ( waste to knees) displaying : how the feet turn in perspective, depth of overlapping shapes, and construction in perspective.

Your character needs to have legs, arms, and a head. Stay simple. Avoid complex characters and over detailed characters. Your just beginning, take it easy.

Start with trace lines, then draw the construction of shapes first. Detail is always last!! Always!!

Demos

Turn Around Basics

Perspective Turn Around

Here are samples of an orthographic turn around.
(Please note how the legs and parts of the body are not seen in a 3-dimensional perspective.)
1. Start with a center-line on your character.
2. Draw the horizontal trace lines on a separate layer.
3. Draw in the core basics shapes.
4. Add in line detail.
5. Add in secondary details for hair, outfit, etc.

Step One- Creating the upside down"Y" pose of a character for the orthographic view.

SAMPLE STUDENT TURN AROUND'S

tTese assignments are the orthographic and perspective view.

Reference

What not to do!!

Good Samples in a perspective view,

Balto
Use simple shapes first..no detail!!

Disney

Others

GROUP of SCHOOL KIDS

ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS,BLUEY, DENACE THE MENACE, ARIAL, ARTHUR, ASTROBOY, THE FARILYODD PARENTS, INVADER ZIM, THE JETSONS, KING OF THE HILL,PHINEAS AND FERB, RUGRATTS, THE SIMPSONS, LEGO SERIES, AVATAR, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGHON SERIES, BEBE FINN, TROLL HUNTERS, MASHA AND THE BEAR, etc.....

Assignment Brief: So many of the animated series for television and youth-based children's books focus on the life and times of young school kids. Almost every single animated show I have worked on has a set of kids ranging in early elementary school to early teens in from middle to high school.

For this assignment please design a group of 5 human school kids along with a 1 teacher or an administrator. Create 5 pages of shape exploration for all 6 characters. 10 sketches per page 8.5 x 11 or larger size, no squares.

There should be 5 total students, and the one teacher/principal/security guard. You have complete creative control. Characters will be presented in a line up with a horizon line through by the waist to feet, please avoid up shots, down shots, and gesture posing. You can add small props to help define personality traits or display personal interests.

(Please check your themes with me! Please keep it professional as companies will be viewing your portfolio for various positions. Different companies have different portfolio requirements. To keep it safe: nothing offensive, degrading, no rifles, guns, gore, stitch people, covered faces, painted faces, horror genre or blood. If you choose a particular time period, please make sure your outfits match accordingly.)

STEP ONE- Pick early elementary, or junior high

STEP TWO- Pick a theme and time period

(do something different than your normal drawing style, or your favorite animated movie)

STEP THREE- Gather reference...lots of reference, be prepared to show it to your client !

(your reference should be specific towards your characters personality traits, interests, ethnicity, outfit, time period, and identity- better the reference, better your design process will be)

STEP FOUR- Body Shape Exploration- 1 page per character, 10 sketches per page 8.5 x 11 or larger size, no squares

your characters silhouette design reads should be different from each other so they don't confuse the audience

STEP FIVE- Rough Line Up on HL (no gestures)

STEP SIX- Finished Line

STEP SEVEN- Color

Previous student work here-

"please notice all the body shapes have different silhouette reads to help separate them during storyboarding, so the audience doesn't get confused while watching"