For the Witch's House scene idea, I have decided this may be the one I'd like to begin modelling in Maya. But first I have decided to produce a few different concepts for it so that I can decide which elements to take forward in the modelling stage.
I began by sketching these concepts on paper, thinking about different camera angles as well as different designs for the house and a few variations of surrounding objects.
I then have gone on to create some painted versions in Photoshop. As with my previous concept paintings, I thought about trying out different times of day, and how the light sources would affect the mood of each scene.
I began the modelling process in the same way as I had learnt modelling the human face at the start of the semester. With this character however, there is no need for a moveable jaw (he doesn't open his mouth, or speak) therefore the topology is a little different.
I used my turnaround drawing as reference during the modelling process to make sure the model retained the correct proportions.
I was told that for now, this character would not require a rig. I just modelled him in a basic pose which could easily be altered if and when the character did need rigging.
I had another request to work on a video game, one titled "Hideous". This time, my role was to model a creature character. The premise of the game is that the players have become mutated monsters and must navigate a maze to hunt down other players and feed off of them in order to survive and win.
I was sent a selection of reference images at the concept stage, shown below.
I went on to sketch some different kinds of monster creatures, trying out elements inspired from the references I was given.
After showing the rest of the production team, I got some feedback and went on to produce more sketches towards a final design.
After more whittling down of the finer details from the project leader, I produced a turnaround for the character. This would be used in the modelling process, so I knew it had to be as accurate as possible.
I started working on some drawings of my interior setting ideas, that would become more concept paintings.
When I came back to the church/cathedral theme, I thought about how I wanted to take that visual style and use it in something other than an actual church setting. I ended up fusing it with one of the other ideas from my brainstorming stage, which was the elegant bathroom.
For this painting, I wanted to test out the method of using very simple shading with minimal differing shades. The concentration is then focused more on lighting and mood of the scene rather than what colour and texture everything will be.
The last sketch is my first draft of a music shop interior. However, due to where I am in the timeline of the project I have decided that I need to begin focusing on the modelling aspect of my scenes, so I must leave the concept stage where it is for now.
Continuing my work on concept pieces, I have been experimenting with different methods of digital painting. I thought one of the ways to make the process flow better would be to sketch the layouts on paper first, and then to work over the scans on the computer. By starting with the rough version on paper I found it easier to get the right perspective.
Cliffside Ruins Layouts
I made some improvements to this painting after getting feedback from Peter Dodd.
Last weekend I took the opportunity to participate in a 24 hour game-making competition at the university. Though the majority of the other participants were Computing students, that did not mean my input as an Animation student would be overlooked. What I could offer my team mates were 2D drawing and 3D modelling skills.
The task was this - In groups of up to 4, you must create a game relating to the chosen themes within the next 24 hours and then present it to the judges and other participants. The judges would then present awards to teams with the best games. The judging panel consisted of developers and artists from games companies; Richard Welsh, David Saltares and Claire Moncrieff of Crytek UK, and Matt Hewitt, Steve McGagh and Ben Giacon of Rockstar Lincoln.
After brainstorming ideas and deciding on the type of game we would make, I knew that my role would be in creating 2D graphics for the game. So during the 24 hours (luckily I was allowed to take a few hours to go home to sleep!) I spent my time drawing and colouring characters for the game.
Me and my teammate Sean Oxspring during the Jam.
Below is the artwork that I produced during the 24 hours of the jam.
The main character "Bob Bobson" has 2 variations, the second used for when he is holding an object.
This is a compilation of all the characters I created for the game.
And in addition, I created a couple of props used in the game.
Finally, here is some footage from the finished game. With great joy, I am able to say that our team won the award for "Best Use of Theme" and an "Honourable Mention" for which I am very grateful. I was also lucky enough to have a chat with Claire Moncrieff, who creates 2D art for Crytek UK, after the awards presentation about her career path and how she has achieved her role in the games industry.
Me and my team mates receiving our prizes.
The experience was incredibly valuable and has shown me the basics of what is involved in the production process for video games, as well as the role of an artist within production and what sort of issues are raised when working with the programmers.
I'm experimenting with painting styles in Photoshop. I really wanted to include some nice painted concepts in my showreel. I've had another attempt at creating a slightly different concept for the cliffside ruins scene. This time, I started with a sketch on paper and then scanned it to paint over in Photoshop. I've left out the sketch lines, because I wanted this one to appear more like a painting than my previous drawings.
I'm also trying different visual styles for the same layout concepts, to expand on my ideas for the 3D environments I want to model. So with this next cliffside concept, I had more of a South American environment in mind. I also tried out the idea of framing the scene by 'looking through a window', just to give the concept a different sort of dynamic to my other drawings.
