Transcription - Trow Side Profile

OK, I've used the idea of a gnarled/bent old tree to get the shapes but I'm no quite happy with my origainal proportion. I've made some variations and if anyone can give me feedback I'd be greatful.

Transcription - Trow Profile

In an effort to really nail this character, so I've drawn out some stances that are inspired by bent trees as shown in the picture below (I like the idea of its posture being frail). I'm mostly liking number 6 (although they are all variants of a theme) anyone have any preferences let me know.

Transcription - Trow MK3

These are based on the silhouettes that I drew earlier today. After speaking to Alan I will now creat a profile of the character to give more of an understanding on how his posture will work.

Transcription - Trow Silhouettes

Here are some silhouettes for the trow, I've tried to combine nature into it as Alan suggested and have used driftwood to make the shapes. It got me thinking of the idea that the character has made some decorative clothing out of driftwood.

Transcription - Trow MK2

Ok, I've pulled the body and head about using the warp tool in Photoshop to make it a little more extreme. The shape of the body flows better with the head. But is it enough?

Maya - Game Character Textures

Maya - Game Head Texture

Still needs some work around the lips, but here it is so far.

Transcription - Trow MK1

So I've put together each parts of the sketches I like. It's getting better but I think there's still alot of work to do.

Transcription - Rough Sketches

Ok, slowly I'm getting more ideas down based on the description of the trow but also looking at devolving an old fisherman. I'm going to piece my ideas together to get some more solid designs.

Maya - Game Character UV's

Maya - Dynamics (Collision Sparks)

Maya - Dynamics (Rain)

Maya - Dynamincs (Soft and Rigid Bodies)

Transcription - Old Man Influence

Thanks to Richard for pointing this photographer out, don't know who it is but these photos of old men are great. I love the 2 on the top left and the one on the top right. The asymmetricalness in the faces and the worts nd the sunken in eyes of the one on the top right. These will definitely influence my design.

Transcription - Trow Eyes

The expression with the eyes can tell you so much about a character and given the humble position a trow would be in I wanted to give it eyes that show it's humility. The first thing I thought of was the eyes of the Labrador dog. It looks so sad and humble just by its natural expression.

Dog eyes.

World Animation - Mary and Max



Fig 1.

Mary and Max (2009) Director - Adam Elliot

Mary is an eight year old Australian girl with no friends and a great amount of curiosity. In order to entertain herself Mary decides to pick a random name and address from am American phone book to have as a pen pal. Max is a forty something year old Jewish man living in New York, suffering from asperger's syndrome and one day receives an unexpected letter from Mary. Mary and Max become unlikely pen friends over then next 20 years or so, swapping unusual facts and recipes. Having a friend brings much joy to Mary but anxiety to Max.



Fig 2.

As characters both Mary and Max are unlikely stars of a film but they are so well crafted with personalities that warrant empathy. For the most part the more somber and adult storyline add unexpected humour into what could have been quite dull had this been made for infant audience. Although by the 3rd act of the film looses it's momentum it still stands as a piece of work that desearves recognition for it's ability to capture it's audiences emotions. Beautifully superb.

Fig 3.

Image Bibliography

Fig 1 .Mary an Max, DVD Cover 2009, [photography] http://www.cinemagora.co.uk/images/films/21/139621-b-mary-and-max.jpg

Fig 2 . Mary an Max, Movie Still, 2009, [photography] http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/Max%20Jerry%20Horowitz%20Mary%20and%20Max.jpg

Fig 3 . Mary an Max, Movie Still, 2009, [photography] http://www.fpsmagazine.com/blog/uploaded_images/Mary_and_Max-749953.jpg

Transcription - Sketch Ideas

I've ordered a book from Waterstones last week called 'The Fiddler and The Trow', I'm still waiting for it to come in the post (GRRR) but I can't let that put me back so I'm moving on regardless. The description I have at the moment is from a folktale called 'Hughbo - The Brownie of Copinsay'

There, sat an ugly naked creature with a wet, leathery skin that seemed to glow softly in the darkness. The visitor was somewhat smaller than a man and was certainly terribly ugly with a flat, bald head and wet, slimy seaweed as a beard.

There's not as much description as I'd like at the moment and as soon as the book I ordered comes (early this week I hope) I can relook at my designs.

The second picture is deconstructing the old fisherman. I've draw out the fisherman's features from reference on the left picture then devolved it with the description of the trow in mind.

Maya - Game Character Finished

Maya - Game Character Body

Maya - Dynamics (Disintergrating Can)

Maya - Dynamics (Barrel)

Maya - Dynamics (Fireworks)

Transcription - Old fisherman

When last speaking to Alan the idea came of devolving an old Scottish fisherman.

Transcription - Influence Maps

Here's some Brian Froud drawings. I love the way they have exagerated features but they also look like they would make a good CG character and have a sence of realism.

Speaking to Alan last he mentioned about looking at nature to influence the design of my character. In relation to the idea of an Orkney Trow who lives in a cave on the beach I though about driftwood. I love the textures that are on driftwood, it could be translated into rough skin like textues.

Some descriptions of the trow say that they have hair like seaweed. when you look at seaweed it does resemble unkept hair and the way it also hangs off of the rocks gives the impression of hair.

Transcription - Research

After speaking to Alan last week I looked thought I'd do some research into fantasy creatures. I watched 'Labyrinth' and 'The Dark Crystal'.

All the creature design was by Brain Froud.

Maya - Dynamics (Curve Flow)

Maya - Dynamics (Water Foam)

Island without water foam.

Island with added water foam from Maya dynamics.

Maya - Dynamics (Shockwave)

Maya - Dynamics (Space Travel)

Maya - Dynamics (Fire Ring)

Fire ring

Transcription - Mallie and the Trow

Here's a paragraph from the short folklore story 'Mallie and the Trow'.

Well she got them all tucked in and she sat by the fire and she was doing some sewing, because she used to mend some clothes for people who had a few pounds.  So she was sitting by the fire sewing away when there was a knock at the door, and it was very unusual in those days for anybody to knock at a door because people usually just lifted the latch and came in.  But Mallie went to the door and she opened it, and there before her was a tiny weeny man, no bigger than about a 5-year-old, but with long grey hair and long moustache and beard, and wee tinkling eyes, and she knew then that this must be a troll.

Maya - Dynamics (Steam)

Steam drain

Maya - Dynamics (Bomb)

Bomb and fuse

Maya - Dynamics (Explosion)

Explosion

Maya - Dynamics (Airship)

Airship flying through a cloud.

Maya - Game Character Head

Here's the first part of the tutorial, the head.

Transcription - Warming Up The Sketching Hand

I've spent today warming up my sketching. Luckily I've got into it much quicker than I had at the beginning of the year when starting the character design project.