BA1a Tinderbox - Weapon Design

I decided that I wanted my character to have a bow as a weapon, as I feel like she would often be on horse back and more behind the scenes to scope out the enemy. It isn't a very detailed design, just some light jewels encrusted into the bow. I didn't feel like a fancy bow would be necessary for my characters design.

BA1a Tinderbox - Faces

These are some more face trials I drew. I wanted a long nose and cat eye make-up, as I thought this would work well for my time period. I find that i like the middle face the most, as it is aesthetically pleasing and well proportioned. I also did some make-up trials on the middle face, which the three below. I feel like the best look is simple cat eyes and perhaps natural lips. I think the top middle is my favourite face, and will try and replicate it further onto my character.

BA1a Tinderbox - Colour Iterations

These are some colour iterations for my character. I wanted quite a natural colour scheme, involving a lot of red, as these colours seem to often occur in the Persian Empire. I feel like the top three are the most aesthetically pleasing of the six, the bottom have more of a pastel feel to them that I don't find works as well.

I also tried with the top right colour iteration to work with patterns on the character. They're quite simple designs but I think it works well for a soldier. I feel like the left one is the most aesthetically pleasing, and works the best for my character design.

BA1a Tinderbox - Hijab trials

I decided to try out drawing different hijab styles to see which one I would use for my character. I used images from these sources - x, x, x and x.
I made these simple and faceless because I didn't want to detract from the main reason for the drawings.

I also decided to start trying to sketch her face out, using this image as a guide for colouring and features. I also tried some hijab ideas again, and trying them with the face I had just drawn. I am not happy with how this face looks so I will be experimenting more with that.

BA1a Tinderbox - Persian Rug Scarf

This is the character I have decided to work with further. I decided that her scarf should be a lot bigger, and resemble a Persian rug. This will be her key design point, which will make her more unique as a character. I wanted to do quite quick trials of how the idea of a rug would work as a scarf, so I found three images of Persian rugs from these sources - x, x and x. I then worked with them on Photoshop so that they had the basic shape of a scarf, and above is the result. I feel like this idea will work well with my character, and I'm happy with the results.

BA1a Tinderbox - Designs

This is the first silhouette that I decided to expand upon in more detail. I decided on this particular one because I like the idea of having a character with a scarf, as I recently replayed the game Journey by thatgamecompany, one of my all time favourite games, and I think that has inspired me here. I like the idea of her having a large scarf, and maybe one of the right two designs. I would also like her with a hijab like portrayed above.

These are some more silhouette details of two that I thought might have potential. I feel however like these will be hard to work with in the future.

BA1a Tinderbox - Silhouettes

Our third task was to create from a time period given to us, and then link it to a character from the book 'The Tinderbox' by Hans Christian Anderson. I was given the time period Persian Empire, and I chose to transpose that period onto the soldier, but a female soldier instead of a male one. I started by doing research on women from the different Persian timeline, looking at their clothing and other features. I didn't want to limit myself to one era from the Persian Empire very strongly, so I didn't look too intensely in the differences between them.

These are the silhouettes I've drawn. There are a couple I feel have potential to expand upon.

BA1a Timepiece - Final Piece

This is my final piece for the timepiece project. I wanted it to be shown being used, and I thought having her use it in a dark environment would make the most sense, especially as she can see it in the dark and it can probably be used as a torch. I'm not 100% sure I'm happy with the final outcome, but there are elements such as her hair and the way the timepiece sits on her head that really stand out. This project I feel was definitely weaker than the insect one, and I don't think this is some of my best work by any means, but I'm relatively pleased.

BA1a Timepiece - Model Sheet

This is the model sheet for my timepiece. I did a front, back, side and diagonal view. It is quite a simple design with a simple colour scheme. I think I am happy with the final result, I just for some reason struggled with this project, so I don't think this is some of my best work by any means.

BA1a Timepiece - Iterations

These are the iterations of my timepiece I created. They aren't massively obvious changes as I already like the design as it is, I just need it to be more practical.

I also did a very sketchy look at having another spike at the back of the headgear that also holds the planets up, because I can imagine that they would have a hard time staying up if there are only two holding them.

I feel like the top left of the 6 above works the best, plus the back spike to hold the planets up more effectively.

BA1a Timepiece - Trial on head

I tried a quick edit of the timepiece on a very sketchy head, and I showed how it would basically work. This edit helped me realise that there are elements of this design that would not work on a head.

BA1a Timepiece - Space Design

I decided on a whim to try draw something that I would like more, related to space. I also used Paint Tool SAI for this drawing as I feel more comfortable colouring on that program.

I would say that the design is purely aesthetics. I decided to have all the planets be in the design, and I wanted the earth to be the main source of the timepiece, as it is our home. I like this design, and will experiment further with it.

BA1a Timepiece - Alchemy 2

I made cleaner versions of a couple of the alchemy headgears, and decided to colour one of them so that it looked more 'crown-like'.

I then again superimposed these cleaner drawings onto the same head model to get a better feel for the designs.

I liked how these came out, but I still don't feel particularly attached to these designs.

BA1a Timepiece - Alchemy

I've been struggling with the design of my timepiece, so I decided to use alchemy to create some headgear designs.

These are 6, plus one iteration, that I thought had some interesting designs. I decided to superimpose them onto a base head drawing of mine to get more of a feel of how they would look on a head.

I feel like a lot of these designs have potential, but none of them stand out particularly strongly to me.

BA1a Timepiece - Headgear ideas

After getting the main idea around what my timepiece would be, I started looking at how it would work. I decided to look at some 3D related ideas, where the timepiece would look 3D rather than 2D in front of you. I got inspiration from the idea of the Nintendo 3DS and the way its 3D mechanics work, where there are basically two images projected onto your eyes.

This is what I drew above, trying to experiment with how that would work and what it would mean aesthetically. Something would potentially have to come out of the timepiece to create reflections into your eyes. I think this idea may be too complicated to carry out.

BA1a Timepiece - Design 2

I decided that I didn't want to continue with the tree design, so I thought about one of my head silhouettes, and decided to make a timepiece that would sit on your head. I looked at crowns and other headgear designs and started experimenting with my idea.

This is what I started with, a simple and sketchy page of my ideas to get a perspective of things. I wanted something that sits on your head, and has some sort of jewel that has a hologram-like beam that comes out of it which is the timepiece itself. I was looking at how it would work with your eyes and if you could alter the look of the clock. I also looked at other ways it would work on someone's head.

BA1a Timepiece - Design 1

After getting advice on my timepiece silhouettes, I decided to try working on one of the designs I had made that was based around trees. I wanted it to have some sort of link with nature and the changing of seasons. I started by trying out some traditional sketches of the tree clock in each season.

 These were done in pencil on an A4 sketchbook. I decided to focus on making each season as obvious as possible, so that it was clear what I was trying to show. These designs have a very natural feel to them, and link strongly with nature.

I then decided to draw the tree in each season digitally, using Photoshop. This made it easier to create clear visual differences between each season, as I used colours and different brush types for the leaves. These designs I find have a more metallic look about them, as the tree base is black and quite modern looking. I am not sure if this will be a design I experiment further with yet.

BA1a Timepiece - Silhouettes

Our second brief was to create a timepiece, one that could be visually impressive and measure time. I tried to start off with silhouettes, but it was a difficult subject to portray in just black as you would not be able to see the details within the clock faces, so I decided to work with the opacity to my advantage. The top three are what I started on and they are quite average clock designs; a watch and two pocket watches, the first being a dragon perched on the watch, the second is influenced by 'The princess and the frog' and the third I just tried to work with inside the pocket watch.

 The ones below are the next set I decided to try drawing, trying to get my bearings a bit more with the project and figuring out what works and what doesn't. I think some of these designs have potential to go further and become more developed pieces, but most don't stand out to me particularly.

BA1a Insects - Final Piece

This is my final image, where I have my insect in an environment. For the background, I first laid out the structure of it, and then put down the base colours. I then used multiple Photoshop brushes to create different textures and layers to get the full effect that I wanted. I am pretty pleased with the result, as I am by no means a skilled environmental artist. I then drew the insect on top of one of the rocks, and coloured it in, and then sorted out shadows. I am pretty pleased with the end result, though would have definitely liked more time to work on it and improve it to my standards.

BA1a - Composition

This is the first image I chose for composition, as I immediately saw that it would work for this grid. This is a commission piece by tumblr user bwubwuart. When I first saw this piece I was immediately drawn to it as it has very pleasing symmetry. This is shown very well by the iconic composition grid overlaid on the image. The blue flames almost follow the diamond pattern exactly, and her face fits perfectly in the smaller diamond on the top. Her book follows the middle of the lower diamonds line, and her body remains between the two middle lines. Her arms also seem to follow the lines pretty closely. This creates a very pleasing look, where everything is almost symmetrical but not enough to be too perfect, and the character fits perfectly in the canvas, with enough negative space to let the drawing breath, but not too much that it overpowers it. Everything in this drawing seems well thought out, and it creates a beautiful piece of art.

This is the second image I chose to look at for composition. This image is by Sandara on Society6. I decided on this piece due to the somewhat obvious L shaped composition. It is clear to see where the eye is meant to be drawn too first; the person, the cat and the cats stall. Then the eye is drawn to the other people on the street, and then above the street itself. This is due to the L it forms, where the characters most prominent are in the L shape. I would say that the cat is the most eye catching, as it is an unusual sight and it has its own very intriguing stall.

BA1a - Light

This is the first art piece I've decided to evaluate, called 'Layover'. It is drawn by the artist Jadrien Cousens, a photorealistic environment expert. I decided to use this for light because of the very intriguing lighting used in this drawing. There is only one source of light, the sun, and it overpowers any other lighting there may or may not have been. It is either an early sunset or late sunrise, though this may be an alien world where these rules do not apply so harshly. There is a definite use of refraction in this piece, where the light comes through the large windows onto the ground and walls and is distorted. There is a lack of bounce light, as even with the light from the sun penetrating through, the room is still somewhat dark and distorted. This definitely sets a darker mood in this piece, and you reflect on how the man in the focal point of the piece feels. This lack of bounce light may be due to the shiny flooring, which may be black of colour. Due to the sun being behind tall skyscrapers, you don't get as much detail from those buildings as you would if the sun wasn't shining strongly behind.This drawing is also mostly shadows and silhouettes due to the intensity, yet dark quality of the sunlight.

This is the second piece I have decided to evaluate for lighting. I decided to use this piece because it has a similarly interesting lighting to it, where the alien cacti glow brightly in the night. This piece is called 'The Gardener' by tumblr blogger Arodude. There is a surprising lack of reflection, or bounce light. This may be due to the, what I assume is, sand below the cacti and gardener. There is strong light absorption in this image, however the gardener is being hit by some reflective light. I do feel like there would be more light reflected on the floor and the gardener, but perhaps the cacti keep their light very internally. There is some light coming from behind a hill as well as the stars in the sky would create some light. I do however really like the lighting of this piece as if the cacti did light up more of the image then I assume that it would be far too bright.

BA1a Insects - Phone Silhouettes

When I had some time on my hand and had my phone close by, I decided to draw silhouettes on the application S Note. Because I have the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, and the S pen, this ended up being as fun as if I was doing it on Photoshop with a tablet. I find that this application is an easy one to draw silhouettes on as you can very the pen sizes easily and it is sensitive to pressure. I found that I was drawn more to the last silhouette above, it had an interesting curved/circle body,, and a head that seemed to spike out.

BA1a Insects - Character Sheet

This is the character sheet for my beetle-like insect. I decided to show it flying, eating, running and then show details on its wing, front legs and sting. My insect flies in the same way as a beetle, where the protective shell-like casing comes up and outwards and the wings fold out. Beetles legs also seem to spread out when they're flying so that they're not in the way when flapping around, so I did similarly with my insects legs.
For the eating, I had it stand so that the four back legs spread out to keep it stable, and then it used its claw/pincer legs to grab the food and put it into its mouth. It uses both its face pincers and its sting as protection, as well as its front leg claw/pincers. The sting does nothing other than be sharp. The running drawing is just of the insect galloping, but coloured. I also drew how the front leg jointing works, and how it all attaches. I chose the iridescent colouring as the final one, but improved on how I brought that colouring across.

BA1a Insects - Colour

I decided to experiment with the colours of the insect, as I wasn't sure what would work my insect. I looked at different beetle colours, and decided on a couple to try out on my insect. For the first two I also tried out brushes on Photoshop, to see if patterns would work on my insect. I also tried an iridescent colour, due to many beetles being that strange colour. The iridescent one was a difficult one to pull off, as it comes across as very shiny, with many colours. I think I can work further on the iridescent colour, and maybe improve how I drew it.

BA1a Insects - Movement

After deciding on the centre legs I wanted, I decided to experiment with how the bug would walk and run. I guess it is somewhat inspired by the way horses walk, but I decided that all the left legs would move together, and all the right ones together too. This made the walking movement somewhat more simple, as I didn't need to work out what each leg was doing. With the galloping/running, it does it similarly to how a horse would gallop. I think that it would only run in dire situations.

BA1a Insects - Legs

After designing this character, I realised that it may need more legs as beetles/other insects have six or more legs. I think it also looks more bug-like with six legs rather than four. I decided to try out different leg designs on simple bug drawings, trying to chose which ones would work and which ones wouldn't. I think that the ones I might consider are either the top left, or the bottom left. I decided to colour them in a darker grey to make them stand out more.

BA1a Insects - Wing Design

I decided to look at designing the beetle-like insect further, and I started with looking at the wing design. I decided to keep these sketches simple, not too much detail and colour as I thought these would distract you from wing designs. I also used the same bug drawing each time, and only changed the wing design. This made the changes more obvious, and allowed the eye not to be distracted.

BA1a Insects - Wasp

 I took these photos in the morning when I found a dead wasp in our kitchen, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to get some photos.

BA1a Insects - Design 3

This is the third silhouette I decided to work on. I thought this had a similar appearance to the rhino beetle, except with a fur-like shell. I changed quite a few things with this insect whilst I was working on it, such as the 'horn' shapes, the hairy back area, and the number of legs. I also looked at what the eyes would look like, and how the legs would work. I also experimented with colours, just to get a feel for it. For the legs, I looked at the shape of a beetles legs, and tried that out, but decided that it was far too beetle like. I thus gave it double the amount of legs than before,. and attached them together like above. I also worked with the small spikes the beetle had on its legs, and decided what would work best due to the movement of the legs, so the little spikes are only on the front leg so they don't spike each other, and ditto for the one at the back.

I also decided to sketch quickly over this silhouette, because i wanted to see how the design worked. This one I thought looked interesting with a large eye and 2 smaller ones on either side, and then a tail that is similar to a scorpions, or a caterpillars body.