BA1a Final Self Evaluation

Art and games have both been a big part of my life since I was a kid,  but art is never easy. There are always those long periods of time where you just can't force yourself to draw, not matter what you do. People often see art as an easy thing you can just 'create' but art involves 99% sheer will to learn and improve and practice. I'm still learning how to force that sheer will to actually show itself more often, because sometimes I just can't draw and I can't work and then I don't and I become very behind. Procrastinating is one of my biggest issues which I am constantly battling. The first project on insects I found went smoothly, I finished the day the soft deadline was and felt proud of my work. It was the timepiece which I struggled with, for some reason. I created many silhouettes, but I just felt no emotions for any of them. This made it hard for me to commit to the project as I felt like nothing I had created inspired me in any way, thus I became badly behind by the time the third project came around. However I managed to catch up quickly and efficiently once I got my mind sorted, and I'm happier with the third project compared to the second. I know time management can be a big problem for me, and I hope to by the end of this year feel comfortable and not have any issues with working in a time limit. Other than time issues, I have felt a lot of self improvement in my own art style over the course of the three projects, especially with the final third one. This is probably because I have gotten into a familiar routine of how to lay out each project, and of course drawing everyday will force you to improve no matter what. I feel like if I continue like this I will improve a tremendous amount by the end of the year, and be far more confident in my own art skills.

BA1a Tinderbox - Final Piece

This is my final piece for the tinderbox project. I am quite pleased with it, but I know that if I had more time then I would try other things and styles to see if I could produce any better. I feel like it has a moody quality to it that really makes sense for her as a soldier, as she could be reflecting on her past and what she has had to deal with. This piece definitely has a messy style to it, as I used a low opacity brush and experimented with lots of colours, but It almost has an oil painting look to it which would work for a portrait. In the end I am pleased with this, I just wish I had worked with my time better so that I could improve it to my best standards.

BA1a Tinderbox - Thumbnails

These are my thumbnails for my final design. The top left two and the bottom left seem to stand out the most to me personally. Some have her with the horse, or on the horse, or using her weapon. I however feel like a portrait shot of her close up would be the most effective.

BA1a Tinderbox - Model Sheet

This is my model sheet for my character. I drew it so that the scarf floated slightly in the wind, so that its not just covering the entire backside of my character. I decided not to shade the colours of the outfit, as it worked well without shading. I had detail however on the scarf and the face, as those are parts that are important. I feel happy with this character, and her colour scheme. I feel like it all works well for her time period and her being a soldier. I would however if I had more time have worked more on the scarf and face, as well as try shading the whole character and seeing how it would look. I find model sheets are very useful for imagining a character in 3D, as I could definitely see her in a game of some sort.

BA1a Tinderbox - Character Sheet

This is my character sheet for my character. I wanted her displayed on a horse, and I wanted her using her weapon, so I combined the two. I also wanted a back view of her where she is holding a knife, because I thought that it would be a good idea to give her a more close ranged weapon. I also had the basic running pose, and the last one is of her sitting on her carpet scarf on the floor. I thought that she could perhaps pray on her scarf, similarly to a prayer rug used by Muslims.

BA1a Tinderbox - Scarf Design

These are some designs for the scarf. I didn't want it to be too detailed as it would be difficult to work with, but it had to have some level of detail as it inspired by Persian rugs. I didn't want the design going all the way up the scarf as it would be too much clutter around her face, so I made it fade upwards so that the scarf around her face is very clean and simple.