BA3b - Week 5 Summary

This week I started working on some facial anatomy sketches using models again, seen below. I think the top left one went well, although does not look like the model. The others are not great as I think I may have started rushing the work, and I think I have lost the familiarity with pencil and paper which is something I would like to pick up. 

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In terms of my main project, I started working on the environments for the characters. I wrote down some facts and interesting points about them and also what 'interests' they both may have. I don't have a clear idea of either personalities yet so their interests were both very generalised, but I settled on some that I thought would be interesting to use for the characters rooms.

I decided first to try out the princes room. The ideas I liked the most were flowers, textiles/clothes and water. I thought water could be a interesting interest as the prince is a cat, so water is not something that cats are known to enjoy. I also thought that the water and plants could be both used in the designs. Below are some thumbnail designs drawn in my sketchbook. The top is water, showing on the left how it could work with the bed having an aquarium behind it. The second is a texture/clothes themed room, with it showing the desk on the right with fabrics etc. The bottom is plants/nature, with the right sketch showing a bed potentially made out of trees.

I also drew up thumbnails for the mouse characters rooms design. The ideas for themes that I liked for her were lights/candles, plants/nature and embroidery/clothes. The themes, other than the candle one, are very similar to the cats. I talked to Merlin about the designs, and he pointed out that the water of the cat contrasts with the candles/lights of the mouse environment. He also said that it would be interesting for them to have a similar interest (e.g. plants) but they both look after them differently, showing their personality through their care of the plants. 

Below are the thumbnails of the mouse rooms. The top is lights/candles, with the right showing that the room is small and might have no windows so will need the lighting. The middle is plants with a bunkbed design and the right drawing showing a window with lots of plants. The bottom is embroidery/clothing, with the right drawing showing an old sowing machine.

I also started creating the mouse characters room in SketchUp, keeping the room size small and figuring out how they would use their space.

I think for my second try with SketchUp, I am pleased with how it looks and will be good to draw over. I think to get more practice with the program, I may need to recreate rooms from films or other media so that I get a better understanding of using it without worrying about my own designs. I might also try to pick up Maya again, to see if it would be any more help to create my environments.

Below are the draw overs done over the 3D design I made. The first is focusing on candles/lights with lights on the wall. I wasn't sure about these because fairy lights etc aren't something that people in the 18th Century would have, and I'm not sure if I want to be very specific with the environment designs and what people at that time would have. Due to the character designs being fantasy/animal people themselves, I feel like taking the 18th Century theme lightly might allow me to be more free with my designs.

The designs below are where I added a small shelf above the bed with candles and books, and the second one has the plants too. I wanted perhaps the plants to look like they were loved, perhaps overly, so they are overgrown and climbing up walls etc as the character may not have enough time to keep to them.

I think drawing over the 3D designs immediately with colours may have not helped me with these designs, and it may work better if I start with sketching and lineart so that I can get the designs I want. I also need to consider lighting, which is something I may have to look at Maya for.