PROJECT PROPOSAL/INTENT IDEA
For this project I have partnered u with a peer in class to create 2 characters. Our initial idea for the character was to base theme off some kind of mythology so going with that we then decided on looking at a game where we can create DLC character from . We also took into consideration that if we wanted to base our characters off a mythology, it would be a good idea to research into a game that uses mythology. We decided that we would go with the game hades bit after further discussion, we then changed it to Fortnite. This is because , we decided on doing Egyptian mythology so creating characters from a game that is mainly Greek mythology, wouldn’t really work. We also thought that because Fortnite has so many different themes released, it would be cool if we created Egyptian mythology inspired characters as it hasn’t been done in the game yet.
After more discussion in the first week of the project, we decided that we would firstly come up with some concept ideas, build them up/develop them and then choose one out of the three to develop further into our final idea
what is a DLC?
To get a abetter idea on what a DLC is I decided to do some research . this research could effect the way I create my character, so getting abetter understanding would help.
A DLC stands for Downloadable Content. Its additional content for a video game that can be downloaded and added to the base game after its initial release. it tends to consist of new character or redesigned original character, weapons and storyline.
PRE-VISUALISATION MOOD BOARDS
For my pre-visualisation mood board, I wanted my character to he heavily inspired by either a culture or mythology. i wanted to mix the idea of mythology and cultures wit modern accessories/ items of clothing and hairstyles which resulted in the range of different images on my pre-visualisation mood board.
CONCEPT IDEAS – MOOD BOARD
OSIRIS
For this mood board I took into consideration visual inspiration for my Osiris character if I were to choose to create this character. visually I included hair inspiration ( green), outfit inspiration, weapon/prop inspiration and overall character design. I decided to use a lot of green for my character as Osiris is the god of rebirth and life therefore the colour green would symbolise his connection to life as green is seen as a colour that symbolises fertility, regrowth and life.
ANUBIS’ DAUGHTER
For this mood board, I mainly focused on the actual; character design of the character for example animal features/ human features. As you can see there are a lot of images where jackal ears are seen I added them in because, if I were to create this character it would be a feature I 100% include. this is because, if Anubis is full jackal and she is the daughter of his it would make sense for her to have some of his features. As I wouldn’t want to create her as a full jackal I thought a mix of both human and jackal would be a good idea.
PHARAOH
In this mood board, I took the main inspiration from Cleopatra and Mel from Arcane. this is because if I were to create a pharaoh character I would want them to take after one of these characters or, both of them being a mix of both inspirations.
Game research
league of legends
I chose league of legends specifically arcane as a game I could possibly use to create characters for a DLC, is because I like the art style of the show. it has a unique look to it which catches a lot of peoples eyes. with my character design I want it to give off that same vibe a sense of individuality and uniqueness which will make it eye catching. in this show, I also like how the character are design they all seem to look so similar but so different as well. also, you can see just how much detail and effort has been put into the designs.
Jetset radio
I chose jet set radio as a game I could potentially create character for, is because I like the colour theme and art style of this game . I would like to take some inspiration from it and apply it to my character.
Fortnite
I chose Fortnite to research into because looking at their past character skin releases, they have also released a set of characters based off Greek mythology so I would like to use them as inspiration because of this. I am looking to base my characters off Egyptian mythology therefore creating a DLC where they release Egyptian mythology inspired characters, could link up well.
Genshin impact/Honkai starrail
The reason why I chose honkai starrail and genshin impact |( similar games) as inspiration as the game I will create a DLC from is because, I see that in mainly genshin impact they use other cultures mythologies and history to inspire the creation of some of their character . and using a cultures mythology to create a character is what I would like to do as well. except from that there isn’t any other reason.
BOOKS ON EGYPTIAN HISTORY/MYTHOLOGY
To get a better idea on the history and mythology of ancient Egypt, I found some books in LCC library that could help.
In the book that I managed to find in LCC library, it had some pages about ancient Egyptian artifacts such as coffins, hieroglyphics , jewellery and a lot of carvings and symbols. I this book I was mainly looking for inspiration for hat I could add onto my character . in the book I saw that all the jewellery is mostly gold not silver so I will be doing gold jewellery for my character . I also had an idea about body markings/tattoos and in the book , I see a lot of ankh symbols so it could eb a good idea to incorporate it into my characters design and narrative.
MUSEUM VISIT- TO GAIN INSPIRATION
I decided to gain more inspiration that could affect my character design in the process of making it, which would be to take a trip to the museum to look at some artifacts and pieces they have on display. I could also find out more facts about Egyptian mythology and history which could positively impact my designs.
most inspirational artifacts in the museum
The most inspirational artifacts that I found in the British Museum were the ones with symbols. As I was looking for evidence that certain symbols are used throughout the ancient Egyptian period. The symbol I was looking for was the ankh as I wanted to incorporate that symbol with my character.
I managed to find a lot of artifacts that had this symbol.
Art station Ideations
ArtStation – Queen ideation, Jamie Ro
In this ideation I like how the artist focuses on the outfits and only colouring them instead of the characters face for example because I think that the most important feature for an ideation is what the character is wearing as it noticeable separates the characters apart.
ArtStation – Some daily sketches
I like this ideation because I like the use of the same colour scheme but with different characters. even though their colours are the same, they are all so different.
ArtStation – Character designs for specialization course
looking at this ideation, i really like the use of Varity while it also being in grey scale. Most ideations use colour to make sure the audience can see the differences of the each character design but this one doesn’t.
FINAL DESIGN MOOD BOARD
Character specifics
. Name – Nia
. Gender – Female
. Race – Half Jackal, Half Human
. Age – 20 ( she is immortal so her visible age would be 20 but she has lived for a while)
. Height – 5’7
PROCESS – IN MORE DETAIL
Character concepts
To create the material on the clothing I used the blend tool.
This is the initial base for the turn around next to the final turn around. I think what influenced the most change in this turn around would have to be the feedback I got which drove me to make the character more unique.
The techniques I used in this turnaround was to first start with a sketch then go into an outline then after that build it up by placing down base colours. to make it more detailed I then start to add extra details and shadowing as well as lighting/highlights.
Character close up detail annotation
Process – How I made my character more unique
As I was creating the turn around of my character, I did some further research during in on how I can make my character more unique. I first had the idea of creating a character that isn’t too heavily ancient Egyptian inspired but more modern. But then I thought that I could clash the two themes. Creating a character with modern and ancient Egyptian elements. the images below gave me inspiration to do this.
Character outfit materials
Top – the material for the top is silk as silk tends to represent wealth in ancient Egypt
Skirt – The skirt is made out of a random fabric. as it is mostly covered and not a main asset on the character the material of it doesn’t matter.
Waist scarf – cashmere and silk is a common material used for waist scarfs.
Animation annotation
My skills in this project
In this project, I applied the skills I had learned in previous projects for example 3D character modelling, paint overs, iterations and ideations to create the Character for this project. these skills were helpful as it wasn’t time consuming learning new skills for this project.
Extra feedback
I received feedback from my silhouettes from my tutor. the feedback I received was about how there were more iterations of what my character was holding instead of the actual character design. for my next character iterations I will focus more on the outfits than the weapons/props.
Layer organisation
To keep my layers organised I did each part of the character in different layers so if I need to isolate a layer it would be easy. I also named them so the layers didn’t get mixed up
For things like clothing and the skin I first started out with base colour layer then a sandh layer which stand for shadow and highlight.
File organisation
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