Dynamic Boards

Here I have the final boards for this project showing the dynamic poses for both of the styles.

Similarly to the turn arounds, I found it easier working in the anime style as I felt that it was easier to exaggerate motion. With the western style, I found this more difficult as I wanted to keep the sharpness of the style which made it feel more structured, while the anime style felt more loose.

I was hoping to do more with these sheets, however due to poor time management on my part I've had to leave it at this. If i were to redo this module or continue with these boards in my own time, I feel that it would be a useful exercise to practice my dynamic drawing skills.

Overall, I really enjoyed working in both of these styles and feel that they have helped improve my character designing skills, and helped me better understand how to work in different styles.

Suzume Turn Around Anime

Here is the completed turn around for Suzume in the anime style.

When working with Suzume in this style I found it easier to have consistent proportions as it was closer to the style i'm used to working in.

As mentioned before, these designs did take longer to finish then the western designs, showing the difference in production levels between the two styles.

Next I will be working on the dynamic boards for the two styles which will incorporate each of the characters.

Finalised Anime Designs

Here I have the completed board for the anime inspired designs.

I found that these designs took a lot longer to draw out then the western designs, mostly due to the level of detail they required, especially when it came to the colouring.

I also learnt that different characters were harder to draw dependant on the style I was using. For example, I found Luka the easiest to draw with the western designs but the hardest with the anime designs. Rima also followed this pattern with her being easier to draw in the anime style but I struggled a lot more with her western design. Suzume however was rather consistent regardless of the style and I faced the same levels of difficulty regardless.

I have also realised that I have been overly ambitious with this project, and over estimated how much I can do within the time limit. Because of this, i'm altering my initial goal of creating around 10 character boards (2 group boards, 6 turn arounds, 2 dynamics boards) to a more realistic 6 boards (2 group boards, 2 turn arounds, 2 dynamics boards), as I believe this will be more manageable.

Next I will be working on the turn around for the anime board.

Suzume Turn Around Western

This week I finished the turn around sheet for the character Suzume in her western style.

Though I initially intended to do four point turn around sheets, after beginning work on them I decided to create three point turn arounds instead. This is mainly in an effort to save time as there is still a lot of work to do (turn around sheets for each character in both style and dynamic poses for each style) and cutting the turn around down will speed up my progress while still giving a clear idea of how the characters work.

Suzume's design is quite sharp and because of the structure of her outfit, her base when drawing her is very simple, making understanding her turn around much easier. This is great for my research as these characters are designed and styled with the mindset that they need to work for a TV series and having a consistent base structure is important for this.

Finalised Western Designs

Here are the finished western designs for my characters, lined and fully coloured.

Overall I'm very happy with how my designs have been translated into a western style and match the type of aesthetic that I was working towards.

When it came to selecting colour schemes, Luka and Suzume's came together very quickly and didn't really stray from my initial ideas for them. However, I really struggled with Rima's colour scheme as I felt that what I initially planned for her mad her look out of place in comparison with the other two. After a lot of tests and colour variation ideas from other people, I decided to trust my instincts and go back to my original idea for the character, as this was the only scheme that I really felt fit with the character. After editing some of the colours tones slightly as well and messing with the saturation I finally had a colour scheme I was happy with and that fit with the other characters.

Next I need to draw turn around sheets for each of the characters and begin work on translating the characters into an anime style.

Survey Results

Style Inspirations

I created two style inspiration boards to help me identify the types of styles I wanted to work with for the anime and western designs.

I found that the styles I preferred within western animation that fit the theme of my narrative were mostly sharp and angular. 

Where as with the anime styles, I preferred rounder styles that used detailed hair styles and eyes.

These boards will be useful reference for when I begin designing the characters in the two styles.

Character Design: Character 3 (Rima)

Finally these are my initial designs for the last character Rima.

Rima is a slightly more serious character so I chose to make her clothes more structured and soldier like. I also wanted to make her general structure longer/taller to show that she is more mature than the other two characters. Her colours scheme will be mostly purples and greys and generally less intense to match her energy.

Material wise her clothes will have more strength and structure, and are designed to be durable.

Character Design: Character 2 (Luka)

These are my designs for the second character Luka.

Luka's character is designed to be a lot more relaxed and casual than the other two while still clearly being connected. I chose to make his hair quite ruffled and messy to give him an aloof feel and make his clothes somewhat more tatty then the other two to show that he's more about functionality rather then style. His colour scheme so far will be a mix of purples, deep blues and blacks to mimic this more relaxed energy.

His outfits will most likely be cotton blends to be soft and comfortable.

Character Design: Character 1 (Suzume)

Here are my designs for the first character Suzume. I decided to first draw the characters in my own style as it makes the development process easier being able to initially work in a style i'm familiar with, and can work quickly with before moving onto something I require more practice with.

I decided to give this character a somewhat futuristic and sporty look as I feel that this best reflects both the setting of the narrative as well as her energetic personality. Her hair is short but has enough length for it to be tied up and her outfit designed to be functional but stylish. At the moment, I intend her colour scheme to be mix of whites and purples (a colour I aim to incorporate into all the characters) and have a lot of textures reflective of that of sportswear (polyester, lycra, potentially some reflective elements).

Plot and Character Profiles

I have now completed writing up the brief outline of the narrative plot for the world my characters live in, as well as their individual character profiles.

This is an important step as I have to understand the world/setting/themes as well as the characters personalities to accurately design them, ad make sure they fit into the world they exist in. For this project, the genres of the narrative are action/adventure/fantasy and the world is set in the not so distant future.

Each character profile explains who the character is, where they fit in the story, and why they are where they are. This will be a useful reference when I come to designing the characters themselves.

Character Development: Inspiration Boards

To start off my practical I decided to create pintrest boards for the different characters I wanted to design. This helped me figure out the type of aesthetic I wanted for each of them as well as who they are and how they were to be represented through their design. I also took a few pictures of fabrics I found that would make interesting textures for their clothes, as well as notes on different materials I imagined being used for their outfits.

I feel that this will be useful going forwards as it acts as a point of reference if I begin to struggle with colour schemes, textures, builds, shapes and other aspects of their aesthetics.

Proposal (Draft)

This essay intends to investigate the history of anime in the west and how it has influenced western animation in the time we have been exposed to it, as well as why it has been influential. To do so, I will be looking into different aspects that have contributed to this influence, case studies which provide examples of how the west has been influenced, as well as my own practical response exploring the visual differences between western and anime character designs.

For my case studies, I have decided to look at three pieces of animation that represent this topic. The first is Astro Boy; one of the first pieces of anime to be viewed and dubbed in the west, making it a useful and core piece of animation for answering my question and to better inform my practical research. The second is Avatar : The Last Airbender; a piece of western animation that takes heavy inspiration from anime and shows an interesting blend of western and Japanese styles. And the third is RWBY, another piece of western animation that is also inspired by Japanese anime, however, within Japan is actually sold as an anime and has been adapted into manga format.

As for the practical element of this module, I aim to create a series of characters that I then translate into a distinctively western style, and a distinctively anime style. These characters will be designed for an action/adventure/fantasy tv series with a superhero theme as this is a common theme within both cultures animation narratives, but aim to display a clear difference in the characters designs.

I aim to split my essay into five main chapters; the origins of anime, what makes anime distinct from other types of animation, the influence of anime in the west, is this influence a one way street, and finally a discussion and evaluation of my own practical response. I believe that these chapters will act as a good base for answering my question and give me the opportunity to explore a range of subjects within the range of my topic of interest.

Harverd Referances:

Denison, R. (2015) Anime: A Critical Introduction.  Bloomsbury Academic
Lamarre, T. (2009) The Anime Machine: A Media Theory of Animation. Minneapolis: University Of Minnesota Press
Napier, S. (2006) Anime from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation. Revised Edition. Palgrave Macmillan
Author Unknown (2005). 'Japan Animation Industry Trends', JETRO Japan Economic Monthly, (June), Available at: https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/reports/market/pdf/2005_35_r.pdf (Accessed: 28/9/2019)
Makoto, K (2006). 'SMEs and the Globalization of Japanese Anime', Japan Spotlight, (May/June), Page 12-13, Available at: https://www.jef.or.jp/journal/pdf/C-3_0605.pdf (Accessed: 28/9/19)
UK Essays (2018). Perceptions of Anime in the West. Degree Unknown, Awarding Body Unknown, Available at: https://www.ukessays.com/dissertation/examples/media/impact-of-japanese-animation.php?vref=1 (Accessed: 28/9/2019)
Patterson, J (2015). People's Perception of Anime. Undergraduate Research. Arcadia University. Available at: https://scholarworks.arcadia.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgiarticle=1023&context=undergrad_works (Accessed: 29/9/2019)
Singleton, J (2011). 'Japanese Animation, The Pacific War And The Atomic Bomb', Impact, (August), Available at: http://impactnottingham.com/2011/08/japanese-animation-the-pacific-war-and-the-atomic-bomb/ (Accessed: 29/9/2019)

Reflective Writing

Reflecting on my project so far I have collected multiple pieces of primary and secondary research to develop my understanding of the topic as well as support my points and visual development. Initially, this project started through reading Stephen T. Asma's book 'On Monsters, and Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears', a text that looks into the different types of monsters that exist "real or imagined, literal or metaphorical" as well as their culture and conceptual history. This text was particularly useful with helping me better understand the fascination with imaginary monsters compared to real life ones as they aren't restricted by reality and stem from our own fears.

I continued my research by looking at different types of monsters focusing on the categories of scary, cute, funny, and cool, looking specifically at the kind of features commonly attributed to them. Around this point I also had my peers evaluate my research so far and suggest possible further research and ideas. This was particularly useful in focusing my topic and helping me think about the culture surrounding monsters and how it has changed over time as society has also changed. This lead me to Hiroki Azuma's text 'Otaku- Japan's Database Animals' which suggests that consumption of media has changed in the post-modern era with "an increasing emphasis on fiction (and the weakening sense of connection with reality)". This potentially suggests that this change in the way we consume media has in turn effected how we view it, and as such how we view monsters.

My research then lead me to look a modern monsters in the media and how they are presented. I looked into this in both a written and visual manner, categorising them and noting down what makes them a monster, while also drawing some designs or features I found particularly interesting.

I then created an online exploratory questionnaire inspired by the research I had collected so far. The aim of the questionnaire was to find out what common features people associated with different types of monsters, as well as their opinions on monsters in general and how they would define them. The piece of primary research was successful and gave me some interesting and informative research to work upon. It also helped me make the decision that the two types of monsters I would select for my final outcomes was cute and scary, as these were the two types of monsters people described the most in their answers.

I furthered my primary research by getting people to draw 'a monster' to see which type people drew the most. The responses where overwhelmingly filled with scary monster with the occasional cute, funny or cool monster in the mix. However, at this point it was very clear that peoples initial thoughts towards monsters were something scary or frightening.

Overall, I think this research has been very insightful and will be carefully applied when it comes to creating my final outcome.

Planning a Practical

So far for my project I have completed several pieces of research into my chosen topic which has helped me begin to formulate ideas moving towards a final outcome. I have successfully written up and received responses from an online exploratory questionnaire designed to accumulate a variety of opinions and perspectives on different types of monsters as well as monsters overall. I have also conducted research into monsters in modern media, common phobias and begun sketching out rough ideas of potential monsters.

Through my research I have found that when asked to define a monster, people commonly describe something scary or frightening. However, when asked to describe features they would associate with non-scary monsters they are capable of doing so. I also found that despite most peoples initial reactions to describing a monster is something scary, when asked about their favourite type of monster most people say cute. As such I believe it would be most beneficial to my research to create a cute and a scary monster for my final outcome.

I have also continued to find research texts and books that could be used for my research such as 'Killing Monsters' by Gerard Jones; a book exploring children's need for fantasy and make-believe violence. As well as 'The Unnameable Monster in Literature and Film' by Maria Beville, exploring how modern depiction of monsters are constantly changing, making it hard to define what a monster at its core is.

After receiving feedback from my peers on my project so far, it was suggested that I look further into common phobias and how I could possibly incorporate them into the designs of my monsters. I was also encouraged to push myself away from my comfort zone and broaden my range of research into different types of monsters moving forward.

Formal Proposal

For my practical investigation, I intend to investigate into the question 'What Makes a Monster?' to better research and understand the changing culture surrounding monsters and whether or not current dictionary definitions can be applied to the modern monster.

To kick start this investigation I have researched various theories on what a monster is and the comparison between those that are real and those that are imaginary. Authors such as Stephen T. Asma and Hiroki Azuma have proved to be a useful starting point with Asma focusing on investigating what a monster is, while Azuma looks into the change in modern culture in relation to consumerism and the increasing focus on fiction in modern audiences, accompanied by a weakening connection with reality.

I intend to create my own research by creating a questionnaire, asking people on their opinions as to what a monster is, how they would define one, whether they like them or not, as well as common features within different types of monsters. I also intend to look at current fictional monsters in modern media and the different types that present themselves.

For my end product, I intend to create two monsters based on two separate categories (which categories are selected will depend on research findings and questionnaire feedback). These monsters will focus on a combination or traits that are commonly associated with the type of monster selected, as well as any reoccurring answers found through my research.

Essay Introduction

This essay will be discussing the question of what makes a monster? To achieve this, research will be conducted into the different types of monsters, as well as what makes these different types of monsters appealing to and audience and the culture surrounding it. This will require investigating different representations of monsters in the media and how they have changed over time, and whether they can still be classified as monsters according to the current definitions. This area of study is interesting due to the growing interest audiences shows towards monstrous creatures in most cultures, as well as the change in their role within the film and tv industry. An example of this can be seen in films such as ‘Creature From The Black Lagoon’ (1954) and ‘The Shape Of Water’ (2017). Both films which feature fish-like monsters, but while the first is a horror, the second is dark romantic fantasy. Changes in the perceptions of monsters over time like this can be seen in a wide variety of content around the world. As an outcome, this research will be used to create new monsters aimed at specific audiences as well as inverting the styles of current monsters to appeal to different audiences. For example, taking traditionally cute monsters such as those from the ‘Pokémon’ franchise and turning them into a more conventionally scary monster or vice versa.

Images and Theory

Here I have created a poster and triangulation diagram which I presented to my group to gain more ideas as to what types of research I should conduct for my project.

My group suggested that I should complete a survey asking people what features they associate with different types of monsters. For example, cute monsters tend to be fluffy and have big eyes, while scary monsters tend to have dark colour scheme and sharp teeth.

I think this is a really good idea and will help me with my final outcome of creating my own monsters fitting various categories.

Reading And Understanding Texts

The text I chose to read for this study task was 'On Monsters - An Unnatural History Of Our Worst Fears' by Stephen T. Asma. This text explores the different types of monsters that exist, whether they be "real, or imagined, literal or metaphorical" as well as their cultural and conceptual history.

The quotes I found particularly useful for my project were about how the best monsters are the ones created by human imagination, as 'monsters' that exist in reality can't compare to what we create.

I discussed my initial findings with my group who suggested I look into why we are intrigued by things designed to scare us and the culture surrounding horror. They also made the point that perhaps people love things that are designed to scare them as a way to with fear, and that this could be an interesting point to look into further.

Initial Ideas

Here I have the initial ideas for my COP research project. I initially was more interested in the topics of technology, culture and aesthetics, but after creating base ideas and doing some research, I decided that aesthetics was a stronger topic for me.

I then looked into things that I felt had aesthetically strong appeal and I settled on the idea of monsters, as they come under a lot of different categories and look drastically different depending on the type of monster.

Sentient Spaces

 For this practical task I created a short looping animation of a sentient room. To create the idea of the room being alive, I decided to have pictures that move or draw themselves. I also made a teddy bear that moves its eyes to look at something in the corner of the room.

 I think that this was a useful task to help me better understand and learn how to create the idea of a sentient space/living landscape.

Animism

Here I have created a short looping animation of a pumpkin to demonstrate animism. I did this by giving the object eyes and a tongue that move in a somewhat creepy but comedic fashion to create the idea of a personality.

Overall I believe this was a successful piece in demonstrating and helping me better understand the idea of animism.

Visual Evaluation - Selection & Summary (Study Task 5)

For this practical research investigation, the decision was made to explore the theme of heroes and their relationship to culture in the context of animation. To do this, it was important to consider a variety of different content, processes and media such as film, TV, comics and the differences between western and eastern portrayals of heroes.

What Worked Well?:

• Primary and secondary research I collected enabled me to better understand and develop my work.
• My final piece is clearly influenced by my investigation and was successful.
• The layout of the visual journal was clearly structured and flowed well, visual presenting my investigation.
• Experimentation with different characters and their appeal provided me wth useful information that helped me develop my own characters.
• Looking into different cultures presentation of heroes helped me understand the diversity of the hero character, informing decisions I made with my own comic.

What Would I Do Differently?:

• Conduct more primary research into character appeal.
• Collect more primary imagery
• Create more experimental work and visuals
• Spend more time on creating backgrounds
• Collect more research on vintage comic styles and modern comic styles.

Themes, Subjects, and Processes that I will Investigate Further in the Future?:

• Vintage vs Modern comics
• Super heroes vs non-super heroes
• Villains
• Traditional vs digital media
• Common themes/subjects of comics and hero narratives

Overall, the research for this project has been successful in the sense that what has been researched has helped in the creation of parts of the final piece. Exploration into modern heroes and narratives within the animation and film industry also helped construct the aesthetic and themes presented in the comic.  This in turn helped with the construction of different characters and the narrative, in order to make the comic both visually and contextually attractive. Looking back, I have learned the different aspects to consider when creating a comic, as well as the different representations of heroes within different cultures and the different ways they can be portrayed in different mediums. To conclude, this research project has been successful and has helped me gain new information on a range of different topics which will be of great use in future projects.