Learning outcomes

LEARNING OUTCOMES 

1. Demonstrate a comprehensive and critical understanding of the issues relevant to character design in various contexts.

The characters were designed bearing in mind their position and function on the prison. The VIP prisoners, created with the parents of both species of evolved human, had to contain enough elements of both to make them recognisably a mix of the two. From the prisoner species the characters have similar facial features and broad shoulders, as well as the plant-like growth on their torsos. Their outfits are in the colours of the prisoners' uniforms as well as incorporating the support structures worn by the guards, which works as a visual key to draw attention to their halfway status between prisoner and guard species.

VIP prisoner design, incorporating elements of both species

2. Demonstrate a comprehensive and critical understanding of techniques and methods appropriate to the chosen area of design.

In designing a spherical prison, it was useful to create a model in Maya (Autodesk) to aid in visualising the environment. A fluency in using Adobe Photoshop helped to realise the vision.

Maya model of space prison

developed concept for space prison

3. Act autonomously in the research and synthesis of visual materials to support and inform the creation of original concepts.

The wardens of the 'creature prison' have weak bones and organs that regularly fail and force them to rely ever more heavily on machines to support them as they get older. Consequently, the young recruit to the prison can move around and function fairly freely with the basic support suit he wears, whereas in designing the head warden, an older character, it followed that his apparatus would be more extensive to keep up with his deteriorating body. There are already such apparatuses of support used by people today, and a lot of inspiration was taken from these devices in designing the head warden's suit.

mood board for body support structures

developed design of prison Warden

4. Critically evaluate and defend your own work in the context of contemporary practice.

The process of developing a character design for Captain Hook followed the standard process used by many professional concept artists; first a direction of development was established and then the design was repeated with several interpretations until the strongest 'look' stood out as most effectively representing the character.

The end result of this process is recognisable as an alternate universe Hook because of the 'Charles II' hair and extravagant fashion of his clothing, as well as the hook itself, of course. The character could have been a stronger design if it had more radically deviated from the standard portrayal of Hook, though this might have made him less immediately identifiable. A less literal interpretation of the character may have produced an interesting result. The painting techniques used to render the developed image are quite realistic and although the colours used are very saturated and literal, the piece conveys a sense of atmosphere.

A selection of character concepts

developed concept for reimagined Captain Hook

5. Explore, critically evaluate and implement the appropriate skills relevant to the creation of character design.

The image below shows a stage of the design process of the prisoners' appearance. A range of physical features have been explored within the guidelines of following a human evolutionary projection. Many features were selected from these figures to incorporate into a final design.

prisoners before their incarceration

6. Operate ethically, demonstrating critical understanding of the issues governing good practice.

Although good concept art is often highly influenced by contemporary and past artists' work, the concepts in this Creature Prison project are all original and not plagiarised, neither are there photos/images used within the art that are not the artist's own.

7. Demonstrate an independent and reflective approach to personal and professional development. 

The first iterations of the character designs for both species, prisoner and incarcerator, were seen to be lacking in uniqueness, and although they were developed into quite an advanced concept, it was clear that these characters were not telling the story that they should be. These designs were put aside to start again from a new approach, though some of the better elements were retained in a reimagined form.

initial concepts for the prisoner design

initial concepts for the guards design