28.01.14

Initially at this stage I've decided to go with instinct. As the unit is restricted for time, I do not want to waste a great deal of time on research - that which I may not use.

After reading a brief summary of each of the virtues, I chose the one which instantaneously inspired me, that being patience.

Development

Silhouettes (insert)

 

 

Research (below)

This section is to focus on character development, the outline of research, and a path to follow towards the final piece.



 

With an idea in mind, research can commence. Patience is the vice versa of wrath and meaning behind the virtue is as follows (the description found on Wikipedia):

 

"Forbearance and endurance through moderation. Resolving conflicts and injustice peacefully, as opposed to resorting to violence. Accepting the grace to forgive; to show mercy to sinners. Creating a sense of peaceful stability and community rather than suffering, hostility, and antagonism."

 

There is a great deal of elaborated content which can be found regarding the virtue, but for the time being I chose to stick with the same source to avoid any conflicting evidence. Patience, also known as forbearing is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances. It is the level of endurance one can take before negativity, when I imagine such a character I envision a friendly looking character with positive body language, someone whom I would not fear approaching (these are all characteristics I must implement within my character).

 

Positive Body Language

• Smile
• Head up
• Arms and legs unrestricted, flowing freely (not crossed)

Well presented

• Groomed

Religious Perspectives

In Buddhism patience has three essential aspects: gentle forbearance, calm endurance of hardship, and acceptance of the truth.



Colours Schemes
both virtues give an immediate sense of peaceful, harmless characters. Such an impression needs to be suitably coloured in ways which emphasis these features and those which wouldn't come across as threatening.

• Grass green, sky blue - colours of nature, patiently and carefully grown.
• Warm sunlit orange and yellows - or any colours you'd imagine when hugging a loved one.

Final Piece

After finishing both the value and colour studies, I then quickly moved onto the final piece.After gaining an idea what I'd like to create during the studies, I then changed my perspective as I felt the value and colour studies both to be rather flat. By changing the perspective, I finally finished my first draft of the image found below:

I then elaborated on detail adding in my character, mist and adjusting the colours before I finally had finished.

Thumbnails

The thumbnails are required to be 500 x 250 pixels, although to achieve different perspectives and effects I decided that I'd do two 500 x 250 and two 250 x 500. The images do lack detail, but I didn't want to waste a great deal of time during this stage, rather achieve a rough detail-less outline to use as reference. I also experimented with different shades of colour as exampled below:

Project 1 - Part 2

Environments

The second section of the assignment requests us to create an environment, one in which we can present our character in.

Before research, I already have four ideas in mind which fit suitably around my character. Listed and elaborated below:

• Prison (alternatively, place of execution) - this idea was sprung to mind as I thought it'd be interesting as it was here where the shoe makers boy and the samurai first met, this could be a picture of reminiscence. 
• Courtyard, or town (overlooking palace, alternatively town from palace) - another idea was the shoe makers boy with his new status in a palace, or alternatively in a Japanese themed town.
• Tree - the tree plays a big part of the story as it's here where the story originally begins. 

I'll be doing four sketches in total which I'll then further develop. I started looking for inspirational images which I've inserted below, I couldn't find any images of a prison during the Edo Japan period so thought I'd scrap the idea.

Final Piece

Found below is my final piece:

Reflection:

Static View

After looking into colour variations, I chose that maybe it'd be wise to stick with a traditional male Kimono which are typically black and grey. I then created a static side, front and back view.

Character Expressions

I wanted to create a placid character with little or no emotion, as from growing up in with a strict background the boy was closed off from his feelings. I did add a few smiling poses, as I thought it to be a nice touch as after all, he is young and cheeky still.

Facial Expression

I started with quick simply sketches, each only taking around 30 seconds. I didn't feel I'd quite created quite enough expressions at this point, so I sketched a few more from different perspectives with more detail to give me inspiration on how my final character may look. 

I may use one of these for my final piece, although with added work to be done on both the mouth and eyes particularly.