HI Ella - okay, I'm just going to say this so you know it's on my mind and likely to reoccur... I'm not really sure how much actual 'design' is happening here, as you're drawing characters I've seen you draw many, many times before. This character, in various guises, populates your every output it seems, and for all its expertise and all its existing qualities, I can't help but begin to ask questions about your ability and /or interest to respond to different types of visual concept. Imagine for a moment that I'm a client and you're a junior designer: I don't want my world populated by your favourites, I want a world populated by characters designed especially for the story universe unique to the brief. I know you struggle to envision characters other than these, but they are absolutely your comfort zone; your default, your hobby-place, and I suppose I'm much more interested in seeing you try different things. I can't help feeling that, creatively, you might be plateauing, and with your natural abilities, I can't help but provoke you towards something more unexpected and less predictable. This isn't an issue of quality, or an attack on the established appeal of your preferred world view, or an ability on my part to appreciate the merit in the characters you like to draw, but I will admit to frustration at their ubiquity. I'm not sure you're truly designing anything...
I think you hit the nail right on the head. If I have to be honest I've felt like I have been re-dressing the same character and slapping on a different personality recently.. I shall re-think !
The question is one of premise, tone and audience. Visual concept derives inevitably from your story universe; characters derive their physicality from their role in the story, and the way in which that physicality must communicate quickly and immediately to audiences. One of the ways to identify interesting new directions in terms of design is to think about the ethnicity/geography/chronology of your story universe; when it is set, where is it set, and who are these characters actually? Characters derive from story, and I think your characters tend to pre-exist, and become inserted into different projects. Anything you can do to reverse that polarity may result in unexpected results and the breaking of new creative ground for you.
HI Ella - okay, I'm just going to say this so you know it's on my mind and likely to reoccur... I'm not really sure how much actual 'design' is happening here, as you're drawing characters I've seen you draw many, many times before. This character, in various guises, populates your every output it seems, and for all its expertise and all its existing qualities, I can't help but begin to ask questions about your ability and /or interest to respond to different types of visual concept. Imagine for a moment that I'm a client and you're a junior designer: I don't want my world populated by your favourites, I want a world populated by characters designed especially for the story universe unique to the brief. I know you struggle to envision characters other than these, but they are absolutely your comfort zone; your default, your hobby-place, and I suppose I'm much more interested in seeing you try different things. I can't help feeling that, creatively, you might be plateauing, and with your natural abilities, I can't help but provoke you towards something more unexpected and less predictable. This isn't an issue of quality, or an attack on the established appeal of your preferred world view, or an ability on my part to appreciate the merit in the characters you like to draw, but I will admit to frustration at their ubiquity. I'm not sure you're truly designing anything...
ReplyDeleteI think you hit the nail right on the head. If I have to be honest I've felt like I have been re-dressing the same character and slapping on a different personality recently.. I shall re-think !
DeleteActually if I may ask (though the answer might be obvious..) What should I stay away from; or think more towards?
Deletesorry - should have read 'or an *inability* on my part to appreciate the merit in the characters you like to draw...'
ReplyDeleteThe question is one of premise, tone and audience. Visual concept derives inevitably from your story universe; characters derive their physicality from their role in the story, and the way in which that physicality must communicate quickly and immediately to audiences. One of the ways to identify interesting new directions in terms of design is to think about the ethnicity/geography/chronology of your story universe; when it is set, where is it set, and who are these characters actually? Characters derive from story, and I think your characters tend to pre-exist, and become inserted into different projects. Anything you can do to reverse that polarity may result in unexpected results and the breaking of new creative ground for you.
ReplyDeleteThank you ! I guess it is a much needed change of mindset with how I approach stories; I'll get to work :^)
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