Yesterday's tutorial was a reality check for the art direction we are aiming for in our animation. Dayle's thumbnail drawings are heading towards the right direction but need to become even bolder with more emphasized  Thai elements on them.

The trick to make this work is to strip whatever is unnecessary and  rely on a limited amount of colours and patterns. Our world has to become minimalistic with the use of patterns and negative space to give the illusion of an open space. We are specifically looking into three animated films which we find inspiring:  Thomas Beale Cipher, The Silence beneath the Bark and The Secret of Kells. 

Notes after Feedback

• Decorative – None of that
• Character Design Silhouettes
• Not to use alchemy when producing silhouettes.
• Kinnaree should not be imperial; ambiguous; intimidating
• Kinnaree should be brattish, charming, look at padmay from Star Wars – Natalie Portman
• Cultururally the piece should not derive from a type of witchiness
• It is more allufe, fey, anti-witchy quality
• Archetypes of imperial women
• Girl playing queen
• Irrelevant comparisons based on vague perceptions
• Music: Zakk, YouTube composer signature theme ost of a certain character; two bits of music co-habit/ Harmony
• Instructions on themes; based on characteristics
• Kinnaree – Pecky
• Hemaraj – Percussion
• Musical information/ way to commission/ if music is unusable, critically construct why it doesn’t/ creative wriggle room/ Bird-like ethnicity/ identity with a track on YouTube
• Look at Peter & the Wolf
• Thumbnails/ Art Direction
• Emulate Thai/ Logic: shapes derived from Thai ethnicity/ absolute Thailand
• Secret of Kells: Celtic Carvings.
• Kinnaree: Thailand fabrics/ murals/ silks
• Bolder representation of Thai
• Tracing back to Thai ethnicity
• Relationship colour with distilled, evocative of Thai culture/ Limitation of look at Kuler
• 5 words of boundaries = more coherent world
• Task: Thai ceremonial fabrics/ silks/ patterns to be extracted
• Colour limitation/ gradients/ enamel/ gold pastiche
• Look at Thomas Beale Cipher
• Back to drawing board with specific look at influence maps
• Limiting colours: Jade green, gold…
• Negative space patterns
• White signifies death in Thai culture
• Kinnaree oriental white shadows/ gold shadows
• Getting the right recipe in the concepts
• A lighting rig set-up in service to the style we will establish/ with 2D elements
• Limited/ linear/ striped away
• Indie scenes
• Honing understanding/ re-configure the world pieces. At present, the environmental thumbnails look reminiscent of rain forests – generic space - thus have no belonging to a Thai world. It does not invoke core visual Thai themes. Generic fantasy
• Visuals need to SCREAM Thailand! They will not work otherwise
• Lightblubs from Kells references need turning off
• Sown/ embroidered Thai designs
• Harry Potter animation: Tale of the Three Brothers
• Inverted shadows
• Audaciousness/ sustained colour palette – aforementioned Harry Potter: Tale of the Three Brothers
• Turn off seventy-five percent of current light bulbs
• Limitation; work with unique budget
• Five colours; seven surface patterns
• Sky colour
• Shadow colour
• Floral colour
• Rock colour
• What is our Thailand?
• 16:9
• Preceding character models to be used in testing to look at how 2D and 3D can be combined
• Coherence!
• Say no to generic content
• Thailand-ish ingredients needed for a highly spiced dish of visual ecstasy
• The Silence Beneath the Bark – by Joanna Lurie
• Character Design in service of the world/ essentialised it is
• Cultural precision
• Thomas – Avant-Garde
• Definitive Map/ Essential Oil/ Potency
• Hillscape
• Style wins


Analysing works

Thomas Beale Cipher – Stability of the projected patterns. Patterns do not move. Collaged-based; pattern shadows, negative space

The Silence beneath the Bark by Joanna Lurie – Composited After-effects sandwich/ Negative space; patterned shadows against the inverted whiteness of the forest floor

Secret of Kells – Patterns are strongly influenced by originating text/ cultural references/ everything is patterned, no negative space

Lai Thai Art

Experimenting with cut-out
 

Environment experiment

Since we have a small idea of what our world could look like, an early storyboard is a great start to visualise our animation. The environmet and the characters represented  have nothing to do with how they might evolve but are just simple sketches to justify the characters' position in the scene and their emotions.

After the feedback we got with the hand-in of our first Proposal we set off to continue with our project. Our main concern at the moment should be figuring out how our stylised environment would work with 3D characters. This will involve experimenting in photoshop and perhaps using Maya to test out with what methods this could work aesthetically.

Alan also suggested looking into A liar's Autobiography trailer which could help with what we are looking for.

Minor Project Proposal 25/09/12

Had some time today to gather art influences. Artists include Josh Brill and Eleanor Grosch. Trying to keep a dense rhythm, maybe at times dynamic and capable of eliciting a purely aesthetic emotion. Brendan and the Secret of Kells is definitely the main drive of these images however, I'll invent new ways of exploring styles and emulating them with my own.

Environmental concepts with experimenting styles. Another set will be uploaded soon.

Just to re-iterate regarding the timetable, below is an extract from the brief we'll be working from. This way we have a window of time reliable and useful to complete the project.

___________________________________________________________________

Creative Task

This project represents the beginning of your final years study and your transition towards a creative career. In order to make this transition successful it is important to further refine your creative methodology and practical output (Pipeline). This will demonstrate to a potential employer that you are able to function in a professional capacity and possess a skill base applicable to your chose creative field.

Proposals

Before starting this project you are asked to write a proposal which outlines the type of project you wish to undertake. This will typically contain the following details:

The Type of Project: For example, Character Design, Animated Short, or Digital Set.

Area of Study: The subject area or research frame work you wish to explore.

Potential ideas: Starting points for development.

Outcome / Goals: What the outcome may of the project may be.

A Timetable of Study: An overview of how you may complete this project.

You will also be asked to repeat this process later

Weeks 1 - 2: Proposal: (See Above)

Weeks 3 – 5: Research, Concept Development, and Pre-Production *

* At this stage a project green, orange, or red light will be given.

Weeks 6 – 11: Development & Production *

* The interim critique will be held during this period. Your presentation should include: Your concept overview, all research work, concept art, storyboards, pre-viz animatic, preproduction, and production work to date.

* Project Proposal: At this stage you are asked to re-write and re-submit a project proposal taking into account the current status of the project.

Weeks 12 – 14: Post-production & Submission

No reading week means no week 15. I believe this will be cleared up in today's briefing as there is a reason for this.

Our environment is located in the Himalayan Mountains, according to the descriptions of the Himmapan Forest. Its look will most likely be flat, rich in patterns and colours. We've been looking into artists' work that tend to avoid shading and depth and concentrate on flat textures and pure brush-strokes like Gustav Klimt and Leonid Afremov. We also feel very inspired by the film The Secret of Kells, where the lively characters are placed in beautiful hand made environments; a refreshing change from the recent rise of CG- exclusively  based films.

1 - The secret of Kells

2 - Gustav Klimt - Birch Forest, 1903

3 - Nicholas Roerich - Tibet. Himalayas., 1933

4 - Erté, L’Océan, Costume Design for Les Mers, 1923

5 - Leonid Afremov

6 - Herb Dickinson - Ginko Forest Painting - Acrylic On Panel

7 - Herb Dickinson - Golden Tops Painting - Acrylic On Panel

8 - Franklin Carmichael - October Gold, Naturalism, 1922 

We have also been researching a movement called The Arts and Crafts Art Movement. Combined with the distinctive shapes found in Thai Murals the results could turn out more than interesting. Next step will certainly be to experiment with these visuals.

"In England, during the second half of the nineteenth century, painter, writer,               textile designer and social activist William Morris (1834-1896) became the motivational leader of a revival in arts and crafts that encompassed all the visual arts, especially architecture and interiors. The Arts and Crafts movement he led in England had ramifications that spread world wide. Morris believed in a Utopian style of socialism and his affinity with natural handcrafted wares was doggedly pursued."

Found in:  http://www.thecultureconcept.com/circle/arts-crafts-movement-william-morris-the-art-that-is-life 

 

Movie clip directed by Carine Khalife, a French artist based in Montreal.