Final Characters

This post shall be the last of this project, the sample of the interactive comic is now complete. It has been compiled into a video 4:30 long. There have been many iterations of each scene but I am happy with how they now combine together to give the full concept. There are three main scenes consisting of the introduction i.e. title page, setting the scene with the palace and then the grand opening of the story with the theatre. The interactivity builds as the story develops, initially only a button needs to be pressed to go to the next scene. The following scene involve a quill that is able to write itself with swiping all parts of the scene away to progress further to the next scene. The theatre involves the viewer much more to hopefully become more immersive, firstly they must open the curtains and then they can interact with the characters in the scene. The concept has been helped greatly by the addition of music and sound effects although the last part may go on to long but I felt I should keep in the spirit of the Baron and just go over the top. There is no need for half the stuff at the end but it just felt right. The final video has been edited into an i-pad screen just to show the concept in a more realistic fashion as shown here.

 Below are the remaining characters who have been added to the final scene. This project has been great fun to work on, mainly due to the Baron's character and the freedom this gives to be slightly ridiculous and allows for much humour. This is something I may decide to take further in future although I realise to create a full chapter will require a huge amount of work and may take some time to get a really polished version.

Palace transition

The transition between the outside of the palace and entering the ballroom of the palace has been bothering me. My initial idea was to allow the user to go through the doors by knocking on them first, however upon looking back at this it is clear that it does not work very well. I tried changing the doors slightly but this made no difference. The sense I was missing was a sense of grandure as the Baron is introduced to the story. This got me thinking more about his theatrical personality and how to give him the entrance he deserved. Due to his character I began thinking of the theatre and the opening of production, which would seem fitting for the Baron. I have since drawn curtains and then done a short media test which includes music just to let me begin to see how each scene feels, if the music is appropriate and get a sense of timings etc. These drawings are below the media test is to large a file to allow upload.

compiling sequences so far

Now that there are three separate compositions or scenes in progress I wanted to put these together. Doing this allows me to see how each scene leads into the next, are the styles compatible, do the scenes make sense and how do they portrait the story and character of the Baron.
The opening scene portraits the Baron very well with the textured backgrounds adding to the age of his story, using lighting from above also seems to work well and gives a sense of drama. This is probably very subconsciously as my mind may think of theatre without even realising. Again suiting the Baron's character as I could imagine him being a very theatrical person based upon the tall tales he told of his adventures in life. The issues with this scene are mainly with the font and block colours used as their backgrounds, these do not quiet fit with the rest of the image. The same can be said of the button, I think having an actual button works well but I may reduce the effects on it to make it appear more natural. The Baron's eyes moving to look towards the viewer really works for me as I feel this this should engage the viewer and hopefully create some kind of connection. The viewer must like the Baron in order to make them want to read or view his story or stories so establishing some kind of connection as early as possible is crucial. This point was made clear to me during my research as there was one interactive comic which lost me within the first 30 seconds. I want the opposite to happen as it is important to draw the viewer in wanting them to see how this character progresses. Having the Baron's head becoming unattached from his body and the background set the scene very well for the type of world the viewer is about to enter. This is a world where almost anything can happen and the rules of the real world do not necessarily apply to the Baron.
The next scene which shows the palace looks rather unfinished compared to the previous scene. The black background seems to be in stark contrast to the textured background and the image misses the use of the light from above. The image seems rather flat as some of the depth has been lost from the light not being used. The broken world theme seems to be lost mainly by the method I have used to create this image. The coloured block shapes are too defined by the shapes within the image of the palace which takes away from the idea of a broken world. Again the font and block colour backgrounds for them are not fitting to the story. The doors don't work quiet as well as I had imagined so I will need to play around with the idea to make some improvements with style and timing of doors arriving on scene. The ballroom scene works well although I should consider background and lighting for this scene. My next step for this scene is to begin adding more characters, dancers and I am thinking about having characters such as Bach playing piano.

Palace scene

After compiling my opening scene my next task was to create a scene which would work as a transition towards the ballroom. It made sense to me to start the story outside a grand estate or palace as this would really set the scene for the story and embellish who the Baron is as a character. The scene would have to look similar in style to the ballroom scene already created. The style is similar although I did use a different method to compile the image, previously I used the coloured shapes first and then transferred a line drawing over the top, however this time I have tried to use the original sketch and then make the coloured shapes suit the image. I will not know fully if this will make any major difference until I put all footage together. This image and sequence were really just to see how it may work as a transition and how the image might come together and break apart. The colours used in this image are more like what may be expected i.e., blue sky, green grass. The timings of the sequence footage are very rough as again they are just to portrait an idea and give me a base to work from and develop further. Both images and sequence are shown below.

opening titles

Due to previously making a part of one of the first scenes I have now been able to start producing final pieces for the interactive comic. Beginning this process with the opening titles made sense as I can just keep on adding and see where I finally end up with this sample of an interactive comic. The initial scene I began to compile used a sort of broken world where parts of the scene would come together almost like a theatre. This theme will be keep through the story as it suits the Baron's character as he is over the top and very theatrical especially with his tall tales. The opening titles sequence is done in a slightly different tone, much darker and older in style. This was done as I thought it portrait the age of these stories very well although it is still in keeping with the broken world theme. I have also tried to add a little humour to the opening as the stories that will be told should be taken in good humour as they are by no means true to life apart from in the Baron's mind. This opening scene is primarily a test to see how this will work, once I have prepared the next scene I will see how the transition works especially with change in tone. I think it should work well and bring the story more to life when the Baron's world seems even brighter.

Trial animation

Trying to create an initial scene has become my priority for this project. As shown previously on thumbnails I imagined the Baron telling tales to many women perhaps within a ballroom. This type of scene would set the status of the Baron and show his character within the opening scene, although I may use another introduction for title etc prior to this scene. My first step was to draw the Baron as though he was entertaining or speaking to a crowd. Shown below is the pencil sketch I produced, there are several errors although none to severe and easily rectified. The main issue is with the weight distribution as the back leg seems to low, also the folds on his trousers and jacket do not seem right.

The next stage was to take this character into Photoshop so that I can then begin to think about putting him in a scene. Being influenced by NAWLZ I knew that the backgrounds within this comic would be nice and bright so I purposely kept the Baron within a range of blues which would contrast the background of the ballroom. The only thing which uses bright colours is his cane which appears to be made of gold and a large precious stone to show his wealth, final result of this is shown below.

When producing the first image I thought about where the final product may be displayed. Would this comic be for PC or would it be available for tablet? As this is to be a sample version which is primarily to look at style and functionality, it is not aimed at any market, or for any particular device. However I thought it should be important to create something that would be compatible for PC and a high end tablet. My decision was to make this compatible with iPad and chose the spec of the first generation to base my images on. The finished images I create should be 1024 x 768 pixels set at 132 dpi as shown below (newer iPads have higher resolutions, mini iPad now same resolution but higher dpi so would work on all iPads in production)

Prior to completing the image of the Baron I also created the basis of what I thought should be the background colours. This also allowed me to play around with the scale of the Baron and see where I thought he should be positioned within the image, this is shown below.

Using this layout would mean that the ballroom should become secondary as I want the focus to be on the Baron. As I wanted to trial an animation very quickly I overpainted an image I found of a ballroom which had the perspective I was looking for. Although this is not something I would usually do this was required to let me see if the background colours and images could move separately or if they would be better kept together. Shown below are the image I found and the overpainting created from that image.

The next step was to introduce this image and also trial different versions of the Baron. This was due to me trying different brushes for shadows etc and I wished to see them all against the same background to see what differences there were.

After dividing which brush I preferred it became more about the scale and position of the Baron. Then having a trial of where I could place text was done also playing around with scale etc.

This layout was something I was happy with and decided that this was enough for me to trial a short animation using this image. There will be many other characters included in the final image but there is no real requirement for them at this point. The focus of the task was to produce something to let me begin to see how different factors may be combined. The short animation which was created is shown below and has definitely brought progress to this project as I can now begin to see visually how things may come together regarding style, textures, animations and text.

Baron without hat

Since the last drawing of the Baron I had been thinking about removing his hat and wig. However the wig did seem appropriate for his stature within the time period he was alive. When looking back at some of the research into the Baron I found an image of a statue which is meant to be the Baron. This statue shows the Baron wearing a wig, therefore I decided to draw the Baron with a wig only, which I feel has definitely improved his whole character. He now seems to give the impression of someone with status or a man of importance. Compared to previous sketches he looks rather more dignified and cultured, the medium and colours used may have also contributed to this distinction. The hat and wig used previously gave an impression of a man more like a Pirate than a Baron. Now when I look at this image I feel I have managed to capture the person whom I have been trying to find, now I have his character I can try him in more modern styles such as the ones found during my research. The styles which appeal to me the most are that of NAWLZ, incredipede and Palekh painting. The combination of all three styles could give something very different but I will just need to see what the outcome is and where it leads. The image below was created using Inktense pencils as my original thought was to give it a painted effect. This changed as the drawing progressed and I decided to levee it as a sketch only. Using three colours seemed to give me enough contrast to create depth in this image, leaving many areas of the image untouched as this was to highlight the areas of light. Working from an image proved far easier than working from imagination as you have something to reference especially when capturing light and tones. Capturing the Baron's age and sense of an accomplished man have been the key elements I have been trying to capture in all sketches. This sketch seems to have captured these fundamental attributes and now lets me move forward with this project.

Iterations of thumbnails

Below are some of the iterations of thumbnails for scenes used to create interactive comic. When drawing these thumbnails I quickly realised that trying to carry the story through to the Baron falling from the Moon was probably too much. This project is to create a sample only for the client which shows the style and format. This means that I would be far better concentrating on a few scenes and delivering a higher quality than trying to create a more with a lack in quality. The first eleven scenes have some iterations shown with one small change when the Baron is out with the bees. He also spends the day with some of the Sultan's wife's just to reaffirm his prowess and reputation. Again whether these scenes will be created will need to be seen as my intentions are to begin at the start and see where I get to with the last screen shot explaining this was only a taster. The final sheet also details some ideas I had about the possible re-use of assets throughout scenes as this method would help speed up production when use appropriately and effectively.

Cloud trial

Below are some examples of a couple of clouds I have drawn mainly to look at styles and run a quick animation test. The first image was inspired by incredipede and is very stylistic, this would mean creating similar entire works using this style. Although I have used much bolder colours and this could possibly work with art in a similar style to NAWLZ. This is something I feel I should at least try as both could be slightly adapted to suit one another. Merging both may give me an interesting effect which could look very modern. This image was created by using black and coloured Sharpies.

The clouds below are inspired by palekh painting. I found that creating this style was really enjoyable as I used Inktense pencils and black felt pens. My choice of colours was due to me imagining a night scene and thought the greens and reds would give great contrast. However looking at the image now I feel that they look more like trees than clouds. This was not the most important issue to me right now anyway, this image was to allow me to try a certain style and try out a quick animation test.

Below is the image I used in the animation, I used it prior to putting the black outline on the drawing. The image below has outlines done in Photoshop which are small dots to try and add more texture to the clouds, due to the size of the image a lot of the details are lost. This is something I must consider for my final images as there is no use creating things that won't be seen.

Below is a short animation of the clouds moving. This was done primarily to test that I could do what I had imagined. The clouds shown all move to fast and are positioned and scaled roughly, this was just to let me see how this style may look and how it may animate. If I were using these types of images then I would need to study how clouds move and where they may be in perspective to each other, i.e. distances, speeds etc.

Baron drawing

After creating my initial sketch of the Baron I felt it would be a good idea to try and draw the same character from a different angle. This again would serve a dual purpose of me developing his character but would also act as a drawing exercise. This drawing was done using pastel blocks and pencils which give a very different finish when compared to my first sketch. Pastels give a much fuller piece of work just by the nature of the material, this is probably most evident in the Baron's face and his hat. On first impression the character below looks to be the same person I had drawn previous although this version does look slightly younger. This is largely due to the colours blending more as the mark making is more subtle within this image. Due to the angle the Baron's age can only be established from the area around the eye, the loose skin below the cheek bones has not turned out as I hoped it would. The cheek bone is still too prominent and should have had less of a shadow as he is meant to be an older gentlemen. There is a significant tonal range especially within the wig which highlights the darkest and lightest areas although there is room for improvement on the hat. The face has good tones although I think that the range could be stretched and some areas that are lighter might be slightly in the wrong areas. These types of issues can be addressed by further studies of life drawing and improving my observational skills. The lighting and shading values are where I need to concentrate my efforts on the most as this is probably my weakest point. Although each area is shaded and there are definite areas of light the face, hat and wig seem slightly separate from one another rather than one coherent piece of work. This can only be solved by further works and studying how different materials react to the same light, although this has turned out well just drawing from my imagination only. The most difficult part of this drawing was the wig, it may seem like it has the least detail but this proved harder than the rest. When I created the initial pencil outline I tried to draw rows of curled hair, nothing in any detail just rough sizes of rectangles. Trying to get these blocks to look as though they were going round on a curve to follow the shape of the head was difficult to achieve. Once the pencil outline was completed the only area that concerned me was the wig as it just did not look right. However I proceeded with the pastel and once I came to the wig it became obvious that I should not try to be to precise. Allowing for rough, quick marks seemed to create a far better impression of what the wig may look like. In the end I was pleased how it turned out but it got me thinking that apart from straight on it kind of limits the Baron's character when drawing from other views. These first sketches were only to build a person in my mind and now I will develop others without hats and wigs to see what emerges and allows me to progress with the art style and characters for this project.

Initial sketch of baron

Shown below are my first initial sketches of how the Baron may look as I try to build his character in my mind. This process is very useful for several reasons as firstly it feels good to actually get something down on paper that begins developing his character. This exersice also allows me to evaluate my drawing techniques regarding tone and shade. The initial sketch was created using ink and a sharpened bamboo stick, I purposely used only one stick to see if I could get a variety of lines from using the same tool. Using this technique usually leads to each line starting thick and thinning out as you draw across the page as the stick does not hold much ink as there is no reservoir like a pen. Due to this I had to think more carefully about which direction lines should go and where to begin each line. This also meant that I was unable to create a more delicate image as would have been possible with a fine nib pen. However the benefit of using the bamboo was that it felt much freer than a pen and somehow more natural. This also lead me to be a bit more expressive and not so encased by technical aspects. I feel that the ink drawing does represent the character I was trying to portrait as my first thoughts or images were of the Baron being an older man, hence the reason he has so many tales to tell. The sagging skin under his eyes and cheekbones are testament to his age, the large bushy eyebrows also add to his demeanour. Trying to capture the essence of a man who has experienced life and endevoured countless adventures is the biggest challenge, one which has begun well with this sketch. Working with ink usually gives a lack of tonal range but using the bamboo allowed for deep thick lines and then also some delicate lines when there was little ink left on the stick. Some areas I have managed to create tone by using deliberate lines in a set direction, usually the thicker lines. However the thinner lines are not so deliberate and in some places are rather more loose to try and create texture and shading. Shading areas using this drawing technique was mostly thinking about shadows. The darkest areas are that of the Baron's hat, under his hat, nose and chin with shadows also being cast by his wig. His cheekbones and chin were deliberately left with very little mark making to highlight the areas of light on his face. Generally this has been an improvement on my exercise a number of weeks ago but there is still room for vast improvements in my mark making which will come with practise. The second stage was to introduce colour to try and further enhance tone and shade. To do this I used coloursoft pencils which immediately brought the Baron more to life. Rather than trying to blend colours into one another I wanted to try and continue with mark making. The technique seems to have added to determining the age of the Baron. The additional lines on his cheeks add to the looseness of his skin defining him as an older man although his nice brightly coloured eyes hint at the abundance of life within him. Using different shades of colour allowed for a greater contrast in tonal range and adds to the overall shading as lighter areas are far more prominent. The weakest area of this drawing on both is the wig, the detail level does not match the rest of the drawing, this is a lesson I shall take forward and try to develop.

Initial thumbnails

I have created some initial thumbnails for chapter VI, beginning with the Baron introducing the story and leading through until he falls from the moon. This is not the entire content of this chapter but is enough of a story for the interactive comic as the intention is only to show a sample for the client. The thumbnails will go through iterations in time but my next step shall be to try and quickly get down several versions of each before proceeding to sketching out scenes and seeing where I can use assets on more than one occasion. There may also be alterations to the story or sequence as I progress with the project.

Choice of Chapter VI

Chapter VI will be the inspiration for the interactive comic, this chapter is one of the original tales the Baron wrote about himself in the first edition and is one of the most interesting. I have to decide whether I will try to use the whole chapter or a part of, there is also the possibility of my adaption of the story although it is already a very tall tale. This chapter is shown below and details his days as a prisoner of war, becoming the sultan's bee keeper, fighting bears and climbing to the moon are just some of the Baron's adventures during this chapter.

Lemoney Snicket

http://youtu.be/JoBnHYKcCRU

The link above shows the end credits for Lemoney Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. There are many reasons I like this animation. The art style is amazing, the textures and use of lighting compliment the art and the most impressive part is how everything flows. The transitions between scenes are seamless and the story is always being told through the images on view. There are many aspects of this piece of work I can try and emulate or at least learn from and develop for my own purposes in creating the interactive comic.

More Visual Research

Below are some other images I have found useful in many ways

Chris Gall

This image struck me with simplicity using a very minimal palette. The use of directional lines draw your eye into the focal point of the main character Ai Wei Wei who seems to be looking in the distance. Then the characters below are looking in the same direction as though they are all seeing the same thing, this is a political image or message. The reason this image is interesting for my project is that this image could be used to easily lead to the next scene. As we wonder what they are looking at the natural transition would be to whatever was in their view. This image should come in from the right as this the direction they are looking. If this were part of an interactive comic then to show what is in front of them I would bring the image in from the right, I would only consider coming in from the left if there was something coming in from behind them.

Ronald Kurnianan

The reasons I have chosen this image are use of directional lines and negative space. Our eyes tend to lead towards darker lines/areas but this images uses this to draw into the lightest area of the image. Not only the shapes of the horses but also the patterns within the horses lead the eye towards the character at the bottom of the image. This is also helped with the angles of the grass/bushes at ground level which lead to the large almost white negative space. Having this so bright helps with contrast as if this were blue as the rest of the sky the character and intensity of this image may have been lost.

Liz Lomax

Although this is a 2D image the characters are actually 3D and are created using insulation foam, polymer clay and oil paint. This should remind me that it is good to think outside the box, just because I am planning to make a 2D interactive comic it does not have to be created in a two dimensional manner. The images can be created in any number of ways as long as they can be animated or allow for interactivity.

Visual Research

Below are a series of illustrations which I have chosen for a variety of reasons which shall be explained along with each image.

Lisel Ashlock

This image is not only a beautifully detailed illustration but also a piece of work that would suit motion graphics really well. This is due to the way in which the image is layered.
I have highlighted the main sections or layers that this drawing can be broken into although it may be broken down even further into small sections. This method of compiling an image is something I should take into consideration as this may enhance the animations or interactivity. Travelling through this scene is something I can imagine and could be done fairly easily by changing the scale of each layer as required. The ability to focus in on one area would also be possible, having one large scale background to encompass the full story would allow for a more seamless way of telling the story and add to the immersion of the reader.

Cathie Bleck

Although I have drawn over this illustration the piece of work is stunning and actually contains many drawings which combine to make the full piece. The reason I have highlighted this work is as I spent time looking through the drawing I realised that my eyes were being led by the artist. Each area blends into the next but I definitely noticed the centre first and worked my way out. This reminded me of the golden ratio which is used by many artists to lead viewers around an image. Although not all of my images will stay still I must consider how I want the viewer to see each part and also how each image will lead onto the next especially in the transitions. Any images that are still will require great thought into the layout, where speech will occur and how this is shown.

David Despau

This drawing instantly reminded me of the earlier exercise on tone and shade. This image demonstrates excellent use of directional line to create tone, shade and give an overall impression of depth. When studied closely the line work becomes even more remarkable. Each line is straight as though the artist has created this using a ruler which is something I have tried in life drawing and requires a great deal of vision, patience and practice. I have highlighted a small area at the bottom of the image to show with lines going in just three directions how much depth can be created. This is done free hand as could the rest of the drawing, choosing to use straight lines shows just how skilled this talented artist really is.

Christina Drejenstam

The flowers in this image almost jump out, it is a very striking illustration. This is largely due to the almost fluorescent colour on the black background. The background is used to create the details within the flowers. Using this style of imagery could work really well for the interactive comic as having a black background may help with transitions. I can also imagine how to animate these flowers and can see how I could break them into layers that would then be manipulated. Considering using such bright colours as these would probably work for foreground assets, any background drawings would have to be toned down to add depth and create focus.

Palekh painting style

Some years ago I bought a book about Russian fairytales which I think is beautifully illustrated. There are many different stories within this book each with their own illustrations. The style used in this book may suit my project as I can imagine it working well using motion graphics or animation. Trials will need to be done to see if this would suit the story and character of Baron von Munchausen. Below are just a few examples of the illustrations and the style I may adopt.