1920s Range

Ugh, I kept churning out failure after failure with this guy. The art was pretty awful, the content was rubbish and it just didn't look like what I'd imagined. I'm not going to post most of the things I drew of him because they're really bad, but here's a couple of things that turned out okay-ish.

My favourite is the uncoloured one where he's lighting the molotov. I think the face looks most like what I had in mind. Rhoda suggested a posher waistcoat for him, and I think it looks more fitting than the wooly one. Very snazzy!
The gun isn't any in particular, though it's most like M1903 Springfield rifle. I spent ages trying to find a bolt-action rifle that can be disassembled, but I didn't have any luck. I think it really has to be suited for quick dismantling, and bolt action thingers look really cool so I want to keep that in.
Anyway, I did a stylised picture of him that I was hoping to match with the Assassin. Something about it isn't quite fitting - I think partly because the makeup adds better detail and the Range obviously doesn't have any - but I think it's alright for getting a feel for the style. I think I should've done thicker lines in places, but.
Ehhh.

A quick note

I won't be able to update this blog - or go on the internet in general - so much anymore as my landord believes, perhaps wrongly, that using an ethernet cable with the router will "steal all the gigabytes". Since the gigabyes are to be shared by everyone, I will have to go through the effort of buying a wireless adaptor, asking him for the real WEP key instead of the incorrect one we were told and at some point replace the ethernet cable he broke when he pulled it out while in our flat with no prior notice, and when we were out and unable to remedy the solution ourselves.

Not that I'm annoyed or anything.

The last 1920s Assassin concept!

I made her Deco style.

I intentionally tried to make her look kind of flat since the pictures I found were styled like that.

Tried to use sweepy lines that are angular where possible.

Lips are pouty and big and squidged to accentuate the flapper style.

Shading is minimal except immediately by edges.

Anything else that seems weird is probably accidental.

EDIT: OOPS FORGOT THE EARRINGS.

Reworking the mechanics

I had some problems with my GDD in that the different tier abilities were too similar. I have found a way around this (I hope) and I've changed one of them.

At the moment, they are as follows:

TIER 1: High-jump/Glide

Similar to the common double-jump, Don can jump several times mid-air and then glide for a limited time. I'm thinking there could be a disadvantage to this, like being exposed to something in the air for too long while gliding will pull you wildly out of control and you'll have to land to be safe.

TIER 2: Gravity change

This one used to be inverting the level, but that would be both too similar to the high-jump in its advantages, and undoable outside. Now, Don can change the gravity, which moves loose objects in the desired direction, though it could hurt you. I think restoring gravity to normal would send all the objects back to their origins.

TIER 3: Corner jump

This needs a better name to describe what it is. Basically, there will be some corners, edges and walls that Don can fit through and travel to the other side. It takes time though, and it can leave him exposed to danger or send him hurtling into it if you don't know what's beyond you.

On a side note, I feel ever so paranoid when people look at the work I've pinned up. It's not dazzling and amazing like some of the stuff people have done and it makes me worry that people are laughing at me behind my back.

A Revelation!!

Unfortunately it took me this long, but better late than never!!

I was looking at my Futures stuff today; the child past, child present, adult past, adult present thing. Before I didn't really know why those groups, but then it clicked.

I get it.

I finally get it.

YES.

It's to prove that it can be:

1) Applicable to and enjoyable for children

2) Used for nostalgic value in adults, as well as just being entertaining

3) Popular again and again for more than one generation.

That's why.

Suddenly it all fits together!

... At least, I hope I got that right.

1920s Art

- Lots of straight lines - avoid round where possible
- Shading is thin or shallow - images look sort of flat
- Exaggerate thin limbs and blush in women
- Browns, golds, creams
- Thick arms in men that seem straight and almost consistent thickness
- Angular and jaunty creates strong male figures and tapered female figures
- ???
- I dunno
- I'm going to bed.

What? More 1920s Assassin?

You better believe it.

I was really tired when drawing this so yeah, it looks lame. Sorry.
This picture is three ways in which she kills people - poison, stiletto knife and heels - and one picture of a nice happy smile.
I'm going to scrap that mauser and give it to someone else, because it's too unwieldy and because Jamie told me about a better gun called a derringer. It's ever so cute and tiny, and very fitting for her, so I imagine she'd have one concealed somewhere.
I still don't think she'd be a gun nut but it's a good little backup weapon. I think, if she really had to use one, she'd choose a derringer over a big clumsy mauser.

I think there'll be one more set of flapper pictures before I call her pretty much completely designed. Exciting!! I'm not looking forward to the other 1920s characters so much - other than perhaps the Range - but hopefully I'll get into them.

Even More 1920s Assassin

Getting bored of her yet?

Adding colour was really useful for progress. I thought I was set on what I wanted but when I coloured it, it didn't look fitting. I think a yellow dress is too loud for her. I tried a blue, but that didn't seem elegant enough. I think a neutral cream looks posh without being overbearing, with bits of turqoise and yellow to add a bit of energy.

The dark patches on the dress are sequins. I'll draw them myself in the proper final picture, but for this I think that texture does the job.
And yeah, that mauser is like a cannon. Oops.

EDIT: I should also credit this site, which has been something of a colour bible for this character. Very very useful for colour schemes, makeup styles and hairstyles.

sdfsdf

I jsut found out Satoshi Kon - the guy who made Paprika and Paranoia Agent - died recently. I'm not a big anime fan, but I thought they were really good. It's kind of sad to hear that someone who made such beautiful things is gone.
There's so much rubbish out there, yet the person that has made this decent anime ends up dying.
Hm.

I think Futures is coming together nicely. We have to make posters for each topic that are divided into 4 groups: child past, child present, adult past and adult present. Child past is giving me the most trouble. I'm sure there's a lot on it, but it's hard to find pictures of it. Especially for things like nonverbal communication.

We had to do 2 pages of the pitch document for GDD too. I've done them but they're not printed. I tried to make these ones a lot lighter so they wouldn't come out dark.

Eh.

That's pretty much all the news.

Deco or Nouveau?

Yay for Rhoda! She's sorted out my passport stuff and now it's all mailed off! No more stress for a few weeks! Exciting.
She said she liked my Assassin pictures too. It made me feel good about them! When I get home I'm going to rewrite the text on it so it's more presentable. I found a lovely Deco style font to use.

On the topic of styles, I was wondering which movement to use - Art Deco or Art Nouveau - or if I could use a mix of the two. Obviously Art Deco was the one associated with the time, which suggests I should use that, but it's not like all the Art Nouveau stuff disappeared overnight.
On one hand, I think the swirly, flowy girlyness of Nouveau suits the Assassin. She'd have a lot of money, and I assume Nouveau trinkets were worth a lot after the war, so she'd like to splash out on expensive things like that.
But.
Would it be outdated? Though it was only a decade or two before, that's the equivalent of me wearing fluorescent parachute pants now. It'd look stupid. Not that I don't already
But maybe furniture goes out of style slower than clothes?

While Deco is nice, and would fit in, I wonder if it'd be a mishmash to combine it with Nouveau elements.

If I can only pick one, I'm leaning towards Deco, but I'd like some flowwy femininity in there too. I imagine the flapper look is partly a front - if only a little bit - and deep down she perhaps enjoys some retro elegance.

EDIT: After having a thorough look, I think she's going to stay mainly Deco. Though Nouveau is glamorous, I don't think it has enough 'edge' to suit her tastes. It's all a bit too demure.

Another go at colour

I had another go at doing lighting. I think this is much more successful than the last attempt!

On the left is ambient light using Multiply, and on the right it's with Hard Light. I think Multiply would be good for a dark area like a cave, whilst the Hard Light would be useful in a sort of unnaturally bright, 'heavenly' area.