Major Project 1/Task 3: Concept Presentation
10/03/2025 - 23/03/2024 (Week 06 – Week 07)
Shao Han / 0369187
Major Project 1 / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylors University
Task 3: Concept Presentation
CONCENT
- INTRODUCTION
- LECTURE
- TASK 3:CONCEPT PRESENTATION
- SUBMISSION
- FEEDBACK
- REFLECTION
INTRODUCTION
LECTURE
Week 6
Mr. Kamal's suggestions：
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Since the background and character art styles are inconsistent, the instructor suggested that Yifan, who is responsible for background illustrations, should use a realistic style to create the character's four-view design based on my initial concept. Meanwhile, I will be responsible for drawing the character's facial expressions.
In further discussion, Yifan and I decided to divide the character image of Miles into two stages. The image of wearing casual clothes is before growth, and that of wearing fire clothes is after growth.This makes it more convenient for the audience to experience the growth of Miles.
Since Yifan had never drawn figures in this style, I found some similar figure designs on the Internet based on her style of drawing buildings to facilitate her creation.
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| Fig1.2 Style reference,(13/03/2025) |
Character Design Analysis
Young Firefighter (Before Joining the Force)
Design Intent:
- This design represents Miles before he became a firefighter.
- Loose-fitting casual clothing (oversized T-shirt, baggy pants) suggests a more relaxed and carefree personality.
- His posture is slightly slouched, indicating a lack of confidence or sense of purpose at this stage in his life.
- Minimal accessories and simple black sneakers reflect his ordinary civilian background before his transformation.
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| Fig1.3 Young Firefighter Three views-by Yifan,Week 6 (15/03/2025) |
Firefighter Version (Post-Training)
Design Intent:
- The firefighter uniform follows real-world references for accuracy and functionality.
- The bright orange protective suit is equipped with reflective stripes, ensuring visibility in dangerous environments.
- The utility harness and pouches suggest a well-prepared, disciplined, and professional individual.
- His posture is straight and confident, reinforcing his growth and transformation from the previous design.
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| Fig1.4 Firefighter Version Three views-by Yifan,Week 6 (15/03/2025) |
Firefighter Mentor (Instructor & Guide Figure)
Design Intent:
- His formal yet practical attire reflects his seniority and experience.
- His facial wrinkles and relaxed yet authoritative posture show wisdom and patience.
- Unlike the young firefighter, his shirt is neatly tucked, and he wears a belt, reinforcing his professional and disciplined nature.
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| Fig1.5 Firefighter Mentor Three views-by Yifan,Week 6 (15/03/2025) |
Facial expression
My next task is to imitate the painting style of Yifan and design the facial expressions for the characters.
I think I need to understand the character and look for reference before I start.
The character of the character has been summarized before, so my current character is looking for a more detailed and appropriate reference.
Then I started to draw the expression of Miles according to the reference.
Finally, after discussing with Yifan, I chose the following four expressions and painted them with colors.
Then I started to draw the facial expressions of the firefighter instructor according to the reference.
At to begin with, I found it difficult to blend real-life and cartoon styles. Now and then the characters were as well abnormal and difficult to accept, whereas other times they were as well gloomy and not exceptionally locks in. Afterward, with offer assistance from my companions and instructors, I learned how to create the characters express their sentiments more clearly. I learned that character plan is more than fair drawing a individual; it's about making a character who contains a story and a identity.
I noticed that little things like how thick the lines are and how shadows are done can change how the character feels. For example, changing the curve of the eyebrows, the angle of the eyes, and the shape of the mouth can make the expression look more lively. Looking at my earlier drawings compared to the final version of this task, I can easily notice that the character’s feelings come through more clearly.
Findings
- Guy from The Croods: His facial movements are flexible, with both a relaxed side and witty moments.
- Patrick Star from SpongeBob SquarePants (specific moments): Some slightly silly and casual expressions can show his initial lack of direction, and his happy moments are also worth referring to.
- Hiro Hamada from Big Hero 6 (after his brother's death): After losing his brother, Hiro becomes unsure if he can really be a hero like his brother. In many scenes, his eyes are evasive, his mouth is pursed, and his shoulders are slack, giving people a feeling of loss but still potential.
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| Fig1.6 Facial expression design reference,Week 6 (16/03/2025) |
Then I started to draw the expression of Miles according to the reference.
Since I am not familiar with Yifan's painting style, I made many attempts. At the same time, in order to achieve a better final effect, I prepared two more alternative portraits.
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| Fig1.7 Character expression draft,Week 6 (16/03/2025) |
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| Fig1.8 Facial expression design,Week 6 (16/03/2025) |
- Chef Gusteau from Ratatouille: His kind smile and wise demeanor fit this kind of mentor-type character.
- Iroh from Avatar: His smile often carries a sense of calmness that comes from life experience, which fits your character's vibe very well.
- Rick Dicker from Incredibles 2: He’s an older, more experienced, but still powerful character.
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| Fig1.9 Facial expression design reference,Week 6 (16/03/2025) |
Just like the expression design of the protagonist Miles, I first drew about 3 images on the drawing board in the style of Yifan's painting, and finally chose one version. I drew more expression templates based on the image of the final version.
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| Fig1.10 Character expression draft,Week 6 (16/03/2025) |
Next, start coloring the character's expressions.
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SUBMISSION
Fig2.1 Storyboard and animatic,Week 7 (23/03/2025)
Fig2.2 PDF-Final slides,Week 7 (23/03/2025)
Week 6:
Specific Feedback:
Mr. Kamal told me that the proportions of the characters should not be unbalanced. Miles' feet are too big, and the firefighter instructor's legs are too thin, which makes them look top-heavy. The length of the legs can also be shortened appropriately.
Week 7:
General Feedback:
The story could be more interesting.
REFLECTION
Experiences
During this learning process, I explored animation character design in depth, especially in terms of facial expressions. The focus this time was on how to make the characters more individual and expressive through exaggerated proportions and stylized designs. I was mainly responsible for sketching the characters and adjusting their visual images to make them fit their personality settings.
At to begin with, I found it difficult to blend real-life and cartoon styles. Now and then the characters were as well abnormal and difficult to accept, whereas other times they were as well gloomy and not exceptionally locks in. Afterward, with offer assistance from my companions and instructors, I learned how to create the characters express their sentiments more clearly. I learned that character plan is more than fair drawing a individual; it's about making a character who contains a story and a identity.
Observations
While looking at the animated characters, I found some cool patterns. For example, confident characters often have sharper facial features and more angular shapes, while shy or unsure characters tend to have rounder faces and tighter body positions.
I noticed that little things like how thick the lines are and how shadows are done can change how the character feels. For example, changing the curve of the eyebrows, the angle of the eyes, and the shape of the mouth can make the expression look more lively. Looking at my earlier drawings compared to the final version of this task, I can easily notice that the character’s feelings come through more clearly.
Findings
The main takeaway from this study is that creating a character's design needs research and reference, not just imagination. Before, when I drew faces, I just followed my gut and thought, "draw a smile for happy and a frown for angry. " Now, I realize that small changes in the face are important to make the character look more real. For instance, when you smile, are your eyes squinting or opened wide. Are the edges of your mouth turned up high or just a little. These little details will change how the character feels.
I also learned to gather and study reference materials. This means not only checking out what others have done, but also watching real people and noticing their expressions, body language, and even tiny changes in their faces when they feel different emotions. I used to believe that making characters was just about drawing nicely, but now I see that what makes animated characters appealing is their realness and the feelings they create.
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