The character design module was incredibly useful. I found parts of it very challenging but it really helped me understand not only what made a good character but what made a good animatable character.
I found the concepts of silhouettes and shape construction quite difficult to actualise, but once i understood that these were simply building blocks to allow me to discover how to form and establish my character, I was able to explore using these techniques, allowing me to create a form I was happy with.
I found coming up with a back story on the fly quite difficult, especially as I don’t always trust in my own narrative ideas and often depend on other people for validation/commitment to an idea. Having to come up with an idea quickly probably helped quieten this anxiety. I made the conscious decision to ‘write what I know’ and based the character on my sister and heightening and taking creative license with aspects of her personality as a child. I also kept the concept very simple, having a main motivation for the character which allowed for exploration on a sort of ‘adventure of the week’ format. This meant that I could establish world building itself before having to worry about how it would practically evolve.
I really enjoyed the opportunity to create a character and take the time to experiment and explore what that character could be like. Whilst there is a lot more work, consideration and precision required for Character Design than I ever would have expected, its something I would definitely like to take further. As part of my application portfolio I submitted a series of work that included self portraits in the style of some of my favourite cartoons, I really enjoy the challenge of translating a style guide into a design and would love to collaborate with other artists in order to translate my own styles but also work with other peoples creations and help to actualise these into practical designs.