Branches Book

BRANCHES

something that shows emotion and/or a feeling? And if so what kind? All of these questions matter when creating a scene. Is there a certain theme or maybe a location that needs to be portrayed? In the final image I wanted the audience to be able to notice a story behind a still image, specifically a story about a deserted wasteland where only remnants of past humans remain. When considering all of these things an artist must know to start with the large items then move to the small detailed ones. Placing the larger item first makes sure that it stays important for entire duration of rendering. If the small objects are placed first or if the objects are placed at random, then the finished piece will look disorganized and will not have a main focus point. In this piece we have a seemingly meaningless car in the middle of, well, nowhere. Before the third read is applied the main object is the center focus but to the viewer it has no meaning, no story or thought, it's just a sketch. When detailing characters many things must be considered to create a character that is memorable. Much of this process has to do with the concept of semiotics, which is the meaning of signs and how humans interpret them. Studios like Disney and Pixar have old characters that are so incredibly memorable you can probably still list some of their names today. I'm sure you remember Simba and Mufasa! It is the small details in characters that count. Think of the characters: past/history, family, environment, influences and even things like mindset help define a character. If an artist can mix these traits up in interesting ways then a new character is formed that has the ability to stand out from the rest. Essentially characters are created to represent something in the real world using signs to connect with people. Environments, props and vehicles are both similar and different compared to designing characters. While an artist must consider history and events of an environment there isn't much to do with family or relationships, and because there are fewer variables it is harder to create something that hasn't been seen before. Adding unique features that could seem out of place makes an environment much more interesting and dynamic. This is how something fresh is created. Props are just objects or items in a story. Make them fit in with the environment and with the mood setting in mind to be successful. Combining a great character with a great environment and props will create a great scene! The third read sounds easy to put in place but often times it is not considered when finishing a project. This process also takes years to master, but when everything comes together it really truly becomes a work of art.

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