I found it difficult to concentrate on the Simulated Work Experience, with all the different projects I had going on. For that reason, the project got off to a slow start. Unsure of who should make the initial contact, it took me a week to send my first email, and another week before I could meet my second year collaborator in person.
Pochara’s project was very interesting to me, but as a personal film based on his own experiences, I wasn’t sure where to begin with my work. The role I was given was to create concepts for the background art, and to work on the character designs.
Pochara provided the main character design, which would serve as a basis for my own concepts. My task was to create a younger version of the main character. Zhehui, the other first year who was working on the project, sketched a few ideas for his outfit, so I only drew the character from the shoulders up.
I struggled at first to adapt to working in the style of the film – in particular, drawing with thin linework is a bit of a challenge to me. My thought was that this wouldn’t be important, since it was only a concept. However, when comparing the two side by side, having them be stylistically consistent would give a better idea of how the final product should look.
I had a bit more freedom when designing the grandfather character. It felt odd being given this task, since it was based on a real person, but Pochara provided me with a moodboard and assured me I could work from there.
Starting with two concept sketches, I received more positive feedback for the face shape on the right. I then made a full body reference where I tried to use thinner lines, and made a number of colour variants. I tried to use warm or pleasant looking colours, to give the character a comforting feel.
My work during this process was influenced by the semester we spent doing character design workshops. It’s something that I’d like to expand my practice towards, but I also want to avoid staying too much in my comfort zone.
Thankfully, my last project involved drawing backgrounds – an area I definitely think I need more practice in. The issue was that the background I was drawing was meant to represent a limbo/empty space, so Pochara suggested I make it as minimalist as possible. I got a little carried away doing this part, but I really wanted to add some extra details, like a reflection or an atmospheric sky.
Overall, I wish I just had more time to dedicate to this project. I always look forward to collaborating in a team, although it can bring its fair share of issues. There’s a lot of satisfaction that comes from helping realise someone’s vision – but at times, I also wish I had a bit more creative control, as well.