Monster designs.

For this week we were asked to design two monsters from simple shapes. Which sounds easy enough but I do have trouble with this, i personally love detail and have trouble simplifying character designs. I had a look at some of the examples given and then did a few bits of research myself. Monsters inc gave me some ideas, some the their designs are heavily based on simple shapes, others were more complicated.... which is really what i like most! These few designs stuck out to me in the simple shapes.

So i set about creating some thumbnails....

I tried my best to create some basic shapes, though ran out of ideas on different shapes. I tried my best to combine some contrasting shapes too.

While deciding on the shapes, i had to decide on the nature of the character, Triangles could mean the character is evil, slick or creepy. Squares indicate a strong nature. Circles can mean somethings a lot softer in nature. Of course these are stereo types for shapes and characters can break that stereotype with how you design and portray them further. But I needed to keep it simple.

I Decided to go with the second one in and the big armed beast which is 'M' shaped. The very last one interests me though, i may do a full render of just that pose. I can imagine the shape being simple, but adding great detail into the design of it.



Here i was trying to figure out how the face and hands would work. I didn't want him to be too animalistic, so i chose some monkey like hands. He would have huge hands to walk on his knuckles like an ape. This also gives him the option of being gentle with the hands and being able to do more complex thing. I wanted him to be rather intelligent.
The second drawing down has a very animalistic and simple design. The round eyes make him look less intelligent and a little crazy. I didnt want this, I wanted some expression in the eyes. I figured his eyes would convey most of his emotion.

Here are some workings out if his face. I decided to add really big fluffy ears for a bit of comical effect. To make him seem a little less scary. A big contrast against the rest of his appearance, they will be the only round things on him.

Here is the turn around for him, I had great difficulty in getting just 3 words for him. So i'm going to explain my idea here too. I can imagine him being paired with a little girl to protect. The little girl would be mischievous and hyper. Yet be would be gentle and tolerant with her and only her. Hence the reason i felt the word guardian is important. Yet if he is faced with an enemy he will be a force to be reckoned with.

Im rather happy with his design, i like the M shape i came up with and i reckon i have come up with a pretty good concept of this character and how he would be.


The second character.... I named him twink.

I love his head design, simple and cute, The square glasses are the contrast shape in his design. The only things im not too sure about are the legs and body. I could quite firgure out how to make them look right.

I wanted twink to be a nerdy little highschool kid. Not popular but not unpopular either... because non of that would be his concern. Other pupils would see him as a funny little character. He would not get caught up in making friends, but he would get on with a lot of people. I think the word is indifferent towards the social scene. And because of this he would be a bit socially awkward, which would appear cute to a lot of people, especially the girls! Twink would be focused on his work or buried in a book. If he were to be in an animated show, he would be a side character who would appear every now and again for comedic purposes or just for a big of variety.

Again i can imagine how he would act, react and talk. Which to me says this was a successful design.

I had some fun doing this... but I really don't think i'm cut out to be a character designer.