Inspiration in Design Techniques - Character Development/Evolution

The Renegade from
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

Some characters need to be portrayed in not only detailed full angles and turnarounds for 3D modelers to work from to produce the final content for the game. But character sheets and hero shots are also needed for animators and other members of the development team to refer to.
Even small thumbnails that show how a character moves, acts and animates. From simple tasks like small gestures and walking to complex manoeuvres like combat attacks or special effects.

Other useful illustrated information for a character can involve facial emotion charts that shows how a said character would talk or show various examples of emotions. Such references are used for core characters that would have very heavy focus in the game.

Designs can change and develop through the process of production, it all begins with rough silhouette sketches that are done in up to the hundreds which are then thinned down to whatever number the Art Director see's fit. They are then whittled down further until a small number are left, which are then refined and built upon to produce a series of concepts that would be much more distinguished.

Then when a design is chose from those it is taken in to be fully visualized, full character sheets with turn a rounds that show every angle of the character's costume and body to aid modelers in texturing and sculpting the character for it's final in-game asset.
Then the model is  then skinned, rigged and animated ready for the engine along with any props or assets that it was designed with.

Character Sheet Concept Art

Hero Shot Concept Art

In-Game Render Art

Inspiration in Design Techniques - Character Sheets

Video games focus on singular characters for long periods of time and usually in one iteration of them so when developing these characters it is required for them to be portrayed in as much detail as possible. Especially a character that will be shown in a lot of situations and depth throughout the game. So making sure that every detail is illustrated for others to work from so a character is portrayed exactly to the artist’s intentions.

This can be done though a number of different techniques, each varying in detail, convenience, effort and presentation. It partially depends on what genre the game is on how the artist is told to work and show his or her ideas.

 

One useful asset towards illustrating a character in full detail is character sheets, used to show a plain view of a character to show their design clearly, including any assets like props and detail shots that modelers can use to work from.

Such attention to detail is needed due to characters in a video game being portrayed in a 3D space, ever angle of their character needs to be shown. It's a similar fashion to characters that will be animated for films and television.

Inspiration in Design Techniques - Asset/Prop Design

One of my main intentions for this continuation of my last project was to cover an area that I believe had a good potential for expansion in Dominance.
I want to cover areas of asset for the gods like their symbols and weapons. Not only for the icons that define and represent them but also functional for the tasks they perform through out the game.
For example, Osiris’s symbols are more icons of status and rule, while Anubis’s scythes or staff are used in combat. I want to give these items a sense of form and function but keep them in theme with the character who owns them.

For a skilled artist with a vast and expansive set of abilities that can be applied to almost any job presented, I believe that along with designing characters and such skills that it requires like knowledge in anatomy, appealing designs, character portrayal and development, it is also really essential to show that the artist is capable of creating objects that can portray such levels of character like a person can.

From the colours chosen to the shape and forms that can represent an item to be related to a character, species, race, time period, organisation etc.

Inspiration in Design Techniques - Hero Shot

When designing characters it may be essential to show every detail in things such as their costume, equipment and assets, but it is also key to show how well they blend into the portrayed environments. After developing a pleasing design it could not fit and blend very well with the world that they are to inhabit.

So, a technique that a lot of artists employ is that the main final concept of a character often has them situated in a small cut of the environment showing them as if they are really there.
These are often called “Hero Shots”

This is a prime example of a hero shot for a character. They are set in an environment of the game world, showing how they blend with the surroundings and how well they fit in. Interacting with it as well seeing how this character reflects against the chromed floor. The environment isn’t refined like other concepts but it is enough to simulate the mood.

Conceptual Influences

There are various games that inspired the development of “Dominance”, each one shared a similar creation process in taking influences from existing mythologies. I looked at concept art for each of the series/games and took from their work to influence my own.

The God of War Series shares an identical process in which they took existing Gods and Goddesses of Greek Mythology and reinvisioning them to a modern design and visual aspect.

Along with the designs being redesigned, it also tweaked the story and legends of the mythology as well, a task that I am doing myself as well.

The God of War series really pays a very heavy influence in my design work, from the modernisation of the Greek Mythology and bringing what small interpretation of their gods into a form of media that will show them in a great amount of detail.

Andy Park and Andrew Kim developed the concept art for God of War III involving environment and characters. A lot of the designs for the gods show flowing details and ominous auras of light to portray their power and ascendance from mortality.

What I drew from God of War III was it’s ability to show that a character is of great power and a being of mythical proportions, not looking like a common man or being. Only characters like Kratos himself appear less “God-Like” due to being half-mortal. 

I wanted to take influence on how the use of light and patterns can show the audience that this character is of a “Godly” Status and beyond what is capable in mortality.

Along with God of War III, concept artist; Andy Park also worked on the Marvel movie adaptation of the comic book character Thor. Which would go on to be developed for the Avengers collaboration movie (In which Park also worked on). The influence I find from his vision in this movie is how despite the Norse background he managed to bring that mood and feel to their characters while keeping their costumes/armour in a sleek and modern aesthetic that appeals to today’s style of fantasy/sci-fi.

The smooth surfaces and perfectly form fitting gear that these characters use look like materials from a world beyond our own, making them look “alien” or above us in mortality.

Although it may not use light in a similar fashion as in God of War to display the power of a God, in these Marvel films they show it through their costume.
Looking like they have been fabricated in methods beyond how we can comprehend looking almost ceremonial and regal.

Unlike the first two visuals that I have written about before this one, EA's Dante’s Inferno inspires this project in terms of using a known myth or story and adapting it to fit a video game more than it’s visual design.
Having each character play a part in Dante’s quest and having a large portion of the game revolve around them in not only the design of the character but the environment as well.

Altering the Existing Mythologies and Tales

The story of Dominance is very heavily based on the Myth of Osiris and Isis, focusing on how Osiris came to power, his relationship with Isis the deception of his brother Seth.
Continuing on to the war between his son Horus and Seth after Osiris’ death.

Focusing on the two warring factions of good and evil the player controls the choices of Anubis, who originally has a very small part in this story.
His choices of alliance and who he serves between Seth and Osiris and gradually a young and growing Horus who will replace Osiris as the "Pure" allegiance to Anubis or an enemy if he has sided with Seth and Corruption.
Anubis was not one to interfere in the battles between good and evil and served whoever summoned him so this applies in some ways.

Anubis appeals as a God who players will enjoy controlling having the capacity being a character allied with good or evil.

There has also been numerous representations of the Gods in Egyptian Mythology, with some being related to each other despite reproducing. For example there have been versions of the myths where Osiris and Isis have been brother and sister, meaning Horus was a child of incest.

Along with these controversial alterations there are cases of adultery, tales of Nephthys disguising herself as Isis (As the two were very identical to one another.) and seducing Osiris. Removing and altering the tales to avoid these instances will not only avoid unwanted attention for being controversial by having instances of incest along with lowering any age ratings for the game.
All of these assets are no essential to the story so writing in alternatives will not prove difficult.

Lots of Gods in the Mythology have been given a name and purpose but they play a little to non-existent role in the Tale of Osiris and Isis, meaning that there is possibilities of including them into the warring conflicts as either allies or foes against Anubis, again depending on his allegiance. 

Andy Park - Case Study

Andy Park has provided concepts and illustrations to the entertainment industry for over 15 years now. Hi work has traversed throughout the entertainment industry of film and television, video games, comic books, books, and magazines.
His career began in 1995 illustrating comic books for companies such as Image Comics for Tomb Raider, Marvel Comics, and DC Comics, the two largest companies in their trade.

Andy Park currently specializes in concept design, illustration and visual development for the film, television, and video game industries. He has contributed to a variety of high-profile projects for films like the immensely successful Marvel films; The Avengers, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, television, and video games with his most famous work residing with the God of War series.

In 2005, Andy joined Sony Santa Monica Studios (Sony Computer Entertainment America).
There he helped create the visual world for award winning video game series God of War. Starting with God of War II, God of War: Chains of Olympus, and God of War III. His contributions included designing characters, creatures, weapons, environments, providing storyboards, and creating marketing illustrations for world wide campaigns.

Andy Park's artwork is phenomenally inspiring, the emotion and dynamics that he can portray in his paintings can sell a scene immediately as his concept work can portray a character to the likeness with utmost precision. He really does prove it in his work that he is one of the best in the industry in both Film and Video Games.