Aya - page 6

This page details further how Aya behaves as well as what she does for her "job". She could be considered similar to a custodian or maintenance person for our planet Earth. She watches the flow of energies across the different elements that make up our world (elements meaning fire, water, wind and earth). Sometimes disputes arise between elements and she does her best to settle these conflicts to keep the planet's energy stable. It can be very tiring as she runs around the planet on a constant basis!

Aya's accessories

This page is all about the different accessories that Aya wears on a continual basis. There's a silk ribbon of sorts for her hair, a spiraling bracelet on her right arm and charm anklet around her left ankle. The anklet has 4 charms on it, each with their own meaning, and one small stone. From left to right are the charm for the sun, the flower of life, a stone blessed by Gaia, and a charm for the tree of life as well as the moon. The charms are important concepts from her culture. The small stone has been infused with Gaia's energy. What does the energy do? Stay tuned to find out :)

Aya - page 4

How the character sleeps or interacts with essential props....really, the list goes on and on of what information is important to know. Does it ever end? I suppose when the story or the production concludes is when the list of behaviors/attitudes/poses is done. (At least by whomever the creator/artist that created that character.) However, the torch may get picked up by another artist :)

Aya - page 3

If your character has a job occupation/mission/purpose, that must be included too in their attitudes/expressions to further explain who this character. What they do and how they do it is very important as well as any props they interact with or sidekicks they work/live with :)

Aya - page 2

Designing a character is so much more than a pretty concept doing some cool pose. Character designers must define EVERYTHING about the character they're drawing. From the way they they move, to how they smile, frown, pick up an item, jump, run, falling down and the list goes on for miles. This is why the character's anatomy is so critical in order to communicate this information. All those circles, ovals and other shapes that make up the anatomy are the visual foundation of every character (even the ones made in 3D CG).

Time is Money...but how the heck do you judge pricing for your work/time as freelancer?

Charge by the hour....or charge by the project....it's a debate commonly had by creative and non-creative freelancers alike. Here's a helpful article to aid in this crucial decision:

Charge by the hour or by project? 

Aya's character rotation- COMPLETE!

When doing an animation rotation for any character, often 5 poses is enough assuming that the design is symmetrical and details mirror each other from left to right side. "Aya" is asymmetrical in her design: one arm has a bracelet, one ankle has a charm anklet, the robe she wears is torn and her hairstyle is differs depending on which way she's facing. All of these details must be accounted for and therefore "Aya" needs more than 5 poses in her rotation to show everything.

Aya's character rotation

Time to flex and train my skills in character design :)

I call this character "Aya" and she's a character from a story I'm developing on my own. This piece is a character rotation in progress and it's meant to show the character from all sides so an animator can understand how she's built and therefore, how she'll move.

Jubilee quick doodle

Rounding out the batch of quick doodles is Jubilee from the X-Men universe. Copyright by Marvel Comics, of course!

Quick doodle of Dr. Strange

A very dear friend of mine asked for a quick sketch of Dr. Strange. I drew him but Dr. Strange is copyright Steve Ditko and Marvel Comics. Always respect the original creator, folks :)

Jean Grey and Phoenix quick doodle

Yet another quick doodle, this time of Jean Grey and Phoenix. Characters are copyright Marvel!

Wonder sketch

Quick little doodle I did today of Wonder Woman :)

I drew her but the character herself is copyright DC Comics!

Aspiring to work for Walt Disney Studios one day?

Follow the hyperlink below that leads to an article for some great tips as to what you need to know to join their team of awesome artists:

http://collider.com/how-to-get-a-job-in-animation-at-walt-disney-studios/

My own picture day!

After my most recent post called "Picture Day", I was asked to do a drawing of myself on my own picture day during the holidays. Brings back memories of hating dresses but it still feels nostalgic in a good way :)

Picture day

A time honored tradition. Family members take that one special yearly photo that is supposed to be that precious child at their best. I remember those days as a child being dressed in a velvet dress around the holidays with a ribbon in my hair, tights and shiny black shoes. I couldn't wait to get it over with. Looks like this little guy is of the same mind!