Crimson CHOW #12 - Jamie: Evil Incarnate WIPS

[smrr]

Hey Daggers!
 
Some of us are game in participating in CHoW for this week, so I'm taking from pnate's CHoW write up and welcoming CHoW #12! 

It won't be a biweekly thing like Nate was doing - just whenever y'all are game! So here goes!:

Welcome to the Crimson CHOW (Character of the Week)! This is a challenge which was created as a way to hone your skills in design and character creation, in a fun and competitive way. Each challenge, we will give you a short character prompt and it is your task to interpret the character as you imagine it, with your own unique spin. The winner will be chosen through a poll in the finals thread, and in addition to being able to pick the next challenge topic, his/her piece will be featured in the "Crimson Champions" Winner's thread!

Here is the passage, brought to you by the man that is Jaktraytr!:

"Just who do you think you are? My question is sincere: when you look at yourself in the mirror, who is that wretched figure that stares back into your pitiful, tired eyes? Is she the same stout hag that gazes at me now, with terror fogging her vision? I'll tell you what I see, what I KNOW you are: a miserable waste of life, a woman past her time breathing MY AIR in an attempt to resuscitate her long forgotten dreams, a human; undoubtedly; with a feverish desire to die. 


Interrupt me again when I'm talking and I will destroy you, my beloved Mother."

Your task: design Jamie, Evil Incarnate - don't forget to think outside the box, the major goal however is to focus on character design, rather than environments/props, etc.

Guidelines:

• Photo textures, 3D, and traditional mediums are allowed.
  
• There is no restriction on the character's gender, time period or culture.
  
• Studies are recommended, but not required.
  
• There is no restriction on image formats (horizontal, vertical, square).
  
• Environment backgrounds are optional.
  
• Keep in mind you are not required to stick to what is in the passage. It is more of a guide in terms of mood.
  

Rules:

• You must post at least one WIP in the WIP thread to be accepted into the final poll.
  
• Finals must be posted in the finals thread before the deadline.
  
• At least 3/4 of the character must be visible (minimum from the knees up). No back views are allowed without a front.
  
• Only ONE character please.
  
• Only ONE submission per person in the finals thread.
  
• Sketches, WIPs, or rushed artwork will not be accepted into the poll.
  
• No fanart. We want to see your original, unique interpretations!
  
• Have fun!
  

Deadline is Thursday, July 30 @10pm GMT

[Amit Dutta]

Holy WTF. Only someone like Jak.....
This lends itself so much to an illustration so for a character design....well...this will be an interesting challenge. :)
So I take it the passage is of a daughter who is possessing her mother?

[Jaktraytr]

Haha working in a steel box for hours at a time...it effs wit mah braaaainz D:


That's a wonderful way to interpret it! Depending on how you view the passage, Jamie could be seen threatening his/her mother from inside (possession) or outside the mother's body. My original intent was for Jamie to be threatening his/her mother from the outside( Jamie's threat coming about from being interrupted in a conversation by the mother, for whatever reason hahaha)

But hey: let the imagination run freeeee! (as a reminder: Jamie is an androgynous name)

[Punk-A-Cat]

That's a wonderful way to interpret it! Depending on how you view the passage, Jamie could be seen threatening his/her mother from inside or outside the mother's body. My original intent was for Jamie to be threatening his/her mother from the outside( Jamie's  threat coming about  from being interrupted in a conversation by the mother for whatever reason hahaha)

But hey: let the imagination run freeeee! (as a reminder: Jamie is an androgynous name)

So we are designing Jamie, or Jamie inside the mother yes? (that sounds so wrong.. 0.0)

[Amit Dutta]

Fair enough Jak....it totally is a bi-gender name, and I totally went to the dark place with it.
Punk, Another thing to remember, is the prompt is just a guide, doesn't have to be literal, but yes Jamie in whatever form Jamie strikes your fancy I guess.

:)

[Punk-A-Cat]

Fair enough Jak....it totally is a bi-gender name, and I totally went to the dark place with it :)
Punk, Another thing to remember, is the prompt is just a guide, doesn't have to be literal.

:)

Oh cool.. I /really/ have the urge to draw many many wrinkles, so may run with your interpretation.

[smrr]

Such a fcking cool theme... That I'm... I'm scared!

[Jaktraytr]

this theme is forcing me to conjure different variations of demonic images in my head.

Help.

[Fedodika]

Hey guys! I liked the theme so heres my take, might fix some things on it tomorrow!

[iamorim]

Wow hahaha great theme and passage. This week is hard for me but I will try to do it. I really liked the last CHOW, so much to practice u.u

[Punk-A-Cat]

This is /very/ wip, I need some pointers because I'm not 100% sure how to create a character. Also, pretty much working without refs, so there are issues..
Going for trying to make a winged fae and his dryad/treebound mother.
In looking up what makes a character look evil I found - sharp angles, lowered eyebrows, wide dominant stance, scars on eyes or mouth, slicked back hair. So trying to incorporate that, but I don't quite know how to get the facial features so he looks sneering and dominant/ disgusted.
Need to work on the hands, but was ignoring that in favour of just trying to get the dominant stance - flying.

[Amit Dutta]

#1. I would recommend keeping things relatively simple to start with. You are thinking in terms of an illustration and that requires a somewhat different approach to a basic character design. Not saying they can't go hand in hand, but you will have to solve way more problems than if you are only working on the character. Composition and value arrangements and thumbnailing will be more important up front.

If you are only working on the character then you can focus purely on things like the pose, the silhouette the character makes, the rhythm of the pose etc. So you can start by doing a bunch of those pretty quickly to find something that works without getting too crazy detailed.


Silhouettes are one good way of exploring shape and overall design. You can actually suggest quite a bit of the design by using black and one other gray value. You can also iterate poses quite quickly in this way to get one that works.

Since you have a general idea already, you should be gathering refs that inspire you or fit with the character and give you more specific design ideas. You can't easily make up things out of your head on demand without a really indepth visual library, and even then you can find design inspiration in non-obvious places, so you really shouldn't skip the ref gathering stage.

In terms of presentation, a straightup character design, is often presented in the most simple way. Often just the character on a plain background. This isn't a rule, just focuses on the important bit. The pose shouldn't be boring. If you can get the character involved in a scene as well, that is great (I prefer those) but it does take much more to do. Here are some examples of basic but solid designs, in naturalistic interesting poses.
  

I don't want to stop you from going on with your idea, but it seems like you might be taking on a bit too much. But if you really want to then totally do it!  You might want to try something different that combines the two, a pose where the main character is facing us holding the mirror up, so we can see the mother's face reflected in it. That way you can focus on the main character, don't have to mess with composition, but still get your idea across. Sort of like one of the ladies holding the mirrors in the image below, but arranged so the mirror doesn't obscure the character design, because after all that is the main idea here. Design



Anyways I hope that helps. Always go from the more general to the more specific. So nail shapes, rhythms, pose first. Then go onto accessories, details, expressions, materials, etc.

[Punk-A-Cat]

That helps a huge amount, thank you! Off to do lots of thumbnailing :D

[Punk-A-Cat]

Probably jumped the gun by colouring, but wanted to try a new graphite and watercolour technique, kinda loving it, and can always do another if this doesn't work, but anyway, first pass of watercolours - many layers to go (no the finished image won't be yellow and brown :D )
Dude /really/ doesn't look evil, going to try and bring that out with colour, I'm way too used to creating 'cute'

[Amit Dutta]

@punk : Well you're committed, so keep going and do the best you can! Will he have any clothes at all? Naked characters are a bit of a cop out, and lazy design, even for naturalistic beasts...something can be done. Next time maybe.
@Fedo: Give her a cast shadow, and maybe lighten up the background behind her head, so her head pops more. Kinda blends in atm.

I probably am not going to have time to do this at all. Deadlines..are like...horrible man.

[Punk-A-Cat]

100% first time learning curve, probably will finish this image and try to get another done before the deadline, I honestly have major issues putting clothing on figures so that will be a challenge unto itself.

[Amit Dutta]

No worries, just enjoy. Dive into the challenge head on, do quick studies of clothing on figures before you do the final. Use these challenges as exactly that, and you will level up each time.

[iamorim]

What I did so far. She wil be a possessed peasant.
Probably I will use one of the two big poses.

[smrr]

Yo, yo, you, yo

Thumbnail 


Rough pencils. Trying a new thing where I draw it up in trad and then scan it in to PS
because still so much easier to draw in pencil than on the tablet. lel.



I'm still in this! 

Let's go people, let's go!

[Lodratio]

Yo! I'm just going to go ahead and participate in this.

At first I thought the personification of evil could be some kind of artificial intelligence that was created by scientists to study the nature of insanity, but struck a deal with the government to get its freedom, but then I figured it'd be fun to do something a little more light-hearted. Not sure how to bring the concept across without relying too heavily on props, but I'll just focus on having a good time with it.