Flash Project Pre-Production

These are my character designs for my Flash project. From the get go when I read the brief and saw the theme was "My life at Falmouth", one thing popped to mind: pigeons! Few weeks ago I had a very funny encounter with pigeons, so I that's why they popped to mind. I'd also thought they would be fun to design and create in Flash, and possibly pose a challenge when animating them!

So above are my designs for the pigeons. I wanted a cartoony look to them, and to look like pigeons...but also not to, if you know what I mean haha. I think my favourite is the bottom right. Once coloured in greys and whites, it should look like a pigeon...but I like the fact that it isn't EXACTLY like one. Because I'm going to have two of them in my animation, I will differentiate them by subtle colour changes and possibly change the size of one slightly.

I have inked my two favourite designs (I know they aren't that great, still getting used to my tablet!) and shown colours which I will be using. Below them are my two set designs. I want them on a ledge talking whilst people walk beneath them. I think having the people adds more detail and I can also then add recorded voices and crowds.

These are my basic designs, and once I have chosen which pigeon design I want, I will then ink it again (but better) and add colour, which will then be my final design which I will use when I create them in Flash. Can't wait! :D

This is my turnaround! Decided to go with this design in the end as I thought it was overall a better design and is more of the look I wanted from the beginning. Next thing I'm going to do is ink the character (this time much better...hopefully!) and add colour. That will then be my final finished character, which I will then make in Flash!

This is my basic finished designs for my two pigeon characters. I didn't want to differentiate them to much, because I wanted to get the idea across that pigeons can look all the same haha. But obviously I had to change them slightly, so I decided just to have one slightly thinner and taller, and with a lighter coat. His hair is also different, as is his position of the eyes, as I made them a little closer.

I wanted the designs to have sort of a rough, somewhat childish style to them (as if they look hand drawn) and this is what I want, and will carry on into photoshop. Overall I'm pretty happy with the results. Of course I would have liked them to be slightly better in quality, but as I've stated, I'm still practising with my tablet, and trying to find the perfect set-up for me in photoshop, which I haven't quite managed yet! :)

This is just a rough idea on how my animation will look and what my background will be. I've decided to have them on a pipe near a roof of a building, and I've messily just displayed what sort of colours will be used and to mark out the window, tiled roof, brickwork etc. Still don't know whether or not I shall add passers-by underneath. Depends on how much time I'll have. I'd definitely try to add them if I can and if it goes well. I might decided later on that it may not be suitable or something. I'll add the final environment once I have done it, but I do know what I want for it.

Well, I've had a couple of fun days doing this! Can't wait to put it all into Flash and start animating!