Expressions.

I've drawn out some basic expressions for Rutherford along with a few different angles for his head/face, then done some simple colouring to try and work out how the lighting would work and whatnot.

A staple part of Rutherford's expressions has become the little line that shows the quirk of his upper lip. I think it gives him that snootier edge. I've tried working with how the ears can show expression too - flattened for sadness or anger, upright for excitement or laughter, a slight curl at the tips for vague interest. Drooping the nose/snout also works for portraying sadness or disappointment, while turning it up more dramatically can give either a pompous or mischievous look depending on the rest of the expression.

I'll be taking a look at how other animal characters' expressions are handled in cartoons for more potential ideas regarding my character. Using the shape of the face and ears itself seems a good way to give him more life and show his true thoughts, mostly since his eyes are very simplistically drawn and often neutral/bored-looking.

Character poses.

I've been playing around with how my character poses and moves - having such a long-limbed creature with such a short torso has been a little awkward to position at points, however I believe I've managed to capture his personality quite well with just a few pose ideas.

Here I went for some basic poses - walking and sitting. I've decided that to have him completely reclining during most of his daily activities is a must. It perfectly portrays his lax attitude, while the elegant way he holds his legs and his long strides give that air of haughtiness that characterises him. Either way, he doesn't seem particularly impressed despite the fact he has it all. When it comes to animating my 3D model, I feel that the length of these limbs will suit more elegantly jerky movements rather than being completely smooth (á la Tim Burton, perhaps?)

For these poses I've gone with a slightly different approach - looking at how beneath the poise and loftiness Rutherford is, at the end of the day, a silly spoiled brat. The demanding poses on the right hand side show the extremes of this - very rigid poses compared to his usual languid stance in a blatant display of selfishly commanding his unfortunate butler's attention. On the other hand the pose on the left depicts a childish glee in him sneaking some extra booze after bed-time while already intoxicated (even more childish is the fact he still needs a bed-time) - however in this respect we also see a glimpse of Rutherford acting how his species would in nature: sneaking and prowling. No matter how ridiculously pampered this character is I decided it was a must that he display some fundamental fox-like movements.

These pose sketches have really helped to set my character's personality firmly in mind in a much broader spectrum than simply a snooty aristocrat. I feel like his childish side, while annoying, makes him also somewhat endearing when we consider how dignified he strives to appear for the most part.

Secondary characters.

In order to get more of a general feel for the setting in which my character (Lord Rutherford) dwells, I've decided to sketch out some secondary characters he is likely to encounter on a regular basis.

This is Edgar - Lord Rutherford's butler. He has served the Rutherford family for three generations now, and is avidly loyal despite his impressive age and short-sightedness. This old hare is forever concerned about Rupert's behaviour - from his frivolous spending of his family's treasury to his combined laziness/childishness/lack of responsibility. And let's not forget how monumentally sheltered and thick the fancy fox is - he can hardly put his own clothes on without help from his faithful yet exasperated servant, never mind mingle among the commoners.

A nameless beggar - one of the worst of inhabitants of the town of Oakvale which lies at the foot of Rutherford Ridge. This sort of poverty is rife; and while Edgar will manage to pester Rutherford into showing some charity for the sake of the family image, the pompous young Lord will often handle these lowest-of-the-low peasants with an expression of disgust and insensitively cast his small change to the ground rather than in their tin. Desperate as these poor folk are, they have no option but to graciously accept what they can and make do with it... Until next time.

More character ideas may come depending on my time constraints (though the deadline approaches fast), since the world Rutherford inhabits and the people he interacts with fleshes him out as a character more on a whole, and pinpoints his specific character traits based on his prejudices etc.

Character elevations by hand.

Here we have the final, in proportion elevations for the character sheet, ready to clean up and colour in Illustrator and/or Photoshop.

Line practice.

My first time creating vector linework for a character. While the brush I applied has caused many gaps in the lines to occur, I definitely think the smooth, tapering lines suit the character's elegance. Not bad for a first attempt.

Oh, and his name is Rupert Rutherford.

General Inspiration - Tokyo Plastic

I was highly entertained while researching some of the productions by this team while also slightly disturbed. All in a good way, though. I do have a certain love for the creepy and gruesome, after all.

On watching this for the first time, I was almost put off by how sickeningly cute this was. As beautiful as the smooth, shiny style was, it seemed far too much. 

Needless to say, I was surprised (a little more pleasantly than I'd like to admit) when the grumpy creature in the sky decided to make the little critters explode with some sort of heat ray. I find it both disturbing and amusing that the sun continues to beam happily in the background while the inhabitants of this cute and colourful planet screech in pain. Even their skulls are adorable. Overall, a genius idea. I approve.

Another somewhat disturbing sequence, this little fellow appears to have a mouth that smiles at the eye-creature, but it in fact turns out to be an eye socket by the end. There's something disturbing about creatures that are nothing but masses of flesh and human parts, and for that I like the design all the more  - along with the fact that the switch from mouth to eye socket is very cleverly done.

A more genuinely cute ad campaign. I found these two characters very endearing - I loved the shoe details like the laces and fabric types. It reminds me somewhat of the sackboy design from Little Big Planet.

Character concept - Fox

So, here are the first sketches I drew for my fox character~

The version on the right hand side was my very first sketch. At the time I'd wanted to create a character who was rich, snooty, horrible and generally not nice at all. The short, hunched stature and un-tucked shirt lends to that vibe, I feel, along with the exaggerated angry eyes. The version on the left was a test of the more tall, elegant and gentlemanly counterpart to this character.

Not quite happy with that design, but still attracted to the thought of making my character a fox, I decided to turn around the personality a bit. He'd still be very haughty by nature, but instead of being contemptible he'd be polite and genteel while still remaining otherwise naive to the troubles of those less moneyed than him. There would be flaws in the sense that he would be well-meaning yet manage to appear cold and insensitive whenever he attempts to 'help' others - for example he would cast coins at a beggar's feet rather than stoop down to place them in a tin or hat. With this in mind I made the character more elongated and smooth, with a refined posture and a pose that is laid-back but not uncouth. The original, shorter version could perhaps be kept in mind as an idea for how this character becomes as he grows old - perhaps he will lose his rose-tinted view of the world and become cynical or mean-spirited.

After the initial sketch which would determine the general proportions and tone of my character, I redrew him again with the laid back pose I mentioned. It was at this point that I added props such as a cigar and brandy glass, which I felt were perfect items to show his privilege above others. (Another potential prop I have in mind would be a cane or pocket-watch.) After drawing the close-up sketch to the right, I decided I would prefer his head to be completely smooth, with no styled curls. I then drew the side view to see how it would look, and was pleased with him having a smooth teardrop-shaped head. Here I also decided to give him a smooth tail with the idea in mind that he would be far more groomed than a mangy street fox. His tail would by styled, the fur would be possibly be smoothed down with products, and he would always hold it aloft and elegantly curled to show his refinement.

With the basics of the character's proportions and character in mind, I must next draw various poses and expressions that will serve to develop him further - that and decide on a name, of course.

General Inspiration - Studio AKA

Studio AKA productions have some very creative examples of 3D character design, many of which are notable for the exaggerated bodily proportions and facial expressions.

I like how the stars in this H Samuel ad campaign almost look like tissue paper. It makes it stand out nicely from the rest of the scenery. The motion of the character gliding on the ice is also very smooth and attractive.

The dancing movement of this character works well with the unusually long arms, giving a simultaneously funny and creepy effect.

The simplicity of the shapes that construct these characters' faces become surprisingly expressive with the simplest of changes. The slight difference in the eye shapes give that sinister look, while the lack of anything but a socket adds to it.

I find this concept both disturbing and very clever. The idea of wearing a smile is quite symbolic. I like how the dramatic lighting gives off an almost unnatural glow regarding the smiles.