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.

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.

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.