The Alacrity of the Crayfish

bupaje · Post by **bupaje** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 7:00 am

Here is some initial concept art for a story I'd like to tell, entitled The Alacrity of the Crayfish

Not sure when I'll get these ideas done but I'd love to get feedback. Even though this is a newer idea I fell in love with it. The heads are variations of one of the characters. Still in progress but I think I sort of favor this one for him.

I have so many ideas for books and animated films floating in my brain. I hope someday that I can set them all free and see people enjoying them. Still seems like just a distant dream even though I'll be graduating in 9 weeks.

jahnocli · Post by **jahnocli** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:32 am

Here's my two cents (even though I live in the UK!):

You have to push the envelope more -- it's all about exaggeration. Take that fish in the last drawing -- jut out that lower jaw, narrow those eyes and make them red, scallop out those fins to look like bat wings, make those teeth bigger and point them backwards like predators...At present (IMHO) it looks like an annoyed goldfish with some sharpened false teeth. Ya gotta make that sucker SNARL!!

Like I said, just my opinion...

J

bupaje · Post by **bupaje** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 3:42 pm

Thanks you! Just the type of advice I need. Appreciated.

bupaje · Post by **bupaje** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 6:27 pm

Ok, I did a quick drawing right in Flash - do you think this might work better as a villan?

Also what do you think of the rough line work on the crayfish -could that work as a style? I sort of like the lines from the marker and tried to recreate them in Flash on the cray fish -ignore the plants and background elements they are from a previous short.

jahnocli · Post by **jahnocli** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 1:07 am

Well, I always believe in show, not tell -- so here is my mean fish:
http://img250.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... sh1jk3.swf
-- I would bet on him taking on yours any day! I can send you the file if you want -- just bashed it out for fun...

J

bupaje · Post by **bupaje** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 1:24 am

That is fantastic. Sure. If you don't mind me using your ideas I may use him to beef up my guy.

I want two main preds - big solitary scarey sucker type and a smaller school of killers - like in Dinosaur or Lion King, dangerous in groups.

jahnocli · Post by **jahnocli** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 1:57 am

Here's another one (more of just an interesting silhouette):
http://img101.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... sh2pe3.swf
It's fun just churning these out!

bupaje · Post by **bupaje** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 2:12 am

Thanks! This will help push me in some new directions. Really appreciated.

bupaje · Post by **bupaje** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 8:23 am

Here's another concept for the battered old crawdad character for the story. Instructors Gomez and Nunez who run the Friday lab at Brooks College pushed me in some different directions and so I generated many more variations. I'll try to post some later. I wanted to test this guy with a little color so I did a quick ink job, scan and added some color in Photoshop.

He was attacked by a fish when he was younger and the claw on the undamaged half of his body grew monstrously large. The other claw is supposed to be missing a chunk but just noticed I inked it in whole by accident.

ulrik · Post by **ulrik** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 10:51 am

Great looking character! Well done!
I really love the mouth shape, it makes him/her, look insane, the eye browse and also the choice of colors, Well done!:D

cribble · Post by **cribble** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 6:47 pm

man, how kick ass at drawing are you?! i wish i could draw... i should master writing first!

bupaje · Post by **bupaje** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 6:56 pm

Thanks, you guys are too nice.

Actually asking for critique really helps if you don't take it as a personal offense "whaddya mean its not perfect?!!!' Not pro quality yet but asking people with more experience is moving me slowly along. I'm 47 and figure by the time I retire I might be good. :/

Gnaws · Post by **Gnaws** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 11:25 pm

Great job, Burt! Very DreamWorks.

If I may offer -- 2 principles that always help me with character design: silhouette and asymmetry.

Silhouette - Make your character strong enough to stand out as if he were all black on a white background. Once you've done this, ask yourself if the character is strong enough, can you tell what he's doing, is he dynamic enough, etc. This really helps define the character. BTW - this is an old Disney trick.

The very best thing (for me anyway) is asymmetry - making one eye bigger, or the head kind of lop-sided, the body bending in one direction. This give your character more...erm....character! You get the idea.

Rawk on, Brother!!

bupaje · Post by **bupaje** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 12:27 am

Thanks. Good tips. I will push the asymmetry a bit more to see where it goes and test the silohuette.

EDIT: I tried a couple quick silohuette as you suggested and will work the design some more.

bupaje · Post by **bupaje** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 10:13 am

Couldn't really afford to but at only $20 I couldn't resist picking up ArtRage. I'm hoping I might be able to do some 'painterly' backgrounds for this piece. Not really enough time - might end up with just a scene from the short tand then have to finish it aftewr graduation. :/ Still, I'm going to try.

Anyway here is a test. I made a couple rocks and driftwood (not all shown in this image) and put it together in Photoshop. Trying to strike a balance between my need for speed and quality.

I'll finish the storyboards tomorrow and then get to work aggresively on the art.