Reflective Journal #3 - More Reference + Iterations + Animated GIF

 

Reflective Journal #3 

I added new pages to the InDesign reference file including the silhouette drawings, colour palettes and new reference imagery.

We looked into AI tools in this week's workshop a bit too (Adobe Firefly) for the purpose of reference. I primarily found it's approach to the leg designs was of interest (interesting combination of hardsurface/artifical + mechanical)





The animation work we did was fun and a good learning experience for me. The technical process was educational (see in my Technical Notes post for this week), and I didn't encounter too many problems. Probably the main problem was grappling with the fact that cropping a layer with the crop tool resulted in the entire image file getting cropped. I had to learn to use layer masks instead so I could crop each layer. I'm used to using GIMP which works a bit differently. 

https://pollunit.com/lightboxes/prod142wikituatoruzoetrope?option_id=5758349  

Finally, I worked on drawing new iterations for the character and vehicle. The aesthetic, especially for the vehicle is something which is looking unique and appealing in my opinion. It still needs a bit of refinement, but the inscectoid/alien design and jumping abilities are fun I think. I like the ideas behind the character but maybe the design needs to look a bit more wacky/stylish/unique by the end of the process.



My partner also worked on their 3 variations:
















Comments

  1. Austin LamAugust 9, 2025 at 2:40 AM

    I really like the scavenger direction that you guys are going for! I think those dark, muddy colours fit nicely. You could also go a little mismatched with the colours to communicate that the parts are scavenged, although that might be more difficult to pull off, cohesively.
    To go wackier with the character design, I would try some different body proportions, and try as well to exaggerate those changes. A scraggly, lanky figure might fit that scavenger vibe while also being quite insectoid - you could play around a bit with their posture too.
    Another thing you could consider for the character and/or vehicle, is to give them tech/accessories that are more directly drawn from insects? Such as, antennae (sensors?), beadier goggles, that kind of bulbous body shape that lots of insects have.
    I'm liking the scuttle-y, tech-y vehicle overall though. I'm excited to see how it all develops!

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