To inform your ongoing development as a creature and character concept artist this module will allow you to develop your skills and understanding in the following areas:


Animal anatomy

Narrative context, world building and inference through creature and character design

Producing authenticity in your designs

Reconstruction / paleoart

Project Aesthetics

Approaching primary and tertiary forms in sculpture

Gestural studies of animals

Observational studies of animals

Fundamentals and advanced knowledge of Creature Design


With these aspects covered you will be able to creature realistic, dynamic and believable creature designs with a strong sense of functional anatomy and narrative context. The development of advanced techniques and continued critical reflection of these skills will allow you to generate creature sculptures appropriate for a concept art portfolio in games, film and other similar fields.

Assessment Component 1 - (Learning Outcomes 1,2 and 3)

A portfolio of 3D creature and character designs weighted at 80% consisting of:

A portfolio of 3D sculptures (of creatures and characters) that demonstrate a high level of artistic skill and technical compentency. The concepts and sculptures must meet the given brief. You will solve both sculptural and design challenges as you produce the portfolio

Assessment Component 2 - (Learning Outcomes 4)

Reflective Development Journal posted on the Digital Academy weighted at 20% consisting of:

Evidence of your produced work in the Portfolio on the Digital Academy. As you upload images of your work you will evidence your workflow and critically define any improvements by comparing them against the brief and industry contemporaries.

2 x 3hr Lecture/Tutorial

Module Learning Outcome

1. Apply appropriate advanced 3D sculpting techniques to produce a series of high quality and highly detailed creature and character designs.

University Learning Outcome

Application

2. Demonstrate insight and advanced problem-solving skills by solving a series of given 3D modelling and design challenges in line with industry standard practices.


University Learning Outcome

Problem solving

3. formulate and communicate a rationalised design process with relation to anatomical authenticity and narrative context and visual research.

University Learning Outcome

Communication

4. Critically reflect on the creation and iteration of the produced concepts and sculptures. Evaluate and appraise the workflows used and their appropriateness for professional concept design.

University Learning Outcome

Reflection

3D Modelling Software

Photo Editing Software

Digital Illustration Software

Digital Academy Forum

Digital Academy Upload System

Drawing Tablets

3D Total 2020, Fundamentals of Creature Design: How to Create Successful Concepts Using Functionality, Anatomy, Color, Shape & Scale, 3D Total Publishing, Worcester UK ISBN-13 978-1912843121


Whitlatch, T 2015, Science of Creature Design: Understanding Animal Anatomy, Design Press Studios, California ISBN-13 978-1624650291


Ellenberger, W 1966, An Atlas of Animal Anatomy for Artists, Dover Publications Inc, New York ISBN-13 978-0486200828


3D Total 2017, Beginners Guide to Zbrush, 3D Total Publishing, Worcester UK ISBN-13 978-1909414501


3D Total 2017, Mythical Beasts: An Artist’s Field Guide to Designing Fantasy Creatures, 3D Total Publishing, Worcester UK ISBN-13 978-1909414488


Spencer, S 2011, Zbrush Character Creation: Advanced Digital Sculpting, Sybex, California ISBN 9781118037065

As a concept artist wanting to specialise in creature design it is important that you develop a keen understanding in animal anatomy and how to implement it in your designs. This module will introduce you to advanced sculptural techniques and observational skills that will allow you to produce professional creature designs that are grounded in realism.