EAE 6900 - 011 Character Design Fall 2017
Class Location and Time
Building 72 Room 112
Thursday6:00pm -8:30 pm
Instructor
Brian Salisbury, MFA
Building 72, Office 218
Office hours: TBD
Course Description, Goals and Outcomes
The student will study examples and techniques of professional game artists.
The student will learn to research, write and explore characters visually through assigned sets of criteria for the given assignment.
The student will develop fundamental skills, techniques and creative visual processes to design characters for the entertainment and related industries.
The student will demonstrate an ability to creatively design plausible, memorable characters that adhere to specific art styles or genres.
The student will demonstrate an ability to provide and receive critical and constructive feedback and analysis for their work and that of their peers.
Course Structure
Important class communication will be disseminated via Canvas. It is the responsibility of the student to check Canvas for updates and assignment info.
Typical class meetings
class business, lectures, demonstrations, videos and critiques.
Short break.
The balance of the class will be devoted to working in class.
Typical class meetings would be pre-empted to accommodate potential guest speakers.
Expect to devote ample time and energy outside of class.
Course Policies
Since we have the luxury of a small class size, attendance is mandatory. I am an understanding guy and I realize that life happens, but you must advise me if you are missing the class for a sickness or emergency. It is the responsibility of the student to find out the information missed.
Excessive or habitual absence will result in a grade penalty.
Late work will rarely be accepted at the instructor’s discretion. Complete work may be resubmitted having addressed feedback. It is the responsibility of the student to follow up on late work or resubmissions.
Have fun! Make your positive presence known. Participate in presentations, discussions and critiques.
Grading Criteria
Creativity - This is paramount to success. Students should endeavor to move beyond their comfort zone and strive for innovative and interesting concepts.
Craftsmanship - Technical proficiency within the mediums is critical to the competitive entertainment industry. The student’s background, goals and experiences and perceived effort will be taken into account.
Presentation – The finished quality of the work and its overall effectiveness using design elements, composition, dynamic poses and readability and for the intended audiences, including the consumer and developers such as art directors, modelers and animators.
Work will be submitted digitally on Canvas or a class blog.
Tools and Software
Sketchbooks and non-messy natural media are fine.
Final colored works will be rendered digitally. Get used to your tablet or Cintiq.
Software covered in class will be Adobe Photoshop and Zbrush.
You are free to use whatever digital tools that will help you meet your goals.
Assignments
Students will work on in-class exercises and assignments weekly. Toward the latter part of the semester more class time will be dedicated to major projects.
Students will complete 3 major character design projects, to be determined by instructor, or student proposal with Instructor consent.
Student participation. This includes joining in class discussion, attendance, presentations on work and techniques, respect towards peers and a professional attitude.
Grade Distribution
Weekly Exercises & Assignments 25%
Project 1 20%
Project 2 20%
Project 3 20%
Participation 15%
Class Schedule
Date Class
8/24 Introduction, Silhouettes
8/31Shapes, Volumes, Assignment Due
9/7 Anatomy, Assignment Due
9/14 Anatomy, Assignment Due
9/21 Line of Action, Poses Assignment Due
9/28 Face and Expressions, Assignment Due
10/5 Hands & Feet, Assignment Due
Project 1 Due
10/12 FALL BREAK
10/19 Anthropomorphic Characters, Assignment Due,
10/28Zbrush for design and concept, Assignment Due
11/2Rendering techniques, Assignment Due
Project 2 Due
11/9 Topics as needed, In Class work, Assignment Due
11/16 Topics as needed, In Class work, Assignment Due
11/23 THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
11/30Topics as needed, In Class work, Assignment Due
12/7Last Day of Class, Final Critiques
Project 3 Due
12/14 Last Day to turn in work
Class Materials & Recommended Reading
Instructional videos will be authored by the instructor in addition to other sources to be announced.
The skillful Huntsman by Le, Yamada, & Moon
Figure Drawing: Design and Invention by Michael Hampton
Imaginative Realism by James Gurney
Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter by James Gurney
“The Art of” games or movies books.
Note:
Syllabus may change at the discretion of the Instructor.