APD Week2 -PLAY and TIME Theme

Theme 

PLAY AND TIME

Context

Inspired by the 2D animation artwork loop on Giphy.com, I want to explore the definition of the term “time” in the way people use it as a medium in narrative.

There are some interesting materials from old folk tales/ legends/ myths that have been deployed in several works of media and art, based on the same context: loop of time. Significantly what came to my mind when I gave a thought about it was the phoenix’s circle of life: transformation, death and reborn, which sort of a fascinating aspect in terms of time-manipulation.

https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/ancient-symbolism-magical-phoenix-002020

 There is also the legend of Kitsune and what behind the story reveals partly Japanese perception within their culture.

https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-asia/kitsune-0012027

 Both of them are valuable as a metaphor in the way they are used to enhance the power of communication in narration, but when it comes to the intention of responding to this theme, I just want to play with the art of making the loop GIF images.              

Method

Using TCV Paint/Toon boom to create the loop vignette focusing on the transformation of the characters. 

Response

It doesn't take much time to complete the bird, even though giving few more circles of swinging can make it look more convincing. 

When I first started I chose a very simple shape to be the opening and the ending of the loop. I tried to keep the style as simple as possible, but eventually I lost the consistency along the way, especially when the transformation went from a pretty lady to a hideous monster. The lines keep getting more sketchy and I think the problem is that I didn't figure out the visual look for the monster before I started. One more problem that I encountered was the face I drew began to look weird when the camera angles changed. After going through a few readings about human faces and shapes from different views, I was able to make it less “strange to look at”.

Reflection

I always overlooked the work of drawing characters, especially human beings, when it comes to 2D Animation, so this was a great opportunity for me to explore the field that is going to support me in Studio 2 work. Even though the transformation did not achieve to the point that I was expecting in a short amount of time, what I learnt and did was the basic step for a better production coming.

Source:

https://www.erikalancaster.com/art-blog/how-to-effectively-draw-faces-at-a-34s-angle-my-4-step-process-and-practice-freebies