RATIONALE/INTENTION
My intention over the course of semester 1, and the intention towards my folio, is to explore 2D animation. I am particularly interested in exploring character design and animation, looking at movement, anatomy, expression and how these elements can drive a linear or interactive narrative.
CONTEXT
To begin with, I intend to explore 2D animation in a linear narrative form. I am inspired by animators such as Rebecca Sugar and Natasha Allegri, both of whom worked as writers and/or animators with Cartoon Network and created their own series. These are Steven Universe and Bee and Puppycat.
I also am interested in characters designed and animated for video games. Video games that inspire me in this regard include 2D games such as Hollow Knight, Undertale, Stardew Valley, Celeste and Limbo. These are aesthetically profound examples of interactive media that have taken their design seriously, and I am interested in exploring this through character design.
METHOD
I will explore 2D animated characters through short animations that I will regularly be producing over the next 10 weeks of the semester. I will be using various programs and software to practice different animation techniques, experiment in my aesthetic style, and consolidate my animation skills.
To engage my learnings, I also intend to research more artists and animators to inspire my style and techniques.
PRODUCTION/TOOLS
I am already proficient in using Procreate as a platform for producing digital artworks and animated GIFs.
I have also started experimenting with Adobe Animate and TV Paint Pro. Unfortunately, these programs are unavailable to me from home, so I will only be able to produce GIFs and short videos from these applications from the CBD campus. For any homework, I will use alternatives such as Procreate.
For digital drawing and painting, I only intend to use Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Fresco. These are more technically complex to me than Procreate, since I have used them less, but I plan to explore as many tools as possible over this semester.