ILLU435 Animated Digital Asset Development for the Illustrator
The world of entertainment is populated with vivid characters and immersive environments realized through a variety of digital assets. In this course, students imaginatively engage with a concept to finalize polished artwork that captures the mood and tone of the creator. Using industry standard practices, students develop digital assets from concept to finalized illustrations and digital files for design-driven production pipelines.
Course Introduction
This course is designed to help artists develop a better understanding of environments and atmospheric conditions and the effect use and benefits in illustrations. Students will explore a variety of environments and weather and climate conditions using an assortment of techniques including depth, water vapor and moisture, light and color, and both real and imagined atmospheres. Exploration through sketchbook and in-class exercises help student learn and utilize a wide range of effects and styles to develop more dynamic and emotional illustration techniques, methods and assets. The end results will be numerous portfolio quality final illustrations.
The Importance of Sketchbook
The Artist's Sketchbook is an integral part of developing unique creative ideas and a means to continue to grow artistic talents and skills, while exploring visual storytelling. During this course, I recommend every student keep a Sketchbook with regular entries of content and mediums.. Sketchbook entries are open to interpretation and I encourage you to be creative - any medium - any style - be creative!
I suggest a 9" x 12" spiral sketchbook with 100 pages. Use a variety of mediums and techniques and the standard sketchbook paper will work fine.
Assignment One
Sprites - Super Heroes/Super Villans
Create (4) Unique Sprite Characters depicting superheroes and/or supervillans - existing or imagined - 2D or 3D - Consider clothing - colors unique to the character's role - weapons
Must include Concept and Final Art
Assignment Two
Monster Icons
Create (4) Unique Monster Characters - Consider a variety of personalities - 2D or 3D - Consider clothing - colors unique to the character's role - weapons
Must include Concept and Final Art
Assignment Three
Organics Game Assets
Create (6) Unique Organic Graphics - Plant - Tree - Flower - Rocks/Stones - Real or Imagined - 2D or 3D - Consider a variety of color and texture
Must include Concept and Final Art
Assignment Four
Weapons - Medieval and Futuristic - Game
Create (4) Unique Weapon Designs - Real or Imagined - 2D or 3D - Consider a variety of type such as:
AMT Hardballers – Hitman. ...211-V Plasma Cutter - Dead Space. ... Master Sword – Zelda. ... Fire Flower – Mario. ...Golden Gun – Goldeneye 64. ...
Buster Sword - Final Fantasy VII. ...Gravity Gun - Half-Life 2. ...BFG 9000 – Doom.
Must include Concept and Final Art
Assignment Five
Coins/Jewels/Levels/Badges
Create (4) Unique Gamification Icons - Consider color - metal - texture - detail - 2D or 3D - Show a variety in level groups
Must include Concept and Final Art
Assignment Six
Mayan World - Structure
Create (2) Unique Mayan Structures in Isometric Perspective - Show a variety of type - temple - totem - shrine
Must include Concept and Final Art
Assignment Seven
Space Bugs in Motion
Create (2) Sci Fi themed Bug Designs - Consider (2) unique designs - color - texture - type - role - Must include motion
Must include Concept and Final Art
Assignment Eight
A Pirates World
Create a world with a 'pirate' theme - including (2+) Characters - (4+) Weapons - (1+) Vehicle - (1+)Bounty ($) - (2+) Extras (flags/parrots...) . TOTAL a minimum of (10) Pieces
Consider a variety of colors - roles - accessories....Consider motion/animation
Must include Concept and Final Art
Due Dates
Jan 14 - Assignment One - Sprites - Super Heroes - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.
Jan 21 - Assignment Two - Monster Icons - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.
Jan 28 - Assignment Three - Organics Game Assets - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.
Feb 4 - Assignment Four - Weapons - Medieval and Futuristic - Game - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.
Feb 11 - Assignment Five - Coins/Jewels/Levels/Badges - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.
Feb 18 - Assignment Six - Mayan World Structure - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.
Feb 25 - Assignment Seven - Space Bugs in Motion - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.
Mar 10 - Assignment Eight - A Pirate’s World - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.
Mar 12- Asset Portfolio Showcase - DUE - Must be placed in Dropbox before beginning of class.
Recommended Textbooks
Blizzard (2017), The Art of Overwatch, Dark Horse Books, ISBN - 978-1506703671
Bioware (2019), The Art of Anthem, Dark Horse Books, ISBN - 978-1506707013
Ghez, Didier (2014), They Drew As they Pleased: The Hidden Art of Disney's Musical Years (The 1940s - Part One), Disney Books, ISBN - 978-1452137445
Archiving Your Work
Preparing each Final Illustration File.
Digital files (PDFs, animation stills, storyboards, comic panels, sequential art, etc.):
All native files, fonts and supporting links contained in a single folder
All final submission folders compressed as a zip file
All zipped folders named in a manner that includes the campus, year, quarter, program abbreviation, the student's first and last names, and the title of the artwork. This information also needs to be embedded in the metadata so Full file naming guidelines are attached.
CAMPUS_Quartercode_DEPT_FirstnameLastname_title
Sample: SAV_202020_ACCE_AidanBarrow_snapbelt (Quartercodes - Fall 10, Winter 20, Spring 30, Summer 40)
All images submitted as JPEGS at 300dpi, JPEG quality 12, Adobe RGB1998.
Images MUST include Meta Data
Disclaimer - All content on this page is protected by the artists who created the work. The purpose for showing their artwork on this page, is for educational purposes only. The owner of this site does not claim any artwork on this page as his own. All rights are protected and considered copyrighted. ©2020
Copyright - all images on this site are protected by artists copyright laws. No image may be copied or reproduced. For reference purposes only.