Drawing Classes - Alan's Crouching Pose

This collection of pictures are of the same painting of one pose done by Alan in life drawing class. I've posted these separately because I'm particularly proud of it, as it shows my progress in figure drawing from scratch after only two months,  and found it extremely enjoyable to work on. 

Drawing Classes - Drawings of Alan 2

Drawing Classes - Drawings of Alan

Drawing Classes - Hand and Feet Studies

Drawing Classes - Drawings of Jane 2

2nd 2D Movement test for Jumping Snowman

Byzantine Cannibal Final Concept

This is my final concept for The Secret Lair of the Byzantine Cannibal with revision to the lighting and drama in my scene as suggested by Phil and Jordan.

Secret Lair - Basic Scene Render

This is a basic render of my final scene, with each object within the scene mapped out accordingly but still subject to changes or edits. I have added colours so as to differentiate between each object and have place a simplistic altar in the scene to show the finished hero prop's place within the scene. Any ideas and feedback on how this can be improved is appreciated.

Byzantine Cannibal Final Concept (unfinished)

This is my final concept piece for my Byzantine Cannibal's secret lair. The recent addition of detailing on the background wall is a mix of photographs and hand drawn detailing, It portrays a scene unique to my vulture cult and allows me to show my audience their lore and history through imagery.

Movement Test for Jumping Snowman Animation Final

Sacrificial Chamber Final Concept Tweaks

This is an assortment of different adjustments made to my final concept piece after making the mosaics on the back walls more opaque and adding coloured lighting. Each one is a little bit different and feedback on which seems more suitable or closer to something that is more finished is appreciated.

Online Greenlight Review #2

The Secret Lair of the Byzantine Cannibal Greenlight

Sacrificial Chamber Final Draft #3

This is my 3rd final concept draft and I have added textures and detailing to my scene, although some of this may not be completely visible until enlarged. Any feedback on this is appreciated.

Sacrificial Chamber Concept Final Draft #2

This is my second progressive draft for my final concept piece for the secret lair of the Byzantine Cannibal. Any feedback on this will be greatly appreciated.

La Belle Et La Bete Film Review

Fig 1: La Belle et La Bete poster

The film 'La Belle et La Bete' or 'The Beauty and The Beast' is a black and white French romance written and directed by Jean Cocteau. The film has two very different personalities, the traditional French idealism and the odd, anthropomorphic stylisation. These two contrasting ideas seamlessly fuse together at a single place within the film, the Beast's castle and produce a very strange but oddly intimate and believable concept that has enchanted audiences and inspired further adaptations since then.

"This film is such a visual delight that I gave up worrying about ideological considerations and just embraced its beautiful and influential dreamlike imagery." ( Caldwell 2011 ) The realistic constructs within the Beast's castle are few and far between, with arms as candle holders, stonework with moving eyes and doors that open on command making up the majority of features. The appearance of these objects differ's however to Caldwell's description of Cocteau's fantasy elements as "dreamlike" because of their anthropomorphic designs, which adopt a freakish theme in this fantasy environment. The Beast's castle, as mentioned before, is a convergence point within the film of classical French architecture and the fantasy world of myth and legend. "...weird, enchanted domicile of the Beast." ( Malcolm 1999 ) The Beast's domain is something of high fantasy, a relentless bombardment of the fictional elements in an enclosed and hidden space within the forest, Its this enchanted domain that contains many odd and weird constructs that have excited and entranced audiences, with them even influencing adaptations.

Fig 2: Belle's father inside the Beast's castle.

The Beast character in the film is an element of fear and intrigue to the viewing audience, with his constant fits of rage, instinct and lust dominating most of his appearances. The Beast's story is incredibly tragic, a 'noble' soul trapped within the body of an animal and doomed to loneliness. This is a generic sad story by any account as described in "...a Beast at once ferocious, erotic and genuinely tragic..."  (TM, 2012) but this becomes a twisted tale by its end, hinted with lies and scheming. The Beast's fate is something cloaked in mystery for the duration of the film and only becomes revealed towards its end with the attempted thievery of the wealth within the the castle's inner sanctum. The inner sanctum holds extremely valuable treasures, alluring to any would be thief, which can only be obtained if accessed through the sanctums door with the correct key, It becomes apparent why this is so when Belle's fiancée breaks into the sanctum through the roof and is subsequently shot by an arrow and becomes the spitting image of the Beast, with his own appearance being transplanted onto the original Beast.

Fig 3: The Beast's appearance exchanged with Belle's Fiancée 

List of Illustrations: 

Fig 1: La Belle et La Bete poster At: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_BU4WiOO-9gpHqq5_NbXTY0IvlXF23SVW5i4YRYK7n7XdseA_GiVwDgz2KvvzMpGH7sJG3oJPUV7NLVdjGviuumxFLzSyVBtfrg_mSTlkVy0ms7-ih7Gh19Ho0YXJewHlhyHYPoTIe0/s1600/la+belle+et+la+bete+film+poster.jpeg

Fig 2: Belle's father inside the Beast's castle At: http://derekwinnert.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/6.jpg

Fig 3: The Beast's appearance exchanged with Belle's Fiancée At: http://intervistamag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/la-belle-et-la-bete-1946-8238-1310736113.jpg

Bibliography:

Malcolm, Derek (1999) At: http://www.theguardian.com/film/1999/jul/01/1 (Online Review) Accessed 18/11/2013

TM (2012) At: http://www.timeout.com/london/film/la-belle-et-la-bete-1 (Online Review) Accessed 18/11/2013

Caldwell, Thomas ( 2011) At: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1001902-beauty_and_the_beast/ (Online Review) 18/11/2013

Byzantine Cannibal Final Concept Draft

This is a paint over draft for basic scene colours and layout for my Byzantine Cannibal's Sacrificial Chamber.

Perspective Shots for Sacrificial Chamber

  

This collection of images are render stills taken from two different block outs for my scene to test out perspective angles and components to include. Any feedback on which are the most effective would be greatly appreciated.

Secret Lair Thumbnail: Bloody Altar Extended

As suggested by Phil went back into Photoshop and extended the blood altar scene I posted earlier to include more of the room.

Secret Lair Thumbnail: A door to the Blood Altar

This is a more refined and interesting look at the sacrificial chamber. The perspective, suggested by Phil, is a new take on how the chamber might be viewed and I think it allows for a more directed view of the altar, with the gold engraving and trim particularly effective. Any opinions on this would be greatly appreciated.

Secret Lair Thumbnails: Bloody Altar with Columns

This was, again, another tester for the altar and the patterns on the floor.

Secret Lair Thumbnail: Bloody Altar

This thumbnail was a tester for detail and emphasis on my hero prop and is probably too bloody. 

Sacrificial Chamber Thumbnail 8

This concept thumbnail takes a actual perspective created in Maya and overlays the detailing and colour scheme I will be aiming for in my final model. Any constructive feedback on this particular method would be greatly appreciated!