Officer Designs 2

I have been working on more variations of the first character silhouette. Firstly, I combined the sections that I had liked an the initial versions to see if they worked together. I liked the outcome, though I'm still unsure about the helmet. The human legs also make the character a lot less interesting. 

I also wanted to design an officer like character, as the pose seemed to fit. The design would be intended as an elite looking model for characters to show their high skill level. The uniform would look a lot more clean and well kept as an officer would have to represent discipline and good maintenance in the battlefield. Armed with only a long, elegant pistol, the officers role is not a fighting one, but one to ensure the the troops are in top shape. A thin, well fitting, and smart coat stands out from the skinnier, less fortunate ground infantry under her command.

Standard Uniform Design

Drew some sketches of the standard battle uniform. Nothing that unique, but it conveys an interesting uniform design. I probably wont stick to it though. 

Design 1 - Male
Loose, dirty, cheap, light.
Rags loosely wrapped around body to keep warm.
Bandages that cover battle wounds

Beige, brown and red uniform caked in mud.






Design 2 - Female
Loose towards torso, thinner towards hands and feet. High tech. Light.

Round shaped pockets.

Fast and agile.

Character 1 Variations

CHARACTER 1

I decided to work on the variations from the initial silhouettes as they seemed to most visually appealing. The variations of size and shape made them look individually unique, however the dirty, robotic like aesthetic remained consistent throughout all of them. 

I have done 3 variations on the first silhouette, trying to fit into the futuristic, yet dirty trench warfare environment I had pictures for these characters. Working only in tones, I tried to block out the basic shapes of the character, as well as form different variations on equipment and uniform that would enhance their silhouette.

ANALYSIS

Design 1

Role: The role of this character is more iconic than functional, with the main task of carrying the flag that represents the team. Similar to a soldier who carries the colours, her function is to act as a rallying point and as motivation to move forward into battle. The characters role requires patriotism and bravery to remain elegant in battle.

No change was made to the original silhouette. The helmet, inspired by WW1 era gas masks and the tattered flag and rags try to convey a futuristic, harsh and dirty landscape. I believe the first silhouette also works well as the clear view of the flag and the pose itself is very tall and grand which suggests elegance and pride for what the team is fighting for, despite the harsh climate. However, the mid section looks almost tribal to me which does not fit in well. 

Design 2

Role: More functional than design 1, this character's role is to provide quick recon. Lightly armored and armed, but provided with superior optics means that this character is useful for quick hit and run and observation. She fits into the "scout" role found in most class based shooters. Wing like objects on the back also suggests limited flight capabilities. 

I decided to change out the legs for a more humanistic look. The helmet is a lot more high tech, though I think it may not look "cheap" enough. The wings also make the silhouette a lot more interesting, which is needed without the flag. 

Design 3

Role: The melee type class . The speed and agility of the character allows her to get close to the enemy to strike. Slightly more armored than the other 2 designs, she still remains light enough to move fast. The helmet provides additional face protection. 

Though I think the character looks visually interesting, with the sections coming out from the back of the head trailing behind when the character runs, I think it looks too alien in design. Feedback compares the design to "Predator". The character looks far too advanced as I am aiming for a futuristic, but cheap look. 

Officer Designs

I thought I would do more variations of the officer role...

Captain Lionheart
Casual Officer - High trousers. Sweatshirt. Officers hat.
Personality - Casual and uncaring.

This character uses his rank as an excuse to get people to do his own work for him. Despite his name, he is cowardly in battle and is generally not cut out to be a leader. His only reason for being in his rank is for the pay, and there is little else he cares for.





Captain Blackheart
Strict Officer - Fearful appearance, Large coat that covers smart uniform.
Personality - Fearless

This character has seen many years on the battlefield. Strict and merciless, he shows an iron fist when it comes to discipline and is feared by both the enemy and his own men alike....

Character 2 initial design

Thought I'd post the original sketch for Character design 2. A lot of the elements have been transferred over to Character 1, but the role remains the same. However, due to the new silhouette, most of the elements where changed, including the sex, size and accessories of the character. 

A little look at Hawken

I've been playing the Hawken beta recently and I was fascinated by the art of the game. Though there was little to no character design in the game, the design and detail of the vehicles and environment amazed me. Of course, the UDK engine can show off some really nice models, but the design of the environment really felt unique. Of course there have been many mech games before, but the level of detail and visual realism really make the experience a lot more immersible. The mech customization and class system also interested me. Each class was not limited to only one type of weapon, but were given a variety of weapons that fit their class type. It was up to the player to find out what worked and what didn't. Combined with the choice to customize the appearance, it really made me feel as if my vehicle I was piloting was "my own". Hawkens customization is far extensive, but combined with the beautiful visuals, it feels appropriate to mention these things...

Moodboards

SETTING

The game environment the players will be designed around will be set in a dystopian future where armies fight over food and water supplies. A large, starving population fights for resources with cheap, mass produced equipment and tacky electronics. Environments consist of large shanty cities spread through large muddy plains devoid of plant life. 

CHARACTERS
The population is heavily militarized. Though there is one central army, but it is heavily separated throughout the plains with each city's occupying army seeing themselves as their own military rather than a whole. There is often conflict between cities as the protectors swear allegiance to their own city and are unwilling to help others. Characters rely on cheap, mass produced equipment, and tacky cybernetic implants to fight. 

STYLE

The game environment will be inspired by WW1 trench warfare. Buildings will be tall and dirty, holding a large populous in a tiny area, such as the Kowloon walled city. The environment will also be futuristic, though it must look cheap enough to fit in. 

Digital character painting.

I'm doing some colour tests on this character. The torso is quite dark in general which will hopefully draw attention to the mask on the head which stands out because of its light tone value. This will be useful if the mask of the character is a unique element that is not found on any other archetypes which will allow the character to be quickly identified. 

I'm using a lot of FZD tutorials on Youtube to learn how to paint better in Photoshop. I found them whilst creating concept art for projects last year.They are incredibly useful and I am learning a lot.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL88CAD6C0E7F721F5