Just as I promised heres some of the sketches from my sketchbook for Assignment One. As for my other projects, the graphic novel is coming underway, I am close to finishing having printed draft copies of the final design, I am just unsure as to whether I want to colour my images or not, Assignment Two I have made up a brief sketchbook with some basic ideas but until the graphic novel is finished I will be benching the character design for now.

Ink and Pen observations

Assignment Two

Digital Design Assignment One has been handed in successfully as of last Friday, this Friday is the deadline for the Assignment two research book. Assignment two is character design based upon either a piece of literature, sonnet or lyric, I have opted for lyrics and chosen the song "To Holmgard and Beyond - Turisas". The aim is to have around 4 - 8 designs done by the final deadline so I better get started with some drafts.

Far beyond the sea and distant lands

Came men with thirty ships

Had wanted to reach the Neva by night

But the weather was not on their side

And as the wind grew stronger and stronger

The rain ran down our cheeks

The bow was turned towards Gardar

The sail flew up again

That's where the winds will us guide

For fame and for gold

Set sail for those lands unknown

Osmo and Dalk, Kyy, Kokko and Ulf

Were glad to be off the oars

Turo had eaten too much again

Now hanging himself overboard

The Tostensson twins were excited as always

Adventure was their game

Myself, Hakon the Bastard

was out to find my name

Holmgard and beyond

That's where the winds will us guide

For fame and for gold

Set sail for those lands unknown

Who is "I" without a past?

A river without a source?

An event without a cause?

Threads of different lengths

Some longer, some shorter

So many of them spun together

The crones keep on weaving

The algorithm of our lives

Cause and effect, the fates of men

We know the way to Aldeigju

Upstream the river Alode

You take us to the portage

And further [South]

Long is the way to the unknown

Long are the rivers in the East

Far lies the land that Ingvar

And his men desire to reach

Many dangers lie ahead

Some of us may never return

Rather sold as a slave to the Saracens

Than chained to your bed, chained by your life!

Holmgard and beyond

That's where the winds will us guide

For fame and for gold

Set sail for those lands unknown

Photoshop Empire - Final Design

After having a lengthy period of thought, with the same ideas coming and going, it suddenly hit me, what's more unreal than an entire fictional universe with its own races, laws of physics and elements! Thinking this way I decided to base the image on a game, after a couple of vague plans from the likes of Gears of War to Warcraft I finally settled with a choice. It may be obvious to many at first glance.

Shinra Empire

The game influencing the design is of course Final Fantasy 7, as can be seen by use of the Shinra Logo, Meteor and the Lifestream (which took the longest to do as the logo was converted to 3d which slowed down rendering times significantly). Both my final designs will be getting printed and handed in for marking later today, and because I finished them a day early I should by rights get an early leave tomorrow!

*In addition: I personally enjoy the lit bulbs across the tower

Ai Empire - Final Image

As of about 15 mins ago I finished the final design of the Empire in Ai, next up is a Photoshop version following the title "make the impossible real" which I have interpreted as do whatever you want.

The Empire Theatre (Ai, May 2011, Lewis Ross)

Friday Deadline

Project one of my Digital Design elective is coming to a close and as such the Empire is approaching completion. As luck would have it I have found out my Photoshop image will be due in by the end of Friday also but that shouldn't be a problem as I am half way through colouring my Ai image and have the day tomorrow free (except for voting). Anyway here is the final design of the Empire Tower framework, and below it where I am up to with the Live paint. Now I am going to give it a rest for tonight as it is 2:08am and need to spend the whole day on this tomorrow.

The pen tool in all it's glory

Live Paint in process

Image being worked on

It's getting there . . .

Just a quick update of the work in progress, I've been spending a couple hours a day on it for most of the week with the inevitable distraction at fixed intervals, but I am proud to say the frame work is nearing it's completion. Once it has been drawn out it will simply be a case of filling the spaces with colour using the eyedropper tool (hopefully) and perhaps reduce the stroke lines to 0pts width. If all goes well I'll have an impressive final piece to hand in on the upcoming Friday.