CHARACTER DESGIN
We solicited feedback from our target audience (middle school students) to capture the right look for these playable characters. We wanted to allow for some customizability while working within the limitations of the game’s mechanics. We wanted to ensure students would feel represented and resonated with the characters, and that the customizable accessories were trendy and desirable to earn through playing the game.
Avatar “Classroom” for PeerTeach Galaxy Games. This room needed to both harmonize visually with the “Home Room” (shown on the home page) while also looking distinct. Avatars appear on the circularly lit platforms and select between clickable speech bubbles to play through different scenarios.
José, Bianca, and Valencia are characters from my MA thesis project, Bianca Niéves, a retelling of Snow White in Argentina in the 1850s. I wanted the characters and story to represent the diversity of Argentina in this time, while still be recognizably Snow White. I started with pencil sketches to brainstorm looks and expressions, and explored thumbnail designs in photoshop. Comparing the thumbnails, I selected silhouettes and attributes that created a cohesive aesthetic while also differentiating each character in looks, size, and personality.
The Post Dog is an exploration of animal character design. I wanted to create a humorous character by combining a dog with a mailman, who usually are at odds with one another. Torn between doing his job and chewing up the mail, I imagine him getting guidance from his bestfriend, the Post Pigeon, who is more naturally gifted within the post service. Designs began with pencil sketches with different dog breeds, with the final turnarounds and expressions completed in Photoshop.
PROP DESGIN
The Magus’ Ship, Cup of Magus, and the image below are part of my story “The River”. It is a short story set in Ancient Rome, with magic, death, and hauntings as the primary themes. Completed as part of my MA, I explored props and settings within the story to convey the time period while also including the fantasy elements. All art work was completed in Photoshop.
In addition to the characters, I developed props and environments for Bianca Niéves, exploring how the props can convey personality traits about the characters they relate to.
Valencia is the Evil Queen equivalent within the story, and is an evil with who lives within Mount Aconcagua. I wanted her props and environment, as well as her character, combine the sharp and angular shapes associated with nefarious characters with seemingly softer and friendlier shapes, such as the roundness of the table top and the softness of her fur cloak.
3D model created in Blender based on the concepts/designs. 2024
“Bianca’s House and Village” - after researching the era and location, I wanted to explore the setting for Bianca’s home. Located near Mount Aconcagua, her house sits slightly aside from her village, showing her to be different or somewhat distant. Her home is meant to be humble and convey her shy demeaner.
I wanted to explore Bianca’s house to establish props, locations, and the shape and character of the home, so as to consistently represent it in different scenes within the story.