Reference Imagery
1
2
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3
4
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5
6
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7
8
8
1 & 2 – I chose these two, because I like Pokémon games. I like the simplistic cartoonish cell-shaded style, which somehow is still quite detailed. These two bug pokemons look very interesting, still look like their real live equivalents; vespiqueen is a bee, scolipede is a centipede. They also have fitting changes; vespiqueen looks like a queen in a honey dress and a crown with a ruby, scolipede has sort of horns and purple marks which look like venomous droplets.
3 – In this picture I like that the artist built it with lines, to make sure everything is the right size and symmetrical. It’s also extremely detailed and looks like an expensive ornament/brooch. It does look like a dragon fly, yet it’s made of flowery and leafy pattern. It’s black and white, but since it is meant to be a metal accessory the pencil was the right choice.
4 & 5 - I have chosen these because they look dynamic even without the insects portrayed in moving poses. They also look extremely realistic, yet you won't take them for real life photos - they also look more like detailed sketches. What I also like is that there are splashes of ink/watercolour (?) crudely filling the sketch, but it adds to the overall design.
6 - I really like all these figurines, because they look like real bugs, yet you can see all the cogs and gears all around them. I am not 100 percent sure but I think these models are able of moving the joints and wings. They all come in very rich colours and with the great attention to detail.
7 – I chose Catbug from Bravest Warriors, because it’s extremely simple yet cute. It’s also a merge or ladybird and a cat, and that’s something I’m going for (in terms of merging animals with insects). It also has quite unusual colour as for what it is.
8 – I like this figure, because it’s made in origami style, but looks very realistic. There was a lot of effort put into it; it’s hard to notice the paper folds. I also like the choice of the paper – shiny, coloured from both sides in green and blue, giving nearly a rainbow effect under the light.
Links:
1a http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Vespiquen_(Pok%C3%A9mon)
Ken
Sugimori
2a http://pokemondb.net/pokedex/scolipede
Ken Sugimori
5a http://cargocollective.com/FinchFight/Two-Beetles
FinchFight
7a https://www.pinterest.com/Iwuvleon/bravest-warriors/ Pendleton
Ward
8a http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/6247080/Origami-insects-and-fish-by-Sipho-Mabona.html?image=1
Sipho Mabona
*note: but parts of the designs refer to the images from the task 1*
**Also the numbers on the scanned sketches do not match the ones from the previous task, that's because I printed them and they arranged themselves differently**
Design #1
(choosing colours)
This design was created by merging the peacock spider's head [pic 12], snake catepillar's body [pic 6], wasp's antennae [pic 7], fluffy moth's wings and fluff [pic 10] and hands, legs and tail from a weird alien caterpillar [pic 5]. The final outcome was adorable fluffy catepillar with small wings that possibly won't let it fly at all.
I think that this design is more than suitable for 5 year old children. It also looks like a pokemon, which is Nintendo's well known franchise (and the task is about creating a beast for Nintendo). I personally like this design the most. Before the mixed media exploration I was trying out some colour combinations for this design.
Design #2
This design was created by merging antennae and eyes of a fluffy moth [pic 10], wasps 'chest' plates and back tail-like part [pic 7] and the entire pose and rest of the fabulous mantis [pic 11]. At last I also added the tail from a peacock spider [pic 12], that's why it's not listed on a sketch.
This design could possibly fit for the target audience, but not as much as the first one. It's purpose is more to be laughed at, because on how ridiculous it looks. I am not sure if it would be accepted as one of the Nintendo designs though.
Design #3
This creature was made by merging the beetle husk and the concept of having water droplets on [pic9], tiny bug eggs with faces on as the replacement of the water [pic 1], hello kitty caterpillar's face as a mask [pic 4] and fluffly legs of a peacock spider [pic 12].
The design overall is suitable although it won't be able to show human-like emotions (so it may appear creepy to some children). For some reason it does remind me of a cat bus from a japanese film called My Neighbour Totoro.