I really wanted to make Frankie look defeated, like he can't take so many problems at once. Yes, I realize he looks like me, but I can't help it. I'm madly in love with my own face. I'd like to make Frankie less generic. Any suggestions? Maybe bags under the eyes or make him skinnier?
I've also been experimenting with designs for the pods in the virtual dreams cafe. At first, they're not supposed to look threatening, but welcoming. I wanted to make something that could at first impression seem comforting, but in the end leave you feeling like you're in a venus fly trap. I thought of lotus flowers and how they open and close so gracefully, but before they open in the morning, look like you couldn't pry them open with a crowbar.
I also want the pods to restrain the customers like they were in a straight jacket at an asylum. The hallway where the pods are is meant to look like a prison; a long hallway where hundreds of people are just trapped.
dude, that mummy pod is creepy - reminds me of a sarcophogus and I like it. I don't know if it reads as welcoming on first sight though. Also, I know this is an odd critique, but the smoke coming off that cigarette could be doing more for the mood of the drawing. right now it's just kind of going pretty stair-stepp-illy up... Maybe you could use the smoke to act as a hint at mood.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the critique Matt. What if I just had them come out from the back of the pod when the customer sticks the virtual reality helmet? I just really want Frankie to be restrained while he's in there, but not make that evident until he tries to break out.
ReplyDeleteI love it. Really solid character, he's a great template-protagonist and has a really good minimally-futuristic outfit that sells the parallel of this future world our world is becoming.
ReplyDeleteThe mummy-thing is awesome, especially if you show what you told me will be shown by the end. The diagonal-intersecting fibers are sweet, remind me of something skinless and muscular and alien almost. It feels threatening.
It would be cool if when he puts the helmet on, he's just standing in the pod, but by the time he wakes up he has been wrapped up by the automatic machinery or something. Would be freaky (spider-cocoon type thing).
On your character heads/faces- i have trouble with this too, but try to maintain as consistent a head shape as possible. I know these are just quick sketches, but it seems like his face floats around a bit in shape, size and dimension. I think of the eye sockets particularly. Anchor those and the rest will follow- that's what we center on as we look at his face.
Looks awesome. Great work. I can't wait to read this.