Course
Title: DIG1111 Digital
Character Design DIG-1111
Prof. Cesar Santalo M.F.A
Lecture Days and
Time: Mondays:
5:40 p.m – 8:30 p.m.
Class Location: Wolfson Campus/Magic Main Lab
This course is for students majoring in
Animation & Game Art, covers the observation and translation of
three-dimensional form into two-dimensional drawings. Students will learn the
interpretation of the human body, based on major masses organized by gestural
lines. Students will transition to draw on digital tablets.
Week 1
•
Week 1 Overview
•
Drawing from Life-(Still Life)
•
Techniques-(Cross-Hatching)
•
Arm motion and Gesture
•
Shadow and lighting
•
Introduction-Photoshop(Brushes)
•
Week 1 Assignments
Week 2
•
Week 2 Overview
•
Drawing from Life
•
Gesture Drawing
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Construction Technique
•
Rules of Proportion
•
Week 2 Assignments
Week 3
•
Week 2 Overview
•
Measuring and Sighting
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Dynamic Gestures; Contrapposto; and Balance
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Line of Action
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Linear Structure
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Geometric Shapes
•
Week 3 Assignments
Week 4
•
Week 3 Overview
•
Basic Vocabulary
•
The Skeleton
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Axial Skeleton
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Appendicular Skeleton
•
Comparison of Human and Animal Skeleton
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Bony Landmarks
•
Week 4 Assignments
Week 5
•
Week 5 Overview
•
Muscles
•
Torso
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Arms and Legs
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Hands, Feet, Paws, Hooves
•
Comparison Between Humans and Animals
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Skulls, Human vs. Animal
•
Week 5 Assignments
Week 6
•
Week 6 Overview
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Chiaroscuro and Foreshortening
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Overlaps
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Textures
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Cloth, Clothing and Drapery
•
Character Design Sheets
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Character Design Basics
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Creating a Brand
•
Week 6 Assignments
Week 7
•
Week 7 Overview
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Maintaining and Improving Your Skills
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Inspiration from Art History
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Improving Quality
•
Week 7 Assignment
Week 8
•
Week 8 Overview
•
Inking-Using thick and thin lines
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Using Adobe Illustrator
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Free sketching in Illustrator
•
Week 8 Assignments
Week 9
•
Week 9 Overview
•
Lateral Head Turns
•
Cartoons
•
Week 9 Assignments
Week 10
•
Week 10 Overview
•
Human and Animal Proportions
•
Animal Proportion
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Drawing Emotion and Gesture Drawing
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Posing and Facial Expressions
•
Week 10 Assignments
Week 11
•
Week 11 Overview
•
Natural vs. Anthropomorphic Characters
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Protagonists vs. Antagonists
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Model Sheets
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Reworking Character Shapes
•
Week 11 Assignments
Week 12
•
Week 12 Overview
•
Finding Focal Points and using Costumes
•
Designing Props with Personality
•
Introduction to Motion and Movement
•
Week 12 Assignments
Week 13
•
Week 13 Overview
•
Layout for Character Sheets
•
Cleaning Up in Photoshop and Illustrator
•
Professional Presentation
•
Week 13 Assignments
Course
Competencies: (for further
instruction/guidelines go to: http://www.mdc.edu/asa/curriculum.asp)
Competency 1: The student will demonstrate an understanding
of elements of art by:
1. Defining the elements of art as related to drawing.
2. Creating solutions to assigned drawing problems
directed to specific elements.
3. Describing the effects of specific drawings in
critique discussion.
Competency 2: The student will demonstrate an understanding
of the principles of design by:
1. Defining the principles of design related to drawing.
2. Creating solutions to assigned drawing problems as
they relate to composition.
3. Identifying and describing the key principles of
scene composition.
Competency 3: The student will demonstrate an understanding
of observational gesture drawing of the human figure by:
1. Observing and translating of three-dimensional live
models into two-dimensional gesture drawings as quick and direct impressions of
the subject.
2. Demonstrating the ability to construct Constructing
the figure starting from simple shapes to complex organic forms.
3. Drawing parts of the figure in correct proportion.
Competency 4: The student will demonstrate an understanding
of life figure drawing by:
1. Applying knowledge of skeletal, muscular, and surface
anatomy.
2. Drawing the figures in relation to mass and plane by
using value and/or line.
3. Drawing parts of the figure in relation to
foreshortening and overlapping shapes.
4. Drawing the figure as a three dimensional rendering
through light and shadow in developing value scale.
Competency 5: The student will demonstrate an understanding
of character and object design by:
1. Demonstrating the ability to design characters and
objects for animation based on the building blocks of drawing and design.
2. Exploring historical and contemporary design styles
and techniques for developing a wide range of character types, traits, mood,
personalities, and attitudes for visually realizing an animated character.
3. Creating model sheets.
Books & Materials
RECOMMENDED:
Dynamic Figure Drawing-Burne Hogarth-Paperback
Drawing Dynamic Hands-Burne Hogarth-Paperback
Drawing The Human Head-Burne Hogarth-Paperback
Dynamic Wrinkles and Drapery-Burne
Hogarth-Paperback
Dynamic Anatomy-Burne
Hogarth-Paperback
REQUIRED:
Students should bring a portable USB
hard drive or thumb drive (If you are on a Mac user, format to Fat32) for data
storage. All files saved on the desktop of the lab computers will be deleted
periodically without prior notice. So please have your own media storage
devices ready to backup your files.
Attendance
Policy: Weekly
attendance and participation is mandatory. In the event of an absence, the
student should communicate the reason for his/her absence to the professor
in writing (note or email) and collaborate with other students to obtain
discussion information, notes, or assignments. If a student is absent, he/she
is still responsible for all material given through lectures, assignments, in
the labs, etc. The student is still required to take any upcoming test or
evaluation on the date given. Emergency situations should be documented by
signed official certificates. More than 3 absences (excused or unexcused)
may result in an instructor drop and a letter grade deduction.
Tardy
Policy: Students who
arrive to class late disrupt both the professor and other students. We all deal
with heavy traffic and emergencies. Please make sure that you plan for
unexpected delays. Start early. You know that parking is limited and that you
will have a problem finding a space to park. If you arrive late to class, enter
the classroom silently, and do not bother other students by asking what we are
doing.
NO FOOD OR DRINKS IN THE COMPUTER LAB
Cell
Phones: Cell phones
are very convenient and are part of modern life; however, there is a time and a
place for everything. The classroom is not the time nor the place for cell
phones. Make sure your phone is turned to silent during class. If you receive a
call that is urgent, please leave the classroom, and do not interrupt the
class. No texting in class.
Honor
Code: Academic
honesty should be a part of each student's personal integrity. Each student is
expected to abide by the college's honor code which strictly prohibits
cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic misconduct. Students who are
caught exhibiting any form of academic misconduct will receive a F on
the assignment/ test/ project and will be subject to review by the college
administration.
Please acquaint yourself with the Miami
Dade College's resources on academic honesty.
Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement: Students who have a disability that might affect their
performance in the class are encouraged to contact Access Services, in
confidence, as soon as possible. The office will aid in appropriate
accommodations for the student. This is in accordance with Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Please inform me during the first week of classes if you need special
accommodations due to a disability that might otherwise affect your performance
in our class.
Students
Rights and Responsibilities Handbook:
http://www.mdc.edu/policy/student_rights_and_responsibilities.pdf
Computer Issues:
Occasionally, problems do arise. Files
can be accidentally erased, disks can be corrupted, networks can crash, and
computers can crash.
Be prepared! Backup all files. Hard drives
and USB thumb drives are cheap. Time is not.
Contacting the Instructor
You are welcome to give me feedback
about the course, to ask a question about an assignment, to share an
interesting article or resource, to report that you will be absent from a
class/lab, to request additional time for an assignment (because of significant
health, personal, or educational matter), or similar communication.
Breakdown of Letter Grades
This course is comprised of smaller
technical assignments and larger projects. Assignments are weighted at 50% and
projects are weighted at 50%. Assignment grades are generally graded as
complete / incomplete. Your grade for individual projects will be an evaluation
of creativity AND craftsmanship. Creativity is your individual and unique
approach to the assignment. Craftsmanship is your level of mastery of the
technical aspects of digital art, including presentation. Other factors that
will affect your grade include participation in class discussions, ability to
respond to criticism and relate to suggestions for improvement to your work.
Active participation in class can raise your grade. Extra Credit is available
upon request.
Project Grades:
A = Superior – The grade A indicates
that work surpasses expectations for the assignment, that critique
participation is exceptional, often leading discussions with full interest in
other students’ ideas and work.
B = Above Average – The grade B
indicates that work is extraordinary and goes beyond the minimal requirements
of an assignment, that critique participation is exemplary and fully respectful
of other students’ ideas.
C = Average – The grade C indicates
that work is completed as assigned, that participation in the critique is
regular and fully respectful of other students’ ideas.
D = Below Average – The grade D indicates
that work is completed, but is not completed as assigned, that participation in
critique is sporadic or minimal.
F = Failure – The grade F indicates
that work is not completed as assigned and that there is minimal or no
participation in the assignment critique.
Critiques:
A major component of the course is the
ongoing development of an ability to comment upon work made by oneself and
one’s peers. It is beneficial to receive such comments as they can accelerate
ideas and act as motivation for future work. Your participation in critique is
important. It will be considered as a component of your project grade and your
final grade. Attendance of all class critiques is MANDATORY. It is important for everyone to be present
and to start on time in order to adequately critique everyone’s work. Your
participation in critique is important. It will be considered as a component of
your project grade and your final grade.
**
Students are responsible for all assignments/information on the syllabus unless
notified differently by the professor. This syllabus may be modified at the
professor’s discretion.
