Module Introduction

What we gon do

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Module Introduction//Module Introduction

Overview

This module is going to be a character design focused module. We will be building on a lot of the work we done last year but pushing ourselves to deepen and advance our design practice.

You will each be given a three word character prompt today which you will begin to work with. This prompt is a starting point. You are going to research and develop the character beyond this prompt. Adding depth and detail both visually but also in terms of the characters personality, back story etc.

The resulting body of work will not be character design sheets as before but instead an explorative body of work that explores the character from many angles. I mean this both literally and figuratively. We will intentionally try to avoid the use of flat perspective or stiff unatural poses (ie. The Classic A or T pose used in Design Sheets)

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Module Introduction//Module Introduction

Exercises

Design Sprints

You will be given a design task to be worked through in a short window of time. The constraint of time is important here to make you all Think less and Draw more :)

Drawing Sessions

Warm-up drawing sessions as well as some guided drawing sessions to cover some new concepts

Group Critique

Collaborative sessions where you will review one another’s work and help refine each other’s designs

Weekly Assignments

Each week you will be given an assignment to work on over the week. Expect to spend at least approx 3 hours each week on these.

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Module Introduction//Module Introduction

Key Learning Goals

Demonstrate an iterative design process that can function in a professional design context by:

Exploring multiple design options for the team to review, not just settling on 1-2 options.
Doing comprehensive research and reference gathering to establish the character and visual vocabulary of your design.
Proactively responding to feedback from the team and integrating them into future design passes.
Working within a set timeline.

Engaging in group collaborative critique sessions to support one another in improving our designs

Improve your capacity to design characters that:

Have a clear personality and traits
Feel grounded in a specific world
Are understood in three-dimensions ie. established Forms, Structure, Proportion

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Key Info

Submissions & Rubrik

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Key Info//Key Info

Submission

Commencing: 22/09/26 - Final Submission: 23/10/26

The final submission will be made into Advanced Character Design assignment on Teams. In this you will submit the following:

Weekly Assignments: All the results from each week’s assingments, rough sketches right up to more ‘finished’ peices. These will be submitted each Weds AM, and all together at the end of the module.
Process Work: Any and all sketches or rough drafts that relate to this body of work.
Character Reference Board: A comprehensive reference board for your character with sub-sections for specific aspects (ie. Body, Face, Personality, Clothing, Props, Style etc.). This can be a pureref file, image folders or a pdf.
Character Profile: A short written Character Profile. This is where you will expand on the 3 word prompt and briefly outline the characters personality, background, world etc. This need only be around 200 words. You can write more but not less.

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Key Info//Key Info

Rubrik

Design 40%

How much does the final design communicate the initial 3 word prompt and resulting Character Profile?

Iteration 20 %

How much iteration and experimentation has gone into finding different design solutions??

Research 20%

Is there sufficient research and reference gathered to outline the visual vocabulary of this design?

Time management 20%

Has the student been able to work efficiently in the time available to them? ie. Understanding the priorities of a task and assigning time to it accordingly

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