Ceramics

Original Plan – Plaster Casting practice.

Research plans: Character Design, armatures, fight scenes in films and video games. (Part of this applies to Animation as well)

Armature Plan

Step 1: Have a sheet of A4 paper.

Step 2: Fold the sheet in eighths back and forth.

Step 3: Number the eight boxes, then start drawing by sketching the head in box 1. Draw the neck underneath the head and halfway into box 2.

Step 4: Sketch the shoulders and make sure they’re size and space.

Step 5: Next, draw a straight line along box 3, then on the line between 3 & 4, either draw the end of the line, or draw a circle at the end of the line.

Step 6: Continue or start a new straight line in box 4 from the two lines, then stop right at the line. Again, you can choose to either end the line there or draw a circle for the end of the line.

Step 7: In box 5, draw two hands at the end of the lines to finish off the arms.

Step 8: Next, go back to the neck. Mark the line between box 3 & 4 in the centre of the figure.

Step 9: (optional) Draw a straight line to the mark from the neck.

Step 10: Go around the mark and draw a rib cage by sketching along the shoulders, then draw a line down in the middle of the shoulders, stop at the line then draw up a bit towards the lowest end of the line, close to the mark.

Step 11: (optional) Sketch a rough circle in box 4.

Step 12: Sketch two lines from the line between 4 & 5 and draw all the way down to box 8.

Step 13: Draw two circles for feet.

Facial Expressions: Plasticene.

Angry.

Shocked.

Clenched Teeth.

With each facial expression, I looked at the selfies I took for reference. Some of them are a little daft. However, I think I’m getting better at facial expressions. One of the things I need to work on however, is definitely the noses.

Armature Figure: Tin Foil.

With tinfoil, it’s not too difficult. You just have to make sure the tinfoil will stay and not to overdo it.

Step 1: Have a roll of tinfoil and an armature.

I started off with the feet, wrapping the left foot round with a few pieces of tinfoil then making my way up the leg.

I find it easier to start from the bottom and make my way up.

However, with the wrapping I did on the legs, I don’t think they are quite secure. It looks like it could unwrap or fall off.

After the first leg, I moved on to the right leg. Again, starting at the foot then on to the leg.

I find it best to have something between the tinfoil for a 3D effect or some sort of shape. For the feet, I made small tinfoil balls then put them in the middle of the foot.

Next was the torso, starting from the legs.

I think this was one of the more difficult areas as I was trying to spread the tinfoil a little so the piece wouldn’t look so thin.

Then came the stomach. First, I wrapped the tinfoil round the wire,

then wrapped it all round. Just like what I did with the feet, I had a small tinfoil ball in the middle for a bit of a 3D effect. However, I don’t think it sticks out well here.

Up next was the chest, doing the same method as before with the stomach.

Then I moved onto the arms. I think the arms was the easiest part to do. But the hands were a little difficult to stand out.

Afterwards, I went back and wrapped round the torso. I don’t think this was a good idea. It makes the figure look flat with the torso. In future, I will try to make the chest and stomach stand out a bit more.

Armature Research