Here is quite a short post... as work continues on the narrative animation I am staying with part 3 of the animation which is the fight element, here are some sketches and a thought run-down of an order that willl hopefully aid me to get done in time for deadline. 

Above is a biro sketch of the demon as a sketcy skull which I may use the basis of for within the animation...

the second of this post is a sketch of the same character roaring in frustration... to be added and animated in toon boom for the final few seconds of the edited animation....

Above is a schedule/ time line of the structure of what I have started work on (S) and what needs completing.... some notes that aid me to know what is going on without animating completely blindly.

Also I asked a friend to do me a cover tune from Metalica: Enter Sandman on his electric guitar as a backing track... It still needs a fair bit of tweeking and its full of distortion but its a base to work on and Im grateful for the support so will have to mention him in the credits.

In this short post I have decided to show some visual research from a Batman commic titled black and white. It is right up my alley (pardon the pun)

here is the front and back cover of issue 4. I really enjoyed the black and white stark contrasts with the gray mid tone... it got me thinking deeper about how the animation was going to be lit and how the shaddows would be convayed.

this second image of Batman and Catwoman stood out to me as a good direction to go in tone and look. Im definately soaking up those creative vibes and the feeling seeps into the cracks of the animation history and back ground as it develops.

This Angelica animation takes place in an alley way and this image is yery similar to what I had in my head. the stark whites work great against those intence shadows.

part of my thought process has led me to thinking that parts of the animation will be about simplicity of line as well as complex poses. this fourth piece illustrates simplicity... another thought was that in part of the animation I could show the characters in complete sillouette too.

Here is the second Blog segment leading up to the actual animation... however long or short it may be...

Above is an outline of the basic fight... A story board within the story board. It makes sense to me and will help when I come to animate the scene...

A sketch of the alleyway the main animation takes place... There needed to be a 3 dimensional space that I could visualise the characters interacting rather than just moving around in a void. Its close, confined and dingy...

A quick sketch of the murderer slashing at Angelica with his exagerated knife... it is important to show the interaction of character on character before one makes it move. here there was the chance to show her in a dodge as she skips out the way from harm.

I toyed with the idea that the murderer would have a piece of rusted metal pipe... here is a sketch that made it.

angry knife thrust sketch... playing with movement.

these images are gesture drawings from friends posing as the murderer and the hero... one had a kitchen knife and the other had my samurai sword... a good time was had as we tried to capture the essence of interaction and character from the two enemies.

forced perspective study gesture drawing... all realism study.

The moment the sword makes contact with the foe

The sword passes through the back of the neck of the adversary just before the head goes plop!

more knife and sword interaction

Although these gesture sketches are loose they are completely invaluable in thier aid or realism...

here it shows the swinging of the sword back as the knife comes forward...

sword being drawn in ready stance.

lunge and dodge...

and again... the thrust forwards and the martial art way of the block.

3 smaller gesture drawings of interaction

loose dodge from the knife.

loose sketch of baletesque pose as the angel character launches into the air... this one was totally generated from a feeling.

here is a train sketch of an idea of the story being expanded at another time... I seriously considered having this sketch image of the two figures fighting as they fall through the clouds mid- air towards the earth below. It makes sense to me... remember the wrath demon manipulates the murderer...

Balcony set sketch for the test animation idea.

A basic walk though of Angelica coming into land on the balcony railing step by step so I could see the progression all on one page of whare she might move.

An idea that I dont have time for... to bring other characters into the story.

Quick sketches and forced perspective of flight... I only like the figure shown on the right.

Another train drawing, of the Angel swooping in to land in front of the murderer before the fight takes place... perhaps he will get blasted back by the force of her wings...

Time off from demon slaying... sat alone in her empty mansion drinking her soup between nightly escapades...

A couple of facial studies... like the one on the right but its not quite right...

a quick sketch of a dodge... her hand is showing forced perspective(not a fat hand)

My work desk with incomplete marquettes of Demons I didnt have hime to sculpt.... at least the ideas are there in other works and will be expanded upon in other works...

Personal Sketches and items pasted from sketchbook

When I work as an artist I dont work in order, ill pick something that inspires me and ill go from aspect to aspect back and forth. so it will be with this blog.

the above creature designs are two of my ideas for demons based on the seven deadly sins. above is "Wrath" and the top demon is "Sloth" both are distinct. wrath is used in the script and story board and it is the plan to use it in the acual animation.

A print out of the houses of Parliment seeing as the story is set in Present day London.

back view of Wrath demon clay model

side view of demon idea. I like to make main characters assculptural pieces so I can hold them in the real world and examine thier details from any angle so that I have the correct reference when it comes to animation.

Demon pupeteering murderer left side

Wrath demon front

a scan from the sketchbook of an idea of london town and the main character on a roof top. my earlyer idea was that the story was set in the future which explaind the flying cop car with the search light...

the overall stories visuals broken down into eight basic panels so that I know whare I am going to be going and to remind me of key moments that prompt me of other details yet to be explored.

In the begining I had an idea about a Vampire being sealed in the underground behind a wall and frozen in time and covered in spiderwebs... it was going to expand into a story but I kind of combined it with the current idea of having an imortal, I just changed the imortals gender and the fact that shes an angel and a bunch of supporting characters.....

Angelica the basic marquette sculpt.

This is the main character of the piece who is reaching for a sword and on the look out for demons to slay.

The wings are just wire and masking tape for lightness reasons. 

A back wiew of the sculpt. I like that she looks like she is a very light and slender person and able to take off at amoments notice.

A concept sketch of a Gluttony demon and size comparrison to a man.

Early sketch of an Envy demon (see sketchbook)

based on Etheopeans and bats.

A fairly quick sketch I did on the bus towards the main character in a fight with a possessed man.

Another train sketch of Angelica with flowing red hair, perhaps I was influenced by Pixar's Brave. the current design has white hair in a black and white animation style (at least that is the way I see it in my mind)

The story is pretty much a lone angel facing many types of Demons, here is a train ketch demon I drew early on in the creative process. It wasnt used but its DNA is ingrained in the feel of the piece.

A scan of a greed Demon. it might not be clear but this is a business man demon and hes so greedy with too much money hes not noticing hes spilling his notes as he commutes on the under ground...

three sheet scans that were a part of the research process towards finding a weapon for Agelica to use on her adversaries.

A dominent figure in London arctecture- "madame justice" which gives the piece a feeling of dealing out death end judgement out to the evil doers.

An idea that I may use... not in this story though.

tree spirit companion of Angelica who can change shape at will.

The kid with mind powers side character. Just like tree spirit, he wont be used directly in the animation but its all part of the fun process.

Here is a basic time line of happenings to the character that will aid myself as I develop the story further in the future.