I had so much fun on this project! This is definitely something that I'm going to explore more, especially in 3D, so keep your eyes peeled!! I recently started exploring an online course from Patata School. On week one they gave us different topics to explore, which I won't go into too much detail apart from the ones below. I loved these characters so much that I had to complete them. The goal of this exercise was to break away from stereotypes or cliches. Also for some characters think about how their function would suit the world they live in. For instance, a world where it's always raining. I've selected a few from the many illustrations I created that I loved the most.
Task: "Food is only available from deep holes in the ground" - Patata School
This was quite funny as the first thing I thought of was a llama because of their long necks, which make it easier to reach underground.
Task: "It’s always raining" - Patata School
This was absolutely one of my favorite ones to work on, especially with all the flowers! So, of course, this character is thriving in her natural environment, especially by the way she is dancing away. I used ballet dancers as inspiration for this pose, which definitely reflects how energised she is by the rain.
Task: "A yoga instructor has just set up their new school." - Patata School
This guy who is part of a biker crew also runs a yoga studio as his day job. This character was a really great way to break away from the stereotype by creating this rough and tough-looking guy and putting him into a peaceful tree pose.
Task: "The British government has hired this secret agent to track down the 5
most wanted criminals in the world." - Patata School
most wanted criminals in the world." - Patata School
I found the idea of having a sloth as a super spy quite funny especially as they are typically very slow, so this character certainly breaks away from the typicalities of a sloth! I took a bit of inspiration from NCIS' character Abby a forensic scientist who dresses in gothic attire. For this character, I feel I definitely broke away from the James Bond stereotype. The fact that goth and sloth rhyme makes me love this concept even more.
Task: "All the ground is sinking sand" - Patata School
At the time when making this character I was watching a lot of Queer Eye and really loved John Van Ness's outfits, so naturally, I gravitated to making a character inspired by him. As the world this character is living in is completely filled with quicksand I had to give him big feet to be able to walk through it skilfully.
