Next Stage Silhouettes

Once i'd gotten a good idea of how I wanted my with to look like, i started to develop the silhouettes into the next stage, this meant using the chosen silhouettes and taking them to the next stage, i took a grey colour and create a shape out of the blobs in my previous work, i tried to give them a more ghost look than yurei, i kept referencing the book i rented from the library to get the poses right, the end result was this.

Once i was finished with those i choose my three favourites out of these to take to the next stage by adding some values and highlights here and there.  At this point i'd gotten used to the graphics tablet by now, so it didn't take me as long to finish them, after looking at a lot of youtube tutorials on how to draw silhouettes well i was able to get an end result. 

Moving on to the next stage of the silhouette making, i decided that instead of trying to create a new character silhouette from the one's i had made, i combined the three of them into one major silhouette, i then started thinking of how her character came to be like this, e.g. the soldier cut her up and now she wanders the forest slowly fading away. It was difficult to find a value colour for the staff to show that the main source of light was hitting that, but of course the main iterations come a bit later.

Yurei Pics

Plenty of yurei pics for references!!!!! :)

        


     


  

Contextual Studies

'Play'

Roger Caillois (1923-1978) is the author of the book 'Man, Play and Games", in this book he talks about the sociology of play and games. He also provides categories in which he thought all games belonged to they are agōn, alea, mimicry and ilinx.


Agōn: a category of competitive games.
Alea: games of chance.
Mimicry: games of imitation (avatar games)
Ilinx: (vertigo) voluptous panic, bike games, skiing.

He also created a scale on how game playing should be based.

Paedia: meaning no rules, playful structuce
Ludus: playing by rules, limiting your options

I was asked to choose 5 games and decide which category they fell into.

Grand Theft Auto V: is the latest of the Grand Theft Auto gaming franchise. Its main category I would say would be Mimicry, as it follows our three protagonists, (Michael, a retired criminal trying to escape his past… by committing more crimes. Franklin, an up and coming street hustler, who drops more N bombs than Django Unchained. Trevor, the first character who’s personality matches the way the average gamer plays GTA). Their missions are to pull off extreme elaborate heist’s, but only after you spend hours planning every single detail. The games secondary category will have to be Agon for the incredibly huge amount of mini-games that you could spend playing for days of end; such as tennis, golf, yoga, darts, swimming, diving etc. Its final category I believe is Ilinx because throughout the game, wherever you are on the map, you get a choice of different races to do such as dirt bike, street racing, swim racing etc. But not forgetting the most memorable part of the GTA saga, the violent murder spree, car chases that mostly end with your brutal death… then walk out of a hospital five minutes later with no repercussions.

Pokémon: is one of the longest running game franchises out there, which spawned five generations of sequels, five TV series, one trading card game, seventeen movies, AND A GOD. The main category of the games are Mimicry, as you step into the shoes of a Pokémon trainer, an immortal child who never eats, sleeps, or talks. Your objective is to become a Pokémon master, by catching wild Pokémon with poke balls, and force them to battle other Pokémon for money. In the games you get to do all sorts of things a ten year old should never do like, wander alone through the woods, talk to strangers, gamble in a casino, hang out in a cemetery, beat up other kids pets for money, and single handily try to take down the mafia, other than that the games are amazingly enjoyable. (Praise Helix). The trading card game is completely Alea in my opinion because of the chance of drawing the right card at the right time, (I have lost a number of times because I was unable to draw the right card). The game also features Agon a lot due to the massively popular online battle mode where you can battle with anyone from around the world online.

Elder Scrolls: Skyrim: is a game developed by Bethesda Game Studios, the game itself is mainly in the Mimicry category, it’s a first or third person world game. Your character is called a dragonborn, a hero who speaks the language of dragons, uses the ancient magic of dragons, and has the soul of a dragon… but spends most of the time killing said dragons. At the beginning you choose which play style you want your character to be; A Warrior, who swings their sword while running around like a crazy person. A Mage who unlocks dozens of spells, which they’ll only end up using once. Or a thief whose sneak skills upgrade the gaming play time to be 100 hours longer than it should be. The game company has released some great DLC’s to go with it, which make the game that much better, especially the DLC which lets you ride a dragon, (defiantly worth that extra £5). There are some traces of Agon in this game due to the vast amount of side missions which all have their own puzzles to complete, which can also lead you to complete hundreds of other challenges. I also like the fact that you can go back to where you first picked what class you were and change it at any time if you what to. However the part I hate most about this game is that Played Out Meme you here every time you go to Whiterun.

Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag: is my personal favourite out of all the Assassins Creed games. It’s main category is Mimicry as you step into the shoes of Edward Kenway; a man who can pull off aerial takedowns, parkour roof jumping, and ridiculous blade skills, (despite having no actual training as an assassin). There are traces of Ilinx in the game as most of the time the main character is always getting wasted, tipsy, sloshed, and hammered in every cut scene, which sometimes leads to the level starting out very tipsy and swaying about a lot. Some levels contain you playing as a first person player through the abstergo game industries as you hack into their system’s to find out about their plans for world domination, making them the second most evil game company ever (you know the first one). The game’s final category I believe is Agon, as well as playing the main storyline, you can explore and find the mini games such as base capturing, assassinating people, looting cargo ships, taking on the Man-O-War ships, (they are crazy tough), treasure hunting, and fulfilling your secret desire to put sea beasts on the endangered species list.

Super Smash Bros Brawl 3DS: is a game that was recently released by Nintendo. It follows the basic rules of the previous smash bros games in which you fight in an arena as a popular character from the Nintendo gaming franchise against other popular characters, e.g. Mario from Super Mario vs. Link from Legend of Zelda. The game features traces of Agon as its mini games allow you to experience new challenges and unlock different trophies. Some of its features can be categorised into Alea, such as the home run challenge, where you have to hit the sandbag at the right moment for more points. There is one section of the game that follows a storyline, so I’m counting that as Mimicry. Finally the overall battles that you during the game can be categorised as Ilinx because of the whole items and battle changes which can turn the battle around in any way depending on the right item.



Essay Research


L.A. Noire

When and where is the game made?
L.A. Noire was developed by Team Bondi in Sydney, Australia, and published by Rockstar games in New York, America. It is a neo-noir detective videogame, and was released on 17 May 2011 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, later becoming available on PC on 8 November. It was the first game to be shown at the Tribeca film Festival, the game received positive reviews for its advances in storytelling and facial animation technology.


How did the cultural background of the game influence it?
The game draws heavily from both the plot and aesthetic elements of film noir, this gives the game more of a cinematic view, using the technology known as MotionScan, it helps to pick up realistic facial expressions and movements to give the game more of a cinematic experience helping a push the gaming industry into the new age.


What happens in game?
The game is set in Los Angeles in 1947, and follows detective Cole Phelps, unlike most video games developed by rockstar, you don’t play as a criminal running wild, randomly killing, stealing, and causing destruction. You play was a cop who has to restore order to the violent streets of Los Angeles unlike previous rockstar games this game is a slow paced, meditative experience, the main focus of the game is to determine how good you are reading a suspects face


Is play meaningful? How does the players interaction effect the rest of the game?
It is difficult to say whether this game has meaningful play or not, in my opinion it’s half and half, it is still an open world game like the last ones, you’re free to deviate from a case and explore 1947 Los Angeles, and take on side missions, however you can’t run around freely doing whatever you want liking grand theft auto, because you place a cop you have to follow the law. In some parts of the game it works well, when the threats from multiple cases leads to a darker ringleader. But most of the time it’s always doing the same repetitive process but changed a slightly differently.


Does the game offer player opportunities for transformative play?
No, the game focuses entirely on Phelps like with previous games.


Where does the game fit on Caillois ‘scale of ‘Paidia’ to ‘Ludus’?
On Caillois’s scale I would put it in the middle of the Ludus side, even though you’re free to explore you have to follow the story and once one mission ends, another automatically begins.

Yurei

I later decided that through looking into Japanese mythology, i should look into ghosts and monsters, this particular ghost caught my attention because i felt this might work with what i had planned for my character.

Yurei
There are many different types of yūrei, and they differ in many ways depending on the circumstances on their death. In most cases, though, yūrei appear much like they did in their human life, retaining the features and the clothing they wore when they died or were buried. As such, yūrei are often seen wearing white burial kimonos or the uniforms of fallen warriors. Occasionally they have bloody wounds indicative of the way they died. Their hair is usually long and disheveled, often obstructing their face and adding to their disturbing appearance. Their hands hang limply from their wrists. They are translucent and only very faintly visible, and in most cases they are so faint that they appear to have no feet.

Yūrei interact with the living world in a wide range of ways, from creating phantom lights and sounds, to invoke powerful curses. They do not roam about, but they haunt one particular place or person. In the case of a place it is often where they died or are buried. In the case of a person it is often their killer, or sometimes their loved ones. Yūrei exist only to haunt, and they remain “stuck” in this world until they can be put to rest. This might require bringing their killers to justice, finding their lost body, or something as simple as passing on a message to a loved one. Some yūrei are so reluctant to accept their deaths that they haunt their living family, bringing misfortune and unhappiness for the rest of their family members’ lives.

Each haunting is as unique as the person it originated from. Only when its purpose for existing is fulfilled, or it is exorcised by a priest, is a yūrei able to pass on and be reunited with its ancestors – but the possibility that salvation exists is a glimmer of hope for those who are affected by a haunting.

According to traditional Japanese beliefs, when a person dies his soul lives on as a separate entity, passing on to a heavenly afterlife. This transition is accomplished through a number of funeral and post-funeral rites and prayers performed by their loved ones over many years. Through these rites, the soul is reunited with its ancestors and becomes a family guardian spirit. These ancestors are enshrined in the house and continue to be honored as members of the family, particularly during the summer holiday of Obon, when they are said to return to the material world to be with their families.

Those who do not receive the proper funeral rites cannot pass on, and remain stuck in a purgatory that is part physical world and part ethereal. Others who die suddenly, tragically, violently, or with grudge and malice in their hearts are sometimes unable to pass on even with the proper prayers and rites. These “lost” souls are the ones that transform into ghosts.

Source:http://yokai.com/yuurei/

Composistion

Divine Proportion
Rule of thirds


Once a canvas is split into thirds both horizontally and vertically, the crossover points become an area called the "golden mean". This is usually the best spot to place your focal point.

http://design.tutsplus.com/articles/5-fundamental-skills-every-artist-should-master--psd-28054

The 'L'

A frame within a frame that takes the shape of an L

This 'L' picture makes the character's pose as the main 'L' focal point.

The Cross

The cross is made up of two lines, 1 going directly down the middle, and 1 going directly along the middle, (vertically & Horizontally).

http://tomalcockba5.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/li_cross.jpg

Iconic

The main focus of the image is nearly dead centre, mostly each opposite side is similar, sometimes even an exact mirror image.  There should be an equalisation to each side of the image.

http://design.tutsplus.com/articles/5-fundamental-skills-every-artist-should-master--psd-28054

Light's, Colour's & ac... i mean Shadows

Getting the correct lighting in an image is crucial as it is needed to create depth and realism. Without light there is no colour, form or distance.
There are 3 ways that light works:
Absorption - This is where light is absorbed by darker colours
Reflection - This is where light rebounds off shiny surfaces
Refraction - This is where colour is soaked in through translucent and lighter colours and bent in a different direction.

Our Mini Task:
choose two pictures and analysis the lighting in them.

http://coolvibe.com/2012/concept-art-environment-concept/

In this image, we have many light sources, the biggest one coming from the sky in the background, this is giving the mountains at the back more distance from the rocks at the front.  the second major light source seems to be the sunlight coming from the left, The light has been reflected off the cliffs and rocks, it is lighting up the majority of the cliff on the right and the building. the pathway is very lit up because their isn't as much blocking the light from the sun, while the hills and trees at the front block a majority of the sun from getting onto the front fields. One side of the building is a lot darker as it is on the opposite side to where the sun is facing, however, it isn't so dark to completely cut off any sight of the right side.

http://goatio.synology.me/GOATiO/art.html

It seems as though the main light source is coming from behind the painting on the left, i'm guessing it is the sun being able to get through the clouds, there are other light sources coming from further down the valley, i'm not sure whether they are from street lights in the buildings, or from the sky, however with the sky option it seems unlikely due to the darkish clouds in the background which block the sun's rays from lighting up the other end of the valley.  In the centre on the piece there is a shiny but of light coming from on top of one of the buildings, and a few more light sources coming from the engine's of the vehicles in the sky, also the centre building is reflecting the sun's light off it's windows.

Japanese Mythology

When looking into ideas to make my witch interesting i looked into Japanese Mythology, this article mainly focuses around a number of Japanese gods, the female gods gave me a few influences into the kimono designs, but this article is to show broad research. The mythology of Japan has a long history dating back more than 2,000 years. It became part of two major religious traditions: shinto, an indigenous religion, and Buddhism, which developed in India and came to Japan from China and Korea.

Japanese mythology includes a vast number of gods, goddesses, and spirits. Most of the stories concern the creation of the world, the foundation of the islands of Japan, and the activities of deities, humans, animals, spirits, and magical creatures. Some myths describe characters and events associated with particular places in Japan. Others are set in legendary locations, such as the heavens or the underworld.

Sources for Japanese Myths

For many centuries myths were transmitted orally in Japan. In A . D . 712, a written version of the mythology, the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters), was compiled for the Japanese imperial court. The tales in the Kojiki tell of the creation of the world, the origin of the gods, and the ancestry of the Japanese emperors, who claimed descent from the sun goddess Amaterasu.

Another early source of Japanese mythology is the Nihongi, or Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan). Completed in 720, this work also includes various myths and legends, and it helps establish the genealogy of the imperial family The Nihongi was greatly influenced by Hachiman, one of the most popular gods of Japanese mythology, was the patron of warriors.

Japanese Deities    

Amaterasu: goddess of the sun and fertility who brings light to the world

Hachiman: god of warriors, known for his military skill

Inari: god associated with rice and merchants

Izanagi: creator god

Izanami: creator goddess

Kagutsuchi: god of fire

Susano-ô: violent god associated with storms and the sea, Amaterasu's brother

Tsuki-yomi: moon god, Amaterasu's brother

Chinese and Korean history and mythology. Both the Kojiki and the Nihongi contain elements of Taoism, a Chinese religious movement that was introduced to Japan by the 600s.

 

Top Left: Amaterasu   Top Right: Hachiman   Second Left: Inari    Second Right: Izanagi   Third Left: Izanami     Third Right: Kagutsuchi   Bottom Left: Susano-ô   Bottom Right: Tsuki-yomi 

Major Deities & Characters
In Japanese mythology, everything in nature has a kami— a deity or spirit. As a result, the Japanese pantheon is enormous, with some sources claiming that there are millions of different spirits and deities. Throughout Japan, local myths and legends tell about the kamt of a particular place, such as a rock, a pair of trees, or a mountain. However, several major deities appear in significant roles in a number of stories from different regions.

The two most important creator deities are Izanagi and his sister Izanami. According to the myths, they made the islands of Japan as well as many of the gods and goddesses. Izanagi and Izanami also appear in a story about a descent to Yomi-tsu Kuni, a land of darkness and death associated with the underworld.

Perhaps the best-known Japanese deity is the sun goddess Amaterasu. Said to be the ancestor of the imperial family, she brings light into the world and is responsible for fertility. Her shrine at Ise is the most important shrine in Japan.

indigenous native to a certain place

deity god or goddess

underworld land of the dead

imperial relating to an emperor or empire

genealogy record of a person's ancestry

pantheon all the gods of a particular culture

Amaterasu has two brothers: the moon god Tsuki-yomi and Susano-ô, a powerful and violent god often associated with storms. Of the two, Susano-ô plays a more important role in mythology, appearing in a number of major legends, including several with Amaterasu.

Ôkuninushi, a descendant of Susano-ô (possibly his son), is a central character in the Izumo Cycle, a series of myths set in the Izumo region of western Japan. Like the heroes in the legends of other cultures, Ôkuninushi has many adventures and undergoes various ordeals.

One of the most popular deities of Japanese mythology is Hachiman, a patron of warriors. The character of Hachiman is based on the emperor Ôjin, who lived in the A . D . 300S and was renowned for his military skills. According to tradition, after Ôjin died he became the god Hachiman. In the 700s, Hachiman became part of the Shinto pantheon.

The god Inari appears in few myths, but he is important because of his association with the growing of rice, the major food crop in Japan. Thought to bring prosperity, Inari is the patron of merchants and sword makers.

Among the many spirits and creatures in Japanese mythology are the tengu, minor deities that are part human and part bird. According to tradition, they live in trees in mountainous areas. The tengu enjoy playing tricks on humans but resent being tricked themselves. They are more mischievous than wicked.

The Oni, a more threatening group of spirits, may have originated in China and traveled to Japan with Buddhism. These horned demons, often of enormous size, can take human or animal shape. Sometimes invisible, the Oni have the ability to steal the souls of humans. They can be very cruel and are associated with various evil forces such as famine and disease.

Japanese mythology also includes other Buddhist deities. In addition to stories about the life of Buddha, many tales concern Amida, the ruler of a paradise called the Pure Land. Kannon, the protector of children and women in childbirth, and Jizô, who rescues souls from hell, are also important Buddhist figures.

Magical Creatures

A group of monkeylike creatures called kappa displays both good and evil qualities in Japanese myth. Associated with water, they live in rivers, ponds, and lakes and carry water in a hollow space on top of their heads. If the water spills, the kappa lose their magical powers. Kappa drink the blood of humans, horses, and cattle. But they also eat cucumbers, and families can avoid being attacked by throwing a cucumber bearing their names into the kappa's watery home.

Among the kappa's good qualities is a tendency to be polite. When they meet someone, they bow, often spilling the water in their heads. They also always keep their promises. In many tales, humans outwit the kappa by forcing them to make promises.

patron special guardian, protector, or supporter

primeval from the earliest times

.When the youngest pair of deities—Izanagi and Izanami—were born, the other gods ordered them to make solid land out of the material drifting in the sea. Standing on the floating bridge of heaven, Izanagi and Izanami stirred the primeval ocean with a jewelled spear. When they pulled up the spear to see if any material had gathered on it, drops of salty water dripped down into the sea and formed an island called Onogoro. Izanagi and Izanami left heaven and went to live on the island. They married and produced eight children, who became the islands of Japan.

Izanagi and Izanami then created gods and goddesses of the trees, mountains, valleys, streams, winds, and other natural features of Japan. While giving birth to the fire god Kagutsuchi, Izanami was badly burned. As she lay dying, she produced more gods and goddesses. Other deities emerged from the tears of her grief-stricken husband.

When Izanami died, she went to Yomi-tsu Kuni, the land of darkness and death. Izanagi followed her there and tried to bring her back. But Izanami's body had already begun to decay, and she hid in the shadows and told Izanagi that she could not leave. Izanagi could not resist looking at his beloved wife one last time. When he lit a torch and saw her rotting corpse, he fled in terror. Angry that Izanagi had seen her, Izanami sent hideous spirits to chase him. Izanagi managed to escape, and he sealed off the passage to Yomi-tsu Kuni with a huge boulder. Izanami remained there and ruled over the dead.

Feeling unclean from his contact with the dead, Izanagi decided to bathe in a stream to purify himself. As he undressed, gods and goddesses emerged from his discarded clothing. Others came forth while he washed. Susano-ô came from his nose, Tsuki-yomi emerged from his right eye, and Amaterasu appeared from his left eye. Izanagi divided the world among these three gods. He gave Susano-ô control of the oceans, assigned Tsuki-yomi the realm of the night, and made Amaterasu the ruler of the sun and the heaven.

Source: http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Iz-Le/Japanese-Mythology.html