Live Briefs: CDC Spirited Away and Bakerproudlove Window design

The character design challenge (CDC) had a special fan art month where you had to design a spirited-away character. So I wanted something simple, but also something that you wouldn't necessarily think of when you're thinking of re-designing a character.  So I re-designed one of the soot sprites in the style of a Beano character, because I thought the design of a soot sprite in human proportions would look good with gnasher's fur.  I also wanted to emphasise that these poor soot sprites had been working day in, day out.  they are tired because they never get a break.  This was influenced by a scene in the movie where the character (Chihiro) picks up a piece of coal to help the soot sprites. The soot sprites think - okay if you're going to do that, we'll up and go. This shows that they are tired.

Submission Proof

What went well?

• I developed my idea through to completion.
• Time management was alright
• Character turned out okay

What could have been done better?

• Time management could always be better
• Character should have been more finished, so that it's not just okay, but its good.

Overall I feel a bit meh about this submission. Like I don't think it'll make it into my portfolio.

For the Baker proud love window design brief I was going to use guerrilla marketing strategies in a similar fashion to how I used them last year for the YCN KFC brief, I was going to take a classical piece of art and make it funny somehow. My initial idea was to have Greek ladies in a salon getting their hair, makeup and nails done this would work by assuming that people are going to be expecting a serious piece of ancient Greek art but instead their getting a modern, contemporary take so it subverts people’s expectations. However, I hadn’t really developed the idea beyond that and I hadn’t and come up with any kind of concept sketches it was all ideas that were in my head, although I did brainstorm them out.

So, my second idea was more slogan/catchphrase based. I developed the slogan 'conquer the concrete jungle with Baker proud love', with the idea being that the city is a concrete jungle, jungles aren’t usually empty so by filling these shop spaces you are essentially conquering the high street. I was able to develop this idea  further by creating a character that had acute motif which I think helped and it represented what I was trying to say and how I was trying to come across.

Submission Proof

I revived an email back from the company saying that they where really impressed with my work however they didn't feel it really fitted in the designated space. But they asked for my contact details so i could be considered  for future work/commissions.

What went well?
I used previously gained knowledge to inform my design choices
The slogan was good
The idea was good

What could be improved?
I need to get better at drawing in general. But I think my current skills let this project down the most.
The art bored could have looked more professional
I felt really rushed.

Overall this project was okay. Again, I just don't think it'll make it into my portfolio because in not happy with the end result. I think it could have been drawn better.