World Cup 2018 team illustrations

An exercise aimed at producing striking editorial artwork using a bold approach to colour and caricature. The Brazil and Argentina pieces are probably the high points but the swing and a miss that is the Argentina piece holds a dear place in my heart.

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Messi / Suarez World Cup Advert for Gatorade

I worked with TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles to develop illustrated motion graphics for a segment of this commercial. Personally this was a big achievement as I had always harboured ambitions of working on a World Cup advert. My extensive focus on making illustrated football memes from 2016 through 2017 had landed me the opportunity and it's just another piece of evidence that following my gut and trying new things can be rewarding on a level I generally can't envisage. In all honesty I still get a thrill watching the advert back.

Here’s a youtube link in case the embedded video below isn’t working.

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Character Design: A Case Study

When designing a character I try to adhere to these points. If I can successfully integrate them all I will have arrived at a successful design. It doesn’t always spark as it’s not an exact science but every now and then I produce a memorable and sturdy result.

  • Personality

  • Vessel

  • Warmth

  • Energy

  • Adaptability

Personality

My main aim is to develop a distinct and vivid personality so that the viewer can connect with it at the earliest opportunity. All aspects of the design can streamline the potential success of this aim from stance, facial design, setting, attitude to surroundings, or emphasis on a specific design element. My job is to remove all fat so the elements are more than the sum of their parts in a communicative sense. If you view a few images of my Cantona and can then write down three or four words to describe what you feel his personality is then the design is a success. From the following portrait I would surmise that he is dramatic, possibly a bit vain and quite solemn. Additionally with the way he is presented we get the extra insight that he is a bit farcical due to there being a seagull on his head and this allows us to see that he takes himself a lot more seriously than we take him. His ego is ripe for puncturing but not to the extent that we dislike him, an important factor.

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As this character is based off an existing personality it’s important to work off the associated mythology. If people are aware of and familiar with the subject you can use this as a leg up to get some instant connection between your character and the audience. Fans of Cantona will quickly understand the subtext in the image below.

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Vessel

Hello Kitty represents the zenith of what I want to achieve. It optimises the least amount of facial characteristics to allow the viewer instant recognition of a base expression. Crucially the lack of facial detail allows for the viewer to then fill in the gaps with emotion they project onto the face. In doing this they unwittingly become invested and emotionally connected. The design acts as a vessel for what they bring to the table. With my Cantona all his emotion is conveyed through a combination of his eyebrow and his stance. His character is one that’s not prone to overly emotive displays so the eyebrow can cover a lot of his expressions. One arch of it and we understand he’s skeptical of whatever he’s being presented with.

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Warmth

I try to give the characters the appeal and warmth of a glowing hearth in a dark room; welcoming and cosy. I want their design to draw the viewer in. This can be achieved with strict colour palettes allied with the engaging personality of the overall design. My aim with the piece below was to present Cantona as his serious, solemn self but with an added layer of farce so we feel a small bit of affection and sympathy for him. If it raises a smile then I’ve done my job.

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Energy

I regularly portray the stubby bodies of my characters engaged in feats of athletic prowess which would seem beyond the capabilities of their anatomy. This hidden physical skill adds a layer of depth or even mystery that might not even be consciously picked up on but it still brings something extra to their overall spirit. They then have a form of physical potential and this expands the possibility when you see them. On a more obvious level it is cute and plays for a smile, which is integral to the success of the character.

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Adaptability

For each character I try to develop an elastic visual personality that can be applied to a whole host of objects or situations. This allows for proliferation across different platforms and media seamlessly. They are more an idea of personality than a drawing and can be expressed in endless forms.

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Applying the Cantona visual traits to something else can allow the character to retain familiarity in a new guise. The seagull above has the same deadpan expression and we can almost get a sense of it’s reaction to this new trawler craze. I wanted to show it as disgusted by yet another fad it is obviously above and imply that it’s rolling it’s eyes, even though it has none. It may be letting out an exasperated sigh too.

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Something as basic as a change of outfit can give your design new life. I designed some roughs for Hallowe’en around the idea of increasingly large collars to test how well my Cantona’s personality remained. As a first step it definitely shows there’s room to design into.

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The trope of the evil twin is always great for expanding a character and a polar moral opposite helps cement their personality. Building on Cantona’s association with The Red Devils and his assault of a fan in the away kit I developed this gif of him being transformed into his ‘Devil form’ (thank you Tekken). Having an evil version allows for a whole other range of pursuits, activities, sidekicks, scenarios and outfits.

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Setting is also a massive chance to experiment and see where your character can go. I find the more I use a character the more possibilities open up for where to take them. The main takeaway is if you can create an adaptable character your imagination is the only limit to where they can go and what they can do.

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