Friday, May 1, 2015

Update/ Tomoe Gozen Process

Hey Everyone!

My Computer Animation class year's Senior Show is tomorrow!!! Super crazy to me that four years has already passed. It's incredibly exciting to see how everyone's grown and gone from little ol' freshmen to kick-butt graduates. While I can't show the film yet online, I thought I'd show some of my work from my final costume design project. I want to come back to this project again soon (but after I take a break from it for a while).

I had to take one character and create two costumes for her. I chose the female samurai Tomoe Gozen. If there's one thing I'm obsessed about, it's samurai and Japanese culture. So this project was perfect for me. :)




Here are some initial sketches--I knew I needed to keep the essence of her while also adhering to the art style. In most Japanese art/prints, the characters are swamped in clothing and armor. Hardly any skin is shown. But, in this case, I used the idea from the prints to influence Tomoe. I figured that she was the kind of woman who enjoyed the battlefield versus the court, so I placed her in samurai armor that was lighter and more form-fitting. Unlike her kimono, which is huge and bulky (symbolizing her as being weighed down by court life).






For the final colors, there was a debate in my head about colors--most prints have her in green and white, some in red and green. I decided red and green would be best, with pink cherry blossoms thrown in to add the womanly flair to her. Plus, the blossoms served as her symbol--she has the same pattern on her sleeves in her samurai outfit as she does in her kimono outfit.

There's still plenty I want to change and refine, but I was happy with how the colors and design come out overall.

Ciao for now~