# data[].attributes.headline
Identifying Values and Skills and Articulating Them

# data[].attributes.subject
Identifying Values and Skills and Articulating Them

# data[].attributes.body
This workshop is quite straightforward as storytelling is a big part of game design. In Unit 9 I critically researched character design and how different designs are percieved by different people and it's affects, which is something I now always take into consideration, including in Unit 10.

# data[].attributes.headline
Standing Out & Getting Hired - Portfolio + Interviews

# data[].attributes.subject
Standing Out & Getting Hired - Portfolio + Interviews

# data[].attributes.headline
Skills Analysis Summary (Reflection & Goal Setting)

# data[].attributes.subject
Skills Analysis Summary (Reflection & Goal Setting)

# data[].attributes.body
I found this activity to be very helpful as I got to look at my skills in depth and from a professional point of view. I also got a chance to get familiar with what I need to work on/what type of skills I might need in my future.

Setting a clear action plan on how I am going to develop these skills also relieved some of my anxiety as I feel quite lost in my plans.

# data[].attributes.body
I found this series of workshops' specifics hard to correlate directly to my topic however I found the observations of how subcultures have changed overtime and the internet's affect on this personally interesting. I think when thinking about game design certain subcultures have become more concentrated with people interested in the primarely aesthetics more than ever.

# data[].attributes.body
A list of games that inspire this project and different features I want to incorporate in my idea.

# data[].attributes.body
Reflection:

Here I explored 3D artists and gained a lot of inspiration for this project. I noted down things that I like about their work and what stands out to me. Through this I also got to learn more about the industry, what programmes 3D artists use, and discovered other avenues where these types of designs exist, such as character branding. This will help me contextualise my designs in a more informed way.

# data[].attributes.body
My contribution.

# data[].attributes.body
Reflection:

Blender is a common tool used by 3D artists for things like character design, so I definitely would like to add it to my skillset.

For my first time using Blender I decided to follow this tutorial to get used to the programme. I found it very difficult as I kept running into problems with the interface. I think a lot of them were because the tutorial I followed used an older version of Blender. After a whole day of working on it I made very little progress so I didn't feel the need to document it, and then my Blender crashed. It made me very discouraged. As I never had an issue learning any other programme I went into this too confidentely and underestimated how complex and difficult learning Blender would be. I will give it another go, but I am potentially considering modeling on Nomad and then importing my model into Blender as I am more familiar with Nomad. However, I am concerned that exporting it might make me run into more problems and end up costing me more time.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Blender Sculpting Tutorial for Beginners - Stylized Head Sculpt Blender Tutorial

# data[].attributes.headline
3D Design Pipeline and Workflow Research

# data[].attributes.subject
3D Design Pipeline and Workflow Research

# data[].attributes.body
Reflection:

While researching the game design industry, I noticed the words “workflow” and “pipeline” used a lot. After googling what they mean I realised it was crucial for me to understand what each of these are as they describe the basic structure of game design industry processes. Researching it more in depth made me gain a lot of useful knowledge of how/what forms the game industry. I also was very lost with the process of designing a 3D character as it’s so complicated, has many layers, and from my mistakes I learned you have to be quite meticulous with your process, which is challenging when you don’t understand or know very little about it. Researching ‘3D design workflow’ has resolved a lot of my confusion, and now I can have a clearer and more informed plan on how to create my 3D character and final outcome.

# data[].attributes.body
Reflection:

I did more in-depth research on video games with inspiring visual elements as well as inspiring storytelling elements and plots. Reading about the thought process behind the design choices, how they relate to the plot/objective, and where the ideas or inspirations come from for the game, encouraged me to think outside the box as there are endless possibilties with game design. Having more detailed knowledge on a variety of interesting video games started to spark some ideas on what type of visual elements I want to include, what the game itself will be, and how these two things will reflect one another.

# data[].attributes.body
I found this character on Instagram made by an artist who goes by the name of Zensoko. Seeing the Nintendo 3DS effect on a chibi-like character really inspired me. I already invested my ideas in a chibi style of character and I think this effect really adds some interest to the character while making it fit in better with the video game aesthetic. This can help me contextualise my designs as video game characters, and appeal more to my target audience.

I reached out to her asking for advice/tips, and she suggested I watch tutorials for low-poly characters and sent me the ones she learnt from.

Image: Zensoko (2024) 3D Character, Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DALSOTHMWwC/

# data[].attributes.headline
Character Concepts, Interactions, & Lore Experimentation

# data[].attributes.subject
Character Concepts, Interactions, & Lore Experimentation

# data[].attributes.body
Reflection:

Here I practiced story telling through trying to create an interesting plot and interactions between characters. When writing this 'lore', I also took into consideration how it will relfect the goals or in-game missions/levels, as my project's focus is placed in a real-world context of it being 'concept art' for a video game.

# data[].attributes.body
I created some drafts of characters based on the lore I came up with.

Reflection:

After all the research I've done in unit 9 about the sexualisation of video game characters, it really put me off creating characters that might appeal to the male gaze as that's not my goal whatsoever. So I decided to go for a chibi style of character.

I am also going for an ‘early PlayStation’ look to the game so I wanted to keep it simple and chibi characters are known for their simplified designs. I still think I might've put too much detail in the accessories and it might not look great with point filtering, but as these are drafts I can make these changes later.

After looking at these designs, I am the most drawn to the more creepy-like characters aesthetically, so I decided I will change the concept of my game from a sandbox, animal-crossing-like game to a more horror-based game. It gives me a clearer direction for my designs and I also think I will have more fun with the aesthetics and my creativity going down that path.

# data[].attributes.body
My contribution.

# data[].attributes.body
As I reflected previously, I decided I will change the concept of my game to a more horror-focused game. I still showed my original drafts but I discussed the change I want to make in the group tutorial and got suggestions for games to look at that might inspire me.

# data[].attributes.headline
Professional Portfolio Academic Support Workshop

# data[].attributes.subject
Professional Portfolio Academic Support Workshop

# data[].attributes.body
This was a fun exercise and I understand how I could apply different styles of writing in my professional portfolio to stand out. I'm not great with creative writing so this was definitely out of my comfort zone, but it sparked some ideas for me to not limit myself in my writing as I personally want to stand out somehow even through my words.

# data[].attributes.body
These are the 6 characters I decided I will proceed to experiment with for my horror adventure game which it's setting is based in a forest-like environment. I tried to make them all individual meanwhile still making them cohesive. My next step is going to be experimenting with creating them in 3D. I will try Blender first, and my second option is creating them in Nomad and importing them into Blender.

# data[].attributes.body
In this group session we shared our 'About' paragraphs. It was interesting to hear how other people wrote theirs and I found that I had a bit of a different approach from my peers as mine was a little bit more relaxed and written from my perspective. Rewriting my paragraph in a different/funnier tone was difficult for me. I also got feedback that my paragraph is too long.

# data[].attributes.headline
Blender Experimentation & Project Re-evaluation

# data[].attributes.subject
Blender Experimentation & Project Re-evaluation

# data[].attributes.body
Here I documented more Blender experimentation and research I did, while modeling one of my character concepts. I addressed also all the issues I ran into and outlined how I am going to adjust my plan to solve them.

# data[].attributes.body
I found this workshop really useful to identify possibilities of what I want to do and where to start researching. It helped me make a checklist of what I need to do. Talking with my peers and bouncing ideas of each other was also really helpful.

# data[].attributes.headline
Progression Evaluation in Your Final Submission Workshop

# data[].attributes.subject
Progression Evaluation in Your Final Submission Workshop

# data[].attributes.body
I found this workshop helpful as it taught me more percisely how to communicate my thoughts better, and I can apply this outside of UAL when communicating my designs and thinking processes to other professionals.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Evaluation in Your Final Submission Progression Workshop

# data[].attributes.headline
Being Selected for External Project Reflection

# data[].attributes.subject
Being Selected for External Project Reflection

# data[].attributes.body
The external project is a big part of my progression, especially since my designs were chosen. It taught me a lot and was a great step in the direction of real-world illustration. In this document I write about my process, reflecting on the ways I managed it and what I took from it.

I might not add the external project to my professional portfolio, as I'm reflecting what industry I am trying to appeal to, however it is a great addition to my CV.

# data[].attributes.body
I decided to do some research into job's I'd possibly enjoy one day. As I'm only just stepping foot into the 3D design world I wanted to collect examples of the type of qualifications, experience, and knowledge different employers look for. This will give me some sense of direction in where I should start with my progression plans after UAL.

# data[].attributes.headline
Inspirational Artists & Designers Employment Research

# data[].attributes.subject
Inspirational Artists & Designers Employment Research

# data[].attributes.body
Collecting information on the type of experience and jobs the artists and professionals that I 'look up to' have gave me a good sense of what's more important and what's less important when looking for work, predominantly in the game arts industry. I found that experience and a strong portfolio is the most important, rather than certificates and degrees.

# data[].attributes.body
I summarised what I found from my research and created a checklist of what I need to do now, and a seperate list for what I need to do in the future pertaining to my progression.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Progression Planning Checklist & Research

# data[].attributes.body
As submissions are coming up and everyone is busier, I suggested we could hold zoom meetings instead of in-person meetings, and everyone agreed. Working with the group to figure out everyone's timetable we decided on meeting every Friday, at 11 am and I volunteered to be in charge of scheduling the meetings and sending out the links the day before. I also am in charge of documenting everything we talk about at the meetings and tracking our progress.

# data[].attributes.body
My contribution.

# data[].attributes.body
I made my first character in Nomad. I worked very slowly to make sure I am doing everything correct and I still found it hard to get my topology right. If I want to animate my character I will have to learn to do topology in another programme, as Nomad doesn't have many options for this since it's designed for sculpting. I made the posing ready for animation so it might look quite awkward now but that is something I'll revise later as this was just an experiment of where I want to take this project. I had a lot of fun trying different post-processing settings and lighting, however Nomad is also quite limited with how much control you have over these functions.

I will continue to experiment in Nomad and use it to create my final piece. Once I get some time, I will aim to take one of my characters and export it to another programme, in an attempt to get my topology right and animate it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Low-Poly 3D Modeling Experimentation - Nomad

# data[].attributes.body
My contribution.

# data[].attributes.body
I created this role sheet and sent it out to our group.

# data[].attributes.body
Following the tutorial I researched different game art and it's purposes. It gave me some inspiration on possibilities of presenting my outcome, however it also left me confused as for the degree show I'd like to make a more finished piece, but my goal for my IPS was to create concept character designs, which are quite unfinished pieces. I think I might create and submit both.

For the degree show I'd like to create a more promotional piece, displaying the characters, and to do that I have to think of elements that showcase that it's a horror-adventure. I will do this by adding dark elements such as the background to the final poster.

# data[].attributes.headline
Nomad / Procreate - Texturing & Rendering Experimentation 

# data[].attributes.subject
Nomad / Procreate - Texturing & Rendering Experimentation 

# data[].attributes.body
After doing research on game art, and thinking of the different options I’d like for presenting my IPS, I realised I needed to put more time into experimenting with rendering. I experimented with my first options which were Nomad & Procreate as I am most familiar with these programmes. To sum up my reflection from this pdf; Nomad and Procreate were extremely disappointing as their tools are very limited, and I'd like more control over elements beyond just colour in my designs since storytelling is a huge part of game design. So my next step is going to be taking my sculpt to Blender.

# data[].attributes.body
I already had an idea of how extensive rigging is so I wasn't considering it for my final outcome anymore, however, I still wanted to try. This is how far I got into retopology and I will continue this after I finish my IPS outcome.

# data[].attributes.headline
Blender - Texturing, Animating, & Rendering Experimentation

# data[].attributes.subject
Blender - Texturing, Animating, & Rendering Experimentation

# data[].attributes.body
I feel that this process was extremely long for the amount that I accomplished, however I am so proud of the progress I made in my learning. I encountered many issues and frustrations from the complexity of Blender, however through them I learnt a lot and got a little more comfortable with the programme. I was set on moving my sculpt to Blender because I wanted to have more control over the texture, shading, scene, and rendering as these are all important elements of the impression my concept art gives the viewer. This also allows me to combine my characters and render high quality artwork which will be great for an exhibition piece. Having explored all avenues, and getting familiar with the process and workflow, I will now start on creating my official characters.

# data[].attributes.body
I found this 1-1 really helpful. We looked over my CV and I got good feedback on it. I had a lot of my questions answered and we talked about a job opportunity that I am looking to apply for which is "Gaming Community & Social Media Intern" at Rival Tech.

# data[].attributes.body
Here I dove deeper into story telling keeping in mind everything I learnt in 3D design, what I am able to do now as well as my limits. I focused on posing my characters, adding props and diving deeper into who they are and their place in the concept video game. I'd like to recreate these illustrations of these characetrs in 3D.

# data[].attributes.body
I could just create these characters in 3D, but thinking about the exhibition and the audience, I wanted to do something more suited for it. I want to contextualise my characters in a promotional way giving the viewers a sense of what these characters are about and illustrating the potential of these concepts.

I kept the name "Frightlets" which I came up with a while ago. I just really love it and I think it suits the cute/creepy doll aesthetic of these characters. It's also simple and catchy.

After studying many different fonts, I came up with my own combination of elements I liked and hand drew a title. I like this one because it's clear and easy to read while still being gothic, portraying the 'spookiness' of my video game.

I tried a different pose for my character, with the goal of creating a feeling of uneasiness by giving her an innocent look that contrasts her visual appearance.

I used the scene to embody the horror aspect by creating a dark background, and adding interest by using her shadow as the title. I also thought about coloured lights so I created some pink lit versions. I quite like this idea because I can use Blender to create contrasting shadows and then I could render the name afterwards.

I found having just one character and the simplicity of this design is quite eye-catching and appealing.

# data[].attributes.body
I created this piece as promotional game art. I’d like to replace the illustrations of the characters with 3D models. I also wanted to practice my story telling further by including more elements of the game such as the environment. This was meant to be a sketch but I spent too much time on it and I quite like this on its own. This image is a story in of itself through the environment, lighting, colours, and all the characters being in the same space together. These elements show the adventure/horror aspect of the game very clearly.

# data[].attributes.headline
5th Marketing Meeting + Progress Update 

# data[].attributes.subject
5th Marketing Meeting + Progress Update 

# data[].attributes.body
My contribution.

# data[].attributes.body
This workshop was informing as I had limited knowledge on the topics of NFT's, blockchains, and Web3. I think my 3D characters are definitely designs I could upload on apps such as Zeroone, as digital art is well suited for online ownership, and it is an interesting avenue I haven't thought about in which I could monetize and contextualise my illustrations.

# data[].attributes.body
I rendered them using different cameras, lights, shadows, resolutions, backgrounds, including transparent backgrounds, and settings so that I could have a lot of material to choose from.

# data[].attributes.body
After sharing my work with tutors and other peers, I decided for the degree show I thought it would be a good idea to present my characters by placing them in concept promotional game art to add some context to them.

# data[].attributes.body
The realistic shadow made me really like the idea of this 3d character as a figurine.

# data[].attributes.body
I designed these drafts and showed my peers. I tried to keep it in the bitmap theme chosen by the visual identity team. We really don't like the font they chose, so I tried to find something similar but more readable since it's going on the poster. However, my group prefers the 2nd draft with the knitting graphic and the original font.

During our meeting today we also finalised resources for printing, adhesive, and also how many copies we will want of what and the costs.

# data[].attributes.body
I created my CV and had 1-1s with grad support for feedback and made changes. This is my final version for my application.

# data[].attributes.body
Final version of cover letter after editing and reviewing with grad support.

# data[].attributes.body
I created an Artstation account as I found through my research that it's a good platform to look for job opportunities and get more exposure, particularly in the game art industry.

I created a portfolio on there and uploaded work that represents what I would be interested in doing for a job / what I want to explore further.

I also added a way to contact me, and connected all my other links and accounts so that people can navigate easily to my other platforms.

I also wrote a professional statement about myself.

# data[].attributes.body
I am not as happy with this as I was with the drawing version because I couldn't have all the details and effects that I wanted. Theres still a lot for me to learn on Blender and through this experimentation I found that I couldn't have for example; coloured lighting and rgb coloured materials co-existing for the effects that I want. I have to do more studying and everything I tried to problem solve I realised would take weeks of more learning. I am happy though with how far I've come and seeing mutlitple of my 3d characters in one scene, this concept design is already something I wouldn't be able to create a few months ago.

# data[].attributes.body
For my exhibition piece, I looked over my concepts and picked an idea out of my drafts. I refined the idea into this piece.

This one stood out to me the most because I like the composition. I also think it suits the exhibition a lot more than the other promotional poster because it's simple, more classy, and less "ad-like". I really like this design, I think it looks cool and it would definitely drawn me in if I was a viewer.

I think it also suits the concept of my horror adventure game well, with the character being quite ominous, standing isolated with the large shadow behind them. The name "Frightlets" suggests theres more characters too, so more to the story. The camera I chose for the render reminds me of early 3d games with static cameras, so this snapshot looks like a playable scene from the game to me.

My plan is to print it A3.

I will create a couple copies to choose from with a different background colour just to make sure it's not too dark and the writing is still legible.

I will use command strips to secure it to the wall.

Printing source: (Snapfish) https://www.snapfish.co.uk/home

# data[].attributes.body
I submitted work to the UAL Showcase and included my contact information and my website.