Development Sketches

These are the development sketches in my little sketchbook. 

Character concepts

Old Wizards House concepts

This my initial rough sketch of my idea.

It then developed into this:

Until finally I created this page of concepts:

I also put together a very rough sketch of the kingdom, due to lack of time.

Project Evaluation

The projects in BA7 consisted of a research document, consisting of research into my Studio project, and a research report, a 1500 word report on a chosen subject. In these projects I learned to communicate my ideas effectively and academically, and conducted research into my chosen subjects with depth. For the BA7 research document, I pooled all of my knowledge together to successfully research into films, games, artists, and techniques and art styles. For the research report, I used my knowledge of academic writing to create a 1500 word document written on Osamu Tezuka. I used an extensive amount of books to conduct research into his life and works, and successfully gathered a large amount of information and sources.

My research report was based solely on Osamu Tezuka, his life and his work. Also known as 'The God of Manga', Tezuka transformed manga to this day, and I used research to examine what remains of his legacy in manga today. I was extremely happy with my initial research into the subject, compiling a list of books, studying each and noting down all the important information. Having a solid bibliography of books, I began writing my introduction and first chapter, and then having short summarised chapters. After some feedback I had realised that I had not answered my question in my first draft so I had to add some more information. After concluding my essay, if I have had more time I would have shorted my first chapter much more to give myself more room to answer my question successfully, of what is left of his legacy.

The research document for BA7 required a lot of time management and planning. I began the project with a joint idea for a game with Liam Gallagher-Vaes. This then transformed into a list of research areas which would aid me in my project. I began by studying films and games that I felt would be most inspirational and influential to my work. This led me through the Studio Ghibli films and the Walt Disney films, finding myself drawn to the idea of merging two styles together. When I began to research games, I found quite a few examples of games with a similar style to my own, and using these to influence gameplay ideas, and narrative ideas, as well as my character and environment design. Because of my love and interest in the Japanese manga and animation and the American animation, I decided to look into the most famous of each, Osamu Tezuka and Walt Disney. Through my research report, I had already gained extensive knowledge on Osamu Tezuka, so using this I compiled a short summary of his work and also reference images to influence my art style. Looking at Walt Disney’s work was also very inspiring, as his small sketches of characters can influence me greatly in the design of my own unique characters. From this I also studied Victorian period artists, which gave me an idea of clothing and art techniques used by artists of this era. To finish my document, I compiled a few pages of techniques and programs to use in BA8, also looking closely at the techniques used by Studio Ghibli and Disney to create a watercolour look to their films. Overall, I am very happy with the outcome of my document, I feel it will strongly support my artwork and will be useful with referencing. If I had more time, I would have conducted much more research into the design of my characters, looking at animals especially.

Conclusion

To conclude my research document, all my research conducted throughout this project will influence me in some way. Through looking at animated films from Studio Ghibli and Disney, I have gained inspiration to merge two styles together, and influence on character design and environments. Looking into games also gave me some insight into games already on the market like our own idea. It also gave me influence in my art style and character design, as well as many ideas into the narrative of our game. After looking at films and games, it was studying famous artists that gave me knowledge on techniques and style. Looking at Osamu Tezuka provided me with examples of successful manga comics, as well as enchanting character designs. Walt Disney is also a key inspiration, with his work inspiring my character design greatly. The research into Victorian artists was to gain knowledge of the fashion of the time period, to reference when creating my character designs. It was also useful in studying how artists would paint at this time, and how women were portrayed. My final stage of my research led me into looking closely at the techniques of the Studio Ghibli animation studios and the Walt Disney animation studios. Both use the same techniques of watercolours and sketches, however they both have unique art styles, which is an aspect I want to explore further in my own artwork. Following this closely, I decided to look at watercolour techniques that would benefit me greatly when creating environments, as well as digital painting techniques. Rounding all my research off, I noted which programs I will be using to create my work. All of my research I have conducted has inspired me to create a unique art style of my own, and influenced how I will design my characters and create my artwork.

Programs

Programs to Use
Manga Studio, Photoshop and Premiere Pro

This is the section where I will be addressing which programs I will be using throughout the project to advance my work. Firstly, I will be using Manga Studio to create my manga comic. For all my other artwork I will be using traditional techniques and Photoshop. To finish my whole project, I will be creating a show reel of my work, created in Premiere Pro.

Manga Studio
For creating my Manga comic
http://manga.smithmicro.com/

To create my Manga, I decided to use Manga Studio software, as it is incredibly useful and ideal for creating comics. The software specializes in creating comics, starting off with creating panels where you can adjust them to your own requirements. The program features layers like Photoshop, to allow for sketching your characters and scenes roughly before finishing with a fine line. The backgrounds also give you an opportunity to have ready drawn environments as backgrounds, or solid colours. The variety of brushes also allows the artist to create a comic look to their work, or a realistic look with brushes ranging from dots to fine pens. Another advantage of using this software to create a comic, is that you can create pages, and have each page open while you work. This can then be turned into one file, (a book) and distributed or printed. This means it is easily possible to create a book, rather than have lots of pages separately. The extras in this software also come together to help you gain a finished page. Speech bubbles, sound effects and speed lines all help to create a finished, polished page, ready for printing. Overall, this software is perfect for creating my manga, and using a variety of techniques I can finish a book to have printed.

Photoshop

For creating Digital Images

http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/photoshop.html

For creating my digital paintings, I decided to use Photoshop due to its extensive features and brushes. I have always used Photoshop to create my digital paintings, as it is very customizable to your needs. With an enormous amount of brushes online, you can find any brush to suit your painting, from watercolour brushes to text brushes. They are then easily imported into the software to use. Another advantage of this software when painting is the ability to create a palette of swatches of the colours you are using in your painting. This way, your colours are easily accessible. Like Manga Studio, Photoshop also allows the user to crate layers in their images. This is useful in creating depth in paintings, as well as creating unique effects. Finally, Photoshop features a range of effects to add lighting and textures into an image. This is useful for creating mood and textured effects on a painting. Photoshops features are extensive and all are used to aid the user in creating a successful image. I will be using many of the features in this software to my advantage, to create beautiful digital paintings of my own. 

Premiere Pro

For creating my Show Reel

http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/premiere.html

I chose to use Premiere Pro video editing software to create my show reel, as I feel it is one of the best editing software on the market. It easily allows the importation of video files, and with infinite amounts of layers available on the timeline (right) , the user can easily create smooth following video, with overlaying text or images. Because of the many layers, you can also easily transition music throughout the video, and even have voice playing over music. It is also easy to add effects onto your video file, creating contrast or tinting it a colour. The transitions are also easily added onto the timeline, having smooth flowing transitions into the next video clip. Overall, Premiere Pro is a professional and easy to use software that will provide me with the tools to create a beautiful show reel containing all my work and information.

Techniques

Techniques 
Watercolour and Digital Paintings

These are the techniques I will be using throughout my work. First of all, I will be using watercolours traditionally to create scenes and characters, and then transferring them digitally to manipulate and add to them on the computer. I will also use digital painting to create characters to go into the scenes, to give an example of how I want our game to look.

Watercolour Painting
Traditional Painting using Watercolours
http://www.watercolorpaintingandprojects.com/techniques/more-and-effects.html

First of all, I put some research into finding out the best techniques I could use in creating environments. The use of different brushes and techniques can create different looks on the image. Firstly, the dry brush technique (Fig 1)  is used to give a rough look, using a dried brush to slightly dab the colour on the paper. This can be used for wood textures and grass. The salt technique (Fig 2) may also be useful in creating trees, using a pinch of salt while the colours are drying can give the effect of leaves on a tree. The sponge technique (Fig 3) is also used to create a look of trees, with an everyday household sponge, dabbing a small amount of colour onto the painting with give a unique 'splatter' look.

Fig 1

 Fig 2

 Fig 3

Digital Painting

Digitally Painting using Photoshop

After studying the first stage of my artwork, I needed to look into the best way to create my images digitally. Using Photoshop, I will be transferring my traditional images onto a new layer. Using a mixture of brightness and contrast as well as colour adjustments, I can fit my painting into this new digital layer. Using a set of watercolour brushes (Fig 2), or a soft edged brush (Fig 1) I can add onto the original image if I need to, editing any faults I can see. From this I can add new layers to add in characters and extras, using a mixture of brushes to create a solid look for the characters. 

 Fig 1

 Fig 2

Disney art style and techniques

Disney Films
Art Style and Techniques
http://movies.disney.com/

Walt Disney Animation has always been ate the forefront of animation, with their films being household names across the world. Founded in 1923 by Walt and Roy Disney, the company has grown into something incredible since its small beginnings. 'For more than nine decades, the name Walt Disney has been preeminent in the field of family entertainment. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to today's global corporation, The Walt Disney Company continues to proudly provide quality entertainment for every member of the family, across America and around the world.' (http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/about-disney/disney-history/1930-01-01--1939-12-31) I chose to study the work of Walt Disney Animation as I have always been inspired by the beautiful art portrayed in the films. Looking at the earlier works, I can see that their techniques of creating these beautiful scenes is the same as Studio Ghibli, creating a script, characters, storyboards and then sketching the individual characters. This is then painted with watercolours onto cells. Also like Studio Ghibli, the backgrounds and characters would be painted separately. (http://www.justdisney.com/animation/animation.html) It is however noticeable, that the styles of Studio Ghibli and Disney are different, with Studio Ghibli trying to create a traditional painting look, and Disney wanting to create a crisp, perfect scene. It is both techniques and styles which I want to experiment with in creating characters and scenes.

Victorian Artist research

Victorian Era Artists
Human Form Artists from the period

To delve deeper into my subject, and to gain an understanding and knowledge of Victorian style clothing and art, I conducted research into several artists of this era. I chose four artists to look at, all specializing in portraiture who portray the Victorian era of fashion and living. To create a Victorian look to my characters clothing, I need to have a grasp on the types of clothing they wore at this time, and how the fashion was specific in both male and female clothing to separate the sexes. It is also important to study how women were portrayed at this time, with a female child main character, I need to understand how women were conveyed through paintings. Each Artist I chose, I looked into their artwork to decide which would have the greatest influence on my designs. I chose different styles of art, from portraiture, to group paintings, and also a female painter who focused on painting young girls. For each artist I will give a brief overview of their life and work, and chose a painting from each to study the contents and characters portrayed.

William Holman Hunt
1827-1910
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/william-holman-hunt-287

The first artist of this era I studied was William Holman Hunt who was born in 1827 in London. Before being accepted into the Royal Academy Schools in 1844, William worked as an office clerk. It was here where he began to exhibit paintings of his own. He also formed a group with some acquaintances, called the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. ‘The group's stated aims were: 1, To have genuine ideas to express; 2, to study Nature attentively, so as to know how to express them; 3, to sympathise with what is direct and serious and heartfelt in previous art, to the exclusion of what is conventional and self-parading and learned by rote; and 4, and most indispensable of all, to produce thoroughly good pictures and statues. (William Michael Rossetti, ed., Dante Gabriel Rossetti: His Family-Letters, with a Memoir, London 1895, I, p.135)’ (http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/william-holman-hunt-287) Creating a variety of paintings through his lifetime, it was in 1852 when his first piece of work which conveyed his new symbolic realism style. It was after this time when he was commissioned to create many paintings, until his death in 1910 in London.

The painting I decided to look at, painted by William Holman Hunt is The Awakening Conscience. This picture was painted in 1853, and portrays a man and his mistress. ' Rising from her lover's lap, she gazes into the sunlit garden beyond, which is reflected in the mirror behind her. The mirror image represents the woman's lost innocence, but redemption, indicated by the ray of light in the foreground, is still possible. Intended to be 'read', the painting is full of such symbolic elements. The cat toying with the broken-winged bird under the table symbolises the woman's plight. A man's discarded glove warns that the likely fate of a cast-off mistress was prostitution. A tangled skein of yarn on the floor symbolises the web in which the girl is entrapped. In terms of my own work, I decided to look at this image for its symbolism, but also because of its portrayal of women. In my own designs I can reference to this image for Victorian style clothing and appearance, but also for the way Hunt has conveyed this woman in the image. Her stance portrays a of frailty and entrapment, conveying how mistresses would have felt in this era.

Arthur Hughes
1832–1915
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/arthur-hughes-283

The second artist I studied was Arthur Hughes, who was born in 1832 in London. Having a first class education at a Grammar School, Arthur went on to enter a School of Design in London where he went on to win an art studentship at the Royal Academy Schools, where William Holman Hunt studied. It was William who had influence on Arthurs art style, with symbolic realism being noticeable in his work. ‘Although a Pre-Raphaelite sympathiser and intimate of their circle, Hughes was never a member of the group. He converted to Pre-Raphaelitism in 1850 after reading the Pre-Raphaelite magazine The Germ; in the same year he met William Holman Hunt, D.G. Rossetti and Ford Madox Brown.’ (http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/arthur-hughes-283) Arthur also had a successful career as an Illustrator, with many of his illustrations being used in famous works. His last exhibition was at the Royal Academy in 1908, with only a few years passing until his death in 1915 in Kew, London.

The painting I decided to look at, painted by Arthur Hughes is called April Love. Painted in 1855-1856, April Love is one of Arthur Hughes most famous paintings. Painted to convey young love, the painting was originally made alongside a poem. 'Hughes changed the setting from a millstream with chestnut trees and forget-me-nots to an ivy-clad arbour or summerhouse with lilac outside the window and rose petals on the stone floor. As with many of the artist's works, ivy is also used to decorate the frame. The Pre-Raphaelites often included symbolic elements in their work. Ivy signifies everlasting life, roses love.' I was drawn to this painting of Hughes by the beautiful use of colour in the image, the use of the colour blue makes the girl stand out in the painting, but could also connote sadness. I also looked at this image in particular as it gave a clear portrayal of a young girls dress and look. The long colourful dress, puffed sleeves and scarf create a beautiful young outfit, which I can take influence from in creating my own young girls dress.

William Powell Firth
1819-1909
http://www.avictorian.com/Frith_William.html

Another artist in the Victorian era I looked at is William Powell First, who was born in 1819 in Aldfield. At a young age, William was passionate about art, and when he reached his 19th birthday he gained entry to the Royal Academy of Art. Working as a portrait painter to gain money for his studies, Williams style and subject matter changed throughout the years. He began to be strongly interested in painting people in everyday situations, and creating group paintings. ‘He was greatly influenced by others such as his friend David Wilkie, who painted “The Chelsea Pensioners”. He admired the works of the novelist Charles Dickens. These men inspired him to branch out into larger composite pictures which soon gained him fame.’ (http://www.avictorian.com/Frith_William.html) His career as a painter was long and he exhibited many paintings, and even sold one to Queen Victoria. It was in 1909 that his career ended, with an illness causing his death aged 90.

This painting by William Powell Firth is called Poverty and Wealth, and was painted in 1888. The painting features a group of people, with those richest on the left side of the image, and the poor on the right side of the image. The painting was created to convey the contrast between these two worlds, and also the activity of London streets. Featuring all age groups, this painting was the perfect example for me to study as I could view many different styles of Victorian dress. From the poor young girls on the left who wear ragged dresses and aprons, and some with no shoes, to the richer young girls. On the right side of the image we can see young girls wearing posh dresses and hats, she is also carrying a handbag, which contrasts to the young girl on the right carrying a bucket. This image will be very influential on my designs as I can get a clear view of how the different classes lived and dressed in this era, and I can implement this into my designs.

Sophie Anderson 
1823-1903
http://www.avictorian.com/Anderson_Sophie.html

Sophie Anderson is the final and most inspirational artist I studied. Born in 1823 in Paris, Sophie self taught herself to paint throughout her childhood. After moving to America in 1849 and exhibiting works there, Sophie married a British painter, and moved to England. It was here where she came into fame as a painter of Pre-Raphaelite works of art, exhibiting her work in the Royal Academy. Sophie’s work is most inspirational to me as she is ‘known for her pictures of over sweet little girls, sometimes boys, and with titles such as ‘Peek a boo’ and Little Red Riding Hood’. But her technique was good, and her depiction of nature almost photographic, with the flowers and leaves most naturalistic.’ (http://www.avictorian.com/Anderson_Sophie.html) Creating a vast amount of artwork, and even a childrens book, Sophie worked hard throughout her life even in ill health. She died at the age of 80 in 1903, in Falmouth, England.

This painting is called The Turtle Dove, and was painted by Sophie Anderson. The image portrays a young Victorian girl, holding a turtle dove in her arms. The use of the turtle dove in the image gives connotations of innocence and purity, and give a sense of serenity to the painting. The young girl is dressed in a velvet dress, with long golden hair, the light being used to give her an angelic glow. I chose to look at this image, as it gives me a sense of how young girls were portrayed in paintings in this era. It conveys the beauty and innocence of the girl, and creates an idyllic look. For influence, I can use this image to gain an understanding of how young girls were painted in this era, to influence my art style. I can also gain knowledge of the girls clothing, and understand how young girls were dressed at this time.

Studio Ghibli art style and techniques

Studio Ghibli Films
Art Style and Techniques
http://www.ghibli.jp/

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation company, set up in 1984 by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. The full length feature films produced by Studio Ghibli feature beautiful fantasy stories, with unique characters and fantastic backdrops. They 'boast wonderfully realised worlds, elaborate structures (such as flying cities), detailed domestic settings and complex natural worlds populated by bizarre creatures, spirits and sprites. They also feature compelling, sophisticated stories with wide appeal. Many of Miyazaki's pictures focus on strong, independent young women.' (http://www.film4.com/special-features/5-min-guides/studio-ghibli) The reason why I chose to look at Studio Ghibli is because I am strongly inspired by the techniques they use to create their artwork for animating. They begin with a script, create the characters and their costumes, and then create a storyboard. Each scene is then sketched, and painted using watercolours, characters and backgrounds separately.(http://ghibligabble.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/behind-scenes-at-studio-ghibli.html) It is this technique of using watercolours which I want to experiment with in my own work. The use of watercolours gives a beautiful traditional look to each film, with each still having the quality to be its own painting.

Artist research

Artists
Osamu Tezuka and Walt Disney

To further my research from Films and Games, I decided to look at a few artists, who I feel are key inspirations to my work. Looking at previous artists work, I can gain ideas of how to progress my own work, with ideas on techniques, style and also design. Firstly I decided to look at Osamu Tezuka. Because of my work into Manga for this project it was necessary I studied 'The God of Manga' and his works. From this, I can examine the techniques used to create successful manga comics, with the use of unique panels and sound effects. I also decided to study Walt Disney and his famous works, to create a mixture of Western and Eastern styles. I will study his character designs to influence my own. Also for Inspiration on my designs, I looked at a variety of Artists from the Victorian Era. I chose four who conveyed different types of portraiture, looking at individuals, groups and also young Victorian girls. From this I can gain a knowledge of the dresses and outfits that were worn at this time, as well as the portrayal of men and women in this era. It is with this knowledge I can create unique character designs which feature strong resemblances to the Victorian period.

Osamu Tezuka
1928-1989
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0856804/

Osamu Tezuka, also known as 'The God of Manga' was born in 1928, and began drawing comics from a young age. After WWII, Tezuka changed the way manga comics were drawn and received by society through the use of new techniques. Without his influence, manga would not be what it is today. 'Osamu Tezuka (手塚 治虫) was a manga author and creator of many of the first Japanese animation. While Tezuka’s best known creation is, arguably, the world-renowned children’s series Astro Boy, he drew more than 150,000 pages of manga in his lifetime - touching on every style and genre. He wrote for every age-group, from young children to mature audiences, and single-handedly created the majority of the genres and character-types we see in manga and anime today.' (http://tezukainenglish.com/) His use of unique movie like panels, and sounds effects created a diverse narrative, engaging the reader. His work will influence me greatly in my own manga, as well as my character design. His most well known characters, Astro Boy and Kimba (below) feature similar styles to the works of Walt Disney, with himself quoting he was influenced by him. Featuring large eyes and cute infant like features, his characters are loveable and encourage the reader to follow their story. His very Japanese style of drawing characters is a style I will experiment with in drawing my own characters. I will also use his style of drawing manga to influence my own panels and pages, using drama and creative layouts to portray and deep narrative.

Walt Disney
1901- 1966
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000370/

Walt Disney, was born in 1901 and lived his life creating animation. It was his imagination and creativity that began a new age in storytelling. 'Walt Disney is a legend; a folk hero of the 20th century. His worldwide popularity was based upon the ideals which his name represents: imagination, optimism, creation, and self-made success in the American tradition. He brought us closer to the future, while telling us of the past, it is certain, that there will never be such as great a man, as Walt Disney.'(http://www.justdisney.com/walt_disney/biography/w_bio_short.html) His love of art began at a young age, when he started drawing characters and selling them to his neighbours. It was this passion that drew him to create his most famous character, Mickey Mouse. Featuring large eyes and ears, Mickey was a unique mouse. He wore gloves, shorts and large shoes, and went on to feature in his own animation. Walt Disneys art style developed over time, with his new characters such as Bambi and Snow White featuring a new style with eyes with pupils, rather than Mickeys black eyes. His love of nature inspired him to draw animal characters, with large personalities, featuring in their own animations. Disney's art style has inspired me throughout my life, and in this project I want to study his character designs to give a Western look to the predominantly Japanese style of Manga.

Bioshock infinite research

Bioshock Infinite
A Irrational Games Game
http://www.bioshockinfinite.com/home

Bioshock Infinite is a First person shooter game made by Irrational Games and released in 2013. The narrative follows the story of Booker, a man tasked with rescuing a girl from a city in the sky. 'Set in 1912, players assume the role of former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt, sent to the flying city of Columbia on a rescue mission. His target? Elizabeth, imprisoned since childhood. During their daring escape, Booker and Elizabeth form a powerful bond -- one that lets Booker augment his own abilities with her world-altering control over the environment. Together, they fight from high-speed Sky-Lines, in the streets and houses of Columbia, on giant zeppelins, and in the clouds, all while learning to harness an expanding arsenal of weapons and abilities, and immersing players in a story that is not only steeped in profound thrills and surprises, but also invests its characters with what Game Informer called “An amazing experience from beginning to end."' (http://www.bioshockinfinite.com/the-game/) The game features an Old American style world in the sky, with the buildings and environments having some influence from Victorian buildings. Its unique and beautiful world and characters are all strong inspirations to my work and designs.

Character Design

The character I want to look at in Bioshock for design inspiration is Elizabeth. Having a very Victorian inspired outfit and presence, she presents the perfect influence for my character design. The experimentation of Elizabeth’s clothing features long colourful dresses, conveying a strong resemblance to Victorian dresses worn by upper class women. The close up image of Elizabeth also has a very Victorian look, with the use of skin tone and flushed cheeks, with pouted lips, used in female portraiture of this era to portray the beauty of women. This style of painting and concept art is a style I will experiment with, creating a Victorian look to my female characters through the use of skin tone and expression. The final design for Elizabeth is a mixture of a Victorian style, with modern elements. This is also a style of design I want to explore with my own main character, with the concept art for Elizabeth being very inspirational to my designs.

Environment Designs

I chose to look at the environments in Bioshock Infinite as they are extremely unique and beautiful, and also create a Victorian look with a mixture of modern elements. This is a technique and look I want to explore in my own work. The exterior of the buildings have an old-fashioned look to them, with thin windows and columns, as well as beautiful designs. The high roofs with windows also creates a unique look, with the colours also resembling those used in Victorian times on their homes. With the traditional look of the house at the top of the building, the bottom features technology beyond this era, however it is styled in a way to look similar to the building and not look out of place. The interior of the buildings is also inspirational to my work, as the use of wooden beams on the walls, and patterned wallpaper create a very Victorian look. The use of furniture and colours in the interior of the house are successful in creating an old fashioned look to the buildings, which I will need to implement in my own designs of the interiors of my houses. 

Dishonored research

Dishonored
A Bethesda Game
http://www.dishonored.com/

Dishonored is a first person RPG game made by Bethesda and released in 2013. It features a steam punk themed world, with the main character a magical assassin, with unique powers. ‘You are the once-trusted bodyguard of the Empress. Framed for her murder and driven by revenge, you must become an infamous assassin, known only by the disturbing mask that has become your calling card. As you navigate a world torn apart by plague and oppressed by a government armed with strange new technologies, the truth behind your betrayal is as murky as the waters surrounding the city. The choices you make will determine the fate of the world, but no matter what happens your old life is gone forever.’ (http://www.dishonored.com/#/media) The use of steam punk environments and technology in Dishonored are the key influence in my work, with similar aspects to my own idea. The dark city where the game is based is also inspirational, as it is Victorian styled, in the industrial revolution era.

Character Design
The character design in Dishonored is very steam punk influenced, with a strong resemblance to Victorian Era costumes. The characters I decided to study closely are Emily, the young princess as well as the generic male characters costumes in the game. First of all, Emilys character is a similar age to our own main character, with her design being influential to our characters design. She is also a princess, like our character, so her clothing will match her status and convey this well. Looking at her outfit, we can instantly tell that she is wealthy. This is because of the use of clean, frilled clothes, with the use of the colour white also being used to connote innocence and purity. The use of frills and bows is very Victorian influenced, with her short hair and trousers conveying a tomboyish streak to the girl. The male characters in the game all bare a similar look to those in the Fable games, with the poorer males wearing dirty shirts and trousers, and the upper class men wearing smart, clean suits, with canes. The design of the male characters is quite Victorian looking, with the use of plain, long sleeved shirts and boots for the poor, but the use of top hats, usually used to portray wealth, creates a steam punk fantasy feel to their design. The wealthy are always portrayed wearing long posh suit jackets and collared shirts, with long trousers tucked in long boots. Their appearance is always smart, with hair styled smartly, and always cleanly shaven. This is used to create a strong contrast between the wealthy and the poor in Dishonored. This contrast is something we will need to explore, with our game idea also focusing on a royalty with the poor living in dark cities.

Environment Design

In Dishonored the player explores different environments focused around one city. Therefore, all of the environments follow the same Victorian look. There is a strong contrast in the environments, with the wealthy having large, posh houses, and the poorer sections of the city having run down homes. Studying the image above, there is strong influence from Victorian housing in the structure and design of the building, with the large doorway and windows, and tall chimneys. The house is also made completely of concrete and stone, the more expensive building materials at this time. Looking at the poorer areas of the city the buildings are rusted, and surrounded by sewage. They are also extremely tall, conveying many families living in cramped conditions together. The design of the poorer houses also features a Victorian look, with stone also being used, with some also having wooden beams to support them. The design of the slums is very influential to my work as the poorer section of our world will also be conveyed in a similar way, with the use of darkness and sewage to create an image of disgusting living conditions.