KING ARTHUR
Character Design was the course I was most excited to take in HIT; this is my thing! Consistently, the one major thing I learned in my time in HIT was that the more I learned about anything, the more I realized I knew nothing. And I was excited to strengthen my existing knowledge in character design further.
So King Arthur felt like a good place to start; I am a fan of exaggerated proportions, big swords, and facial hair that deserves the holy crown of Camelot.
THE PROCESS
And it all started from this. Frankly, I am still pretty fond of this hulking mountain of a man, but other than the crown on his proportionally minuscule head, he didn't seem like a king. More like a monster you'd find at the end of a dungeon guarding a treasure chest lost to the ages. Could you imagine this guy on a horse? I could- and it's not a pretty sight.
So, back to the drawing board I went.
So, back to the drawing board I went.
Moving along, I've arrived at this lovely chap here.
His head was exposed for this loyal subject to see; I've added the holy sword Excalibur (which I really should've done in the first sketch!) and toned down the literal mountain of a man to a man that is quite large.
This one definitely says "king," but it needed further work. The fun thing about designing characters is that it isn't a linear process. The mental ping pong you do with yourself (or others who are willing to endure your ramblings) opens the eyes to endless possibilities of where to take the character;
And I knew I needed to push it further.
And finally, we've arrived at the current iteration of the character.
Clad in silver armor, draped in red, white, and blue, and trimmed in gold. When I imagine a holy king, I see this in my head.
As wide as he is tall, King Artur is an imposing figure but also a kind ruler. His stature and giant sword speak volumes of his strength, but he also smiles and frowns with his mustache for that fatherly vibe that should come from a wise, noble king.
