Adaptation: Elves Designs/Samples

I've been trying to test different body types and different shapes for my elves characters. 

Adaptation: Norse Symbols/Art

Elves are associated with Norse mythology. Norse mythology symbols and art could be used in my characters clothes as patterns so it could give the cultural and historical sense of where elves originally come from.

Adaptation: Elf Sketches/Designs

My elf characters are 2 siblings a brother and a sister. There are some differences between the 2 siblings. More detailed sketches and samples will be uploaded soon.

These are some basic poses for my character. The main feature of the poses include happy gestures and poses resembling children poses.

Critical Perspectives - Presentation

Maya:Goals, Instances, & Sprites

Adaptation: Artistic Influence

This contains retro/vintage illustrations from the fairytales book of Brother Grimms.  The abstract designs and the color tones could be used in my characters although what I'm aiming is not exactly in this artistic map it can be really helpfull.

Adaptation: Research Elves

"The Ash Yggdrasil" (1886) by Friedrich Wilhelm Heine.

Elves are being perceived as divine and supernatural beings.  Through history and mythology they are associated with a group of gods in Norse mythology interacting with fertility, wisdom and even with the ability to see the future. The cosmos in Norse mythology consist of Nine Worlds flanked a central cosmological tree, Yggdrasil. Units of time and elements of the cosmology are personified as deities or beings. The northernmost extension of Germanic mythology, Norse mythology consists of tales of various deities, beings, and heroes derived from numerous sources from both before and after the pagan period, including medieval manuscripts, archaeological representations, and folk tradition. 

Freyr God of fertility.

Elves come from Vanir which is a group of gods in Norse mythology. (One of the two groups of gods in Norse mythology)  After a war between the gods of Vanir and Esir they were divided and they are often called from Æsi.  There are different types of elves. There are the black-elves "svartálfar" which resemble dwarfs and the rest of them are being called light-elves "ljósálfar" which has been associated with Freyr, the god of fertility. Freyr and Freyja are the most prominent Vanir gods who join the Æsir as hostages after a war between Æsir and Vanir. 

Black Elves "svartálfar".

Light Elves "ljósálfar".

Black-elves are considered to be living under rocks and in the forests while light elves are living on the ted in heaven, and are "fairer than the sun to look at". The Vanir appear to have mainly been connected with cultivation and fertility and the Æsir were connected with power and war.

Adaptation: Babies Poses

I've been looking baby poses and shapes because my elves have the characteristics of happy newborn babies/infants.  Reference in movement and action poses could be taken from babies/infants and small children.

Adaptation: Whimsy Style

These are mostly pillows with creatures characteristics, this is the style I'm following for my characters. The softness of the shapes and the whimsies of the pillows is what I'm trying to achieve.

Maya Dynamics 2: Goals, Instances, & Sprites

Maya Dynamics: Collision (Metal Objects Sparks)

Adaptation: Elves Character Samples

These are some characters samples I made for the character of elves. 

Adaptation: Speed Painting

Another speed painting including a concept I though with some elves as evil creatures in a cave.

Adaptation: Influence Maps

Toys - Dolls

I have been researching and trying to find toys and dolls including elves and fantastic creatures because of the simplicity of their shape and because of their artistic direction.

Shoes

Because my story contains shoes and is a main theme of the fairytale I'm adapting my characters I have tried to find leather retro shoes which could influence me and give me reference for the shoes that the elves are making for the poor shoemaker.

Wood Carvings

Reference for my elves could be taken from wood carvings which are being made on wood. Elves are fantastic nature's creatures which connect instantly with wood and nature.  

Adaptation: Ladybird's Illustrations

These are some of the pages from Ladybird's book "The Elves and the Shoemaker".
I haven't included all the pages from the book, the ones I'm attaching  are interesting to see their illustrative characteristics in the characters of the story and the artistic style which is being used which can help me and influence me for my character design.

Adaptation: Influence Ceramics

These are some ceramic objects I have found with simple shapes and soft forms which can influence me on the designs of my character. Also the artistic approach on the majority of them with simple face expressions gives them a nice style which I want to adapt on my characters.

Adaptation: "The Elves and the Shoemaker" Research

Maya Dynamics: Active Passive Rigid Bodies, Particle Collision

(Due do to errors in hardware render I post a playblast)

Adaptation: Speed Painting

A speed painting I made about a concept including a house into a forest.

Maya Dynamics: Emit from surface

Adaptation: Character Sketches

These are some sketches I made for my characters.

Adaptation: Influence Map: Toys

This is an influence map including childrens toys in simple round shapes. This is the style I want to use on my characters.

Adaptation: Simple Form Styles

These are some styles of children's illustrators that feature simple forms and style which can influence my character designs:

Eric Carle

Eric Carle's illustrations and style of coloring his drawings are a great example of how effective can be simple forms. Also they create a nice charming effect which suits a children audience.

Charley Harper

Charley Harper's illustrations and designs are a great influence. The simplicity of the shapes create an abstract effect  which is very effective. The forms are very artful and could adapt into characters intended for children.

Maya Dynamics: Emit from particles (Fireworks2)

Adaptation: Possible Other Fairytales

As I've been researching for fairytales in order to adapt on.  I have found a few interesting fairytales:

-Snow White and Rose Red by the Grimm Brothers

-Rumbelstinskin by the Grimm Brothers

-The Frog Prince by the Grimm Brothers

-The Stones Soup a folk tale

-Mr Vinegar by Joseph Jacobs

-The Four Children who went around the world by Edward Lear

-The Inchape Rock by James Baldwin

-The Three Sprinters by Brothers Grimm

-Beautiful as the Day by E.Nesvit

-The Tree Dwarfs from Andrew's Lang Red Fairy Book

Though I found some interesting points in terms of character design and digital sets in all of them. I've still not decided on which I will adapt.  From my last tutorial with Alan he suggested me to find a charmy story on which I could adapt and target a young audience with a simple and effective style. Due to some obligations I had to travel back home and lost one tutorial and I've been a little bit behind.

Although the story on which I'm thinking to adapt on is "The elves and the shoemaker". A not reasonably charming story but my aim if I will get the green light to elaborate on is to create and transform the characters in a style which will reflect a childrens audience.

Adaptation: Speed Painting

A speed painting with a concept I thought from the fairytale "The Elves and the Shoemaker".

Maya Dynamics: Curve Flow - Motion Path Dynamics

Maya Dynamics: Curve Emitter - Water Foam

Adaptation: Possible Fairytale

This is the fairytale I will possibly adapt on in terms of character design and prop designs for an animation.

The Elves and the Shoemaker, a classic story by the Grimm Brothers. I was told this story since I was a little children and always was intrigued by the mysterious little elves and found the story charming.

The elves and the shoemaker are interesting characters to adapt on. In terms of character design the style I will choose will be pretty simple and charming in order to suit with my target audience which will be childrens and adults.  I could also elaborate on the props of the elves further from the story as long as on the props of the shoemaker (house, tools e.t.c) 

Adaptation: Speed Painting

This is a speed painting of a concept I thought for my adaptation project. Including a treehouse located in a magic forest at night where everything gets alive. 

Adaptation: Influential Art Styles

For the fairytale I will choose to adapt I have found some children book illustrators that influence me with their illustrations and their work.

Quentin Blake

Quentin's Blake illustrations come straight from children's imagination. Also the colors and the simplicity is a key element I want to achieve in my project.

Lydia Monks

The simplicity of the characters and the childlness that is being reflected in these illustrations is a great example and a great influence of how characters from the fairytale I will choose could be projected.

Mick Inkpen

These simple charming designs of animals and in general the characters are really effective in a kids perspective and are also influential.

Adaptation: Fairytales

These are some possible fairytale stories that I could use for my adaptation. I'm aiming a target audience of children and adults. 

I've found the fairy tales of the Grimm Brothers and Hans Christian Andersen's pretty classic and suitable with their meanings and stories for my adaptation project. I'm in between a few of them in choosing one for my adaptation project and elaborating in terms of environment and character design. Their contents and meanings are contemporary and suitable for an audience of children and adults.

The Old man and his Grandson painting from Domenico Ghirlandaio.

The Old Man and his Grandson: Tells the story of an old man being neglected by his family because of his age. One day while eating his hands were so shaky that he dropped the bowl he was eating from and broke it. His son and daughter in law got angry with him and forced him to eat from the stove. One day the 4 year old son of the family was playing with wood and made a through for his parent to eat while they were old enough like his grandfather. 

-The story could be adapted into a children's perspective world in a fascinating charming way that could transfer the message of caring and not neglecting the people around you.

The Elves and the Shoemaker Illustration from Lucy Crane's 1886 edition.

The Elves and the Shoe Maker: Tells the story of a desperate shoemaker who is being helped by mysterious elves during the night as he falls to sleep. The story begins by the shoemaker leaving the leather cuts in the night to prepare them the next day. As he wakes up he finds the leather made into perfect shoes, this happens a few more times and he finally discovers the elves that help him. In the end he makes some nice clothes with his wife for the elves.

-This story could be adapted into a more ambiguous story with a more perspective ending. Also the characters of the story could be transformed into something different than the ones in the fairytale in order to be more fascinating into a children's and adults audience.

Little One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes art of Xindi Yan.

One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes: Tells the story of three sisters who were different, each of them had  different eyes than the other. The two sisters with the one and three eyes are picking on their sister who had two eyes. The all three live far away from other people in a forest. They don't give enough food and they misbehave on their two eye sister. A witch is being helping the two eye sister with some magic but her sisters discover it and treat them even worse. In the end the two eye sister is being saved from a knight and leaves her sister who were treating her bad.

-This story could adapted in order to show the importance of individuality. Again the style of the animation will play a significant role in order to fit into children's perception and imagination. 

Thumbelina, Illustration by Vilhelm Pedersen Andersen's first illustrator.

Thumbelina: Is a classic story which refers to a tiny girl who was the daughter of a desperate woman who wanted desperately a little child and visited a fairy who helped her. She gave birth to a little children who named her Thumbelina after her Lilliputian size. Thumbelina goes through many adventures during the fairytale by meeting other animals who want to marry her and being lost. In the end she finds a prince in her size and finally the marry and live together. 

-This story also could be adapted with some changes in the storyline which will make it simpler and easier to understand. Also the theme which Hans Christian Andersen implies through the fairytale of finding the true love and succeeding by all difficulties is something nice presentable and achievable to adapt for a children and adult audience.