What do you think of these characters? (WIP)

capricorn33 · Post by **capricorn33** » Sat May 19, 2007 8:19 pm

EDIT:
Well, this thread started as just an example of some head turns I had made... But whaddayaknow, suddenly I've started developing a whole little family of coneheaded characters and ideas for a little short story is plopping up in my head - much to my annoyment, really; God knows I have heaps of other, real work to do.

Where this will end nobody knows...

But this much I do know; I see this little conehead-project as a pure exercise for myself and I will continue developing it here, in public on this forum, for as long as I find that it's helping me to grow animation-wise and as long as it's still FUN to do.
Maybe it will be completed some day or maybe it won't. Doesn't matter. It's just an exercise.

(Comments are very welcome. But please, tell me about all the things I'm doing wrong, too. I am trying to learn and critique is necessary.)

END OF EDIT

Here is a sample of a new character I'm working on...

I'm mighty inspired by the scale-rotating technique which has been discussed lately on the "tips & tecniques"-department of this wonderful forum.

Here you can find a little animation example too of the head turning:
http://media.putfile.com/cartoonblob-character

The nose is wobbling around a little, losing it's shape...

I'll have to fix that... tomorrow, maybe.

EDIT: ADDED here's a link to a full body view of the "coneman"
http://media.putfile.com/conehead-helfigur

EDIT: ADDED and here is the coney junior
http://media.putfile.com/conehead-junior

Comments are welcome.

DatBoiDrew · Post by **DatBoiDrew** » Sat May 19, 2007 8:24 pm

that was pretty cool

Genete · Post by **Genete** » Sat May 19, 2007 8:25 pm

If the character works don't complicate it with more bones. Just fix the nose with point movement for every extreme pose.

About the character itself I have to say that is is a little ... "conic"? I love to see a complete conic family!!

----
BTW how do you get that kind of interface at putfile.com? I'm a member and have only a n embedded mov or avi. And swf have no controls. Are you an upgrade member?

Best
Genete

capricorn33 · Post by **capricorn33** » Sat May 19, 2007 8:35 pm

Genete wrote: About the character itself I have to say that is is a little ... "conic"? I love to see a complete conic family!!

Yes it's very conic. Inspired by the shape of a sharks head, actually... but he is nowhere as dangerous, this little nice man...

BTW how do you get that kind of interface at putfile.com? I'm a member and have only a n embedded mov or avi. And swf have no controls. Are you an upgrade member?

Eh... no... I opened my free account just half an hour ago. I'm just an ordinary newbie-just-logged-in-for-the-first-time-non-upgrade member.

arthbard · Post by **arthbard** » Sun May 20, 2007 4:35 am

I also like the cone head. Very cool.

oferhod · Post by **oferhod** » Sun May 20, 2007 1:21 pm

Nice, Very smooth!
One day I'll understand that scale-rotating technique

capricorn33 · Post by **capricorn33** » Sun May 20, 2007 10:20 pm

Here's a test on proportions for a full body view of "cone-head".

(It's also a little test using the scale rotate-technique for the modarate turning of the torso... no point animation used, only bones)

http://media.putfile.com/conehead-helfigur

Genete · Post by **Genete** » Sun May 20, 2007 10:33 pm

Very well done!
By the way, did you used animated line width or the flickering comes from the movie conversion?

capricorn33 · Post by **capricorn33** » Sun May 20, 2007 10:39 pm

genete; it's all AS, the "noisy outline" in layer settings...

(there is some frame-flickering in the video which is due to the conversion putfile.com puts on uploaded videofiles, seems like there compressing a lot before they pack it all up in flashfiles... but I assume you where talking about the the noisy lines and not the video quality)

capricorn33 · Post by **capricorn33** » Sun May 20, 2007 10:41 pm

oferhod wrote:Nice, Very smooth!
One day I'll understand that scale-rotating technique

It's worth looking into. It sure helps me a lot...

capricorn33 · Post by **capricorn33** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 2:56 pm

Genete wrote: I love to see a complete conic family!!

Oh, you read my mind there!

Here is an animated file with junior...

http://media.putfile.com/conehead-junior

Junior is still missing working hands... poor bugger...
But maybe he will get something more functional than those.. paddles... one of these days.

C&C are always welcome

(If you're wondering what the boy is saying, I can tell you that it's swedish and he says: "...what if I went really far away? All the way to CHINA!"

Genete · Post by **Genete** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 3:19 pm

Hey! all in this boy is conic!
Very well done and simple and expressive face! I like it.
(I remind me one what still being in love with him: Mike Wazowski (from Monsters Inc. by Pixar) ... Only one aye and what a lot of expressions!!)
-G

patrick · Post by **patrick** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 6:00 pm

Excellent stuff with a good distinctive look.

capricorn33 · Post by **capricorn33** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 7:19 pm

Thanks, patrick and genete...

Yes, Genete, monsters inc is a very good inspiration, isn't it?
I re-saw it a couple of weeks ago. The Pixar animation of course is astonishing - but what I like best about it is that it is a very good story, too.

Meanwhile Coneman's family is growing...

But I am having a hard time deciding on little conyes mother...
maybe something like this...

...or maybe not.

I tried a slimmer and cuter version first but didn't like it much. This one, on the other hand, looks like she's about to sell you cigars or something...

I think I'll try something different. Little coney is too young to start smoking.

JCook · Post by **JCook** » Fri Jun 08, 2007 12:51 pm

I really like these characters. And the animation is excellent. I haven't tried out this method yet, but I'm going to look into it. Can't wait to see more of this character (or characters!).

Jack