TASK 7: SEA OF GHOSTS IANTHE (FINAL DESIGN)

         I spent the last 2 weeks coming up with a few designs for the character of Ianthe from Sea of Ghosts - a book from the Gravedigger Chronicles. After finishing the book and compiling a list of character notes, I noticed she had two main appearances in the book - a slave peasant and the well dressed Unmar girl. 

After coming up with a few designs for both appearances, it seemed to me Ianthe as a slave peasant seemed more appealing as a character visually, I think it represented her character more affectively - the worn down girl who's had the worst of days. The final design is below.

This was by far, my favourite design, so I chose it. Why? Well, it was the most faithful, yet most creative, extravagant and interesting design of them all. Everything, the pose, the face, the clothes, the accessories, they all reflect Ianthe perfectly in my eyes, whilst proving a design that doesn't conform to the expected.

However, I did change the design slightly. My other favourite design of the peasant wear sketches was the one that was the most basic (the far left peasant design). So, to break things up, I decided to add some loose cloth that connected the chest and the waist. I regret this decision greatly, it ended up making the design less interesting as a result - easily changed though!

In all, I'm over the moon with the final design of Ianthe. Although there's some room for improvement in the design and when my drawing skills are in question, I believe it came out to the best of my ability. Things I need to improve on with my drawing? Cartoon like faces, Hobbit feet and thin Golem hands. Although, I believe I've come a long way since my first drawing!

NEXT POST: TASK 8: WEAPON AND ARMOUR DESIGN (ARMOUR)

TASK 7: SEA OF GHOSTS IANTHE (ROUGH SKETCHES)

       Below are the initial sketches/ ideas of the character given to me by my tutor. The character Ianthe from Sea of Ghosts (part of the Gravedigger Chronicles) has two states during the book - a slave girl and a well dressed Unmar girl. 

    To ensure that the final design is successful, I explored both ideas in order to develop a comprehensive knowledge of Ianthe. Details such as the clothing, the face and the accessories were all explored in order to make an informed decision as to which design to polish for the final concept. The initial sketches are below.

DRESS (1 and 3): Both the left and right dress adopt a more extravagant theme. It appears almost magical and in both, Ianthe looks elegant and beautiful. I like the complexity of these dresses and how they reflect the fantastical atmosphere of the book, but the characters themselves don't reflect Ianthe as a character very well. However, out of the two designs, the right hand dress is my favourite. If I was to design one of these, it would be that one for sure - I love it.

DRESS (2): Here, I took the details from the book and nothing else, then designed the dress. What is left, is a basic but faithful representation of Ianthe. However, to me, it completely lacks any interesting characteristics. One thing I will highlight as a positive though, is how Ianthe has a shackle on her left arm. That is a detail I would definitely keep.

PEASANT WEAR (1): This design is inspired by the exact details given from the book. However, these details weren't that specific. Although basic and stereotypical, this design, I believe, is effective. In addition, her figure and posture reflect her elegance and slender physical appearance mentioned in the book. A key design aspect is that her torn clothes loosely hag over her breasts. However, although effective, she appears too old here.

PEASANT WEAR (2): Retaining the same materials and colours mentioned in the book, this design is a bit more creative - she wears a torn overcoat this time and her hair is more intimidating. The idea was to design something a little more interesting and reflect Ianthe's independence and assertiveness. Again, her clothes loosely hag over her breasts.

PEASANT WEAR (3): My least favourite of the designs. However, the idea was to stray away from the details in the book, changing the grey to white for a more realistic take on peasant wear. In addition, she also hold the Unmar crystal.

PEASANT WEAR (4): The most extravagant idea, whilst still staying faithful to the book. Here, Ianthe is thin, young, intimidating, yet weak. All of the details mentioned in the book have been considered here but what I like about this design, is how is it strays from the expected, resulting in the most interesting design of them all - a personal favourite of mine.

FACE (1): Although never mentioned in the book, this design is more beaten and worn down to reflect her current state. This, I assume, would be the face used if I was to concept Ianthe in the peasant wear rather than the dress. As a further note, her facial expression, along with the bruises and cuts, reflect a more aggressive Ianthe. Again, more suited to when she wore peasant wear.

FACE (2): A younger, kinder face. The idea here was to reflect her youth and elegance she is often described with. A combination of this and the first face for the final concept?

UNMAR SPECTACLES: A key part of the story, the spectacles have a more magical look than the costumes. I implemented the mechanical dials as well as the extravagant colours of the world Alan Campbell created. The idea was to have a contrast between the clothing and the spectacles. 

SHACKLES: These are basic, stereotypical shackles. The only design choice here is the colour. I opted from a rusted iron look to convey to atmosphere of the Granger's jail.

Now all I need to do it choose a design and polish it up!

NEXT POST: TASK 7: SEA OF GHOSTS IANTHE (FINAL DESIGN)

TASK 7: SEA OF GHOSTS CHARACTER (IANTHE)

     I read the book, loved it, went into University, chose from a random selection of folded pieces of paper and pulled out the name "Ianthe". Not exactly what I hoped for, but I am more than happy designing Ianthe. She was probably my favourite character and personality from the book. Yes, she might not been the most described character in the book, but from what I have read and collected, it is more than enough to design her character as true to the source material as possible.

IANTHE

• 16 Years Old
• Daughter of Hana.
• Beautiful girl - slender
• Jet black hair, dark eyebrows - tapered to point.
• Olive skin, pale blue eyes, full lips, slender nose, tiny bump on nose.
• Stunted height.
• Clothing: Ankle length pink and yellow striped satin frock - puffy arms. Fancy lace frills.
• Weapons: Heightened senses.
• Angry, judgemental, resentful, strong, resilient.

  

    The notes here focus on Ianthe;s most common outfit - the pink and yellow dress. However, I find the idea of peasent wear more appealing when it comes to reflecting chracter. To me, Ianthe isn't this higher class girl, shes a girl who seen the worst and it should show. I guess we'll see which designs I prefer when I devlop some initial sketches and concepts. Either way though, I'll explore both ideas equally before choosing a final design.

NEXT POST: TASK 7: SEA OF GHOSTS IANTHE (ROUGH SKETCHES)