Professional Practice and Engagement Week 1

Design Show and Tell

What is special about this?

My chosen object is my "POP! Vinyl Big Daddy Figure". I selected this object because the Bioshock series has been a huge inspiration for my art. The game world and character design fascinates me. The games, upon purchase, typically come with books that show the visual development of the world and its many characters, all the way from vague sketches to fully developed, coloured, in-world characters with personalities and backstories. (And I love a good back story.) This depth of development allows the audience to fully immerse themselves in that world and invest in the stories that lie within. 

The POP! Vinyl figure is special because it's a physical representation of that character and its world. Typically these figurines are quite minimalist and subtle in their representation of the character. However, the Big Daddy figure is almost as detailed as the game version, including minor details like bolts and laces, with some models having the capacity to light up like the actual in-game character.

How have you incorporated elements of this into your design work/creative practice? 

Above are examples of the character development sketches of the Big Daddy. The intricate detail in the sketches and the thought and care that has gone into designing each mechanical part is inspiring (note the labelled sketch of the drill and all of its parts). Studying these developmental stages inspires me to take this much care with my own work, and to respect the intricacies of design. 

This expands my general interest in Steampunk/character art and design. The work in this style is very technology based. Creating fictional technologies, characters and worlds requires so much imagination and immersion. So I take these processes and development stage sketches and use them to fuel my own creative thinking in character design. I love building up a character using their visual aspects to design personality, habits, alignments and deviations just as I see in Bioshock's character design methods. 

What does this object say about your personality and personal style?

Well firstly, for anyone who has played Bioshock, it would tell them that I like games! I believe this object also says I have a passion for storytelling and character design. It might imply that I like things that are a little different and quirky. It also shows that I have a keen interest in the intricacies of technology design, especially in fantastical, fictional technologies.