Shading Style Guide

Updated background style guide

Background style guide

Building Character:

• Think about sprouts, seeds, and new growth. The resturant could be a seed surrounded by the other buildings, or pushing up through them. Try to keep the architecture less cartoony, but push a little more organic shapes into the designs.
• Keep to the 2/3 - 1/3 guide. The top 1/3 of any shape (anything from a whole building to the door or lamp post) should have organic shapes and ornate designs. The bottom 2/3 should be stalky, stem like.
• Keep focus on the ground floor
• Areas of repeated details (Like the lines in an archway) should be equal distance but slightly offset from each other. 

If you have questions leave a comment.

Thoughts on the characters...

These are my thoughts on the initial designs, combined with what we've seen so far in exploration.  The questions suggest what is most unresolved in my mind...if there are questions you think I should be asking that I'm not, let me know.  Also, what I say I like in the designs is subject to change if you have any better ideas.  But we'll go with those things if nothing else comes up.

Pap`a:  

Bullish neck, strong nose, barrel chest and large forearms all suggest his aggressively protective personality.  Also, those elements combined with his hairy chest make him a very manly-man.  That juxtaposed against his flowing angel robes emphasize how uncomfortable he is in his new role.  He's used to using his imposing presence to protect his daughter...but not anymore.  To me, the fact he's balding and has a mustache gives him some fatherly warmth (maybe that's just because that's how my dad looks).  The bald head and bags under his eyes suggest a man who worries about his daughter.  His eyes above all should show us his soul - the tenderness he has for his daughter, years of concern for her welfare, and deep love.  Beneath all his gruffness, he really is a big softy.

Questions - He makes Mindy laugh.  Can we incorporate a little more jolliness in his design?  How does he look when he smiles?

Mindy:

Elegance and sweetness.  Longer neck and sloped shoulders capture that, I think.  Wide eyes and round cheeks (baby-face) suggest innocence and sweetness.  Her longer torso ties her to her father, in contrast to (Steve?)'s longer legs.  I feel the most potential for an iconic quirk will be in her smile.

Questions - After exploration, I think she just needs to be pretty.  Call me lame.  How can we maintain that but get some iconic quirks?  How bubbly vs reserved is she?  How does she smile, how does she laugh? How European should we make her look?  How much can we mess with body proportions (but maintain the feeling of a delicate, sweet girl her father wants to protect...I'm prone to say keep her slender)?  

Steve (Formerly): 

Long legs, short torso, short chin.  He's overcoming a lack of confidence. (Maybe not as short of a torso as I've drawn...).  Large nose says he's kind of goofy. Gentle eyes.  His clothes and hair have a hint of hipster...he has pretty decent style, but emphasizing his quirk.  He's not a jock.  I drew his head too big.

Questions - How can we facilitate his transformation from lack of confidence to confidence in the design?  How un-confident does he act? How does he make Mindy laugh/become more endeared to him? Is there another solution besides the large nose?  Is innocence a good word to describe him?

In all designs: I'm leaning towards Disney/Milt Kahl style (with some of Annette Marnat's organic soft-shapes).  We'll probably go with that unless someone comes up with genius idea to combine in more exaggerated shapes into the mix. (Cloudy, Julien Bizat, some Pixar films, etc.).  I'll work on it too, but so far I haven't come up with a solution that doesn't kill the subtle charm of the characters.  Maybe look at the background reference for shape-language ideas too.

Style Stuff

Background

Here are some reference pictures along with descriptions of why they were selected.  These descriptions aren't the rule for the film, they just express the vision as it currently stands:

Curves, arches, spirals, and circles!  This has the very round, rich feeling we want.

 Paris - Warm, elegant lighting.  

Lyon, France - Elegance in the architecture.  The buildings have a very vertical nature.  However, it feels a little too sterile (gray) and rigid (strong rectangles in masonry)...I'm exaggerating to get the point across.

Italy - The warm colors of the plaster.  Arches again.  Spirals and curves in wrought iron.  Captures a little more of the small-town, home-y feeling.  This is a smaller, cozier part of a larger, elegant city.

Italy - Arches, warm colors, coziness, more intimate space.  Richness added by growing vines.  Maybe a little too busy with all the bricks.

Morocco - Elegance of Paris, warmth of Italy (maybe its just the lighting?)  I like some of the baroque qualities of the balconies.

Paris - Elegant, but also has a tucked-away feel.  Possibly some potential with Art Nouveau, with its sophisticated, organic curves.

Italy - Richness, warm colors (maybe too yellow).  I like the shutters

Italy - Arches, wrought iron, curves, warm colors, string course, tucked away...Just some of my favorite things.  And those are rad trees.  

Somewhere - small street flanked by tall buildings.

Portugal - Cleanliness of France (I hear it's not, but it gives that vibe), but more of the warmth of Italy.  Lots of Italy tends to look Medieval and dirty (that we don't want).

Portugal - Curves of Italy (arches), feels brighter and happier.

Small street with walking space/table space.  Hills are cool.

(Portugal)

Cozy, tight, intimate. 

Contrasted against...

Open spaces.  Playing with space can add texture to the environment.

(Portugal)

Some summarization (spell checker informs me I just made a new word):

 Elegance and the  vertical nature of France/Paris, mixed with the warmth, richness, and curves of Italy gives us some of the feel we want.  Perhaps the bottom level is more Italian, particularly the restaurant, while the upper levels of our imagined city are more Parisian.  

Portugal and Morocco each capture interesting elements of the former two countries, but beware the tourist-y feeling.  The characters live here and are not on a cruise.

Rough Style Guides

Character

Setting