A Strange Traveller
Conceptual Character Design
Character Concept Art
Brief / Character Description:
A small sleepy suburb in early 1950’s America is visited by a strange traveller. They have an appearance resembling an average human however they aren’t of regular height, their limbs don’t match their stature, and their ‘face’ doesn’t have features one might think stereotypically ‘human’. They’re dressed in clothes akin to the time period, however they seem mismatched - almost as if they have misunderstood how to dress themselves properly. It’s unclear as to whether this traveller is (or was) ever human. They don’t come across as inherently malevolent, however they still make those that they come into contact with feel extremely uncomfortable.
My Concept
In response to this brief, I explored the idea of an extraterrestrial time traveller. They travel through different time periods, collecting clothes to blend in with their environment, but sometimes forget that they are wearing things from the wrong era. They have seen the world and all of its history; the 90s rave scene is their favourite. When visiting the American suburb in the 1950s, they try to fit in and style themselves in typical 50s clothing, but they just can't seem to get it quite right.
Process
Research and reference boards
1950s Fashion
1990s Rave Scene
1950s Hair and Makeup
Reference images for creating movement
Initial Exploratory Sketches
I started drawing iterative designs with rapid idea production based on my research, focusing on the ideas rather than the drawing's finish level.
Once I had produced a wide range of sketches, I took them into Photoshop and combined elements and ideas from several drawings that I both liked but which also worked well with my concept to create some new, more refined drawings.
Development of Drawings
Based on these new iterations, I created the character 'Betsy', and gave her two friends. I used my favourite elements and ideas from my previous Photoshop sketches.
