Baths of Caracalla and the Long Overdue Progress Update

For the past month, much of my energy has been on the development of the Bathhouse of Caracalla. An elaborate bath spa complex completed in Rome under the emperor Caracalla by around 216 AD. This enormous complex served as a communal bath house for the City of Rome, but it was so much more; it had the typical setup of three bath rooms but also a gymnasium, libraries and was surrounded by avenues of shops that would have sold everything from fine linen to freshly cooked snack food.

  What got me most interested in this project was the opportunity to design fine architectural features. Decorated composite Ionic-Corinthian columns, veneered marble, columns both structural and decorative, expansive layouts and grand hallways covered in recessed stonework. It still feels like I have only started but the layout so far is already looking rather beautiful.

And that's not even getting into possible props for the location like water, incense burners, oil lamps, potted plants, tables, benches, seats, the list goes on!

  I found myself reintroduced to xNormal, a piece of software for converting 3D geometry into 2D maps for lower resolution models. While still possessing some shortcomings, I wouldn't have close to the level of detail I have managed to push out of this project without it.My PC, and any potential rendering engine, could have overloaded with the amount of detail required to make this project even remotely convincing.

If it wasn't evident already, one of my favourite parts has been the columns. The capitals were initially a by-eye estimation, but after doing research into the carious types of columns I realised there was much more to them than any old fancy decoration. There was an artistry to the classical column which I needed to replicate.

  Without xNormal, these columns couldn't have been as detailed as they are. The same can be said of the terracotta roof.A large building would require many terracotta tiles, but individual instances of these could have been a nightmare to visualise on even a high-end PC. With xNormal I have been able to simplify the geometry by a huge margin. Still rather detailed, but to a degree that is much more manageable.

One of the advantages to the symmetry of classical buildings is a lot of what is featured on one side of the building is present down to the last brick on the other side. I find this does cut down my workload, as I only need to worry about once side of the building. Bring that up to a high standard and I can then swap everything over on the other side.

  There is still quite a lot to do. What I have been thinking for a while however is to bundle many of these elements into kits for sale on ArtStation so other aspiring artists and architects can use them for their own architectural projects. The common elements like pillars, walls and ceilings should be easy enough to bundle together. I am still deciding however if the roof tiles would be a kit on their own or if I combine them with the wall and column kits. If anyone is in need of the geometry for a Roman style non-reinforced concrete dome I would be happy to oblige!

  The more I finish though, the more I feel there is more to do. This has been an interesting project so far, but the itch to move on to something else is starting to set in. When I showed a friend a block-out for a mountain palace I had sketched out a couple of years ago to alleviate some fatigue, he thought it would be a great showcase for level design. I might do the same to keep things fresh and avoid the onset of single-project focus fatigue.

The real baths of Caracalla took some five or six years to build with hundreds of labourers working and stone from across the Empire (Egyptian marble was one prominent material) hopefully me all on my own doesn't take nearly that long to complete this rendition of a major Roman landmark.

Ridgewell Castle Chapel

  One of the primary focal points of castle life is the humble chapel. A place of community for everyone without access to the lord's great hall. Where knight and peasant alike can revere the divine together (unless the knights have their own chapel). These buildings were expensive constructions due to the embellishments made both inside and outside, it was kind of neccessary given that even as structures inside fortifications, they were still places of worship. Glass windows, a wooden alter, tapestries and a lavishly decorated interior. So they weren't always large buildings, but were often well decorated.

  It was somewhat difficult to find a modest example of a castle chapel, those that weren't part of castles later abandoned or integrated into the keep were expanded and embellished as the importance of a castle as a defensive structure lessened towards the end of the Medieval era.

  For Ridgewell Castle I decided to not go too fancy, as this is a castle watching for threats from outside, with amassing wealth only being a priority in the rare times when threats of attack were less likely than remote. But on reflection this current design is hardly the best I could have done for the kind of atmosphere I was working toward. So I might revisit the design later as this is one of the more important buildings of castle life.

  For the chapel design I went for a whitewashed surface as this was a popular thing to do to decorate bare stone. It's a common trope for depicting the middle ages as a time full of bare stone buildings, but more commonly a building would have a whitewash. A lime and chalk paint that was easy to make and cheap to apply. Lime whitewash goes very well with masonry and can make the building much nicer and brighter than basic exposed stone. An important point to consider as this chapel is located far to the north where there would be long dark winters and only a mildly sunny summer. So it would work against the castle's habitability to be drab and gloomy with worn stone.

  The northern location is also the reason for the angle of the chapel's roof. Situated so far north, there's going to be lots of snow and lots of rain. Lots of rain requires good drainage, lots of snow means lots of weight will be put on the roof of the building during the winter as snow settles. A steep roof will make it more difficult for snow to cling to the tiles, taking pressure off the sides further near the apex. The extra 'lip' is useful for drainage. The beams that hold the roof up can rest flatly on the walls of the building while you have an extra section to project drainage off the side.

  Castle roofs in Ridgewell Castle follow this idea due to the location, especially the towers where there are actually two walls - the protruding battlements and then the main body wall. But I find it is also quite aesthetically attractive so it might be very useful on much taller buildings while smaller buildings like huts or shops have a more flush design, as this technique means more money is spent on timber.

  Before I go back to the chapel however I need to play out the rest of the castle as otherwise I'll be stuck on detailing and never make any progress. It wasn't a complete time-sink however as it gave me practice for modular components and elements that could be shared with other parts of the castle including the keep. For other services in Ridgewell I will need, besides reworking the keep:

• stables
• blacksmith
• stonemason
• apothecary
• barracks
• armoury
• granary
• kitchen

  Maybe a couple of other buildings that will come to mind.

  The stable is already partially blocked out. Occupying a position at the far end from the gatehouse that can be seen on one of my earlier progress shots. Current progress however still leaves plenty of other buildings, some of which I suppose could be placed against or within present structures like the tower opposite the keep. As can be sen below.

  The YouTube channel "Shadiversity" has been an incredible resource for this project so far. Shad himself is a house builder by trade who has in recent years applied his knowledge into understanding how castles were constructed and how they function. He does his own research, both primary and secondary such as an authentically-approached wooden castle for his children in his back garden, and has a following as enthusiastic about castles as he is. A good deal of the inspiration I've had on roofing inspiration, and my own investigations, has come from how own research into why many castle roofs appeared to flare outward. It even gave me ideas on how Ridgewell Castle's towers would be roofed.

Four: Improving Her Eyes

  Speaking to Alan today I took a minor detour on rigging Four to work on her eye. I want ot try something less human-looking so to start with I experimented with a few eye forms. Currently I like 2 and 6, Speaking with Phil and asking Alan for help in how to install one, I also implemented the idea of a nictitating membrane. A third eyelid that some animals possess to protect their eyes. In Four's case, it would be used to allow her to see while swimming in water.

  A texture still needs to be applied but the mechanics for the membrane currently work.

I plan to rework the geometry of the eye at some point but at the moment that is a secondary priority to finishing off the skinning process, which is almost halfway done.

Major Project: Some Primary Research

  I've been mostly out of commission today after a bit of a bug. Regretting that a sudden bout of illness might stop me from watching Alien with the First-years on Tuesday I booted up Alien: Isolation this evening in order ot perform a photo-gathering opportunity. Because it's a computer game it's not a perfect rendition of the interiors of the 1978 classic, but it comes close. ANd it has still given me ideas of how to build my base.

  I gathered several dozen screenshots ingame, I chose Alien: Isolationn as it has been critically hailed as an extremely authentic replication of the original Alien universe. The ship you use to arrive at the space station where most of the game takes place is even said to be the same model as the Nostromo - complete with an authentic medlab, hypersleep chamber, and mess hall.

When I walked in she said "I feel like death". Creative Assembly you're doing a bang-up job.

I'm not spoiling but I think I figured this guy out after about thirty seconds talking with him.

  I also did some corridor snapping because that's one of the areas I haven't built up as much as the rest of the base. The downside is the environments within the game are very dark. Tweaking the brightness-contrast filters is a definite priority for any reference images.

  My plan for my condition is to get as much rest as possible. The sooner I feel like I am in a condition to work, the sooner I can get back to the concept art and the camera work. Fortunately I have had some thinking time so once my head stops spinning for long enough I could pull out my sketchbook.

Major Project: Inventory

Looking over my inventory list I decided to break it down into three parts ordered by how critical they are for the story to progress. Key objects are objects that have a story-relevant part to play, Priority objects are anything that helps considerably to sell the world, and clutter is items that serve as set-dressing to make the world feel more real.

Key Objects

isolation units, x-ray/MRI pictures, coffee mug, phone, computer terminal

Priority Objects

Lab tables, stools, executive desk, scientific reports, office chair

Clutter

Newspapers, pens, centrifuges, test tube racks, grant certificate, executive chair, bed, chairs, cupboards, base map, food tins, wires

With a better idea of what props to use I can understand which props must be made first and foremost, going though the list as time and resources allow.

Major Project: Third Time Is The Charm

  Confident after some initial drawings (below) I tried refining some ideas, going into more outlandish designs that could come from the puffy juvenile form I'm keeping with. I kind of like the amphibian forms - they relate to the swampy environment, they're somewhat bizarre and it's a form that could develop from the pudgy mass Four emerges from its cocoon as. They could also have some translucency to them (something I might need to practice drawing) to add that alien feel. I think I've hit the start of something that I could explore further.

These below were from a previous post today but I'm including them for context. 9-21 were I think when I started getting into my stride with this.

  Additionally, for the base I have taken to examining the original television show Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, which was broadcast in 1967. It's not 1970s but there are possible signs of the trends that would mark the 1970s within the show. It's more mature and serious than it's predecessor Thunderbirds, for one.

Major Project: Bug Thumbnails

  Today's been mostly about my bug. I had this though after discovering a scanning electron microscope (SEM) photograph of a hydrothermal worm. These seep-sea worms are tiny, the size of bacterium but the thing that intrigued me most was they had jaws and teeth. So I wondered, to add to the chill factor, if Four could have this kind of mouth, that opens to reveal another mouth.

Figure 1: A hydrothermal worm (Crassous)

  Beyond this, I want to refine the adult form so I can get a good sense of the larval form. I'm leaning towards the blobby slugs Ginger and Fred from Splice as inspiration for when Four first emerges from the soil.

Figure 2: Perhaps the definition of ugly-cute (That Was A Bit Mental, 2015)

Image References

• Figure 1: Crassouls, P., unknown [A Hydrothermal worm]; Crassouls 3 PhC-C; available at https://www.fei.com/uploadedImages/FEISite/Content/Image_Gallery/Images/IM_20100225_Crassous_3_PhC-C_lg.jpg (last accessed 3rd October 2016)
• Figure 2: That Was A Bit Mental, 2015; [Perhaps the definition of ugly-cute]; Splice Pic 6; available at https://thatwasabitmental.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/splice-pic-6.jpg (last accessed 3rd October 2016)

Outpost Inspiration: Chris Foss and Angus McKie

A friend of mine was discussing his experiences with No Man's Sky today. He showed some screenshots he had picked up, and mentioned conceptual artist Chris Foss. Foss was a powerful inspiration in the 70s, working on Dune (1977, which I might watch today for ideas), Alien and more recently Guardians of the Galaxy.

Figure 1 (Rowe, 2015)

Foss's work however is highly iconic. But I am getting a feel for the key elements of the work that was iconic of his era: Bold lines, blocky shapes, bold colours, fairly simple but sleek structures, but more textured and colourful than the Apple aesthetic that has dominated future-thinking science fiction over the past few years.

Figure 2 (Simotron, 2011)

  Another possible influnece is Angus McKie, Who again looked at vibrant colour palettes and key lines. This work is a useful influence for the design of the outpost.

Image References

• Figure 1: Rowe, A., 2015; Chris Foss Planet Of The Dying Sun; available at https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kmkIHnAmij4F8SUTBLN4o3P9YOgHyHZK6NgmiJwsC5yRUOkbj1j9rIVFZOcUTsb1bj-9Weaq6v7N9ao_SquKWOn1qgt8aRsjWXH0nc8toJV4jMiTiCea2Et1zuduko8ztjY4UWkHN148/s1600/02+CHRIS+FOSS+-+THE+PLANET+OF+THE+DYING+SUN.jpg (last accessed 2nd October 2016)
• Figure 2: Simotron, 2011; Angus McKie-2; available at https://simotron.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/angus-mckie-2.jpg (last accessed 2nd October 2016)

Major Project: More Logos More Creature Heads

  I got drawing more logos but I feel like I'm honing in on an idea. I was drawn to the W-X combinations like 29 and 37, but also the iconography of 25. I think I can make the W-X combo distinct. I tried playing around with alternatives all the while thinking of how other companies manage it. While the common theme is it's simple and straightforward, designs themselves vary wildly from monograms (Volkswagon,Uber, Virgin, AOL, First Great Western) to iconic (Monsanto, Lloyd's, Birdseye) to abstract (Amtrak,, Ubisoft, Legendary Pictures, Mercedes-Benz). Abstract icons are interesting as there is imagery in their logos. Maybe Smithston-Wessex could simply be something like "Wessex Frontiers" or "Wessex Frontier Interests".

  As suggested by Phil, I spent the afternoon watching Splice. I thought it was going ot be a standard Alien-esque haunted house film due to the marketing angle (the back of the jewel case for instance has such lines as "an uncontrollable mistake that's about to break loose and rip their world apart into tiny pieces"). But it wasn't, and chimed with my story much more closely than I expected. I might have taken inspiration as the creature in it started off quite alien, but over the course of the film developed into something much more human. Its almost a shame the creature developed the way it did as earlier instances such as its baby phase and the first creatures shown - the latter of which were practically blobby translucent slugs - were much more bizarre. But I can understand why it developed the way that it did, as the story had tones that related to parenthood and growing up.

  The themes were there, and I find myself likely to take inspiration away that will help a lot on this project to sell a convincing creature design.

Major Project: Initial Influence Map

  With the script well underway I decided to assemble an influence map for it. I looked not just at visual influences, but story influences too. For the base itself I am tempted towards that 1970s moon-base vibe or maybe something a little more industrial. I'm still keeping away from the sterile iPhone-esque designs that are hallmarks of modern science fiction and felt the moon-base ideas of the 1960s and 1970s were an apt inspiration, as they echo the sort of enthusiasm for reaching away from Earth that Smithston-Wessex want to evoke with their goals.

  David's attitude towards the creature late in the story do echo how Ash from the 1979 film Alien felt about the alien creature brought aboard the Nostromo. Like David, Ash saw a beauty underneath the alien's horrific exterior. In Ash's case it was a twisted kind of appreciation (he considered the creature 'pure'; untainted by notions of morality). Though it feels coincidental David shares his name with the android from Prometheus (2012). For one thing the David in that film acted more like Pinocchio.

EDIT 23/09/2016: I moved one or two of the influences. I felt the way BioShock (2007) dressed its sets was more of an influence on my direction than sharks at the London Aquarium.

Project Proposal (Version Two)

What I propose for a year-long project is:

• One animated Short. Est. 3-4 minutes.
• The animation will be a showcase of:
• Creature design
• Creature animation
• Organic modelling
• Environment design
• Subjects such as creature movement and anatomy will be deeply researched.

Synopsis: Resigned to a lone outpost far from civilisation, a jaded scientist finds a new lease of life. His efforts to escape old feelings of personal guilt and responsibility result in a discovery that gradually heals him, at the risk of his loyalty to the company.

Human characters will not be the focus, but two are planned in order to sell the outpost as a living place.

By the minor project submission date I plan to have ready:

• Production art
• Assembled set geometry
• Completed script
• Completed animatic
• Voice recordings

First Version Major Project Proposal

My proposed project is a year-long narrative project that showcases my ability to create fantastic creatures and place them in a world they know or can explore and discover. This will involve looking at a wide variety of creatures of all shapes and sizes. How they move, how they behave and react and the foundations for those behaviours and movements, and what they say about the personality. The way certain creatures think and how they live within their environments. But also what happens when such creatures live an environment alien to the one they evolved in.

The goal I have for this project is to create a short animation, showcasing my skills in creature design, creature and character animation and selling a world. I want to challenge myself in storytelling, a skill I have been developing more off-campus that I am eager to further develop to help bring to life creatures and the world around them.

The primary idea that I have considered building is a scientist, initially jaded with all but a functional interest in science lost. High in his field but low in confidence to make a mark, and scars that encouraged him to hide from his guilt by running to a distant part of the world where his scars could not follow him. An event happens however that makes him rethink his career, what he's done, until he eventually sacrifices himself in a bid for redemption.

I believe that by January I can have an environment that will be the world to explore. Once I have scripts, bios and profile backgrounds, I can build the concepts.

Major Project: Initial Character Concepts

Smithston-Wessex

Hundred and ten year old company
Formed from merger of two companies - Wessex Organic Technologies and Smithston Frontiers.

Wessex Biowonders is a subsidiary company of Wessex Organic Technologies specialising in biotechnology and genetic engineering. Its stake on the planet is the creation of various biotechnical products from local plant and wildlife that can be used to enhance terraforming efforts on the planet. While it is a company with a strong public image, even appearing enthusiastic about establishing mankind in deep space, Smithston-Wessex is a public company whose board of directors are dedicated to the bottom line and appeasing their shareholders. This puts them at odds with their science staff as the board's demands can be unreasonable at times.

Despite a popular public image, Smithston-Wessex's board are aware of several rising deep-space companies that could surpass them. Some of its board are deeply worried that if things start becoming problematic, the terraforming project could potentially remove Smithston-Wessex from the top spot of the deep space development industry.

The base itself was developed by Smithston Frontiers subsidiary Grayston Frontier Engineering, who specialise in constructing offworld habitats. Grayston also run the base's engineering department. During the story, Grayston take an interest in the material of Four's cocoon. Its lightweight but rigid composition make it a material of interest for construction, body armour and vehicle assembly. Grayston engineers would be fascinated in analysing the creature and how it produces this compound for hibernation.

Handler

Name: David
Age: mid-fifties
Occupation: Lead biotechnician, Outpost Wessex-Choris
Marital status: Married, but relation estranged

A senior biotechnician working for Wessex Biowonders, David Stensson is the lead biotechnician for Smithston-Wessex's efforts to exploit the features of the planet for terraforming. David has worked with Wessex since being offered an apprenticeship after graduating from university. Initially a talented researcher who developed a number of organic petrochemical compounds.

In his later years however his career has fallen into stagnancy. A few years prior to the story, David was working late when his child passed away in hospital. David had been kept at work throughout the period his child was in hospital and after they passed away he took up an opening for a senior position at Wessex's Choria outpost on the far-off planet. He felt that he was not suitable for caring for a child due to company pressure and decided to fully dedicate himself to company efforts.

Although he was a man passionate about the possibilities nature provides for new technologies when he graduated with his doctorate, David has become more jaded as the excitement of his earlier projects become a more distant memory and his reality is of projects he might never gai nrecognition for. He is wholly professional in his behaviour. He is cold, focused and indifferent to the problems of people around him, but approaches his efforts with a cold enthusiasm. Never smiling until his paternal instincts are awakened in his care and excitement for Four.

Wife

Name: Amelia
Age: late forties
Occupation: Senior researcher, Orton Nanotech
Marital status: Married, but relation estranged

The wife of David, Amelia is a senior materials researcher for Orton Nanotech, a partner of Smithston-Wessex. She met David at a conference on the use of micro-scale technologies for exploring and colonising outer space.

Amelia raised a child with David when she was in her thirties. When the child fell ill, she attended it in hospital, comforting it while David was working on a project for Wessex. She has felt mild resentment for David abandoning his responsibilities as a husband and father by moving to the outpost. By the time of the story she has planned a divorce, falling for a colleague at Orton.

Unlike her husband, Amelia has a more positive outlook on life. She still enjoys her career but feels uneasy talking to her increasingly distant husband. By the time of the story, she is following though with a divorce, something she feels uncomfortable doing as it is as she is well aware of the pain it could cause, but hides these feelings aside as David's distance from her eases the pain.

Four

A native to the planet outpost Wessex-Choris is established on, Four is raised within the base overseen by David. As a creature growing up in an alien environment, Four resents his confinement, becoming bitter at the staff until David starts being kinder to him.

As a creature growing up in an alien environment, Four is highly observant of his surroundings, and becomes known for staring at new things and people to understand them. While still a beast, Four is intelligent, good at solving puzzles as the researchers discover, but always longing for the chance to explore the outside.

Major Project: Script Ideas And World Investment

Major Project Draft Two Version Two by Mark Stamp on Scribd

  With work at the internship doen for now, I had a chance this week to devleo pmy major project. Looking back  I felt the last script required much improvement. So looking over and reading though I attempted to make things more fluid. To help me I called my father, a senior scientist, to understand what it was like to work in the industry. While he studies a field that is different to this scientist, there was still a worthwhile discussion that helped me understand how they get along with their colleagues, some things that can happen in the workplace, and the relationships between scientists, their support teams, and any attached engineering department.

  Shortly before working on the revised script, I watched an editorial by internet personality Doug Walker. Who discussed how recent shows like Bojack Horseman, Steven Universe, and even My Little Pony draw such interest from older audiences. One key suggestion was to provide an avenue to invest in the show. Before they could go into much deeper subjects, the audience first needed to form a connection to the world. These however are long-running series, but tackled this by starting simple. Steven Universe's first episode, long before all the exploration the show is famous for, was about Steven trying to get a popular ice lolly with his friends.

  Inspired, I considered making an advert for the company who built this base. True, this will add to the workload as it means another voice artist, more 3D assets and more render time, but I could theoretically cut the load down by providing an 'idealised' view of the outpost, before the camera explores the true base in the film itself, and most importantly keeping the advert to the point. The idea is that it's an introduction to the world. But might also say something about advertising in general in how we are shown elegance, but the reality is rarely as elegant, cheerful or glorious as the aadvert makes out..

Major Project Advert Draft One by Mark Stamp on Scribd

I might trim some of the first paragraph as it feels a little too expositionary. Or I could take influences from television adverts. The aim is the base is trying to be sold - the company wants eager pioneers and researchers for it's ambitious multi-billion-dollar project.

Sketchbook: Fish and Aliens a Colourful Mix

  I was still felling inspired visiting the London Aquarium so while they're not the best studies, I decided to draw some fish, thinking it might help with inspiration over the creature that will appear in the film. Although I was also inspired by watching James Cameron's Aliens on Sunday night (somewhat fitting given Weyland-Yutani's obsession with acquiring a Xenomorph for use as some experimental bioweapon reflects one idea that the creature in the project could be there though some big company looking to use it for commercial purposes.). Halfway though, as demonstrated on the right-hand size of the page, I decided to see what beasties I could fashion out of fish parts. It still feels a little generic at the moment but with time, revision and further inspiration will come something distinct.

There are some truly bizarre creatures that lurk under the surface of our oceans. Not just the classic bizarre creatures like the Angler fish. While at the aquarium I encountered two species of shark in particular: One swam like a manta ray and the other, the aforementioned Nurse Shark, had catfish-like whiskers attached to its nose. Unfortunately I only had my phone camera which takes terrible pictures in low light conditions.

  Still it gave me a few thoughts on how to make a creature that was otherworldly and grotesque. Sketching while watching James Cameron's actionised sequel for Hollywood's most iconic kill-happy alien monsters may have also contributed towards a bit of inspiration. To ad a bit of ferocity maybe adding a touch of shark or eel to the creature is going along the right lines.

Year Three Project: Initial Ideas

  August will be a time where I will be preparing myself for my third year of this degree. I am excited, and a little anxious as this year will be the project that defines me. I arrived on this course as a worldbuilder, so after discussion with Phil, Alan and others I have considered settling on a project that will allow me to tell a story though the environment.

  The idea I have presently considered involves a scientist, recording his observations as a newborn alien specimen, brought in by explorers,  is cared for and matured. As time goes by, the scientist's backers, the company he works for, feels the project is not worth it. Either it is taking too long or there is so far nothing worthwhile coming from studying the creature. The scientist however grows attached to the creature, and when the company has finally had enough they try and shut the project down by force.

The first stage of this project will be to work out who this scientist is. In order to demonstrate character development he needs to warm up, so at the beginning he could be cold and jaded. His peers and juniors could be rockstar-type scientists working on far more interesting projects while he, approaching the end of his career is stuck with this project, which to begin with involves studying quite a simple specimen. He could be a career man: He has family but has sacrificed attachment to them in favour of fostering his career. His wife could have had enough ,frustrated as to why he is spending entire nights in the lab and never coming home. This specimen could be the one thing he has grown attached to for the first time in many years. It could be hideous, a monster on the outside but with the ability for compassion inside.

  The scientist himself, to keep things streamlined, could be only a voice within the animation. While the monster's final form is kept relatively mysterious until the very end.

  The scientist's recordings could be flawed; signs of stress, moments where he has to put the recorder down in order to handle a situation or has to answer a phone call from his bosses. Things are somewhat loose for now, but can solidify as progress with the script is made. Once I have a script, I can work out the true length of the animation, what period the lab would reflect and what the narrative of the laboratory will tell (which will have similarities and differences to what the scientist is saying in his recordings, telling two narratives within the animation).

  I have a basic idea of who this scientist is, what comes next is to make them something more cohesive.

Sketchbook: Birds Of The Natural History Museum

  Attending New Designers 2016 yesterday, I had arrived in London a few hours early to get the most out of my visit to the capital. One thing I decided to do, as I had brought my sketchbook, was to investigate the Natrual History Museum. As I had mentioned in a previous post, I was keen on drawing some birds for a change of pace, fortunately the museum has quite a nice collection of  them. And while the current display wasn't as impressive as a previous year's exhibition showcasing a display of around 100 taxidermied hummingbirds in flight,

  Granted these aren't as finely tuned as my previous drawings as I only had an hour or so and I wanted to focus on body shapes or profiles rather than fine detail drawings, but these sketches did give me insight into these animals, who all share common anatomical features that evolved with the express purpose to maximise their flight capabilities.

  I also took time to investigate how wings work, as it is something I want to improve on. Fortunately one of the museum's longstanding displays shows how a bird's feathers and muscle connect to the bone. And I was able to work out the primary shapes that are assembled to make wings in this case. There's still some variation to investigate this is a foundation, as wings - be they bat, bird or whatever other animal - are usually a form of arm in some shape or form.

  Stellar's Sea Eagle, a bird of prey found in Northeastern Asia was the crown of my visit. Asian hunter of the sky, as can be seen in comparison to the more familiar dodo, and the budgie-sized Ou, is enormous! A giant of the eagle world that took my breath away with its massive talons and grand wingspan.

  These photographs taken of the way bird wings are constructed were particularly inspiring. And I think they could go a long way to improving my anatomical understanding when it comes to drawing and designing wings.

Sitting in the same exhibit as other great birds, the humble tawny owl.

  Outside the bird exhibit, the Natural History Museum has a beautiful display of sea-monster fossils, most prominently the Pliesiosaur, and the dolphin-like Icthyosaur. I also took a visit to the dinosaur wing, took some photos but didn't do any sketches as the museum was roughly an hour from closing for the day when I visited.