Research (format of character design sheets)

In animation, a model sheet is known as a character board, character sheet or character study and is a document used to help standardize the appearance, poses, and gestures of an animated character.

Here I have some character sheets which are used in various animes.

http://cdn.idigitaltimes.com/sites/idigitaltimes.com/files/styles/image_embed/public/2015/04/22/hestia-character-design.png
Here you have a character design from the anime "It is wrong to pick up a girl in a dungeon". I like that you can see different sides of her face and different emotions. I also like that you can see full-size proportions of the character from both the front and the back. 

http://img13.deviantart.net/5975/i/2012/285/2/e/hotaru___character_sheet_by_salison-d2qfwcd.jpg
I chose this character design because it is cool, fun and has a lot of colours. I love how it shows different adornments and it shows a colour palatte  and patterns and I think this is a well thought out character design sheet. 

http://40.media.tumblr.com/7ec21efeba6802cf83b93e0fdd966f5f/tumblr_nofcqvTdel1qmlmyuo4_1280.jpg
I chose this piece becasuse it shoes designs of the front, back and side.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/de/d0/df/ded0dfcd7d04e58197e851df3fee56d2.jpg
I chose this character design because it is Ciel Phantomhive and it  has a lot going off with his clothes. I love the back veiw of his coat as it has frilly things and a bow.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/ea/c1/37/eac1370f2eb50d15738ab5e6cabba64b.jpg
I chose this design of Ciel because  it shows the front, back and a little of the sides, and I like the shoes in a different postition from the side. 

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/0c/30/ab/0c30ab91556fd7329ebd90eabc8d5a61.jpg
I chose this character design because it is different; it is in black and white; I like that you have views from the front, sides and back and that there are notes.

http://36.media.tumblr.com/756e101c0e29cb8b8a730ed666925b6a/tumblr_nlname6MfL1qmlmyuo3_1280.jpg
I chose this character design because it is cool as you can see his ghoul eyes and  his child face and teenager face in different positions, and I also like how you can see all of his sides. 

Test pieces

Here I have experimented with different tools on Photoshop to use colour, shade and opacity using my graphics tablet.  Out of these test pieces I would consider using the bottom spiky one as the opacity on the brush  looks like a highlighter.

Main Research (Kuroshitsuji: (Black Butler) Book of Circus)

Kuroshitsuji: Book of Circus is the third series of Black Butler anime. The anime is an adaptation of the fourth manga arc in Kuroshitsuji Circus arc. This anime arc is only 10 episodes long which are only round about 25 minutes each.   With this anime arc, the anime is finally returning to its normal process into the manga it went off track when they finished the Indian butler arc.

On January 16, 2014, the cover of the February issue of Square Enix's Monthly G Fantasy magazine announced that production on a new anime series, Kuroshitsuji: Book of Circus It was premiered on July 11, 2014

The plot of the Circus arc
In the late-nineteenth century England, the Noah's Ark Circus comes to the city of London with their grandeur and spectacular stunts. Children had been going missing from the town in a manner correlating to the troupe's movement. The Queen sends her Watchdog, Ciel Phantomhive, on a mission to retrieve the missing children. Ciel and his demon butler, Sebastian Michaelis, infiltrate the circus, disguised as team members from the circus, to study and possibly uncover the true purpose of the circus.

The opening to the anime was sung by Sid and the song is called ENAMEl ,
The ending song was sung by Akira and the song is called Aoki Tsuki Michite

The Staff of Kuroshitsuji: Book of Circus
Director: Noriyuki Abe
Series Composition: Hiroyuki Yoshino
Music: Yasunori Mitsuda
Screenplay: Hiroyuki Yoshino, Ichiro Okouchi and Yuka Miyata
Original Creator: Yana Toboso
Character Design: Minako Shiba, Chisato Kawaguchi (sub)
Art Director: Manabu Otsuzuki
Chief Animation Director: Chisato Kawaguchi and Minako Shiba
Sound Director: Katsuyoshi Kobayashi
CGI Director: Takayuki Furukawa
Director of Photography: Kento Sasaki and Nozomi Shitara
Art Setting: Eiko Tsunadō
Color Design: Kanako Hokari
Editor: Masahiro Goto

Companies who helped this happen
Animation Production: A-1 Pictures Inc.
Broadcasters:MBS and Tokyo MX TV

https://thelittlebookwolf.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/7cbdd404f0bb8827990eba58e22a1efa1405016116_full.jpg?w=312&h=468
I chose this picture because it is interesting and there is a lot going on and I love how each character is in different poses. I like that it is colourful and dark at the same time.

http://static.zerochan.net/Kuroshitsuji.full.1794249.jpg
I like this picture because Ceil and Sebastian are hanging from a chandelier  and I like how the background is black to show Ceils' bright coloured clothes.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8e/21/c4/8e21c4ca1cb38bcc5f33e8682fc0b0eb.jpg
I like this cd cover because it shows a moment from the anime when Ciel ordered Sebastian to burn down the mansion.  I like how bleak the whole setting is.

https://dubanimenerd.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/36cd14263c37a09de9dba6cd80cb4a51-d7pxdrs.jpg
I like this picture because the colours go well together and I like how everything has been caught on fire.  I love Sebastian's pose where he is about to put something over Ciel.

http://gallery.minitokyo.net/view/643806
I like this image because it is colourful and it shows all the main characters in the anime and I like how Sebastian has his hands over Ciel's eyes so he can't be deceived by the Noah's Ark. I also like the positions of the characters because they are unique and they carry adornments which are related to their expertise in the circus act.

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/kuroshitsuji/images/8/82/Beast_promotional_pic.png/revision/latest?cb=20140725232410
I like this image because it shows Beast in a unique pose, carrying a whip which she uses to tame her pet lion. I find it  cool how she is coming out of the diamond. 

http://s.pacn.ws/640/lh/black-butler-book-of-circus-iv-dvd-cd-limited-edition-386677.1.jpg?o3c54t
I like this picture because it shows two main  characters called Doll and Snake. I like how the background colour repels the other colours which  draws your eyes to the other objects of interest.

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/kuroshitsuji/images/4/4f/BOC_Beast.png/revision/latest?cb=20140725225949
This is Beast's character design sheet. I like how she has a prosthetic leg and I like how her dress is sexy so that she is eye candy for the lads and so that the circus always has customers.  I also like how it has got one face to show different emotions.

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/kuroshitsuji/images/4/4b/BOC_Ciel.png/revision/latest?cb=20140725223522
I like this one because it shows more facial expressions and it has more detail as well as good colour.  It think that it is very child like and I also like the colour scheme as it goes with Ciels' eye.

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/kuroshitsuji/images/3/34/BOC_Dagger.png/revision/latest?cb=20140725230053
I like Dagger's character design because it is simple and the colour scheme is soft and warm and not bright at all. I like his hair because he has a block of brown while the rest is blonde. 

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/kuroshitsuji/images/e/ec/BOC_Doll.png/revision/latest?cb=20140725230012
I love Doll's character design because it is beautiful and it very cute. I like how the clothes all tie in together and matches. It  complements her beauty. 

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/kuroshitsuji/images/5/51/BOC_Joker.png/revision/latest?cb=20140725225904
I like Joker's characters design because it is bright and colourful and has patterns that match his trousers with his waist coat. I also like that he has a skeleton arm for his prosthetic.

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/kuroshitsuji/images/a/ac/BOC_Sebastian.png/revision/latest?cb=20140725225536
I don't like Sebastian's character design because there is not much change in his outfit. The only thing that has changed is his hat, a new bow tie and some face paint .

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/kuroshitsuji/images/e/e6/BOC_Snake.png/revision/latest?cb=20140725225623
I like Snake's character design because it is funny and I like his knee high boots,  baggy shirt and  short jacket.
I think this character has inspired my design the most, I also like the dark colour scheme. 

http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/kuroshitsuji/images/8/82/Book_of_Circus.png/revision/latest?cb=20140323010532
I like this picture  because it shows Beast, Joker, Ciel (smile) and Sebastian (Black).  I like the unique poses the characters are in and that it is very colourful.

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/kuroshitsuji/images/a/ae/Book_of_Circus_Logo.png/revision/latest?cb=20140725231653
This the the Black Butler Book of Circus logo. I like this logo because it has kept to the Japanese name and has some English in it. 

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/kuroshitsuji/images/7/7a/Doll_promotional_pic.png/revision/latest?cb=20140725232435
I like this picture because it shows grace and beauty.  I also like how she is only wearing white and her eye is blue and because her clothes are white it draws attention to her blue eye.  I also love how she is leaping from the diamond shape.

Add captionhttp://pre10.deviantart.net/f793/th/pre/i/2012/237/2/b/kuroshitsuji_eye_chart_by_lilyhasapenis-d5cekti.jpg
Here you have a list of all the charactres of Kuroshitsuji Eyes. I have used this picture to grasp some ideas for eyes for my character. I found this was very helpful because it shows me that all the demons have sight eyes. 

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/kuroshitsuji/images/8/88/Joker_promotional_pic.png/revision/latest?cb=20140725232334
Here you have Joker in a unique position. I like this picture because he is in a unique pose and I also like how he has three balls in his hand to show a subtle hint about his act.

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/kuroshitsuji/images/f/fc/Jumbo_promotional_pic.png/revision/latest?cb=20140725230113
I like this character design because it shows how muscular Jumbo is and I like his arm guards because they are cool and unique, with the flames that are on them. This also has a subtle hint of  his act; fire breathing.

http://s.pacn.ws/640/l4/kuroshitsuji-book-of-circus-iii-bluray-cd-limited-edition-380181.2.jpg?o3m0je
I like this cd cover because it is colouful and bright and I love how Dagger has got his daggers in his hand, and how William is looking like he is tight-walking.

http://s.pacn.ws/640/kl/black-butler-book-of-circus-i-bluray-cd-limited-edition-370917.1.jpg?o2p89v
I like this cd cover becuse it has Sebastian and Ciel in a very unique pose, and that Ciel is on a swing because it shows his child-like side. I love how Sebastian has a crow coming out of his hat.

http://img09.deviantart.net/f4c5/i/2014/126/1/f/kuroshitsuji__book_of_circus_wallpaper_by_dug_chi-d7hetun.png
This a pice of fan art from Deviantart.  I like this fan art because it has most of the characters from Black Butler Book of Circus and I like how Sebastian and Ciel's photo is bigger then the others. I think this shows the majority role of the two characters 

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/kuroshitsuji/images/7/78/Peter_and_Wendy_promotional_pic.png/revision/latest?cb=20140725230202
I like this character design sheet because it shows two characters on one sheet. I love the style of Wendys dress because it looks like candy and also how her tights are a part of her shoes. I also like Wendy's arm guards becaus they look fun because they are ribbons.  I am not too keen on Peater's character design because it looks like he is ready for a play, not the circus. 

http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/kuroshitsuji/images/7/7a/Smile_and_Black_promotional_pic.png/revision/latest?cb=20140725232235
I love Ciel and Sebastian's poses because they are the main characters and I like how Ciel shows a bit of grace and beauty in this photo. I love how Sebastian is hovering over Ciel as though he is higher up than them. 

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/kuroshitsuji/images/8/80/Snake_promotional_pic.png/revision/latest?cb=20140725232301
I like this one because you see how Snake looks abit abnormal because he has snake scales and he has a bit Were eyes. I do not like his character design because he looks like he is not wearing anything. I like that he has his snakes with him. 

http://40.media.tumblr.com/a47d88e8b42e25592a41c0a33c943845/tumblr_ms5u8cofAq1qhniako1_500.jpg
I really love this picture because it shows Sebastian's true side; his dark mysterious side. I like how he is showing his demonic eye and I love how he has a slight smile.  I also like the style of the mask, it looks like wire and it seems he is ready for a masquarade ball.

https://nguyenthithuthuy2531994.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/tumblr_nb1p9j4g1n1qhniako1_1280.jpg
I like this picture because of the unique pose that Sebastian and  Ciel are in, and I like that Sebastian is carrying Ciel, also how Ciel's back part of his outfit is really overwelmingly and long. 

http://40.media.tumblr.com/5dab639caa3975a256acde17f4a44f4f/tumblr_nbk48ronHS1qhniako1_1280.jpg?.jpg
I chose this picture because of the pose that Sebastian is in, and I like the playing cards because it looks like they are falling. 

http://36.media.tumblr.com/c29305585c818b0032ef7df0993f6504/tumblr_ncyjg6HdUf1qhniako1_1280.jpg
I like this picture because of the poses of Beast and Joker, and I like the cane that Joker is holding. I feel like this tells me it brings more to him because he is the ringmaster.

http://40.media.tumblr.com/ad822bc467ae5c84be99182b6cf019ae/tumblr_ncr5za7YDb1qhniako1_1280.jpg?.jpg
I like this picture because of Grelle and William's outfit and how Grelle looks more like a woman then a man.  I also like how Yana Toboso has dressed them unique to the theme of circus for the anime franchise. I  like how it is a poster as well.

http://36.media.tumblr.com/c86bc786fa725d1003423ddbcc5e5a5b/tumblr_nrgirhvpuH1qhniako1_1280.jpg
I like this picture because it has Ciel and Doll in a unique pose and Ciel and Doll are wearing similar costumes.  I also like how Ciel is wearing an outfit that is totally different from the manga and anime. I dont like how it may come across as a bit feminine because ciel looks like a girl.

https://41.media.tumblr.com/7fa19a5acca5a57234cb233343969ed3/tumblr_nrgj4c1jvR1qhniako1_r1_500.jpg
WhatI like this picture is that Joker and Dagger are in different costumes because in the manga and anime they are not dressed like that. I like how both of them are wearing waistcoats and I love how Yana Toboso has put high heels on Dagger. 

https://41.media.tumblr.com/4fc7c160c65b7d3043aee4cda0e74449/tumblr_nlfnoz47o61qhniako1_500.jpg
I love this picture because the Undertaker's clothes look amazing and I really love his high heels because they have bones for the heels. I like that he is wearing a corset and has his hair braided and I like his hair piece because it is an animal skull. I like Vincent's outfit because it looks like he is a ring leader. Both characters outfits look different to the anime and manga series which  I really like about these posters.

http://41.media.tumblr.com/53cc68d64a51a85d4e0b92d6e20e6cc5/tumblr_nrgj6xaLrM1qhniako1_r1_500.jpg
I like this picture because Sebastian looks  masculine with his waistcoat and I love that his waistcoat  matches his coat. I like that he is wearing really long boots. I also like that the colour scheme for Sebastian is black.  I like Snake's outfit because he is in bear feet and that he is wearing a corset and  how the corset has lots of metal  rods. I like that Snake has his pet snakes with him  because it makes him more interesting.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/02/07/cd/0207cd4dd23b6416293b3f096bd251e3.jpg

I like this picture of Ciel Phantomhive because he looks proud, elegant and majestic. The reason he looks elegant and majestic is because his clothes are feminine and his pose looks very sassy but proud of his social rank as the queens guard dog.  I like that the colors of his outfit match his eye  and I like how everything ties together. 

Peer feedback

Daniel Semakula peer feedback: I like your character, you've made a really good job of it; it's really colourful, I like the symbol type thing in this image too. I think you could improve on making the tent look like there's light shining out of it and I also think that you could make the blue lines on the character's clothing a little brighter and more bold. :) :3

I have took on board Dan's feedback so I have altered my final piece

i have altered my piece to see how effective bigger lace line would look on my final piece and i think they improve my work a lot more and i think it looks good so i decided to keep the layer 

Sam Yeatman's peer feedback: The scaling for the tent when placed next to the main subject of this work is terrible, so you need to fix this, I would recommend that you move the tent towards the back and scale it down, as this will make sure that the tent is part of the background and this would fix the depth perception. Secondly the 'Souls' that are on this piece of work are just wrong with the way they seemed to be floating. To fix this conundrum I advise reducing the opacity to hide the edges of the 'souls' so it will flow better. After this your premise was about your character being a 'king of the circus' so just add more regal colours to your character.  Finally the 'daemon' seal looks like it should be behind the trees to portray a moon, so it could be a sign of his dominance over the area since the moon covers everything in the world with the exceptions of caves and what not.

I have taken on board Sam's feedback so I have altered my final piece.

I have listened and  changed the opacity of the souls and it has made it look a lot better and I have brought back and re-sized the circus tent and brought it back to the background more so it seems far away from my character. So I was happy with this outcome and I will keep the changes that I have made.  

i have also put my demon seal in the background to see how it works. I did not like this so i did not use it in my final piece 

Linda Ozola's peer feedback: Callum's work is very creative, as I like how he used different colours on his character to bring it to life and also his drawing skills are amazing! He used different colours to add shadows which is what makes his work look professional, as it looks like it is from an animation company. What I think he needs to improve is to add some bright colours to it to make it stand out more, but other than that his work is great.


I have taken on board Linda's feedback so I have altered my final piece.

i have listened to Linda's feedback and so I have altered my final piece.  I have put more colour into the background and I think it looks good and makes it more 3d and realistic overall. I kept the layer and used it. 

Survey

This is my survey, I have asked all these questions because they are needed to help me decide on my theme for my final major project.

I have chosen these particular questions because I needed peoples opinions on what they know about character design sheets and what themes they liked. I was stuck on which orientation to have my poster so I decided to ask people which one they prefer, landscape or portrait.