I would like to see a new illustration workshop that focuses on the creation of box art, whether or not it uses random games. That sounds fun.
What I'd like to see more is a three-part game-making "Master Class" focused on character creation that lasts roughly a semester and is guided by experienced adventure game creators from our community, with three projects and a "Final" that polishes and combines all three. I see the three projects being:
Project 1: Character Sheet -- Format can either be loosely prescribed or strictly decided by whomever guides this section. This is both a write-up of the character, their various qualities and history, along with some sketches to demonstrate their look. Emphasis here is as much on storytelling as visual illustration.
Project 2: Portrait -- This gets down the basic look of the character's head n' shoulders mug shot, and works toward visualizing both the physical and personality traits identified in Project 1.
Project 3: Model Sheet -- This would be a 360 turnaround of the character, ala animation model sheets. This gives a full head-to-toe view of the character, and a demonstration of how they'd look in an actual game.
Final Project: All of the above, with modifications to reflect communal feedback, plus a left-to-right walk cycle.
As I've structured it, the trajectory goes from conceptualization to visualization to actualization. I think this sort of thing shouldn't have a prescribed subject, ala the Monsters Workshop, but should be open to whatever participants see fit. That way, at the end, they'd have a fully-fledged character that could serve as the anchor of a new game.
What I'd like to see more is a three-part game-making "Master Class" focused on character creation that lasts roughly a semester and is guided by experienced adventure game creators from our community, with three projects and a "Final" that polishes and combines all three. I see the three projects being:
Project 1: Character Sheet -- Format can either be loosely prescribed or strictly decided by whomever guides this section. This is both a write-up of the character, their various qualities and history, along with some sketches to demonstrate their look. Emphasis here is as much on storytelling as visual illustration.
Project 2: Portrait -- This gets down the basic look of the character's head n' shoulders mug shot, and works toward visualizing both the physical and personality traits identified in Project 1.
Project 3: Model Sheet -- This would be a 360 turnaround of the character, ala animation model sheets. This gives a full head-to-toe view of the character, and a demonstration of how they'd look in an actual game.
Final Project: All of the above, with modifications to reflect communal feedback, plus a left-to-right walk cycle.
As I've structured it, the trajectory goes from conceptualization to visualization to actualization. I think this sort of thing shouldn't have a prescribed subject, ala the Monsters Workshop, but should be open to whatever participants see fit. That way, at the end, they'd have a fully-fledged character that could serve as the anchor of a new game.
