Cameron Powell Specialism Evaluation

 What my Specialism was about

For my Specialism, I wanted to express my interest in becoming a Character Concept Artist. As a result, I sketched some character concepts as I did research on character design. 

I also wanted to express my aspirations for creating my own franchises, so I dedicated an entire post to a superhero franchise I have planned, going over the lore and characters while explaining their inspirations.

At one point, I even considered making a Beat 'Em Up test level on Unreal Engine, showing my aspirations in becoming a Game Designer as well. However, the plan never got far and I stuck to Character Design.

What I did throughout my Specialism

At the start of my Specialism, I created a Proposal about what I aspired to do in terms of Character  Design, promising that I would deliver some new concepts while learning new drawing techniques. I also created my own franchise titled S.U.P.E.R, short for Syndicate of United Powers, Empathy and Righteousness

I created a Moodboard of my inspirations and a Mind Map detailing what my Specialism Project is about. Afterwards, I have created a Specialism blog on Blogger, uploading new posts every week, detailing what I have done for the project. 

Near the start of the project, I have dedicated an entire blog explaining the lore of S.U.P.E.R, diving deep into the characters, their backstories and their biggest sources of inspiration. Then I drew sketches of the characters. These characters include an energetic rookie speedster named Axel, a laid-back water user named Selena and a trio of joke villains called the Terrible Three, consisting of Lord Steelbone, Atta De Struct and Lollipop

At one point, I considered making an Unreal Engine test level with 2D sprites in a 3D environment. I even set up a query on Microsoft Forms, asking students which character designs they would like to see in my test level. Around that time, I have devoted most of my posts about my planned Unreal Engine level, discussing research about tutorial videos I have found. However, in January 2024, I began to realise that it was deviating too far from the intended aim of my project, which was to create Character Concepts. Not only that, I was inexperienced with Unreal Engine at the time, especially when it came to developing a level with 2D sprites, which would have taken a long time to get used to, surpassing the project deadline. 

After I ceased production of my Unreal Engine level idea, I updated my Mind Map and Proposal to remove mentions of it, focusing on Character Design. As a result of this, I devoted my time to researching art styles and watching drawing tutorials in hopes that I can improve my artistic skills.  A major source of reference I have used for sketching my characters was Draw Like a Sir, who provides helpful tips in designing characters with some humorous comedy on occasions. 

At one point, I decided to draw an Environmental Concept of the Terrible Three's Lair, a Mount Rushmore inspired mountain surrounded by lava. I sketched the design out on paper before tracing over it on Photoshop. Then, I used the Stamp tool to draw in some realistic textures I found on the internet.

During that time, I managed to sketch up some character concepts that didn't have much to do with the S.U.P.E.R franchise but I thought were good at showcasing my Character Design interest.

One week before the project deadline, I decided to test myself with a drawing exercise to see how fast I can draw some of my best concepts on Photoshop. Afterwards, I tasked myself with Photoscrapping realistic textures onto my characters like I did for the Terrible Three's Lair. I decided to use a drawing tablet to draw the characters on Photoshop as a form of experimentation.

Lastly, on the project deadline I compiled some of my best work onto a Powerpoint Presentation, explaining what I did for the project, what I was proud of and where I could have improved on. 

What I was proud of and What I have learnt

I was pleased with how my character designs turned out. All of them had distinctive designs that alluded to their personalities and abilities. It helped that I was able to create lore revolving around these characters, adding more depth to them.

The digital drawings I have done for my characters were also something I was pleased with. Thanks to the exercise I have set myself, I managed to get them done as quickly as possible with occasional tweaks.

I was also pleased with how the Terrible Three's Lair turned out, even though it was more of an environmental concept than a character concept. I liked how comical it looked and I was pleased with some details, such as the Keep Out sign at the front of the entrance.

I also thought that my Presentation turned out well, as I managed to explain what I have done for my Specialism and what I felt like I could have done while showing off some of my best concept pieces I have delivered. 

There were a few things I have learnt throughout the Specialism Project, most of which helped improve my drawing skills.

Draw Like a Sir's tutorials helped me improve drawing characters out. Before, I would draw frames of the character's poses, but now, I draw shapes to lay them out. His videos also helped me improve on drawing hands, which were one of my biggest difficulties in drawing characters.

I also learnt how to use a drawing pad as I was drawing my characters digitally on Photoshop, as well as Paintbrush Smoothing, which helped make my drawings look neater. 

I also learnt about Photoscrapping and how they can be used to bring texture to my art pieces. If I were to design character concepts in an art style other than anime, I could use Photoscrapping to determine how my characters would look with textured designs.

Areas that needed improving 

Although I was pleased with the work I have delivered on my journey, there were a few areas that I felt needed improving.

For starters, while I was pleased with my character designs, I felt I could have delivered more of them to expand on my universe. I also felt that I could have drawn them more decently as some characters looked more disproportionate than others, especially in the torso area. An easy fix for this would be to watch more drawing tutorials for character design. 

My Specialism was also rather lacking in the Digital Drawing department, as I only managed to produce three digital pieces on Photoshop, one of which was an environmental concept. If I had a bit more time and energy, I would have delivered more of them, experimenting with different drawing tools and techniques.

In terms of my blog, I thought I could have added more to my weekly posts. While I managed to accumulate 30 posts, a fraction of them have very little to offer and can be read through in less than a minute.  There's also the fact I started my posts midway through the week rather than at the start of it. Tellingly, most of my blogs are created on a Thursday, which is where my Specialism lessons take place.

There's also the fact that I admittedly did not follow my assignment briefs properly, since most of my earlier posts were longer than my later ones. I was unaware that I was supposed to post weekly and I just jumped into my Specialism blindly, being overly enthusiastic about showcasing my drawing and worldbuilding skills until Steven told me what I was supposed to do for my Specialism. 

I also felt I could have gotten more in-depth with explaining my Presentation without making short sentences and stuttering. While it is completely natural for most students to act like this during Presentations, I felt I could have executed mine a bit better.

I also thought that I could have provided better research that was equally about drawing tutorials and experimentation as it was about what inspired me to produce a superhero franchise with an anime aesthetic. That way, it could showcase more of what I have learnt throughout my journey and how I improved my Character Design skills.

Steven and a couple of other students have given me tips on how I can improve my drawing skills when I showed them my Presentation. One would be to experiment with different drawing materials and drawing in different art styles, even doing life drawing. I have actually considered doing these things, which I have mentioned in all versions of my Proposal. However, despite this, I never went through with my ideas.

The reason why I didn't go through with what I intended to do from my Proposal can be chalked up to Time Management and Stress. Aside from procrastination, I devoted most of my free time on other college projects out of fear that I won't have enough work before their deadlines, given the fact they had shorter schedules than the Specialism Project. While I did produce a GANTT chart, I barely followed it and I had to update it halfway through.

What didn't help was that a faction of my Specialism was spent on developing an Unreal Engine level, or at least conceptualising it. Not only was Unreal Engine something I had little experience with, potentially leading to risky development, but it was also a deviation from the Character Development and Design aspect I was aiming for. The main reason why I considered an Unreal Engine level in the first place was because I noticed how other students were using it for their Specialisms, so I thought if I pitched an Unreal Engine level like they did, it would be a good opportunity to establish my aspiration to become a Game Designer. 

On top of that, I have been rather stressful in the second half of the project, particularly when Steven would recommend me to do something that would help me improve with my Specialism, making stress induced reactions on occasions. It was out of my league to act that way and I know that if I were to get a job somewhere, Character Designer or otherwise, I would have to do as I am told and not get angsty in public. 

One way that can help me supress my stress would be to have proper Time Management, working on my Specialism and other projects equally and in a set time, taking breaks on occasions. That way, I can get more work for my Specialism done earlier at the same time as my other projects without stressing about it later. 

How I will improve in the future

In spite of how I felt in some places about my Specialism and my experience with it, I was still pleased with what I have delivered. If I were to do another Specialism project about Character Design or if I got a job as a Character Concept Artist in the future, I will improve myself in these areas. 

For starters, I will make sure that I am more organised when it comes to time management. The earlier I set my goals and complete them, the less I will have to stress about them down the line. Even if I have other projects going on around the same time, I can still devote some time on my Specialism. That way, I can deliver longer and more frequent blog posts that showcase my talents and progressions. 

Another area I will improve on would be being more open to feedback from people and take their tips and recommendations without getting angsty about it. Not only will it make me less stressful but it will also help me explore my artistic skills more.

On top of that, I will be more open to experimentation when it comes to designing my characters. Whether it includes watching more tutorials or drawing in different mediums like chalk or paint, I will try my hand at expanding my Character Design Skills and potentially find something I like and use it more frequently in my spare time.