Study task: Environmental Storytelling PART ONE (OUAN404)

We were told to seek out two spaces, one interior and one exterior, and do some drawings that respond to them in order to learn about how environments can be used effectively in animation to add context to a scene. The environment that a character occupies can dictate their mood, the way they move around and how they interact with things around them, so it is very important to understand it.

I decided not to choose a location to visit beforehand. I figured that many people would draw at similar places around the city which I wanted to avoid doing so I set off in a direction chosen at random to find a good place to draw that was more unconventional.

I didn't want the outdoor location to seem too staged or stereotypically dark and manky. I just wanted it to have an enclosed feel to it. It didn't have to be an exceptionally ugly place because I think that a compelling story can be shot anywhere without having to exaggerate the environment. While the environment is important for the reasons I listed above, a great story is great because of the characters primarily. I wanted the place to look realistic which was another reason why I didn't plan a location beforehand. I didn't want to have any drawings visualised before I set out.

Here's where I went

I stumbled across a section of broken down wall next to a hedge just outside the city, which I thought was a perfect place to document a dark, enclosed area. I liked it because it seems like a good place to shoot something like a grizzly murder. It's not totally secluded, because you can hear the faint sound of cars passing on the road which adds a rough vibe to the location.

I made a few quick thumbnail sketches, but I was more keen to just get on with it.

I tried to sketch this space as being cramped and uncomfortable, which it was. I hope that it comes across in my drawings. I sat on a rotting piece of old rock in the damp moss and my legs turned numb coz the blood was cut off. The trees and bushes restricted a lot of the light. Most importantly, I tried to convey how dilapidated the place looked through rough pen marks. Fineliner seemed like the ideal media to work in for these drawings as they can look very scratchy and unpolished to mirror the grungy vibe that the location gave off. 

Bloody autumn leaves take years to draw. I wish that seasons didn't exist.

Looming trees block out the light

I added a little copic pen for variety.

With the drawing above, I tried to capture the mood of the dark and slimy moss and the decomposing leaves in a close up shot, but I don't think it looks too great because it lasck detail. Tomorrow I'm going to draw an indoor space that is hopefully the exact opposite of the crumbling wall.