What is a pencil test? It’s the part in 2D animation production where the animator tests the rough drawings he or she has made thus far to see how they flow, so that the animator can spot and correct any problems before the images are cleaned up and colored. There’s a similar step in 3D computer animation where you do a quick render without a lot of detail to check your work, but that’s another topic for another day.
As I try my very best to get Vision Rider’s animation launched (this was supposed to happen way back in July, by the way), I’ve finally gotten to a concept that’s far enough along that I’m doing actual animation for it. Here’s a pencil test that I put together today to test the level of quality I can achieve in a given amount of time. If I strive to make the animation and characters look *too* good, then the end product will obviously look much better, but it will take too long for a single person to animate. Thus, I have to find a good middleground. This happens in all animated productions–you have to draw the line somewhere–it’s just that larger studios and groups can draw the line closer to quality because they have more manpower and resources and probably a lot more skill.
In any case, enjoy the little three second clip. If you watch close enough, you’ll find some mistakes that I have to fix. 😉
Once upon a time not so long ago, she was a gentle princess doted on by her parents and the palace servants. Now she is forced to disguise herself as a commoner in order to eventually escape by slipping across the border.
The self-proclaimed “noble thief” except… he’s not a particularly good thief by any stretch of the imagination. He ends up tagging along with the princess, leaving the former capital behind after one of his attempted burglaries ends up not quite how he had expected. (Truth be told, I’m not completely satisfied with either character’s outfits. I think they’ll get a drastic change before you see them again…)
A later sketch of the thief. I think I like this style a little better.
A sketch for a character from a story idea I have. Once a widely-renowned commander, he and his former country have fallen on hard times after he lost the decisive battle of the war. However, after a long absence, he has returned quietly in order to protect someone special…
A random villain character I felt like doodling.
Same as above, just a different villain. Not for anything specific, just felt like drawing them.
A young woman I sketched out. Concept art for a non-work related project. Her shoes are a bit large, methinks.
Aww… Isn’t that the *CUTEST THING EVAR?* No? Well, it’s got to be in the top ten, right?
Eww! They’re… They’re gonna kiss each other! Well, maybe.
Oh look! More fan art! Just a few Smash Bros. featured characters I happened to doodle. From left-to-right: Roy (Fire Emblem), Mario and Princess Peach (Super Mario Bros.), and Kirby (Kirby).
Ah, this poor guy looks really sad and depressed. I wonder what he’s upset about? 🙁
Here we have a hunter-type character I sketched out. His outfit is rather bland, though.
Not much to say on this one. Just a generic woman I drew to test a character design.
This is my “Link clone” with a big, long pony tail (purely because it’s fun to draw). I tried to be artistic with the arrangement and failed. 🙁 I want to use him in a game design, but lack the resources to produce it. The basic idea is that the world sprawls out and can be explored like a platformer, but unlike normal platform-jumping if you miss a jump you can use your claw-tether (the thing on his hand) to grab onto the nearest platform and pull yourself back up. I’ll either have to wait on the idea, or scale back my vision to something more managable (ie, 2D game).
These two might just show up somewhere soon! :3
Here I am drawing eyes. I’m such a perfectionist, I can never get them to look just how I want them. Perhaps, in part, because I haven’t discovered the way I want them most yet?
I… I’m not sure myself. It’s a kid with big eyes and a little mouth… I tried something different, what can I say?
Hey, look here! It’s Cody! And he’s on model for once! :3
Here are some concept sketches of Cody after he begins his training as a “hunter”. What does that mean? Well, if I decide how to tell their story, maybe you’ll find out one day. 😉 The outfit on the right is Cody’s hunter uniform. The outfit on the left is what he wears while training.
Two concept characters for a story I’ve pretty much abandoned at this point. The Rebel Commander was the primary villain of the story, and the Loyalist Commander was mostly a side character (the story would have taken place within Rebel-controlled territory.
Look, it’s fanart! Why, hello there Ness! Hope you don’t get replaced entirelly by 
This father-daughter duo is a concept sketch for a puzzle game I’ve been thinking about doing. We’ll see if that project goes anywhere.