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Ryan Pardee

BFA in Illustration - Entertainment Arts — Illustration
Course:
Visual Development
Faculty:
Cliff Nielsen
Term:
2024 Fall

La Gran Esperanza

The outline given was to create a full visual development project based on five story beat paintings of an original IP, which could then be pitched after the course of five weeks. I chose to create a story surrounding a small, elderly turtle and her journey to become the luchadora she always dreamt of being.

Process:

Because this project was primarily focused on story beats, this meant most of the designwork would be done alongside progress of the paintings. I had already done some character ideation for the villain of this story, El Coyote, in a prior class; so I began with some sketches of what the protagonist, Esperanza, would look like comparatively. During these beginning stages, I also researched the time and location in which my story would take place--early 2000's Mexico City--and began to compile resources and key story moments to draw from. 

We went through two rounds of compositional sketches before beginning the final paintings.

Learning Outcomes:

This project was challenging in a way I hadn't experienced previously; designing a world and its characters alongside the final story beats almost felt like working backwards. However, ultimately it was very rewarding to see the final product come together after so much work and so many iterations. 

Tags:
2D Design,
Character Design,
Concept Design,
World Building
Character ideation sketches for the antagonist of the story, El Coyote.
Character ideation sketches for the protagonist, Esperanza.
Full-color examples of what Esperanza looks like in both her normal and wrestling alter-ego states.
Designs of Esperanza's shell as part of her wrestling costume; inspired by Mexican painted bobble-head turtles.
Initial story beat concepts under a different working title.
Revised story beat sketches after receiving feedback.
Story beat 1: Esperanza is reminded of her lifelong dream, and gains inspiration to pursue it.
Story beat 2: Esperanza sewing her costume in her home, surrounded by the memories of everyone who has cheered her on.
Story beat 3: Esperanza training diligently.
Story beat 4: Esperanza arriving at the wrestling ring and finally facing her opponent.
Story beat 5: The climactic moment of the story in which Esperanza fights to live up to her dream.