Step 1: It’s a Bird!
This mission is especially important for your future as a League member. You need to learn the tools of the trade to take your hero or villain’s design to the next level.
During this class period with your peers, explore the 3D design program Tinkercad. Once you have finished going over the basic aspects of Tinkercad, do some exploring on your own!
Try making and combining shapes and do some practice with the program.
Remember, this is just PLAY and these pieces will NOT be printed!
Step 2: It’s a Plane!
What do you think you have learned about the visual nature of heroes and villains through your research and creation? What aspects of costuming and character design do you think are the most important elements to distinguish a hero from a villain? We want to hear about it! Please navigate to the Google Classroom page for Hero and Villain reflection!
…Did you do it? If yes, good, keep moving! If not, shame on you, villain! Say you’re sorry and try again.
Today your mission is to begin your investigation and creation of an all-important element of your character…
The Insignia.
Insignias are a huge part of a hero or a villain’s identity. Insignias have a way of representing the character without directly showing them. Batman has the bat symbol, and Captain America has his red, white, and blue shield. Even the Hulk is known by his signature giant green fists.
It might be a good idea to take some time to research logos and insignias, both of characters and of companies. How do they get across the idea of the company or character without directly showing it? How do the shapes translate? How can you translate the shapes of your character into one image?
Now, for an interesting twist, we would like you to research into hood ornaments.
Chances are, your hero or villain will have some sort of cool super vehicle to ease their transportation. For the final assignment, you will be designing a 3D insignia hood ornament for your character.
Sketch a concept for an insignia to go on the front of your character’s vehicle. Be sure to consider different angles in order to translate it into the 3D design program. Keep in mind that these will be printing in miniature, so don’t get too detailed or else the 3D printer will not even pick up the work you did.
Once you complete your sketches, begin to create your design in the TInkercad program you learned in step 1. Work on your design for the remainder of class. Use the references in the gallery below as references. The hood ornament featured in the examples was designed for a supervillian called The Baron: drawing inspiration from WWII bombers, his vehicle of choice is the plane, from which he he drops all kinds of nasties on innocent civilians.
Step 3: No, its…
How did it feel working in 3D design rather than on paper? Was it hard to design an insignia or crest for your character? How did you get the same elements of design from your character into your 3D design? We want to hear about it! Please navigate to the Google Classroom page for 3D Design Reflection!
…Did you do it? If yes, good, keep moving! If not, shame on you, villain! Say you’re sorry and try again.
Today’s assignment is to work diligently on your hood ornament 3D design. Complete your design and submit it to your teacher in whatever way she or he finds most effective for the class.
If there is extra time, feel free to continue sketching your character in different poses and expressions.
Step 4: A little 3D model!
Was this just the best time you’ve ever had making art? Are you super inspired to be a character designer or comic writer? Was this just the dumbest, most idiotic thing that has ever been stupid? We want to hear about it! Please navigate to the Google Classroom page for Webquest Reflection!
…Did you do it? If yes, good, keep moving! If not, shame on you, villain! Say you’re sorry and try again.
Now all that’s left to do is to wait patiently for your product to print.
Well folks, our time of parting has arrived! We at The League hope that this exercise in artmaking has inspired you to explore further into character design and comic history!
Thank you for participating, and good luck saving (or conquering!) the world!