Sketched
Expanding Beyond Familiar Identities
January 2023 - May 2023
Second semester thesis project for Professor Marc Choi
For second semester thesis, I wanted to continue my topic on character design and exploring how we can expand upon familiar identities. Before coming into this semester I was not sure what I wanted my thesis to say. I knew the medium and what I wanted to do, but a character design can only say so much. As I did research into personality archetypes I began to come to the idea to design different identities that took inspiration from the people I am surrounded by. Some characters are based on specific people that I know, but at the same time anyone can relate to their story based on who these characters are.
Process
Since the medium of my thesis was illustration, it allowed me to continue my practice of drawing. I made many sketches and drawings of characters to find the style I was looking for so they felt cohesive and easy to read. I knew I did not want to create portraits of people, but rather my own original characters that are influenced by the people I am familiar with. It allowed the characters to be relatable with not just those people, but with anyone based on the archetypes that are present. By the end I came up with five characters in total; each with an interesting story and traits from the people they are based off of, including myself.
Adelaide
Archetypes: Caretaker, Everywoman, Sage
Inspiration: Connie Bruce (my mom)
Pronouns: she/her
Adelaide is a patient woman with the kindness that only a mother could give. One of her greatest joys is tending to her garden full of flowers due to her power to make things grow spontaneously. However, her true gift is her wisdom and understanding. Having experienced difficulty and loss, she has come forth with the knowledge of how to move forward and will offer that advice to anyone who needs it. Comforting, firm, and understanding with a hint of hydrangeas is what draws people to her shop.
This character is based off of my mom. In order to connect the character to her, I used a color palette of lavender and pastels, which are my mom’s favorite colors. Adelaide has a “soft design” meaning an emphasis on rounder shapes. Her figure is that of a woman who has lived comfortably and well. The inclusion of flowers is one of the many things my mom enjoys in her day to day life. There are many qualities that we all associate with our own mother such as their instinct to care and offer as much guidance when we need it. Whenever I’m lost or not sure of myself, my first instinct is always to talk to her. Even if she does not have all the answers, just hearing from her be it nurturing or firm brings stability. Similar to the character, my mom would always keep plants and flowers in our home, even keeping the hydrangeas from where I grew up as a reminder of those years she holds on to dearly.
Des DeMona
Archetypes: Innocent, Rebel, Sage
Inspiration: TJ Ramirez (my friend)
Pronouns: he/they
Des is a kid going through a rough patch in their life. They have an unusual ability to wake up corpses when they need someone to talk to. However, the real problem is that their parents are getting divorced and they believe that they are separating because they do not love them. Rather than talk to their parents directly, they go to the cemetery. The corpses remind them that this is not the worst thing to happen, and that their parents still love them. After hearing some affirming words of comfort, they have the courage to talk to their parents and become more understanding of their parents’ choices.
For Des’ design I wanted to try and find a balance between soft and sharp. Their facial features and attire have a more round language, which is contrasted in small moments like their hair having pointed ends or the pants ripping apart. To keep the characters cohesive with one another there are certain shades that are repeated throughout all the characters. Des, happens to have all of the colors due to them being younger in age and having more opportunity to explore who they are going to be as they mature. Des is based off of my friend TJ. When I first met him, he had a boyish charm about him, just with a more positive energy than the character of Des. He had a familiar background to myself both in ethnicity and race as well as artistic pursuits. He had a great understanding of life and coming out as who he is, but that came from experience. Those experiences are what inspired the story of Des, not to the fullest extent of a family getting divorced, but developing the courage to speak your truth whatever that may be to those you care about.
Giselle
Archetypes: Creator, Lover, Sage
Inspiration: Chelsea Bruce, to me “Ate” (my sister)
Pronouns: she/her
An intelligent young woman who is a principal ballerina at the Opera de Paris, Giselle wants nothing more than to open the performance to everyone regardless of their economic background. She appreciates the people who are less fortunate, and believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to attend a performance. Anytime she sees someone on the street she would always bring food or a new pair of shoes to them.
When I designed Giselle as a dancer, I gave her a headband to keep her hair out of the while she moves. Her main colors include shades of olive green, which symbolize wisdom and compassion for others. She has an athletic physique because dance is also exercise. In these sketches you also see how bright she is, and how much love is important to value not just for her, but for everyone. This identity is inspired by my older sister; in Tagalog we say Ate. She is one of the smartest and most generous people I know. Ate was a dancer growing up and liked a good debate, which is why she is currently studying at law school. We both were fortunate enough to have a supportive family on any subject and be surrounded by love and care. I associate dance with her and being able to move with grace and purpose is how I see her. Most of all she cares about other people’s wellbeing. Like Giselle, she would see someone on the street and would go into a grocery store or after we have lunch somewhere, she would give her leftovers to them so they at least have something to eat.
Hunter
Archetypes: Caregiver, Explorer, Hero
Inspiration: Danny Halsted (my friend)
Pronouns: he/him
Hunter has been surviving in the woods since the Great Depression. After the stock market crashed, he decided he might be better off just living in the woods as opposed to being on the street. He took care of the creatures and vegetation, and in return the forest blessed him with immortality and the power to communicate with all nature. He later helps a pair of students as they got caught in the river and just asked the banks to slow down. He takes care of them and guides them home as he began to see how much the world around him had changed.
The primary color being used for Hunter was yellow. That is one of the more challenging colors I consider to use in illustrations because of how bright it is. To complement and contrast the brightness in his shirt, I kept some of the other colors to be more earth toned and quieter, that way the yellow stands out more. There are little details in his design that show how much of a survivor this person is and what he has been through in the woods from the untrimmed nails to the leaves that are healing his forearm. Hunter is inspired by a good friend of mine named Danny. He is a jack of all trades and also has great survival instincts. I made up this character where I believed he “jokingly” stated that he used to be dropped off in the middle of the woods, and he would have to try and find his way home with no devices, but his own wits. To this day I still do not know whether or not that is entirely true, but it did make for a good story.
Roma
Archetypes: Creator, Everyman, Innocent
Inspiration: Stephen Bruce (myself)
Pronouns: he/him
Roma is a new artist coming into a city that is ruled by strict design and rules. His point of view is very bright, but slowly he experiences rejection and the difficulties of being in the city for the first time. His perception of reality however shifts the colors around him to become gray scale to reflect his insecurities and belief that he has to conform to how the world expect his work to be. However, he is reminded that there are people who do appreciate his work for what it is. There is going to be difficulty yes, but he learns that everything is going to be okay, and color begins to return to his life.
Roma is an artist like me, but is also slightly aloof and wants to find his place like anyone else. I did not want to make this character look heroic or brave, he is just an everyman. So I drew him standing in a relaxed position, and his expressions influence a type of color palette based on what I associate to those feelings. This also translates into his clothing by not being precious about them getting paint on them, which alternatively becomes a work of art itself. I used to not consider the colors I wear to be very vibrant, which contrasts the work that I do because everything ends up having brilliant hues. Roma’s story is about finding comfort and stability, while never losing sight of the things he enjoys doing. This is something I am always working towards in hopes of one day finding it.
