Week 8: Who is my character?

 This week I have done more research about 3D printing and I am hoping that person managing it at the uni can help me with printing test version, since my silicone group arrived. I could also do it with some little figures from Kinder egg, but I feel like testing actual 3D print might be more useful, also in terms of painting it. I need to prepare myself and check which paint won't dissolve in water and glycerine mixture. I am hoping for acrylics to work. It would also help me with setting up a scale, I am getting a bit anxious if I manage to figure things out. 

Here are some of my notes about 3D printing, I found a very useful website so I am studying it carefully to understand each processes and the materials, so I can propose eco-friendly options.

I also started working on my project proposal, I completed it in some places, but yet I have to find a material for 750 words literature review. Next week this will be one of the priorities.

Another thing, which I started work on is to try figuring out who my character is. I made a mindmap and this brought 5 different ideas:

1) Queen/Mother of the Ocean: beautiful, powerful, captured by her world, which is falling apart, for example stuck in bleached coral reefs, captured by fishing net. I would use here some sort of symbolism or metaphor and looking into ancient sculptures would be great point of inspiration for this option.

2) Cute, innocent character, small creature: it's home became a prison, it does not know what is going on, it can not get out, lost his family. Here in the design I would not only try to highlight the cuteness, trying to make it look pleasant, but also made a viewer wanting to care for it, to protect it, feeling sorry for it. Possibly a creature which tries to hide in old clam? 

3a) Half damaged creature: half pretty, half destroyed, has problems with adapting to new world.

3b) Wise man: this character has been through a lot and remembers times its world was better place. The viewer looking at it should feel sorry for it, the old man is innocent and lost his life due to environmental changes

(3a and b could be possibly connected) 

4) Strong creature/monster such as troll: fall of a strong character, even though he looks powerful the damage in his world is too much, he is innocent and unaware

5) Super hero with powers to fight environmental issues: elements of his body will show biodiversity adaptation and how to fight the pollution etc

So far idea 1 stands out to me the most, but I have decided that I am going to produce a sketchbook of developmental work: I will try and draw each of those characters to see which one stands out the most. This will also be a good practise for my portfolio. 

To do next week:

• 3D printing research carry on
• proposal: try to complete it, find a material for literature review, aim to finish it this week/close to finish
• sketch ideas