JJ's VisCom work

Hey guys!

So I'm taking this class called VisCom 1. It's an Art Center class, but CDA is offering it because they're AWESOME and the teacher at Art Center is buddies with the head of CDA.

Anyway, this jist of this class is to teach you how to break things down to the simplest shapes. We go on field trips and draw on location using only pens and markers, learning how to simplify what we see and how to accurately draw it on the first try. After each field trip we do a re-design, putting our own spin on the topic for the day.

Anyhoo, I wanted to share my re-designs with you guys!

First we went to the Arboretum and drew plants, so here's my re-design and the pitch:

The Vinar Morticus is a deadly plant that grows upside down from tree branches, waiting for its prey. When the unfortunate creature comes along, the articulate vines grab hold with their fierce talon-like spikes and hoist the victim up toward the mouth.

Next up we drew insects:

This is the Urethus worm. It infiltrates the colony of a tunneling insect (ants, termites, etc) to lay its eggs. Once it dies, a fluid leaks out of the body that rapidly expands when it comes into contact with air. The resulting foam fills the tunnels and traps the inhabitants. Upon hatching, the larva feasts on the trapped insects.

After that we hit up the zoo, but I took a bit of liberty with the re-design aspect:

The Yoshi is a distant evolutionary cousin to the Koopa, but while the Koopa developed a hard shell, the Yoshi evolved tough scales along the back. In later years, the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom learned that this not only offers the Yoshi extra protection (along with the ridge of spikes), but also creates a natural saddle for riders.

The truly unique characteristic of this species is its reproductive cycle. The Yoshi is asexual, and each Yoshi can lay a single egg in the life of its body. The Yoshi transfers its consciousness to that egg, and the body dies as soon as it lays the egg. What results is the Yoshi's personality and knowledge being reborn in the baby Yoshi that hatches.

This week we went to Travel Town, so I'll be doing a train re-design this week.

Anyhoo, I hope you dig it!

-JJ

PS: The Yoshi design is based on my Halloween costume. It's a crappy video, but check it out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPZWjZDDGIo