Tape on The Windows

One of the many faults with the rough cut showreel is that the pink-tinted shop looks as though it is the sweet shop. To change this I have done some research into the practice of taping up windows so they don't blow out with nearby explosions. This is a common occurrence in wartime for homes and shops, and a sinister reminder of danger while people go about their day.

Animated Short About A Shop

 

This animated short has many similarities with my game idea! First off it has no dialogue, and it starts with a child walking down a deserted street... they then reach a spooky looking shop... sound familar?  In this short, though, the shop is creepy and it has only dolls in it. Watch the animation to get the story, I won't ruin it. But it was lovely and very helpful to see how someone has produced such a high quality animation with such similar themes to me.

Models - reference

I wanted to make a model of the shop because I think in doing so it would not only help me finalise an idea and make drawing a lot less confusing, but help communicate my design fully to all audiences. I used to be a keen model builder, paper and cardboard being the material of choice when I was younger, and yesterday I looked in the library for books on papercaft and also dolls houses. Dolls houses and miniature interiors are a secret passion of mine that I rarely draw upon for inspiration when concerning college work, but I feel it appropriate this time. When thinking about my 'real world' game environment, the shop, I really believe that it can be enhanced if I think about it as a small set or stage where the story happens.

The books I found in the library were predominantly useful because of the fact they made me realise the above, not because of their content in particular. Regardless, while it is still relevant, the books I found were:
3 Dimentional Illustration, Ellen Rixford, Watson-guptill publications/New York 1992

Dolls and Doll Houses, Hamlyn, Middlesex England, 1977

Recently I have taken inspiration from David Petersen's Blog[1], creator and author of graphic novel Mouse Guard[2], who makes models of his architectural locations to help him draw them in his series of books. I was only introduced to this artist very recently, a week or so ago, and although he has inspired me more, Petersen did not spark my initial decision to make a model for my project. I do think looking at his work more will be extremely helpful though, and here are a few examples:






Here is what Petersen says at one point on his blog about his work:
"Like many artists, I find it easier to draw something, if I have a visual reference for it. Even if you have imagined a wonderful setting or room or style of architecture, it can often be complicated to imagine that same image from a different perspective or under different lighting."


[1] http://davidpetersen.blogspot.com/, Jan 2010
[2] http://www.mouseguard.net/, Jan 2010

Shop interior

The shop is very important, and until now I have avoided planning the shop layout and interior except for my preliminary animatic:


After seeing the inside of the bear shop in Norwich and drawing some birds eye view sketches, I made this paper model to work out how I am going to draw an isometric view of the shop.

Shop front reference 2

I went to the college library and found several books on shop fronts and architecture. Here are some images from:

English Shop Fronts, David Dean, London, Alec Tiranti 1970



These are extremely relevant, and I struggled to find anything as detailed online. But in terms of direct reference and inspiration these shop fronts are far too elaborate for the humble, neglected and mysterious look I am aiming for.

London: the art of Georgian building, Dan Cruickshank and Peter Wyld, the architectural press ltd, London 1975


The majority of this book was useless to me, but these two images appeared near the end as examples of Georgian architecture in London in the 40s. These images show exactly the kind of street I want to create, and I wish I had some reference I could visit without travelling far.

I went back to the bear shop and drew several images of the front:

Shop front reference

I have been collecting images of traditional looking shop fronts since last summer, and visiting some around East Anglia. By traditional I mean late Victorian/Georgian, or associated with stereotype sweet shop themes. Here are some of the best examples of shop exteriors:

[1]

The last image here is of a shop in Norwich. It would be great if I could base the shop on somewhere local that I can study. Tomorrow I will draw this shop and go inside to see the layout for myself.


[1] Flickr.com