Blog #1: Deconstructing Characters

Hero: James Brett

Color: Monochromatic - Brown, Orange and Yellow

The color scheme is monochromatic - the same hue is used with different saturations (light - yellow, dark - brown). The reason for this is to give him a western feel. The brightness of yellow shows that he is a character with good intentions, while the brown shows that he's not much of a big shot 'super-hero' but more of a bland person that still wants to do good. The value of the colors is pretty dark to give the character a vintage kind of feel. This is because he's from the west and has an old fashioned cowboy sense to him unlike his villain who is more new-age and has more of a technological side to him.

Light: Very bright lighting, but the character is almost in the shadows of the light.

The lighting is bright to show that the character is good and has the same qualities as the normal hero would. He is in the shadows to show once again that he's not a big important hero, but more of an average person trying to do the right thing. In the picture, the cowboy is portrayed as moving away from us towards the sun. This gives us a feeling that he has a goal which may be reachable, but is quite a long distance away. He is moving towards his goal trying to reach it and not looking back once.

Shape: Star shaped

This character has the shape of a star because it symbolizes goodness. The many points of a star show that it's a complex shape just as the hero is a complex character in that there's more than meets the eye about him. This shape also represents hope. The character has very high hopes to reach his goal and will do anything within the confines of the law to do so. It represents light and direction. He must follow it to go in the right direction straight to his goal so he can achieve it.

Villain: Vito Carenzetti

Color: Analogous - Red, Purple and Yellow

The villains color scheme is a blend of red, purple and yellow. These colors are an analogous color scheme because they are different hues, but they are all next to each other on the color wheel. In this case, the analogous color scheme gives the character a sense of power. The red and yellow hues accent the purple since it's the darkest. Purple is also a color of royalty and power so it gives the villain a kind of evil powerful feeling.

Light: In the Spotlight

The villain, in our case, is the center of attention. He has power and technology so he tries to always be in the spotlight. The parts of him which are visible to the eye are large and all powerful, while there's still darkness in which he's hiding. The darkness behind the character is only seen by few, which is why he is looked up to by the city where he dwells. This lighting scheme gives the villain a very mysterious and powerful feeling to him.

Shape: Cube shaped

The cube shape this character possesses portrays in him a large sense of stability and power. It is a basic shape, yet very bold and stable. It has a perfect sense of balance just as the villain is always in control, or at least tries to be, of his actions and gestures. It also symbolizes strength and integrity, qualities which every villain should have.