Influence Map

I'm a huge fan of character design, and Nico Marlet (sketch in middle) is one of my favorite designers. He works at DreamWorks Animation studio as one of their top character sketch artists, having worked on films including Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon.

His work (to me) feels completely unrestrained, free flowing, and very individual, with strong shapes and rich textural design. He turns a sketch into a work of art.

The larger squares illustrate principals of character design I value including:

• Function
• Design &
  
• Personality

Cartoons, Animation, Illustration, and Games all influence me.
Some favorite & highly stylized games: Viewtiful Joe, Legend of Zelda: Windwaker, Luigi's Mansion, amongst others.

With animation, I love to see more experimentation being done successfully. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs proved to be a very unique 3d (cg) animated film in that it had the vitality of a cartoon, filled with spontaneous energy and unpredictability. Animation has the power to create impossible worlds! Don't limit yourself to techniques and mediums. The more you explore, the more possibilities you open.