Anastasia C's Portfolio

Bapoto (Poto)- means noisy

Poto is an unknown prehistoric omnivore who lives in a very large family of about 30 members. He has 8 sisters and is one of 7 brothers. Out of all of his siblings, he is the most adventurous, getting himself into trouble almost on a daily basis.

He’s about 3 years old and may live up to 30 years, if he’s lucky. On average, Poto’s species is about 4 foot at the shoulder but can reach 5 feet. His father is the largest of the family and manages the heard. The species is an in-between development in evolution where they are becoming more terrestrial and less tree climbers. They have 3 toes that end with hooves, which aid in running, however they are not very fast. When they run it is mostly on all fours but are able to sprint effectively on two. The long nails help them dig for food and nest building. One sharp claw remains on their “thumb” from their tree climbing days and can still work though not nearly as well. The long necks allow the head to see above the tall grass and the ears can pick up sounds a great distance away. Coat patterns range in a variety of browns, blacks and yellows to match the grass, but it also provides camouflage against certain predators with similar coat patterns who also thrive in the environment. The horn on their heads is made of bone which forms the base of a thick skull. They defend themselves with these horns and use them for mating battles. The bigger, the better.

The family lives on the edge of the forests of Africa and make their home in the grassy plains next to a river. Using their long nails to dig into the dirt, they make nests and sleep clustered together. Their diet usually consists of some tree leaves on the forest edge, as well as roots and insects. Poto finds the food tasteless and boring so he will venture deeper into the forest to find fruit. These ventures are where he meets different creatures that become his friends or foes. The family doesn’t go deeper into the woods because the trees can obscure large predators like cave lions and bears.

Poto is not the favorite of his family because his jokes involve someone getting into a tight spot or nearly injured from either an activity like tree climbing or river diving to harassing large sleeping predators. He likes making others look silly and takes pride in his ability to climb and do stupid stunts. His siblings insult him as the dumbest of the herd and though his intelligence is generally average, he’s extremely resourceful and can get others into trouble just as easily as getting them out. He’s also discovered the use of throwing objects. The antics has gotten him noticed by a saber tooth tiger who wishes to make a meal out of him and his herd. He tricks the tiger from following him, but the beast is clever and gets closer to finding the family everyday. The herd is always on the lookout and is thinking about moving to escape the cat.

What Poto wants is to see everything and go anywhere but is afraid to be left alone. The more friends he makes outside his herd the better he feels, but not all of them are really willing to help out if the family decides to ditch him. The saber tooth tiger is his worst fear because he’s just as clever and is undeniably relentless.

Caricatures of classmates. From left to right, myself, Tim and Charlie.

Inked hybrid creatures with distorted physical features. As opposed to the last time I did this assignment, I wanted to create characters that would make sense with their distorted design. My favorite is the bottom illustration of a Swamp Tree Gator.

I chose Tim Burton because of his very sketchy pen work. During my research I found that many of his works had some interpretation of life in them and so I thought of my own personal experience to create the work. It’s my interpretation of the anxiety I have to face once this class ends and have to go home and look for a summer job. The monster up there is my mother and the kids, which depicts the negative aspects of my home life.

Each character has 3 assets that define them. The image to the left is the first design before the critique.

Upper left: A distraught and timid model with big forearms, small biceps.

Upper Right: An obnoxious one-armed dentist. The second one is a hungover dentist.

Lower Left:  A zesty crack-addicted artist with a large booty.

Lower Right:  A zesty timid model with a large booty.

The image to the right is the final concepts and all are the same except for the Gorilla, who is a hungover Dentist with giant forearms.

After the zoo study we were to create a hybrid human and animal character. Since I chose to study the polar bear, I wanted to avoid the typical designs of a bear dressed in armor or a bear with human characteristics. What I wanted to create was a man with bearlike features. I found the style took a Disney turn even though that wasn’t my intent, but I was wanting an animated looking fellow and liked the second page of ideas. I tried to make him less Disney and adjust the facial features to be more animal and found that I was moving too far into the animal face. In the end, I feel like this character was meant to look like he does in the final page and I’m pleased with it.

Wasn’t sure what category they would fall under, so they have their own post. I was looking for the gesture of the seals and their coat patterns.

Various birds found in the Aviary.

Various scaly friends at the zoo.

Animal study at the Toledo zoo and it contains: lemurs, monkeys, rhinos, elephants, tigers, wolves, hippos, bears and otters.

Light caricatures or stylized faces. First page belongs to famous people, movies stars, internet icons and animal interpretations of Jim Carrey. The second page begins with Enstien, Obama and Robin Williams but is then mostly dedicated to the animated Jim Carrey. The final tests stylization of expressions on myself.

Stylized hands using various media from markers to ink.

Stylized eyes using Sharpie.

Study of lips and mouth.

Study of noses.

Realistic ear study.

Realistic Foot Study with pencil and Sharpie.

Realistic study of hands.

Realistic eye study.

Age: 60 human years. (Based on amount of segments of lower horn. Each segment takes ten years to develop after the first three.)

Social Status: Single male, ready to establish his territory.

Body Attributes

Gender – Male

Body Structure – Muscular. Broad chest and shoulders, thick neck and sturdy hind legs. Feeble wings rest just above the shoulders. Tail holds a sharp bony plate and similar sharp spines cover his wings. When threatened the wings will flare out and quiver making a loud clicking sound.

Height – 4 ft at the shoulder.

Weight – approximately 600 lbs

Background: This is a young Goliath traveling the mountains to find a home. The lower horns start to curl in their fourth human year and eventually they are ready to move on and claim their own territories. The more curly the horns, the higher chances for mating. They can live through several human generations but rarely reproduce. They are not a heavily populated species.

Culture – These beasts are worshipped by many cultures of the mountain regions by symbolizing great power in times of war.

Family – Mountain Goliaths are solitary beasts, living only with their mothers for a few years after birth. Females can have up to two cubs and all babies are soft with no hardened plates until adolescence.

Education – Because this beast lives so long, it is said they are very wise and in legends have been approached for guidance.

Personality (introvert/extrovert) – Most of these animals don’t bother humans, but occasionally livestock may be borrowed.

Stereotype/Archetype – Often misunderstood by other people as a man-eaters.

Intelligence – above average animal instinct according to legends.

Beliefs/religion – Goliaths are considered to be mortal gods that embody the power of Earth.

Goals/Ambition/Values/Dreams – It is unknown unless one were to telepathically connect with you.

Talents – Despite their appearance, the mothers are very nurturing, yet it becomes tough love as the cubs age.

Self View – This youth is ready to steak out his territory, however he is naive and at risk to intruding on a more experienced Goliath’s land.

Flaws/Weaknesses –  Young males may find themselves in trouble with other Goliaths or human grounds as they learn the ropes of their environment before they finally settle.

Fears – Other and more mature Goliaths

Life style

Sleep cycle/Nocturnal or not – These animals sleep whenever they please and have adequate nocturnal vision. They are most active during the evening and at dawn.

What it eats (herbivore, carnivore, omnivore): Due to this animal’s massive body structure it needs a high protein intake, however bigger game lives in the plains and so this animal must travel up and down the mountain to eat.

Environment/Climate (Env. they live in): This animal sticks to the mountains because of its solitary nature, but sometimes can be found near mountainous regions or higher altitude levels. During the winter it grows a thicker coat and sheds in spring.

Sex Life – Rare. Most end up mating once or twice in a lifetime.