Character expressions and poses

I researched more into visual imagery of body language and expressions on a character to emphasise both the personality and the emotion that is perceived on the character.

In the popular Japanese animation, Naruto, his character design is exaggerated dramatically with facial expressions. For example when his character is shocked his eyes disappear and are replaced with white circles and distressed outlines, matched with a mouth that is wide and jaw dropped, the teeth portrayed as blocks. I find that this expression works quite well as the viewer can tell that it is a shocked expression, and it creates its own stylisation with in the illustrative style of the show. Another interesting expression is one that shows a disgusted look, his eyes narrow dramatically and his mouth nearly becomes a wide line, with his eyebrows close to his eyes. I find this quite humourous but also inspiring as it takes a subtle approach to the emotion of disgust rather than it being the typical, hands in front of face with a shocked expression and angled eyebrows.

Naruto character sheet

I then stumbled across some poses for one of the characters in the Disney animation, Black cauldron. I found them influential through the use of line, the extended stretch and elongated legs that emphasised the characters run. The slumped poses worked well with his head resting in his palm as his body is leant forwards and slouched, contrasting with the happy demeanour portrayed in a stretched form with his body leant slight back with his head held high.

Black Cauldron