The Joy of Antiques
During the break, I visited an antique store for the first time and was delightedly overwhemed. Tea sets and antiques plates were everywhere and have been my new source of inspiration for Morgana. But it made me realize a very crucial aspect about my SI project: Morgana has become a very scattered project.
Changing Environments
The greenhouse cafe that the story takes place in, The Parable Nook, has differed greatly every time I reimagine the story. In the beginning of my ideation, it was a giant cafe in the hollow of a tree, with the coziness of an antique store filled with ornaments. Somewhere down the path, I reimagined the cafe to have the structure of a modern studio, with rustic wood panels, exposed beams, and loft spaces. However, the change of scenery motifs did not change how I imagined the teaware or furniture. I'm still drawn to the cottagecore tea pots and trinkets, and the whimsical designs of treehouses.
The Origins of Such Problems
This doesn't exactly come as a shock to me, but it's still disappointing that the story has become disjointed enough to need evaluation. With enough time, my inspirations will change and my ideas will improve upon themselves before even reaching the thumbnail process. A more unique reason for such a change in visual identity is Morgana's change in purpose. Originally, it was a video game concept to satisfy my complaints with cozy games like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley. It then became an abstract illustration project because I wanted an SI theme that I was passionate about, but I inserted moral plights into the narrative to satisfy Collegeboard's need for "meaningful" work. I don't think this project is the best representation of the theme I'm trying to convey.
Moving on, I think the projects will focus on design rather than themes. The media will still vary, as I can't imagine myself sticking to one thing for the rest of the year, but there will be cohesive motifs and principles throughout the new pieces: starting with Morgana's design.
Changing Characters
Her design is the oldest, the simplest, and most importantly, had no iterations or research. The image above was the only drawing I did of her before starting AP art. Knowing what I know now about concept art and character design, this simply won't do. My future projects will be creating a figurine of Morgana, but before that endeavor I must refine her character. SI #5 will be another concept sheet, combining old intentions of her character with new concept skills I've obtained over time.
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