Rumplestiltskin Character Turnarounds

        Having taken on the constructive feedback given to me by Becky regarding the initial character designs I presented to her, I was able to begin work on the final character turnarounds, confident that I had a stronger idea of what she was seeking in these designs. Having a turnaround showing the character from all angles is important when modelling a character, as I have discovered from my own attempts at sculpting a model from a single image. It allows the artist to see the shape of the figure in three dimensions, and the volume and weight of a character.

To match his profession, the Miller could have dusty residue on his
clothes, and hand prints on his apron.

        I faced a certain amount of difficulty in combining the stooped, scrawny body of one design with the broad, triangular head of another. I found it hard to overcome the impression that the latter needs a stockier body. Consequently, I struggled to balance the head and body, eventually padding out the body a little more, to prevent the puppet seeming too top heavy. This issue may be something I need to explore in future, stepping out of my comfort zone in terms of experimenting with body and head shapes, and how the two might be combined.

        The daughter proved less troublesome, as being a 'pretty' character, there is less exaggeration and extremism in either her head or body shape. The only issue I encountered was with the colour palette. As the characters hair needed to be chestnut brown, this ended up being quite close in colour to the hair band and bodice (a similar problem can be seen with the lack of contrast between the Miller's breeches and apron). However, when it comes to costuming, Becky will be able to select fabrics and materials which work well together.

To match her bare feet, the Miller's Daughter could have scuffs and dirt
marks on her feet and ankles.

        Although I managed to incorporate almost all of Becky's suggestions and requirements, I did experience a brief period of worry that these designs would not meet her expectations, and that I would have to rework everything. This would have been problematic, as I was already slightly behind my schedule of completing these designs for the end of February. Fortunately Becky was pleased with both characters. I look forward to seeing how they look as both sculpted models and finished puppets.