#-Nostalgia and Memory

[muchlovefleursblog]

[practice1developingskills]

Assignment3-Nostalgia and Memory-1

After hearing the teacher's announcement about this topic, I had a light bulb moment: I should cartoonize my childhood self!

I think it’s because, as a kid, I loved watching cartoons, but my parents limited how much time I could spend watching TV. As a result, I could never finish watching a cartoon properly.

Naturally, when I grew up, I binge-watched all my favorite cartoons again! I got really into the style of American animation characters. I think every character in American animation has a distinctive design that’s memorable at a glance. You can instantly feel the character’s personality just by looking at them!

So, with this theme, I was totally on board! I decided to take on the challenge of drawing myself as a cartoon character in the American animation style.

Since it was my first time trying to draw in this style, I wasn’t sure where to start. I looked up my favorite cartoon concept art and studied it closely for inspiration!

My favorite from the first one is Steven Universe. I'm a big fan of this show. I love how the story is interesting without being overly complex, and I really appreciate the diversity of the characters.

Every character in Steven Universe is designed to be instantly recognizable, and you can guess their personality just by looking at them.

Take Steven, the main character. He’s outgoing and naive, but also incredibly kind. His design is full of rounded lines, making him look friendly, and his pink color scheme adds to the positive and lively vibe he gives off.

Then there’s Garnet (the one with the square head and red and black color). Garnet is a reliable and strong leader who always knows the right thing to do. The square head and broad shoulders make him look dependable, and the dark red and black tones emphasize his strength and reliability.

Another thing I love is the exaggerated expressions the characters use to show their emotions. For example, Steven’s exaggerated facial features make it easy to read his emotions, while also adding depth to his character.

Studying Steven Universe's character design has made me appreciate the work even more. It’s taught me how silhouettes and colors can define a character. A strong silhouette and a well-thought-out color scheme highlight the characters’ personalities and make their actions in the story feel more believable.

I added Turning Red to my list of works to research because I really like it. Honestly, the heroine, MeiMei, looked a lot like me when I was a kid, so I wanted to understand how the character was designed.

One of the things I admire most is how Turning Red cartoonizes real people while keeping an appearance that the audience can relate to. I also love the proportions of the characters.

Take MeiMei's family, for example:

MeiMei: Her proportions are modest, and details like the oval glasses, the hair under the ears, the collared shirt, and the knit jacket give the impression of a well-behaved, smart, and lively girl.

Mama: Her proportions are more exaggerated. Her outfit—a jacket with high padded shoulders and a narrow skirt—creates a wider top and narrower bottom, making her appear severe and sharp.

Papa: In contrast, his proportions are moderate. Details like his sloping shoulders, straight body, and a rectangular face with no pronounced neck contribute to his rounded and laid-back personality.

The color schemes further highlight the family dynamic:

MeiMei and Mama feature red and green, a contrasting color scheme that emphasizes their differing personalities.

Papa uses white and grey, symbolizing his role as a central and balanced figure in the family.

This thoughtful use of proportions and colors makes MeiMei's family of three a perfect representation of a classic Asian family.

As I mentioned before, I think Turning Red excels at transforming real people into cartoon characters while striking a balance between realism and stylization. This approach allows viewers with similar cultural backgrounds to instantly feel empathy for the characters, while still maintaining the cute and fun vibe of the cartoonized designs.

The last one I wanted to work on was Splatoon! I really like the body proportions of their characters.

I love how they made the shoes bigger. The body's proportions are great, and the head is big, so it's memorable. That's why I want to incorporate it into my character design!

Reference

Nintendo (n.d.) Splatoon Gallery. Available at: https://www.nintendo.com/jp/character/splatoon/en/gallery/index.html (Accessed: [4 January 2025]).

D23 (n.d.) Unbearably Cute Turning Red Concept Art. Available at: https://d23.com/unbearably-cute-turning-red-concept-art/ (Accessed: [4 January 2025]).

Steven Universe Wiki (n.d.) Steven Universe (character)/Gallery/Official Artwork. Available at: https://steven-universe.fandom.com/wiki/Steven_Universe_(character)/Gallery/Official_Artwork#Model_Sheets (Accessed: [4 January 2025])

[imstuckin1999]

90s/y2k Klutz books (pt 2)

[dumblr]

I loved you in ways you’ll never understand. In the way I remembered your favorite songs, even when you forgot mine. In the way I stayed. Long after you didn’t ask me to.

[generation-fucked-nostalgia]

An extinct breed of lyric video from an era past...

She's no you // Complicated // Monster high // If You Seek Amy // Butterfly // Starstruck

[just-a-girl-07]

[eternvlsound]

PlayStation 2 Ocean Blue (2002)

[nostalgia-folder]

we used to be a proper country

[digitalmemoriez]

✫･ﾟ*.2005･ﾟ✫*.

[grumpybear2001]

[neosprites]

[BEANIE BABIES - TRANSPARENT PNGS]

pls credit if you use

i'm actually obsessed with classic beanie babies, my neocities (find in my pinned post) is themed after them!

[kidcore-nostalgia]

[nostalgicfun]

Friend's House, August 1999

[22even]

requested summertime pixels / favicons ☀️

f2u, no credit required

let me know if you had something different in mind requester