Avatar: The Last Cloutbender

--Just a quick note: This is a post I typed up before I disappeared for a while. I'm not going to re-type this, since I want to keep what I thought about this when I created it, but just keep in mind that this isn't current me writing this.

It feels good to be typing up the first blog post about a project. Having something that you're proud of creating and want to share is not a feeling I'm used to, but I love it. Avatar: The Last Airbender was without a doubt my favorite show growing up, so it's only right that my first work uploaded is featuring the main character, Aang. The original picture used as inspiration for this project depicted Aang sitting on his friend and method of transportation, the flying bison Appa. I chose to use the car pictured in the project and add a blue arrow to resemble Appa's white fur and the sky blue arrow running from his forehead to his back. I also feel that the relationship between Aang and Appa is very similar to the relationship that many car enthusiasts have with their cars. They don't see their cars as just a method of transportation, but something they cherish, spend time with, and feel connected to. I tried to clothe Aang in something I could picture him wearing in current times. In the show, he wears a sweater and loose fitting pants, so I figured the hoodie and sweats were a good fit for his character.

Although I am very familiar with the tools I use and the process of creating these projects, I'm still learning new things every day. During the creation of this picture, I had multiple hurdles to jump. This was my first time using a logo on clothing, so I had to figure out how to warp them to make them look blended with the fabric, and add shadows to make them look realistic rather than just pasted on. Another struggle with shadows was making Aang appear to sit on the hood of the car. You can position the character perfectly, but without shadows, it will look like he's floating about it. It took some practice, but I eventually worked out how to make the shadows appear natural and follow the shape of his body based on the location of the lights in the scene. The hardedst part of this project, however, was the arrow on the hood and roof of the car. The car isn't facing the camera straight on, so I had to figure out the perspective of the camera and find the vanishing points. That was difficult, and I still wasn't done. Every single curve and line on the car has to be taken into account, so it was important to consider that when drawing the lines. In the end, I feel it was worth the time and the final product turned out well.

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Despite having just started this website and having a brain stuffed full of ideas, I would always love to hear more. If you have an idea of a character you want to see modernized or a blog post explaining something, there are multiple ways to contact me. You can use Facebook to comment directly at the bottom of this page. You can also follow my Twitter and Instagram for updates of my progress and enable you to keep up with my posts without having to visit the website. If none of those work for you, just click on the "Contact Me" button at the top of this page to email me directly from the website or see my email address to use later. Feel free to ask me any questions or give me any suggestions!