Animal Research - Deer

I have done a wide range of animal anatomy and artwork research in relation to th cave painting style I have decided to adopt in my major project. The first thing I looked into was the anatomy of the Deer, so I researched some skeletal structures to better understand the animal's posture and the way that it moves. This is looking at the Deer from a scientific viewpoint and getting the recreation accurate.

After looking at the skeletal structure I then looked at photographs of live deer moving naturally in their environment. This gives me a clearer understanding of the colour scheme of their fur and other details such as tail, ears and facial features.

I will be including mainly Does but also one Stag in the herd of Deer that will be regularly seen throughout the animation, so I have been looking at both sex of Deer. The males are considerably larger and bigger in physical build with the obvious antlers that protrude from their head. The females are smaller and more agile. I used some images of Deer in motion, to get a sense of the leg positions whilst animating a run cycle.

My research then lead me to look at some existing films that include deers in their story. Bambi was my first source of inspiration by Walt Disney Studios. Here are some of the concept images that were created in pastels. Though they are static images, the artists have managed to capture the essence of a Deer's movements and the colours used are really captivating. By looking at existing films I have gained knowldge of how other animators have simplified their designs to accommodate their style and also for efficiency in meeting deadlines. Something that will be very important for me.

I have also looked at some of the cave painting scenes from both animated films Ice Age and Brother Bear. In these scenes the style is very rustic but looks genuine to the cave paitnin style. I have looked at these designs for further research.

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