Content Manager
Cloud Latitude
Letters of Recommendation
Aaron Poochigian Phd. – SUNY
Peter Dearing. Adjunct Professor – SUNY
Instructor
Zaniac Learning
A scene between two gods, one wants to return them both to the turmoil of the living world while the other wishes for them to remain at peace in the afterlife. What happens when a god’s will is challenged? The will to live, that is.
Great stories are defined by their characters. In this piece, I dive into the process of character development—how personalities, motivations, and arcs evolve on paper and translate into visual storytelling. By blending narrative structure with animation, I ensure each character feels authentic, compelling, and deeply connected to the story’s world.
The first character I concepted for a character design project called ‘The Price Of Divinity’. I wanted to create a character with details that don’t seem imposing on their own but when combined create a subtle danger while overall appearing the opposite. A beautiful woman that invokes the feeling she could be dangerous. Her dress and outfit are a majority of red, pink, and white, with some dark gray for the upper portion but even there her collar area is adorned with the aforementioned brighter colors.
Her arms and legs appear to be outfitted with leather armaments but if you look closer, it’s clear that they’re actually metal. The light of the sun is messing with the viewer’s perception of the armor’s hue. Danger beneath beauty, armor hidden beneath her dress. I wanted to make her orange eyes and blonde hair pop, so making the eyes a deeper orange and giving her a darker skin complexion seemed like the right direction to go, but something was still missing. Thankfully the artist who drew this for me suggested pink highlights in her hair to match the sunset while still conforming with her color scheme. Her outfit as a whole gives her a noble appearance with the flowers, ribbons, and tassels pulling it all together. Her pose was intentionally made to look vulnerable, mimicking the classic ‘defenseless maiden’ pose seen in many movies, shows, and other media.
However as mentioned earlier, beneath that dress is her armor. She’s not vulnerable, she’s simply not afraid, and her facial expression is the final nail in the coffin to prove this point. ‘Try me’ is the first thing I think of when I see the expression on her face. A challenge to any who’d dare face her. Her concept was born from Transtheism is the belief that something transcends the theistic position, that something exists beyond a supreme being. In Anahera’s case, she believes that if god(s) have something to fear, why should she be afraid of god(s)? A dangerous thought she’d wear with pride and a smile. In the end her design came out wonderfully. If I could go back and change anything, I’d probably choose a specific flower to use in her design instead of just making one up.
The second character in ‘The Price Of Divinity’ character project. When I came up with the concept of Vanus, I wanted to make a character whose appearance was that of a monster only in appearance, of someone that looks ‘evil’ but isn’t. I took into account stories about the fae, aka fairies. Like many folk tales, the original stories of the fae are far from the glittery pixies seen in modern media. The reason I chose fae is because in many folk tales they have power over people by using their names. One could say the ability to control others is an act only a god would possess, and as this character’s own personal beliefs are based on that of Agnosticism, it seemed appropriate. An Agnostic is someone who doesn’t believe in the existence of a higher power. They leave open the possibility that a higher power does exist, but they’re not committed to believing in anything specific.
Vanus is a character with a bit of hubris because of these beliefs and I gave him a confident stature to communicate this. His color scheme of black, gray, and white is meant to make his golden eyes pop. The edges of his wings are rough to give off a more intimidating demeanor. The torn wings combined with his armor also showcase that he’s had his fair share of battle. The slight tinge of yellow in his hair gives it a bit of variety compared to the rest of his design while not taking away from his eyes. Speaking of, his eyes are meant to be looking down towards the viewer without looking down on the viewer. By turning his head and giving him a smug facial expression, him gazing down at the viewer shows his tall height without making the viewer feel he has bad intentions. All in all I’m happy with how he came out, thought I may have a plain-clothes design made for him in the future.
The third character for my character design project called ‘The Price Of Divinity’. Lady Somnum is based of Earth Genasi from Dungeons and Dragons, who are a people born from or made of natural elements. In Somnum’s case, she’s based off of the element of earth. Turning her scars into cracks all along her body helps differentiate her from humans while calling back to her elemental origin. Her gold/black/silver color theme were inspired by two different types of gemstone; Tigers Eye and Yellow Topaz, which both tie into her earthen origin. Even her homeland, a wide expanse of desert, canyon, and savannah call back to this theme.
Another theme I wanted to incorporate into her design more subtly is the sun. The sun beats down on the desert, nurtures the earth, and shines bright in the night. Her dress and adorning jewels are many small suns and stars, with the black and silver further symbolizing the night sky, the darkness she shines in. From the beginning, I wanted to give her a muscular body. Considering the everything above, giving her a thin appearance simply didnt make sense. For her eyes, using the gold for the sclera (the usually white part) was an amazing idea by the artist that I feel really pulls it all together. For the hair style, I knew I wanted a braid so looked at different popular ones until I found a few I liked and asked the artist to weave (haha) them together into one.
Somnum’s concept was born from Apatheism; where someone is indifferent or uninterested in the existence or non-existence of god(s). The term is born from the words ‘apathy’ (lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern) and ‘theism’ (the belief in the existance of a higher power). She was born from the land, is made from it, has walked it thousands of times and has not seen a god or higher being help her people or her homeland. So Somnum did. Leaving her old life behind to serve her people who she truly cares for. This is probably my favorite design out of the bunch, I love how everything is pulled together. Her gentle expression showing compassion and her pose reaching out a hand to those in need. If there’s one word I’d use to describe what her character entails in design, inspiration, and story, it’s hope.
I’m a driven recent graduate eager to contribute my writing and storytelling skills to a creative organization. Passionate about playwriting, screenwriting, and all forms of narrative—whether for theater, film, television, novels, or business—I thrive on bringing fresh ideas and bold stories to life.
My journey began with crafting stories inspired by Dungeons and Dragons characters, which has evolved into a diverse writing portfolio spanning action-adventure, gore, and comedy genres. I’m seeking an internship, part-time, or full-time opportunity where I can contribute fresh ideas, collaborate with a dynamic team, and push creative boundaries to deliver impactful storytelling.
loganmooney@outlook.com
Tel: (631) 514-9552
