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A Picture of The Mind (CRITICAL Update)

Dear Insane Children, 

If you've seen the relevant section in "The Art of Alice: Madness Returns" you'll know that the development team really struggled to define the look and feel of Alice's face. Ken Wong directed a multitude of studies by various concept artists and illustrators - trying on different art styles (painterly, photo-realistic, caricature) combined with various facial expressions, themes, and "modes" (asylum, London Streets, Wonderland). 

This was a protracted and frustrating process for everyone involved. Mainly because many of the people involved had very different ideas about what Alice should look like - and why she should look that way. For many, it was a chance to stamp their impression (brand, name, style) on the game's most visible asset. For others, the issue was simple: Make her Alice. 

After months of false starts, barely any glimmers of progress, lots of weird-arts "stuff" getting made, I felt that the wider team's frustration levels had reached a plateau. Calls for sensible exploration were being ignored. Lots of time was being wasted. And lots of processes being held up because we didn't have a solid definition of our main character. Enough! 

I put my foot down. I seem to recall making a pretty serious ultimatum on the topic... basically a "my way or the highway" moment with one or two of our key art staff. After that, things improved. 

All of that is meant to explain the critical nature of the decisions we're now about to make. I don't know if it has to be difficult. But I do know that it's important - and for good reason. 

What does Alice look like in Alice: Asylum? 

A couple of points to keep in mind before pondering this any further. 

First, we're seeing Alice through the lens of her own mind's eye. Everything happening in Alice: Asylum happens inside the mind of Adult Alice (the same Alice we see walking away from the train station at the end of Alice: Madness Returns). How would 24-year-old Alice view her 13-year-old self?

Second, 13-year-old Alice is the 'avatar' of Alice's adventures in Asylum. This is the Alice of 1865. She's spent a year "nearly comatose" in the hospital. And is now at Rutledge Asylum. Between 1865 and 1873, Alice will remain in a coma - shut off from the real world. This is the period in which "Asylum" takes place. (No, we will not see Alice age or grow physically during this period). 

Third, we need to define Alice now so that progress can be made on other aspects of the design and art which link to her body, face, and overall look. There's an opportunity for us to generate a hi-res 3D model of Alice - something we could use for our sales pitch and marketing. That may even help open the door to building an actual playable demo (more on that later). 

Lastly, it might help to keep in mind the story of Asylum - especially the fact that she's been living in a false reality of illusion and denial. When you imagine yourself, do you see an idealized version or something less than? Given her state of mind, who do you think Alice might see herself?

So, with all of that in mind... 

Think about the shape, proportions, style, and "feel" of the concept images provided by Joey. Don't be bothered by the lack of hair - that's just a technique for clearly defining the shape of her head. Sit with the images for a while. Maybe you'll print them out, as I did, and hang them on the wall. Live the images for a while and form a meaningful impression. 

Once you have some thoughts, share them in the Comments below. We'll read those during the Live Stream this week. 

Live Stream

Same routine as always. 7PM on Wednesday for those of you in PDT. 10AM on Thursday for us here in CST.

We'll host the stream over on my TWITCH CHANNEL (hit the link to visit and subscribe). 

 https://www.twitch.tv/americanmcgee 

If you miss the stream live you can always watch the recorded show over on my YouTube Channel.

 https://www.youtube.com/americanmcgeeofficial 


NOTE TO EU PATRONS: We know we need to host a stream to fit your time zone. We'll do that soon... it's just difficult for me these days because I have to get up at 4:30~5AM each day to take care of Lucky. And am usually in bed (no joke) by 8PM. An hour of reading and then it's Zzzzzzz... 


PS: This post's title is borrowed from "The face is a picture of the mind with the eyes as its interpreter." - Marcus Tullius Cicero


From Shanghai with Eyes, 

-American


A Picture of The Mind (CRITICAL Update)

Comments

The eyes should be a wee bit smaller, but other than that it looks pretty spot on to me. From here, I'd say the next step is to try and make a 3D model of it, because what works in 2D, doesn't necessarily translate when another dimension is added. As to how we look at ourselves, when looking back at pictures of our younger self, there's perhaps a tendency to think we looked better than we do now, but the constant through life is the dissatisfaction with ones own look (I have found though, now being 31, I'm way more accepting/less bothered about it). On the other hand, looking back at ourselves, there's always the context of that time of our lives, so while the surface may look smiley and bubbly, we now that might not be the truth. So I think Alice looking back at her 13 year old self, put in to one phrase, "would look fairer and feel fouler".

I think that this is a great structure for Alice. Maybe she can be made to look younger in Denial with the addition of childish accessories like a center head bow that is quickly lost when she escapes that part of the game.

I think this is a beautiful, thoughtful illustration, including the dramatic eye look which resembles a smokey eye, even, but doesn't quite tip over to that impression. I really appreciate the take that this is not what Alice truly looked like as a 13-year-old, it's what she felt like, and the memory of the feeling is more relevant and left a stronger impression than her true appearance. It delivers very well, I love the haunted, but idealised appearance, which appears a bit more grown up than a regular 13-year-old would. Given all the trauma Alice went through, this is a wonderful idea. Outstanding! I'm glad you could put your foot down, the results are lovely.

I love it as is. I think Joey always has an ability to capture Alice just right in her illustrations.

Well, coming from the standpoint of a concept artist in training. I would say maybe making her head a bit smaller and while I understand the point of doe eyes, I would say taking away the darkness around the eyes, as somebody mentioned above it looks a bit more like makeup. Try to make her lips more bland or more blended to her face and not with a red tint. I would also thinking that Alice may view herself almost as being very tiny, frail, fragile, very pale maybe with dirt on her face. Maybe her face sunken in a bit probably from malnutrition perhaps or from her not eating. Also trying adding definition to her face, perhaps adding softer cheeks, fluffier cheeks if you don't want to go for the malnourished look.

I love it <3

being honest, I'm really tired of the huge eyes trend, which has been going for the last 15+ years. I'd love to see a more interesting turn on Alice's face and not the ubiquitous child-like face with giant eyes

Juan Romero

Eyes are deffinitely too big and maybe make them look less shadowed. I get if you want the circles around her eyes but it's too dark in my opinion. Looks too much like makeup. Other than that I think she is perfect and then progress can be made in other aspects.

Good luck guys. Basic designs tend to be harder than anyone can think. Kinda like the Powerpuff girls. The classic one not the modern one.

Saleh Abu-Rashid

I like it, but maybe the eyes should be just a bit smaller. She looks very animeish

Wiki

I think the take looks great! I don't know that it looks much younger than previous "Alices", but I think it clearly resembles her which is good. To me, if she's looking back at herself, it would definitely be an idealized and dramatic child-like form. She would probably see herself much more like the Alice seen in the older pictures with her family: rounder face, large eyes (like the ones here), smaller mouth, button nose. Almost doll-like. But I think at the same time given what she's been through, she would probably still apply some adult-like features despite it not really being fitting for the younger age. She didn't have a typical childhood after all! I think this render is fantastic, but I do think that there could be some minor changes :). I'd be happy either way! Great work, everyone!

Then again she did just go through a comatose state and I doubt she was getting adequate nutrition

I think she looks pretty grown for 13. Rounder fuller cheeks and a less angled chin and she would look perfect though.

I really like the picture. It captures Alice in AMR pretty well when she grows up. The bigger eyes, yet the is more softness in the shape of face and such. I think this is definetely going to right direction. Almost ready character design. Now just some lively hair designs (when the game comes) to go with jumping and all, and it is there :).

I really like her here, great job

Looks great, I like everything about it, especially her eyes! :) Really good work done here!

St. Thomas

Honestly I think this shows how cool it is that each artist has a different representation of Alice as a character! Wouldn't it be amazing if all the artists got to tackle her various dresses with this face as like their basis? We get all the artists to try different realms/emotions as dresses and allow them to show their own versions of Alice's wardrobe! We could use the denial/blue dress as the general shape and go from their! Kinda like Joey's paper dolls! Then have like an Alice fashion show and decide which dresses represent Alice and her world the best in game and what dresses dont work to show her emotional state or the realm she is in!

While any design chosen may not be the 100% “perfect” Alice to everyone, as long as she’s mostly Alice to most of us, it will work out. So long as it isn’t outrageously out of the pre-established design norms, once you make your choice we will all get used to it quite quickly and it will become Alice. For this design specifically, my first gut take away is that this can easily be Asylum’s Alice. I look at her and see the lines that take us to the AMA and AMR Alices in all their varied iterations. She may have big eyes to my taste but that could just be a visual representation of “wide-eyed innocence” (after all, there may be a disconnect between physical age and idealized internal age/appearance). If I was told this was Alice and I had no choice in the matter, I’d be perfectly content.

Looks great! I could easily see her growing into Alice from AMR.

I think she's perfect ♥️

Cherrie Wu

The facial design is definitely OK, in my opinion. But I don't think it's perfect yet. To contrast this Alice with the older ones in the previous games, she should be looking younger and more childlike here!!! In that sense, I believe her cheeks could be drawn a bit fuller (i.e. more childlike); also her eyes seem just a tad too large. Retrospectively, I might even like her old facial design better when she was drawn wearing the asylum gown (i.a. posted on 14th April 2020).

Hex

I think Joey really nailed this one, she looks perfect, well done 👏

I think this is a perfect representation of a younger Alice Joey really outdid herself with this one! Now to just tune up everything to go around this face. Her clothes and hair and facial expressions! Just because I feel like alot of her clothing doesnt exactly match her emotional state or the age she is being portrayed (aside from the denial dress which is probably the best example of how her dresses represent her as a character and her emotional state) This is the best progress on her face I think we have seen this far! I'm very excited to see what art comes after this!

I feel the same way. But always good to get feedback from everyone :)

American McGee

I mean, I don’t think you are getting much closer than this. Fortunately you already have designed a fairly hi-rez Alice in AMR. All you have to do is make that look younger and that’s basically what Joey did. Lighten the hair and make the eyes huge. Personally, I think she nailed it. I would call it a job well done and move on.

Lucky Dragon ‘She.They’


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