As I Imagined It: Part 2

So, I continued on with the character design for more of the characters. This first one is Duke Frederick, the father of Celia and usurper of his brother's (Duke Senior) throne. He is a pretty evil guy for most of the play, with a violent temperament and an angry disposition. He banishes his own brother and niece (Rosalind) from the kingdom. Later, however, after he launches an army to find his brother, he meets a religious man in the forest and immediately changes his ways. For the design, though, I wanted to depict him as a villain... they are more fun to draw. :)

Duke Senior, Frederick's brother and Rosalind's father, is quite the opposite. His rightful throne is usurped by his brother, and yet he does not put up much of a fight. He is exiled to the forest, with a few loyal men, and yet he is content. He makes the most of everything life gives him. I really liked that about his character, so I wanted him to have the appearance of a happy, contended man. One of those really optimistic people you wish you could be like.

Jaques is one of Duke Senior's loyal companions who goes with him to the forest. He is a very submissive and introverted person, who doesn't seem to ever fully participate in anything. His more of the type to watch than to join in. In the end, when Duke Senior and the others return to court, he stays behind to live a life of contemplation and joins a monastery. I wanted his character to appear very serious like he is.

Touchstone is a clown/jester who accompanies Celia and Rosalind on their journey. He's a bit of a weird character... most of what he says is pretty full of innuendo. And he doesn't seem to have quite the quick wit that Rosalind has. However, I wanted to portray him more as just a comic relief... something endearingly whimsical. Even though that's not exactly how Shakespeare has written him, I think that is how I would portray him in an animated film. Just the quirky, funny, clumsy sidekick.




So, there's the rest! Unless I decide to go add a few others later. There ya go!