Week 4 - Anthropomorphism

The exercise I had chosen to do is to create a likeable and friendly character with elements of anthropomorphism as a visual response to a poem called “Tyger Tyger” by William Blake.

Selected Tales (1993) and Treasured Tales (1995), Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter uses full body animals to represent/type casts particular character/personality traits. Using particular animals was to reflect the representation of stereotypes that we see in society, i.e. a bunny rabbit or a mouse representing a caring mother, or a toad representing a rich, clumsy idiot. These are mostly used as metaphors to reflect social class, wealth and stereotypical behaviours that will allow children to easily understand and to identify these animals as real life characters.

“Tyger Tyger” by William Blake.  

Tyger Tyger, burning bright, in the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies. Burnt the fire of thine eyes? On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art, Could twist the sinews of thy heart? And when thy heart began to beat, what dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? What the chain, in what furnace was thy brain? What the anvil? What dread grasp, dare its deadly terrors clasp! 

When the stars threw down their spears 

And water'd heaven with their tears: Did he smile his work to see?

Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger Tyger burning bright, in the forests of the night: What immortal hand or eye,

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

My visual response of my character with the elements of anthropomorphism to the poem. The first thing that comes to my mind was to draw a tiger, hence the name “Tyger Tyger”. Did not want to make the character stand upright, because I feel it will make the character feel too human and not as unique, since the majority of anthropomorphised characters usually stand on their two feet. The only thing I wanted to give the character that will express the characteristics of a human is mostly the face, which I believe is the most important feature in order to give them some personalities. I did not want to overcomplicate the character design, as I wanted to keep it simple in order to appeal to children.