The
last time this site encountered artist Range Murata at an anime
convention, he was still using pencil and paper for his character
designs. When Murata created designs for the notable Last Exile series,
he finally switched to the computer graphics systems used by much of
the industry, he said at a Katsucon panel discussion. Murata had
preferred the feel of paper, but his Last Exile experiences led him to
appreciate the power and flexibility of computer-aided design -
although he misses having a paper original. Ironically, the computer
designs were used to create the deliberately archaic-looking airborne
neverworld of Last Exile, and Murata said the design idea was to look
at items that had fallen out of favor in the 21st-century world, such
as the typewriter, and imagine how they might have evolved had they not
been replaced. Last Exile mixed that design concept with the look of
things from centuries ago; one of the series' most important airships
has elements from a Japanese battleship of the early 1900's, he said.
Katsucon
had one of the first organized Last Exile costuming groups, and Murata
was asked about the ideas behind those costume designs. He replied that
he borrowed concepts from the elaborately decorative military uniforms
of the 18th and 19th centuries, including the Napoleonic and U.S. Civil
Wars. The design idea was not to be too practical with those uniforms,
as to not get something as drab and utilitarian as military garb of the
late 20th century, but to get something that would be interesting to
view. Murata said he gave Last Exile's characters a round, soft touch
to their faces; "I do prefer the gentle touch. When you have a
sharp angle in the character designs, that becomes too prominent a
feature and detracts from everything else." Thanks to Last Exile and
his illustrations, Murata's work remained in demand and he expected to
start designs for a couple of fresh animation projects in 2005.
The
last time this site encountered artist Range Murata at an anime
convention, he was still using pencil and paper for his character
designs. When Murata created designs for the notable Last Exile series,
he finally switched to the computer graphics systems used by much of
the industry, he said at a Katsucon panel discussion. Murata had
preferred the feel of paper, but his Last Exile experiences led him to
appreciate the power and flexibility of computer-aided design -
although he misses having a paper original. Ironically, the computer
designs were used to create the deliberately archaic-looking airborne
neverworld of Last Exile, and Murata said the design idea was to look
at items that had fallen out of favor in the 21st-century world, such
as the typewriter, and imagine how they might have evolved had they not
been replaced. Last Exile mixed that design concept with the look of
things from centuries ago; one of the series' most important airships
has elements from a Japanese battleship of the early 1900's, he said.
Katsucon
had one of the first organized Last Exile costuming groups, and Murata
was asked about the ideas behind those costume designs. He replied that
he borrowed concepts from the elaborately decorative military uniforms
of the 18th and 19th centuries, including the Napoleonic and U.S. Civil
Wars. The design idea was not to be too practical with those uniforms,
as to not get something as drab and utilitarian as military garb of the
late 20th century, but to get something that would be interesting to
view. Murata said he gave Last Exile's characters a round, soft touch
to their faces; "I do prefer the gentle touch. When you have a
sharp angle in the character designs, that becomes too prominent a
feature and detracts from everything else." Thanks to Last Exile and
his illustrations, Murata's work remained in demand and he expected to
start designs for a couple of fresh animation projects in 2005.
