Benaiah Abasciano
The Withering
For my senior studio project, I created an art book that explores storytelling through design. I explore how shapes, poses, silhouettes, and costumes of characters can inform and enhance the narrative. In my view, the success or failure of an animated project hinges on the preproduction stage and the quality of the designs for the characters, environments, and props. "The Art of the Withering" will showcase this process in depth.
Artist/Thesis Statement
For my senior studio project I created an art book of an original world, exploring the art of storytelling through design. How can a character’s shape, language, silhouette, pose, and costume inform the viewer and tell a story? I believe that the success or failure of an animated project starts at the conception of the film. If the preproduction does not succeed, then the project is built on unstable ground. For that reason, I believe that, along with the script, a successful film is based almost entirely on carefully chosen designs for characters, environments, and props. In this project, my goal was to explore the process of creating designs that dynamically tell a story and work together.
In the Art of the Withering, there are many pages of sketches, final designs, and studies. My desire is not only to show the polished finished drawings that would be presented to a client but also the rough failed drawings. Design is about a lot more than success. Design is about the process and the Art of the Withering explores that.
Benaiah Abasciano is passionate about creating vibrant immersive worlds through character design, visual development, and animation. As a surfer, skateboarder, and snowboarder, he strives to create dynamic, lively designs that are functional for production. He uses traditional and digital media to explore various techniques and workflows. Benaiah seeks excellence in art as he diligently pursues new skills and methods in his artwork. He enjoys making connections and collaborating with other artists and artistic communities. Benaiah has been privileged to create art for organizations including Little Free Libraries, Global Coalition for Fitness and CHD, and Eastern Surfing Association.
