Main Project Inspirations

I have been working very hard to figure out what I want to do for this project. I have also spent the last two weeks totally sick and trying to focus but I am totally excited for what I came up with. My design presentation was also pretty successful so I am excited to move forward with this idea. My primary goal for this project was to incorporate something that I am passionate about while also delving into a more design heavy process. I love prop making. I like the design process, prototyping, and manufacturing as it takes many different forms. I have completed a lot of small props and attempted only one large-scale prop character so I figured that I could attempt another. The Iron Man armor. Iron Man is an iconic character in Marvel comic books and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The design of the armor has become iconic and recognizable by many. The cinematic introduction of Iron Man meant the suit could be redesigned in a realistic way that depicts movement and functionality that the comic book images could have never achieved. I am most intrigued by the mechanical movements of each piece in the extremely complex design that feels so realistic. It leads the audience to believe that the suit is real and each moving piece serves a true function as they interact with each other. In reality, each piece of the suit is completely cosmetic and has been designed by the Marvel team to sell the functionality while also looking so very cool. This reminded me heavily of the Steampunk aesthetic. The Iron Man suit design itself has become a developed aesthetic throughout its long life in the films. In each film the suit forms around the main character in different ways, each increasingly more complex than the previous as the design is refined. The color scheme and shapes change throughout the series. Surprisingly enough, there have now been over 50 different Iron Man suit designs. The unique functions and reimagining of the original red and gold design have resulted in a large collection of different amazing suits that make up the Iron Man aesthetic. That is why I would like to add to the collection but with a much different approach. A few of the suits do resemble other aesthetics in combination with the classic design and I plan to take a similar approach but with a more drastic aesthetic variation.