Taxonomy of digital creatures: interpreting character designs as computer graphics techniques: Copyright restrictions prevent ACM from providing the full text for this work.

ion, in artistic terms, is the process of taking known elements and turning them into new forms. Abstract art can also sometimes be described as non-representational. That is not how the term is used here. Abstract design, as it relates to creature design style, describes digital creatures whose forms are composed of physically plausible elements, but in which those elements have been proportioned or combined in not found in nature. Abstract digital creatures are heavily represented in feature film production. Most often the reason for creating a creature effect in computer graphics is because the forms are physically implausible to model or animate practically. It is not uncommon to hear that the idea of using an actor in makeup and a prosthetic suit was considered for a project but the limb proportions or mass prevented the idea from proving sensible for the performance required.digital creatures are heavily represented in feature film production. Most often the reason for creating a creature effect in computer graphics is because the forms are physically implausible to model or animate practically. It is not uncommon to hear that the idea of using an actor in makeup and a prosthetic suit was considered for a project but the limb proportions or mass prevented the idea from proving sensible for the performance required. When considering abstract designs in term of computer graphics techniques it is important to stay rooted in the real world. Abstract creatures should create the visual impression that they are believably organic. Texturing and shading, in particular, should have the material quality (reflectance, refraction, displacement and color detail) that real world creatures of that size possess. Similarly, forms and deformations should bring to the viewer?s mind the same degree of physical believability that a real world creature would present.