5 July 07 Jane and The Dragon concept designers Frank Victoria and Rebekah Tisch are on the Weta Forums today answering your design questions!

Rebekah and Frank both worked on some of the concept designs for the series. They logged on this morning, and have already posted lots of design answers already!

Here are some of the highlights so far:

Jade from South Africa asks: "Do you consciously choose specific elements you what to incorporate into a character design when you first start conceptualising or do you just start drawing and add elements that seem right for their character intuitively? For example did you say to yourself, 'Jane is a bit of a tom-boy and doesn't really spend a large amount of time on her appearance so to show this her hair should be red and frizzy...' or is it more a case of when you first do an illustration you add frizzy hair because it makes it look more like 'Jane'?"

Above: an early illustration of Jane by Frank Victoria.

Rebekah responds: "Hmm, well, there was always the historical aspect of all the characters to consider. I mean, they had to look, to some degree, as though they came from the period that they do. But you are right about the 'character' of the person sometimes driving the design. And also what they did. Smithy and rake were outdoors types, and needed harder wearing clothes, and were always a little dirty. Pepper is feminine, and although she lacks the resources to look like a princess, she decorates her hair and tries to keep herself looking nice - but, because she is a cook, she gets flour all over herself!

Check out the forum thread here, and if you don't have an account, sign up here - its free and easy to use!