Colin Luton BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2017

The Ballad of Kyo the Ronin

This project grew out of my interest in the cultural exchange of media between the United States and japan. This interest naturally lead me to exploring the genres of The Western and Samurai Cinema. The Western and Samurai genres, though they originate from different cultures and sides of the world, have been influencing and copying each other for decades. It is the touch points between these two genres that inspired this project. The Ballad of Kyo the Ronin is a project about character and world design; ­­it is an exercise in visual development for a prospective entertainment media property. Everything I’ve made is compiled into a portfolio book. It is a collection of sketches, process work, and final designs. It is a record of how the project evolved over the course of the term. The story is set in a non-specific near future, where the entire world is ruled by a handful of waring shoguns based in the major cities with huge sections of land controlled by daimyos and members of royal families. The lands far outside the cities are known as the Fringes. Out in the fringes you will find small settlements for farming, mining, and trading, as well as abandoned land development sides, junkyards full of old rusted equipment, and ghost towns. Out here everything is made from salvage and elbow grease. Most people just want to live their lives and keep their heads down but that’s not always easy when there’s roving gangs of bandits, thieves, outlaws, and a bored, unsupervised military authority. For this reason the law is often enforced by anybody with a weapon and motivation enough to do so, be that moral or financial. They say nobody lives on the fringes without a reason.

Shyla Villanueva BFA Printmaking Thesis Spring 2017

Matthew Layng BFA Writing Thesis Spring 2017

Justine Highsmith BFA Intermedia Thesis Spring 2017

Aimee Sitarz BFA Photography Thesis Spring 2017

Alden Rodgers BFA Photography Thesis Spring 2017

Jesse Blalock BFA Photography Thesis Spring 2017

Andrew Saxon BFA Photography Thesis Spring 2017

Molly Carlson Animated Arts BFA Thesis Spring 2017

Cai Veronda BFA Animated Arts Thesis Spring 2017

Caitlin McIntyre BFA Animated Arts Thesis Spring 2017

Evan Stephens-Tiley BFA Animated Arts Thesis Spring 2017

Chaz Stobbs BFA Video + Sound Thesis Spring 2017

Tandy Kunkle BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2017

Kaitlyn Nelson BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2017

Colin Luton BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2017

Elisabeth Young BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2017

Joshua Hughes BFA Sculpture Thesis Spring 2017

Sage Cortez BFA Sculpture Thesis Spring 2017

John Wood BFA Sculpture Thesis Spring 2017

Kathryn Sifford BFA Sculpture Thesis Spring 2017

Hilary Hartner BFA Sculpture Thesis Spring 2017

Jamaali Roberts BFA Painting Thesis Spring 2017

Ashlin Bush BFA Painting Thesis Spring 2017

Valentino Quijano BFA Painting Thesis Spring 2017

Anna Marl BFA General Fine Arts Thesis Spring 2017

Cassandra Lankford BFA General Fine Arts Thesis Spring 2017

Lindsey Walker BFA General Fine Arts Thesis Spring 2017

Corey Ondrey Hernandez BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2017

Jourdan Simmonds BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2017

Mariah Currey BFA Communication Design BFA Thesis Spring 2017

Sydney Fort BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2017

Alexandra Gregory BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2017

Ellen Skiff BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2017

Elizabeth Karras BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2017

Alexander Roebling BFA Communication Design Thesis Spring 2017

Seth Lathrop BFA Communication Design Thesis Fall 2015

Vance McDermott BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2017

Meredith Bardo BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2017

Christina Brister BFA Illustration BFA Thesis Spring 2017

Hope Darby BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2017

Subin Yang BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2017

Bryson Kaps BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2017

Brandon Gould BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2017

Clive Hawken BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2017

Samantha Fowler BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2017

Zoe Kimball BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2017

Joaquin Golez BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2017

Grace Murphy BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2017

Tess Rubinstein BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2017

Seaerra Miller BFA Illustration Thesis Spring 2017

Joshua Bone-Christian Animated Arts BFA Thesis Spring 2017