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Illustration & Visual Narrative | Task 1: Exercises

27.09.2023 - 01.11.2023 / Week 1 - Week 6
Khu Ying Ying / 0357306
Illustration & Visual Narrative / COM61304 / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Task 1: Exercises
TABLE OF CONTENTS

LECTURES
    Week 1 (27/09/2023)  Introduction
    Week 2 (04/10/2023)  Character Design Basics
    Week 3 (11/10/2023)  Chiaroscuro
    Week 4 (18/10/2023)  Composition Theory 1: Visual Types & Shorts

INSTRUCTIONS

WEEKLY EXERCISES
    Week 1 (27/09/2023)  The Bézier Game
    Week 2 (04/10/2023)  Vormator Shapes
    Week 3 (11/10/2023)  Chiaroscuro 
    Week 4 (18/10/2023)  Colour & Blending

EXERCISE - VORMATOR CHALLENGE CHARACTER
    Week 2 (04/10/2023)  Silhouette
    Week 3 (11/10/2023)  Light & Shadows
    Week 4 (18/10/2023)  Texture

EXERCISE - GAME CARD DESIGN
    Week 5 (25/10/2023)  Research & Sketch
    Week 6 (01/11/2023)  Finalisation

REFLECTIONS

QUICK LINKS

LECTURES

Week 1 (27/09/2023)

Introduction

We were introduced to the module briefing and the Bézier Game (which is a game that helps us to understand how the pen tool works in Adobe Illustrator).


Week 2 (04/10/2023)

Character Design Basics

Stylised Design
  • iconic - silhouette
  • simplicity - purpose
  • unique - memorable
Figure L2.1: Character Study for Stylised Design - Doraemon by Fujiko F. Fujio

Principles of Character Design
  • Shapes
    • add some weight to the character's personality with shape language
    • circle - soft, harmless, changeable
    • square - strong, reliable, inflexible
    • triangle - sharp, dangerous, unpredictable
Figure L2.2: Character Study for Shapes - Monster Inc by Pixar

  • Colour
    • determine and separate the basic characters of heroes, villains and background characters
    • colour psychology - different colours give impressions of different emotions
Figure L2.3: Character Study for Colour - Star Wars Franchise by Disney

  • Emphasis, Contrast
    • exaggerates the emphasis and contrasting visual elements with colours and different shapes
Figure L2.4: Character Study for Emphasis, Contrast - Inside Out by Pixar

  • Harmony
    • every element in the character design should complement each other and how it reflects the narrative of them
    • visual hierarchy - use size, colour, contrast, and placement to direct the viewer's attention and emphasise important information 
Figure L2.5: Character Study for Harmony - Inside Out by Pixar

  • Expressions, Poses
    • clear visualisation of the character's behaviours, quirks, and personalities make it easier to appeal to viewers
Figure L2.6: Character Study for Expressions, Poses - Inside Out by Pixar

Week 3 (11/10/2023)

Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro
  • the use of light and dark to create an illusion of 3D volume on a flat surface
  • an Italian term which means 'light-dark'
  • in paintings: clear tonal contrast (e.g. Leonardo da Vinci & Caravaggio)
  • helps to increase dramatic tension by exaggerating the subject’s importance using colour/ light contrast
Figure L3.1: The Calling of St Matthew (Caravaggio, 1599 - 1600)

Tenebrism
  • key details like faces and hands stand out in the darkness through dramatic highlights
  • e.g. in comics, film and digital works: the focus point or subject of a scene is brightly coloured/ contrasted with a dark background

Low-Key Lighting
  • shapes are emphasized with shadows, while a fill light or reflector controls contrast by brightening shadowed areas

Chiaroscuro is used in visual narrative because this method is an excellent lighting choice to differentiate between positive and negative spaces
  • positive space: object of interest in a visual
  • negative space: a background that surrounds the object of interest in a visual

Week 4 (18/10/2023)

Composition Theory 1: Visual Types & Shorts

Composition in design means the arrangement of the elements in the visual

Basic Composition Visual Rules:
  • Visual Narrative
    • the visuals in the scene complements all aspect of the narrative
    • composition should complement the subject focus and reflect the narrative
    • the emotions should be on the same page
Figure L4.1: Composition Study for Visual Narrative - Violet Evergarden, Episode 10: "Loved Ones Will Always Watch Over You" (Kyoto Animation, 2018)

  • Visual Flow
    • the scene has a clear flow of visuals that directs viewer's eyes
    • composition determines the path of a viewer’s eye through the visual
Figure L4.2: Composition Study for Visual Flow - Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, The Movie: Mugen Train (UFOTABLE, 2020)

  • Visual Balance
    • balance the composition of the scene
Figure L4.3: Composition Study for Visual Balance - Parasite (Boong Joon Ho, 2019)

  • Visual Hierarchy
    • the visual is arranged in such ways that direct viewer's eyes to specific details first
    • visualize and focus the subject matters can have huge effects
Figure L4.4: Composition Study for Visual Hierarchy - Anne of Cleeves (Hans Holbein The Younger,(1538, 1539)

Types of Shots
  • Establishing
    • wide shots are often used to establish the setting and give information to audiences
Figure L4.5: Establishing - Wizard of Oz (MGM,1939)

  • Bird's Eye View/ Overhead Shots
    • when the POV is placed directly above the subject
    • 90° above the scene
Figure L4.6: Bird's Eye View/ Overhead Shots - The Avengers (Marvel Studios, 2012)

  • Frame with a Frame
    • a well-composed frame within a frame can fracture screen space, add depth, and create visual interest in the cinematic compositions
    • background shapes can emphasize the underlying meaning of the story and break up the information in the frame for maximum impact
Figure L4.7: Frame with a Frame - Mulan (1998)

  • Medium Shot/ Three-Quarters Shot
    • standard camera angles used to frame a character
    • shot in between a close-up and a long shot
Figure L4.8: Medium Shot - Titanic (1997)

  • Close-Up
    • a look into a character’s mind
    • emphasize emotions and thoughts within a grander context
Figure L4.9: Close-Up - Get Out (Universal Pictures, 2017)

  • Worm's Eye View
    • look up to something to make an object look tall, strong and mighty
Figure L4.10: Worm's Eye View - The Avengers: Age of Ultron (Marvel Studios, 2015)

INSTRUCTIONS

<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vdLq-c-eqXrTqTF-7Q3jpnTy8Av2-J0R/preview" width="640" height="480" allow="autoplay"></iframe>

WEEKLY EXERCISES
Week 1 (27/09/2023)

The Bézier Game

Figure WE1.1: The Bézier Game, Week 1 (27/09/2023)

Week 2 (04/10/2023)

Vormator Shapes

I downloaded the shapes image that was provided by Mr Hafiz in Google Classroom before tracing the shapes with the Pen Tool in Adobe Illustrator. Shift + X for filling the colour in shapes.
Figure WE2.1: Vormator Tracing, Week 2 (04/10/2023)

Filling colour in the shapes by shift + x.
Figure WE2.2: Vormator Tracing with Filling Colours, Week 2 (04/10/2023)

The final outcome
Figure WE2.3: Final Outcome of  Vormator Shapes Exercise, Week 2 (04/10/2023)

Week 3 (11/10/2023)

Chiaroscuro

I downloaded the pear image that was uploaded in Google Classroom and then traced the pear with the Pen Tool. After that, I filled the colour of the pear by shift + x, then used the Pencil Tool to create/ draw the shadow.
Figure WE3.1: Pear Tracing with Shadow, Week 3 (11/10/2023)

Besides that, I used the knife tool to slice the pear and use the Pen Tool to draw the slices of pear. I also changed the colour of the duplicated pear.
Figure WE3.2: Sliced Pears, Week 3 (11/10/2023)

I traced the skull head with the Pen Tool.
Figure WE3.3: Skull Head Tracing, Week 3 (11/10/2023)

Then I applied the skull head tracing on the pear as shadow.
Figure E3.4: Pear's Shadow with Skull Head Tracing, Week 3 (11/10/2023)

The final outcome
Figure E3.5: Final Outcome of Chiaroscuro Exercise, Week 3 (11/10/2023)

Figure E3.6: Final Outcome of Chiaroscuro Exercise, Week 3 (11/10/2023)

Week 4 (18/10/2023)

Colour & Blending

I downloaded the people image that was uploaded in Google Classroom and then started to trace the people out with the Pen Tool.
Figure WE4.1: People Tracing, Week 4 (18/10/2023)

Then, I traced the shadow with the Pen Tool.
Figure WE4.2: People Tracing with Shadow, Week 4 (18/10/2023)

After that, I downloaded a texture background image from freepik.com website to apply it to the duplicated artboard people. 
Figure WE4.3: Peach Arcylic Painting Texture, Week 4 (18/10/2023)

I was struggling with clipping the texture into the shadow, and I realised I missed a step on it. Here are the steps:
1. select the shadow of the people - 2. click object > compound path > make - 3. arrange the texture image to back - 4. select shadow & texture with shift - click object > 5. clipping mask > make
Figure WE4.3: People with Peach Arcylic Painting Texture Shadow, Week 4 (18/10/2023)

The final outcome
Figure WE4.3: Final Outcome of Colour & Blending Mode Exercise, Week 4 (18/10/2023)

EXERCISE - VORMATOR CHALLENGE CHARACTER
Week 2 (04/10/2023)

Silhouette

Instructions:
  1. With these shapes, you are challenged to create your own unique design of character.

Rules:
  1. You are allowed to rotate, flip and duplicate the shapes
  2. Shapes scaling is allowed, but proportionally, so skewing or free transform.
  3. You can add, subtract, intersect and group shapes as you see fit.
  4. The use of colour is unrestricted; you can create your own colour schemes.
  5. You are allowed to use gradients.
  6. The elements may be filled, the use of strokes is allowed. 
  7. You are allowed to use filters or effects.


Research:
Before I started to sketch out the ideas, I found some inspiration from Pinterest to make it easier. The keywords of my character were robot, futuristic, soft, harmless, cute, and simple. From the lecture notes I did, I noticed that a circle would be the best shape for making my character because it gives a friendly face, which also makes it look approachable. However, there's no circle option in this exercise, so I decided to use the bar, the zerk, and the badge as the main shapes while creating. 

Figure E2.1: RTN by Arthur, Week 2 (04/10/2023)
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/729020258460842112/

Figure E2.2: Scribbly Robot Frands (3D Version) by Mohamed Chanin, Week 2 (04/10/2023)
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/729020258460842541/

Then, I searched for futuristic colour palettes. In my opinion, the meaning of futuristic involves modern technology and always ahead of time with the design. With this understanding, I found 3 palettes that suit well from color-hex.com website. 
Figure E2.3: Futuristic Colour Palette, Week 2 (04/10/2023)

Figure E2.4: Futuristic Robot Colour Palette, Week 2 (04/10/2023)

Figure E2.5: Futuristic City Colour Palette, Week 2 (04/10/2023)

I decided on the second colour palette, which was the "Futuristic Robot Colour Palette" for my character design.

Sketches:
I sketched out four characters to choose the best one that suits well on my concepts. 
Figure E2.6: Sketches, Week 2 (04/10/2023)

Characters' Explanation:
  1. Gem: I was inspired by the shape of the diamond, so I used the badge for its body. For this character, I would like to make it anti-gravity (floating), which was floating. Besides that, I used the chevron for the eyes, and the wurst for the lip to make a smile face on it. This was one of my decisions for the final design.
  2. The ULTRON: It also had the same idea as the Gem, which was anti-gravity (floating). It was inspired by the character, EVE (Wall-E, by Pixar). I also used the bar for the head, the drops for the eyes, the badge for the body, and the zerks for the hands. I tried to make it look smart but ended up looking lifeless.
  3. Machina: I failed to make this character because it didn't match the idea,  futuristic. I would say that it matched well with the idea of vintage and rusty. I'm bad at making names but I did feel like this character suits The ULTRON name. However, this character looked more bulky with its outlook and harmless, which suited well with the concept that I mentioned earlier. In addition, I used the zerk, the wurst, the badge, and the bar to create it.
  4. Goofy One: For this character, the first thing in my mind was plushie, because I wanted to make it huggable, and it did fit well with my concept! I used the wursts to make the eyebrows and "headphones", the bars for the head and body, & the badges for the eyes, hands and legs. Apart from that, I named it Goofy One because it looked lazy and silly, of course, harmless too. This also was one of my decisions for the final design.

I decided on the 4th one, "Goofy One" as my final design.

Digitalisation:
Before I started to do it in Adobe Illustrator, I tried to match the colour on the character with ibisPaintX because I wanted to see which one looked better. I was thinking that #1 would be better because it was more obvious to let the audience see well; #2 was too light because of the grey colour.
Figure E2.7: Matching Colour #1 in ibisPaint X, Week 2 (04/10/2023)

Figure E2.8: Matching Colour #2 in ibisPaint X, Week 2 (04/10/2023)

Figure E2.9: Digitalisation of the Goofy One, Week 2 (04/10/2023)

Week 3 (11/10/2023)

Light & Shadows

Digitalisation:
After doing the Chiaroscuro exercise, I tried to add shadows to my character by continuing the digitalisation I did on week 2.
Figure E3.1: The Goofy One with Shadows, Week 3 (11/10/2023)

Week 4 (18/10/2023)

Texture

Digitalisation:
After doing the colour & blending exercise, I found an image from freepik.com to apply on the Goofy One face (which is the screen).
Figure E4.1: Graphic Texture with Green Square Shapes Black Background Texture, Week 4 (18/10/2023)

Option #1
Figure E4.2: Goofy One with Graphic Texture with Green Square Shapes Black Background Texture, Week 4 (18/10/2023)

I also used effects to explore the look of my character.
Figure E4.3: Crystalise Effect, Week 4 (18/10/2023)

Option #2
Figure E4.4: Goofy One with Crystalise Effect, Week 4 (18/10/2023)

I decided to choose Option 2 for the final texture of my character.

The final outcome of Goofy One
Figure E4.5: Goofy One (Final Submission), Week 4 (18/10/2023)

EXERCISE - GAME CARD DESIGN
Week 5 (25/10/2023)

Research & Sketch


Research:
I had some rough ideas to design the background for my character, Goofy One. As I stated in my character's keywords before, futuristic was one of them. It reminded me of exploring around the world, it also can be to travel to a new place. As a human, there is something that we still don't know with our current understanding, which is waiting for us to explore it. With this concept, space was the first thing came into my mind. 

Since my character contained mainly a cool blue colour, orange colour would be the best colour for the background to match with it. Blue and orange make a great colour combo because they are complementary colours from opposite sides of the colour wheel.

Sketch:
Before digitalise the background, I did a sketch in my notebook.
Figure E5.1: Sketch, Week 5 (25/10/2023)

Digitalisation:
Then, I used Adobe Illustrator to digitalise the sketch.
Figure E5.2: Background #1, Week 5 (25/10/2023)

The final outcome of Goofy One with the background
Figure E5.3: Goofy One with the Background (Final Submission), Week 5 (25/10/2023)

Week 6 (01/11/2023)

Finalisation

Research:
Before I started to do the game card of Goofy One, I searched for a sample of Pokémon Card because I didn't really understand how it works with their setting. For example, the elements, HP, abilities, weakness and more.

Draft:
I did a draft about my character (Goofy One) setting, such as ability and weakness.
Figure E6.1: Goofy One Setting (Draft), Week 6 (01/11/2023)


The final outcome of game card design
Figure E6.2: Game Card Design (Final Submission), Week 6 (01/11/2023)

REFLECTIONS

Experience
This is my first time taking an online class in my degree, it's quite special to me because I used to go to class in my previous Foundation in Design although I had experienced online classes before during COVID-19. It was fun to learn because the lecture notes quite interesting to read (I feel interested to read more!).

Observations
I did realise some part of the recordings I couldn't catch up, so I kept watching it more to understand.

Findings
The only thing to do was do it according to time (time management) and ask the lecturer/ friend if find it questionable/ hard.

QUICK LINKS

Projects

Task 1: Exercises
Task 2: Decisive Moment
Task 3: Digital Triptych

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