Illustration & Visual Narrative | Task 2: Decisive Moment

November 07, 2023

Illustration & Visual Narrative | Task 2: Decisive Moment

01.11.2023 - 29.11.2023 / Week 6 - Week 10
Khu Ying Ying / 0357306
Illustration & Visual Narrative / COM61304 / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Task 2: Decisive Moment

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LECTURES

Week 6 (01/11/2023) Task 2 Briefing

Week 6 (01/11/2023) Composition Theory 2: Theory

Week 7 (08/11/2023) Composition Theory 3: Fore, Mid & Background

Week 8 (15/11/2023) Pencil Tool (Independent Learning Week)

Week 9 (22/11/2023) Limited Animation Guide

INSTRUCTIONS

EXERCISE - MINIMALIST POSTER

Week 6 (01/11/2023) Research

Week 7 (08/11/2023) Sketches

Week 8 (15/11/2023) Digitalisation in Adobe Illustrator (ILW)

Week 9 (22/11/2023) Animation in Adobe Photoshop

REFLECTIONS

QUICK LINKS

LECTURES

Week 6 (01/11/2023)

Task 2 Briefing

Find a related article/ story that discusses Urban Legends, it can be local/ international.
Develop an editorial poster illustration to represent the chosen text.
Interpret the narrative's decisive moment, turning moment (climax) of the narrative.
Must be illustrated in Art Deco style in Adobe Illustrator.

Turning Points

define plot structure

Act 1: The Setup

first turning point
provide background information to the audience
e.g. plot, characters' histories, setting & theme

Act 2: The Confrontation

second turning point/ rising action
characters attempt to resolve the problem
e.g. character development

Act 3: The Resolution

third turning point/ climax
the question is answered, leaving the characters with a new sense of who they really are
e.g. conflict has been resolved

Composition Theory 2: Perspective

Perspective

the art of representing 3D objects on a 2D surface to give the right impression of their height, width, depth, and position in relation to each other

Types of Perspective

One-point Perspective

objects emerging from a single point on the horizon
images shrink as they approach the vanishing point, eventually vanishing completely

Figure L6.1: One-point Perspective, Taken from 21-Draw (2016)

Two-point Perspective

two vanishing points on either side of the horizon
allows objects to recede toward two separate points
give objects more of a sense of dimension and place

Figure L6.2: Two-point Perspective, Taken from 21-Draw (2016)

Three-point Perspective

two vanishing points on opposite sides of a horizon, another vanishing point high above or below the horizon
achieve a sense of drama and scale
show more objects in a scene

Figure L6.3: Three-point Perspective, Taken from 21-Draw (2016)

Isometric View

often used for creating detailed concepts of buildings
present three sides of your design without distorting perspective or obscuring details clearly

Figure L6.4: Isometric View, Taken from 21-Draw (2016)

Week 7 (08/11/2023)

Composition Theory 3: Foreground, Middle-ground & Background

When composing a scene, creating an effective sense of the space is very important.

Figure L7.1: The Mandolorian (Disney, 2019)

Figure L7.2: Foreground, Middle-ground & Background

Foreground

objects that are nearest to the viewer
e.g. using size differences and colour contrast to highlight the foreground as the main focus

Figure L7.3: Adventure Time (Cartoon Network, 2010)

Middle-ground

objects in the middle between the foreground and background
e.g. using size differences and light/ shadow contrast to highlight the main focus

Figure L7.4: Adventure Time (Cartoon Network, 2010)

Background

objects that are furthest away from the viewer
e.g. using shapes and light/ shadow contrast to highlight the main focus

Figure L7.5: Adventure Time (Cartoon Network, 2010)

Design Flow

good arrangement of visual focus using foreground, middle-ground, and background should indicate a sense of movement, and rhythm in the design
lead the viewers’ eye throughout the layout, moving from element to element with ease
influence the way the viewer will digest your content
important in interface and information design types (e.g. combine type, line, contrast, colour, and imageries)

Figure L7.6: Adventure Time (Cartoon Network, 2010)

Week 8 (15/11/2023)

3 Acts Structure

Central Theme

The storyteller's personal opinion on the subject matter
Major Theme: an idea that is intertwined and repeated throughout the whole narrative
Minor Theme: an idea that appears more subtly, and doesn’t necessarily repeat

Conflict

Creates tension and builds suspense
Engages an audience to care about the story

Characters

Number of characters that have different role/ purpose
Central Character: vital to the story & revolved by the plot
Protagonist: the the main character of the story, has a clear goal to accomplish/ a conflict to overcome
Antagonist: oppose protagonist, standing between them & their ultimate goal, can be presented in the form of any person/ place/ thing

3 Acts Structure

Setup: the world in which the protagonist exists before the journey, usually ends with the conflict being revealed
Rising Tension: the series of obstacles the protagonist must overcome, each obstacle is usually more difficult and with higher stakes than the previous one
Conflict: the point of highest tension, and the major decisive turning point for the protagonist
Resolution: the conflict's conclusion, this is where the protagonist finally overcomes the conflict/ learns to accept it/ is ultimately defeated by it

Week 9 (22/11/2023)

Limited Animation Guide

Notes from "The Illusion of Life"

Figure L9.1: Video - The Illusion of Life, Week 9 (22/11/2023)

Squash & Stretch

give the illusion of weight and volume to a character as it moves

Anticipation

prepares the audience for a major action the character is about to perform
each major action is preceded by specific moves that anticipate for the audience what is about to happen

Staging

a presentation of an idea so that it is clear

Straight Ahead & Pose To Pose

pose to pose - is charted with key drawings done at intervals throughout the scene
straight ahead - starts at the first drawing and works from drawing to drawing to the end of a scene

Follow Through & Overlapping

when the main body of the character stops, all other parts continue to catch up to the main mass
nothing stops all at once

Slow In & Slow Out

as the action starts, we have more drawings near the starting pose one/ two in the middle and more drawings near the next pose
fewer drawings make the action faster and more drawings make the action slower

Arcs

all actions with few exceptions follow an arc/ slightly circular path
give animation a more natural action and better flow

Secondary Action

an additional action in the scene used as a supplement to the main one in order to reinforce it and add more dimension

Timing

more drawings between poses slow and smooth the action
fewer drawings make the action faster and crisper
timing maintains the appearance of an object abiding by the laws of physics

Exaggeration

remain true to reality just presenting it in a wild/ more extreme form

Solid Drawings

taking into account forms in 3D space, giving them volume and weight

Appeal

a quality of charm
able to please the viewer's eyes

INSTRUCTIONS

EXERCISE - MINIMALIST POSTER

Week 6 (01/11/2023)

Research

Instructions:

For this assignment, you must find a related article/story that discusses Urban Legends. The legends may be local or international. The art style must be derived from Art Deco.
Your illustration will be designed for a digital media publication and should include minor animations to enhance engagement.

Pinterest Board (IVN)

Definitions:

Decisive Moment

It refers to the moment in a shot when all of the elements come together perfectly to create a meaningful image in the right place at the right time, and knowing how to capture that moment (Gupta & Gupta, 2023).

Figure E6.1: Decisive Moment - V-J Day in Times Square, photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt, Week 6 (01/11/2023)

Urban Legend

In folklore, is a story about an unusual or humorous event that many people believe to be true but that is not true (Ostberg, 2023).
A modern fictional tale that passes from one person to another (What Is an Urban Legend?, 2019).

Figure E6.2: Scotland's Urban Legend - The Loch Ness Monster, Week 6 (01/11/2023)

Art Deco

Movement in the decorative arts and architecture that originated in the 1920s and developed into a major style in Western Europe and the United States during the 1930s (Art Deco | Definition, Characteristics, History, Artists, Architecture, & Facts, 2023).
e.g. relative simplicity, planarity, symmetry, and unvaried repetition of elements (Art Deco | Definition, Characteristics, History, Artists, Architecture, & Facts, 2023).

Figure E6.3: Portrait of the Duchess of La Salle, by Tamara de Lempicka (1925), Week 6 (01/11/2023)

Editorial Illustration

An artwork that sits alongside a text in a magazine, journal, newspaper or online platform with the intention to reflect and build on the words in order to convey an idea or theme (Lee-Merrion, 2023).
Helps to grab the attention of the reader as they browse the publication, but can also help to add a new perspective to the article (Editorial Illustration Basics, n.d.).

Figure E6.4: Editorial Illustration, Week 6 (01/11/2023)

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/31384528631158219/

Story Research:

I started to do the urban legend research by looking at their examples and stories. I preferred to do with the well-known/ famous one that I am familiar with so I wouldn't get lost.

Figure E6.5: Urban Legends Research, Week 6 (01/11/2023)

I chose La Llorona (The Weeping Woman), a Latino Urban Legend. It is a tale told to children to keep them from misbehaving. The plot revolves around a woman who drowns her two young children in a river in an act of madness. She is overcome with guilt and sadness shortly after, which causes her to wander around towns and villages crying for her children (Cruz et al., 2021).

Figure E6.6: The Curse of La Llorona - Warner Bros (2019), Week 6 (01/11/2023)

I started to make a mind map before sketching out the ideas so I'll get a better idea on this assignment.

Figure E6.7: Mind Map, Week 6 (01/11/2023)

3 Acts Structure:
I used ChatGPT to get the 3 acts structure of La Llorona, it also included the composition, colour palette, and setting. This really helped me figure out what I wanted to outline with a clear description.

Figure E6.8: Three Act Structure, Week 6 (01/11/2023)

Mood Board (Before):

This was the first version of my mood board, I didn't finalise my decision on the colour palette. Let me explain on my mood board what I found on Pinterest and Google. La Llorona is a Latin American folklore (specifically Mexican), it reminded me of the movie - Corpse Bride (Warner Bros. Pictures, 2005). Although their narratives still are separate, some thematic elements are shared, most notably the picture of a woman in a wedding dress that is associated with death or the afterlife.

Besides that, I referred to the look of Mexican women to get an idea of the image of La Llorona. I also referred to La Llorona from The Curse of La Llorona (Warner Bros, 2019) for her wedding dress and face (very horrible, thank you). I was thinking of giving La Llorona a Victorian wedding dress because it could give the character an unusual and haunting visual element. For the background, I was looking at the image of a riverbank at night. Most of them were in blue colour, which can work well with the spooky theme that La Llorona gives.

Figure E6.9: Mood Board (Before), Week 6 (01/11/2023)

Rationale:

Figure E6.10: Rationale, Week 6 (01/11/2023)

Reference List:

Gupta, K., & Gupta, K. (2023, November 12). How to Capture the Decisive Moment In Photography. ExpertPhotography. https://expertphotography.com/the-decisive-moment-photography/#:~:text=The%20Decisive%20Moment%20is%20a,to%20create%20a%20meaningful%20image

Ostberg, R. (2023, November 10). Urban legend | Definition, Meaning, Examples, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/urban-legend

What Is an Urban Legend? (2019, May 9). Wonderopolis. https://wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-is-an-urban-legend

Art Deco | Definition, Characteristics, History, Artists, Architecture, & Facts. (2023, October 24). Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/Art-Deco

Lee-Merrion, H. (2023, January 27). What is conceptual and editorial illustration? — Harriet Lee-Merrion. Harriet Lee-Merrion. https://www.harrietleemerrion.com/blog/2020/6/1/what-is-conceptual-and-editorial-illustration
Editorial Illustration Basics. (n.d.). The AOI. https://theaoi.com/resources/professional-practice/editorial-illustration-basics/#:~:text=Editorial%20illustrations%20are%20produced%20for,new%20perspective%20to%20the%20article.

Cruz, A., Cruz, A., & Cruz, A. (2021, October 1). 5 Latino Urban Legends That Will Keep You Up At

Night. The Americano. https://theamericanonews.com/2021/10/01/latino-urban-legends/
Bradley, L. (2019, April 19). The Curse of La Llorona: The Real Legend Behind the Horror Film. Vanity Fair. https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/04/la-llorona-real-mexican-legend-curse-of-la-llorona-movie

Week 7 (08/11/2023)

Sketches

Sketches:

This was my first sketch, the look of La Llorona. This version of La Llorona was half realism (my usual art style). I'll try to make her into Art Deco-style with ibisPaintX later on.

Figure E7.1: Sketch, Week 7 (08/11/2023)

Then, I digitalised the drawing in ibisPaintX, this was the overall look. Let me explain this sketch.

In brief, La Llorona's story teaches Hispanic children to listen to their parents and behave responsibly, using the haunting consequences as a cautionary lesson about obeying parental advice, especially at night or near water. Basically, this story happened on the riverbank that neared the small village (where La Llorona used to live).

I applied fore, mid, and background on it. La Llorona was nearest to the viewer (foreground). The trees and river were in the middle between foreground and background (middle-ground). The village was further away from the viewer (background).

Besides that, I used the rule of thirds by placing La Llorona on the right side since she was the main part of the sketch. The focal point of this sketch was the tears of La Llorona, this decisive moment marked a turning point in her life when her actions, loss, and results all came together, leading to a haunting realisation and forming her tragic fate.

Composition:

Figure E7.2: Composition, Week 7 (08/11/2023)

Figure E7.3: Digitalised in ibisPaintX, Week 7 (08/11/2023)

This was a draft colour (just experiment with it, not the final decision).

Figure E7.4: Colour Draft, Week 7 (08/11/2023)

Week 8 (15/11/2023)

Digitalisation in Adobe Illustrator (ILW)

Process:

I started digitalising the background with the colour palette. Blue symbolised water and tragedy which associated with the river. Besides that, it also represented the sense of the supernatural. However, I realised that the sky colour was a bit bright, so I wanted to add some texture gradient on it to become more darker and spooky.

Figure E8.1: Background (Before), Week 8 (15/11/2023)

Then, I changed some of the colours to fit well with it. After that, I created the texture gradient and made some changes to the background. As the sky darkened, it was much better than before.

Figure E8.2: Background (After), Week 8 (15/11/2023)

Then, I digitalised La Llorona, I hadn't added any texture gradient for her yet. I used a red background while digitalising her because her dress was white colour, and I needed to see it clearer. For her skin colour, I used white to grey gradient because she's a ghost.

Figure E8.3: La Llorona (Before), Week 8 (15/11/2023)

As you can see I added texture gradients on her hair and her wedding dress. For the wedding dress, I made the gradient colour from white to red, this was very last minute because it just suddenly popped up in my mind. The white symbolised her as a ghost, but also as a mother's pain of losing her child, which can be seen as purity and regret. The red symbolised the guilt of her action (drowning her kids), it could also represent the tragic consequences of La Llorona's actions, warning others of the dangers of neglect or desperation.

Figure E8.4: La Llorona (After), Week 8 (15/11/2023)

The final outcome of La Llorona with the background

Figure E8.5: La Llorona with the Background (Final Submission), Week 8 (15/11/2023)

Artist Statement:

Figure E8.6: Artist Statement, Week 8 (15/11/2023)

Process Documentation:

I composed everything into a PDF to make a clear guide for my process work overall, everything was finalised, included the mood board too.

Figure E8.7: Process Documentation (PDF), Week 8 (15/11/2023)

Week 9 (22/11/2023)

Animation in Adobe Photoshop

Animating in Photoshop:

I started to duplicate the artboard of the background by making the waves move. It was 6 artboards in total.

Figure E9.1: Background Artboards in Illustrator, Week 9 (22/11/2023)

As the same, I duplicated the artboard of La Llorona by dragging the tears in each artboards, which can represent her, The Weeping Woman.

Figure E9.2: La Llorona Artboards in Illustrator, Week 9 (22/11/2023)

Then, I combined them together to their belonging artboards that I had made, CTRL C + CTRL F.

Figure E9.3: Combined Both Artboards in Illustrator, Week 9 (22/11/2023)

I changed the "create video timeline" to "create frame animation" to make the animation.

Figure E9.4: Animation Timeline, Week 9 (22/11/2023)

Final Submission of Animation

Figure E9.5: Final Animation of La Llorona - Animation, Week 9 (22/11/2023)

REFLECTIONS

Experience

Overall, I enjoyed doing this assignment although I felt scared and horrible while doing the research about urban legends, most of them are scary. This was also my first time doing Art Deco style, I would say it was a challenging part for me.

Observations

I noticed that I wasn't really doing well on the texture gradient part, some of them were not obvious to see.

Findings

I'll try to make a texture gradient by matching the color to the contrast so it will be clearly visible.

QUICK LINKS

Projects

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

Task 4: Self-Titled

Final Compilation & Reflection

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Khu Ying Ying (0357306)