Illustration & Visual Narrative
Illustration and Visual Narrative COM 61304
Instructor: Hafiz Zamri
Table Of Contents
Lectures
Lecture 1.0: Character Design Basic
fig 1.0 Lecturer Slides 1.0
In this lecture, I understood:
Stylized Design
1. ICONIC --- Characters that are so distinctive that people can identify them quickly and easily, often at just a glance.
2. SIMPLICITY --- Characters that are straightforward or uncomplicated are designed and make it easier for viewers to comprehend the intentions or roles of the characters.
3. UNIQUE --- Characters who have distinctive qualities that make them both memorable and influential on the audience.
Principles Of Character Design
1. Shapes
~ It added some weight to the character's personality
~ It is used to identify a character from one another.
2. Colours
~ Colours are significant in character portrayal and differentiation in a story, helping to represent and distinguish between heroes, villains, and background characters.
~ Colours can also evoke specific emotions and are easily understood and related to by viewers or audiences.
3. Emphasis and Contrast
~ A good character uses techniques like emphasizing certain elements, incorporating containing visual elements and employing colours to make itself stand out and be visually appealing.
~ It's emphasizing the importance of these design choices in creating eye-catching and distinctive results.
4. Harmony
~ It emphasizes the importance of thoughtful and artistic design in a context where visual elements are used to convey a narrative and enhance the understanding of characters in creative in a creative work, such as in literature, film or visual arts.
5. Expressions and Poses
~ It emphasizes the importance of clear visualization of characters' behaviours, quirks, and personalities to make it easier to appeal to viewers. We can clearly depict and convey these aspects of your characters, and the audience is more likely to be engaged or interested.
~ Characters who can convey their emotions and feelings in a compelling and relatable way tend to be more appealing to viewers.
Lecturer 2.0 : Chiaroscuro
fig 1.1 Lecture Slides 2.0
In this lecturer, I understood:
Chiaroscuro
- The use of light and dark to create the illusion of three-dimensional volume on a flat surface.
- Is an Italian term which means 'light-dark'.
- It is a painting technique that involves creating a clear contrast between light and dark areas to give the illusion of three-dimensional form and modelling objects and figures in the artwork.
- Chiaroscuro serves to heighten the dramatic intensity of a scene by accentuating the significance of the subject through the manipulation of colour or contrast in lighting.
It is also because...
fig 1.4 Lecturer 3.0
In this lecture, I understood:
Composition 1: Visual Types and Shots
- In design, composition refers to the way you arrange the elements in your visual.
- Photography involves deliberate choices regarding the content of the image, with the photographer deciding what to include and what to exclude in each shot.
- Arranging elements is a manner that effectively conveys meaning and is the key to successful composition. This may involve organizing visual elements like colours, shapes and objects to communicate a specific message or idea.
fig 1.5 The Grand Budapest Hotel
Basic Composition Visual Rules
~ Visual should capture these rules on...
1. Visual Narrative--- Visual elements in a scene are effectively enhancing and supporting various elements of the narrative, making the storytelling more effective and engaging.
2. Visual Flow--- A scene in which visual elements are organized in such a way that they guide the viewer's gaze or focus in a deliberate and clear manner.
3. Visual Balance--- The arrangement of visual elements within a scene is done is such a way as to create a balanced composition.
4. Visual Hierarchy--- The organization or placement of visual elements is designed in designed to influence the viewer's perception by drawing their attention to specific details or areas first
Different Types Of Shots
~ Establishing
- The role of wide shots in filmmaking, is to give the audience a broad view of the setting, including its grandeur, while still ensuring that the audience can follow the storyline or actions taking place in that setting.
fig 1.6 The Wizard Of Oz
~ Bird's Eyeview
- In cinematography overhead shot is commonly used to provide a unique perspective on a scene or subject, often offering a bird's eye view or an aerial view of the action. This technique can be used to capture interesting visuals or highlight spatial relationships within a scene.
~ Frame Within A Frame
- The importance of carefully composing shots in cinematography by using frames within frames to achieve these desired effects in screen space, depth, and visual interest.
~ Medium Shot
- A specific camera shot technique used in filmmaking that frames a character by capturing approximately three-quarters of their body, and it is described as being between a close-up and a long shot in terms of the amount of detail and context it provides.
~ Close up
- A technique used in filmmaking to show an intimate and detailed view of a character or object. It is an opportunity to delve into the character's emotions and thoughts. Such shots enable the audience to "catch" or perceive the emotions of the character more clearly, and the audience can become emotionally invested in the characters. This investment in the characters' well-being is established early in the scene.
~ Worm's Eye View
- The close-up shot is used to capture an intimate or personal moment. It allows the audience to gain insight into a character's thoughts and emotions and it helps us to be emotionally engaged to the character or the scene. It helps to set the stage for emotional engagement and investment in the characters' fates as the scene continues.
Lecture 4.0: Composition Theory 2 // Perspective
Composition Theory 2: Perspective
- It involves the skill of creating images or representations that convey a sense of the objects' "height, width, depth, and position in relation to each other." In other words, it's about creating two-dimensional images that accurately depict the spatial relationships and visual characteristics of three-dimensional objects.
- This concept is often associated with drawing, painting, or other visual arts where artists need to convey the illusion of depth and spatial relationships on a flat canvas or surface. It refers to the techniques and principles used to make objects appear realistic and three-dimensional when they are actually on a flat plane.
Construct Perspectives
- Visuals should capture these rules on...
~ One Point Perspective
A situation or a perspective in which a single vanishing point is used to create guidelines or lines. This vanishing point is significant because it is where all objects in the scene appear to converge or recede, creating the illusion of depth and distance in a two-dimensional representation.
~ Two Point Perspective
In perspective drawing, vanishing points are points on the horizon line where parallel lines appear to converge or "vanish" into the distance. These vanishing points are crucial for creating a realistic sense of depth and dimension in artwork. Objects and buildings within a scene are drawn in such a way that they converge towards these vanishing points. This technique helps create a greater sense of space and dimension in the artwork. Placing two vanishing points on the horizon and establishing two sets of overlapping perspective lines fanning out from them can also create a network of lines that allow objects to recede toward two separate points. This is known as the two-point perspective. It is used to achieve more dynamic and complex views compared to the simpler one-point perspective, where all lines converge to a single vanishing point.
~ Three Point Perspective
Traditional two-point perspective involves two vanishing points, typically one on each side of the horizon line, which is used to create depth and three-dimensionality in a drawing. It introduces the idea of adding a third vanishing point, which can be located either above or below the horizon line. Adding a third vanishing point can also enhance the artistic impact by creating a dramatic effect, emphasizing scale, or allowing for the inclusion of more objects within a single scene. It can also provide a wider range of perspective angles. This can be particularly useful when depicting urban scenes, as it allows viewers to perceive the space from a "looking down" perspective, potentially revealing more details of a city.
~ Isometric Grid
When it comes to creating a more detailed concept of individual buildings, it's more beneficial to use a simple isometric view.
Lecture 5.0: Composition 3 // Fore, Mid And Background
fig 2.5 Lecture 5.0
Intro
- When composing a scene, creating an effective sense of the space is very important. Together with the other theories, illustrating elements of:
~Foreground (close the viewer)
~Middleground
~Background (far away)
Design Flow
~ Arranging visual elements in a thoughtful and effective manner is important in design, using foreground, middle-ground, and background. Certain elements arranged can influence how viewers perceive movement and rhythm within the design. This could include the flow of the viewer's eye or a dynamic quality in the composition. 'Design Flow.' In other words, creating a sense of movement and rhythm through the arrangement of visual elements is a fundamental aspect of design.
~ Refers to the path or sequence that a viewer's eye follows when looking at a composition or design. A well-designed flow will guide the viewer's eye smoothly from one element to another within the layout. This is important in interface and information design, where various elements such as typography, lines, contrast, colour, and images need to be combined effectively to influence how the viewer perceives and comprehends the content. In essence, it highlights the importance of arranging design elements in a way that directs the viewer's attention and understanding in a coherent and visually appealing manner.
Instructions
fig 1.0 IVN Module Information
Task 1: Exercise (20%) - Individual
Marking Criteria:
1. Vormator Challenge Character - 10%
2. Game Card Design 10%
Timeframe:
Week 1 - Week 4
After some thinking and brainstorming sessions and with the help of inspiration from interest, I've finally created my very own character.
After receiving feedback from Mr Hafiz, he thinks my character it's a bit too simple and he wanted me to improvise more get rid of the stroke of the fill as well as to play around with the colours and gradient and maybe add some texture so I did.
After my character is designed, I immediately start to design the background for my vormator character. My idea for it is a Japanese atmosphere with Chinese lanterns as decoration so I decided to add some sakura flowers with hanging Chinese lanterns and this is my first draft.
Then I decided to change the background to standard black and make use of the gradient function, I also added a moon in the background with some rocks.
After showing it to Mr Hafiz, he wanted me to add more shadows and consider using textures, I also added more highlights for the sakura flowers so I started to improvise and this is my final artwork.
After getting approval from Mr Hafiz, I started to compile my artwork with the Pokemon template that he also provided in Google Classroom.
Task 2: The Decisive Moment (20%) - Individual
Marking Criteria:
1. Interpret the scene into a minimalist poster design - 10%
2. Execution: Illustrated, composited, and animated with frames using suitable technicalities - 10%
Timeframe:
Week 4 - Week 8
After some research, I decided to go with The Bloody Mary urban legend as it catches my attention the most among the rest. I then searched more about this whole story so I could understand the story more deeply.
After gathering all the information and getting inspiration from pictures that I found on the internet, I started to sketch out my ideas roughly.
My idea for the minimalist visualization of this urban legend is a woman standing and facing a half-body mirror while either holding a candle or placing it on the background or a dressing table in a dimly lited room looking fearful while the Bloody Mary appears in the mirror.
The key things in this urban legend are the candle and a mirror.
Using all the knowledge and practice from all the exercises I've done so far from week 1 until now, I begin to apply it to my artwork and this is my first draft result by using colours, gradient, texture and more. I make sure that the lighting from the candle is there as well.
After digitalizing the illustration, I begin with the GIF animation.
Since this is an urban legend, there is no guarantee that it will work so I have another idea: that after the lady chants "Bloody Mary" thirteen times, nothing appears in the mirror. She then becomes impatient and leaves the room, which is when Bloody Mary appears.
I also realised that I did the illustration wrong, we were supposed to do it in portrait mode but I did it in landscape mode so I changed my illustration to portrait mode.
This is the GIF animation of my final artwork.
Task 3: Sequential Art Continuous (20%) - Individual
Marking Criteria:
1. Writes the 3-acts narrative, design character, and settings - 10%
2. Illustrated, and 10 composited with frames using suitable technicalities - 10%
Timeframe:
Week 8 - Week 14
We were told to use our previous assignment urban legend theme for the 3 act narrative, For mine, it's The Bloody Mary.
After getting briefed by Mr Hafiz, I started by sketching out my ideas for this assignment.
In short, the narrative opens with a friend telling a girl about an urban legend called 'The Bloody Mary'. The girl decided to give it a try in her bathroom after returning home from their hangout because she was growing more intrigued by it. Then all of a sudden, something unexpected occurred, she passed away.
Using the Scott McCloud analysis of transitions, this would be a scene-to-scene transition.
Mr Hafix said that my sketches were good to go and I immediately started the colouring.
I went through an effort to create each panel in accordance with the appropriate time. For instance, I attempted to make the first panel brighter to indicate that it was daylight; the middle panel portrays an evening; and the last panel depicts nighttime.
I sent my work to Mr Hafiz and asked for his feedback, he told me that I should get rid of the text bubble as it's unnecessary.
The First Panel:
The Last Panel:
The girl eventually dies at midnight.
Practical
Week 1: Introduction To Illustration And Visual Narrative
Mr Hafiz started off by introducing himself and then he briefed us about what he expected us to learn and the outcome of this module throughout his 14 weeks with him. He told us that we would be using an app called 'Adobe Illustrator' for our assignment but before we got familiar with this app. He wanted us to get familiar with the 'pen tool' which is also one of the tools in Adobe. So we were assigned to play a game called 'The Bezier Game".
Week 2: Creating Our Vormator Shapes
We finally got to use the Adobe Illustrator app with the assistance of Mr Hafiz, he provided us tutorial videos to comprehend since he was feeling unwell today which he recorded earlier with his morning class. Despite his sickness, he still explains it really clearly step by step which I have no problem taking in.
These are the shapes that we'll have to use to create our character, the picture was provided in the Google Classroom. We were to trace out these shapes using the pen tool which we learned during week 1 with the online game called 'The Bezier Game in the Adobe Illustrator app and create the silhouette of our vormator character.
Mr Hafiz also gave us some examples as well.
After some thinking and brainstorming sessions and with the help of inspiration from Pinterest, I've finally created my very own character.
Week 3: Light and Shadows
There were two exercises. First, we were instructed to trace out a provided picture of a pear and to play around with the colours so we could get familiar more using the Adobe Illustrator app. Mr Hafiz first showed us a quick tutorial and even provided a recorded tutorial for us just in case we got confused or didn't remember anymore.
I started off by tracing out the pear shape and dimming down the opacity of the pear picture by 25% using the pen tool. After that, I used to knife tool to slice the other half of the pear to create the shadow of the pear. Then I use the knife tool again to slice the pear horizontally starting to create the depth of the pear.
Feedback
- Consider adding texture to the shapes as it's a bit too plain. Shadows and light could be useful as well so they need to be improved
- The stroke of the shapes is a bit too weird, needed to get rid of it.
Reflection
I found this module a bit challenging as it was my first time using all these tools in Adobe Illustrator and the app itself as well. But I also took this opportunity to expand my knowledge and skills as I know this might help me in my future career. The hard part of this module is not creating the artwork but the thinking part, it helps me to discover my own unique approach to visual storytelling. This module also allowed me to hone my artistic skills and develop a style that reflects my individuality.
Constructive Feedback from both my lecturer- Mr Hafiz and my friends also played a crucial role in my growth. It helped me to identify areas for improvement and provided valuable insights into my work.
Working on our second task, the urban legend assignment was definitely difficult. It made me realize that this is how animation producers in the business come up with animations, and as a result, I now have a great deal of respect for them. Due to independent learning week, I have a lot of questions in week 8 that I can't get answers to. My mother is a tremendous help with this project and provides me advice on what areas I should focus on improving.
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