Illustration Visual Narrative Task 1 - Exercise 1 - Vormator Challange
Week 1-Week 5
Tan Pei Yun / 0345386
Tan Pei Yun / 0345386
Illustration And Visual Narrative /
Bachelor of Design in Creative Media
Task 1- Exercise 1 : Vormator Challenge
WEEK 1/PRATICAL
BEZIER GAME
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| Fig 1. Bezier Game Results, Week 1 (01/04/2022) |
During the first week of practical class, we were playing a game of
bezier curves. This game is designed to help us master the pen tool and
will be useful when we are using Illustrator. It creates anchor points and
draws a curve around the provided shape. To be honest, it was very
difficult for me because I was a bit slow to learn, everything was new to
me, and I wasn't used to their hidden features like the "shift" and
"alternate" keys. But after few trials, as the final result, I was able to
get the best with 17 nodes :D
WEEK 2/LECTURE 2
CHARACTER DESIGN BASICS
During week 2 lecture, Ms Anis showed us an informative lecture video
about character design basics helpful where we have to create our own
character as well as our first task Vormator challenges. Few things
that I take note are , CONSIDER !! always remember when create
a good character is to make it more iconic, simplicity and unique
- Iconic - (think silhouettes)
- Simplicity - (think purpose)
- Unique - (think memorable)
PRINCIPLES OF CHARACTER DESIGN
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| Fig 2. Principle of Character Design, Week 2 (08/04/2022) |
Shapes, Colours , Emphasis , Contrast , Harmony , Expressive
Poses
Shape
Begin with the shape (shapes design a characters silhouette)Always start
with sketches (combine the shape together) Add some weight to their
personality (use your character's persona as the basis of the shapes for
your design)
Colour
Establish the basic roles of the characters .Colours can play and
important role in determining and separate the basics characteristics
.Different colours give impressions of different emotions
Emphasis + Contrast
Exaggerate to memorate , a good character exaggerates on the emphasis
and contrasting visual elements to make the design stand out by using
colours / different shapes
Harmony
Every elements in your design should compliment together , think visual
hierarchy and it will show how it reflects with the narrative of the
characters
Expressions & Poses
Expressive emotive characters that will win the audience , the behaviours,
quirks, personalities make it easier to appeal to your viewers
WEEK 2/PRACTICAL
ADOBE ILLUSTATOR INTRODUCTION
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Mr. Hafiz guided us step by step using Adobe Illustrator and tracing
shapes in Vormator, he taught us some of the main tools, namely Selection
Tool, Direct Selection Tool, Pen Tool and Healing Tool. Using these tools
was easier than I thought, fun and challenging at the same
time.
PRATICAL
VISUAL STUDY REPORT
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| Fig 4. Lecture report 1 , Week 2 (08/04/2022) |
[ BIG HERO 6 ]
Baymax Character ( Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2014)
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| Fig 4.2 Scene from Big Hero Six , Week 2 (08/04/2022) |
"Hello , I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion." Baymax is the deuteragonist of the Big Hero 6 franchise. He is a
healthcare robot built by Tadashi Hamada and a member of the superhero
team from Big Hero 6. The shape design of Baymax is like in
a big round oval shape, and his head is relatively in a simple looking that consisting with only two eyes, the overall appearance
in Baymax is designed to be soft like a big marshmallow / balloon with a cute looking, harmless , approachable and non threatening so he can assist his patients without harming them.
On the other hand, he do appears with a battle suit covered in
inflatable vinyl material , making his outward appearance like a strong , sturdy and inflexible.
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Baymax personality is
calm even when in dangerous situations that it really matches
with his character that is in all white. White colour usually represent
bright, purity or innocence. It is unlike others types of robot and is
like a robot that had never seen-on before he was released. As Baymax is
a healthcare robot, he is highly intelligent in the world of medics and
technology, but on the other hand, lacked understanding of human
concepts such as emotion, figure of speech and other aspects, causing
him to understand everything in a literal sense. But, Baymax continues
to learn and understand these aspects and begins to pick up human
characteristics and emotions due to his interactions, eventually gaining
a personality of his very own outside of his original programming from
the healthcare chip which Tadashi developed.
WEEK 3/LECTURE 3
CHIAROSCURO (Clear Tonal Contrast)
In the third week of lecture, Ms. Anis introduced us about
Chiaroscuro, which means "light-dark" (light & shades). It is an
artistic technique that uses light and shade to create
three-dimensional volume and illustrations on a flat surface. The
purpose of this technique is to add drama to a scene by exaggerating
the importance of the subject through the use of color or light
contrast. There is evidence of the use of chiaroscuro effects by
ancient Greek and Roman artists, a technique few famous artists used
in their work, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Caravaggio.
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Fig 5. Used of Chiaroscuro in visual narrative , Week 3
(15/04/2022) |
Not only using Chiaroscuro technique in art painting , Chiaroscuro is
used in visual narrative to :
- Increase Dramatic Tension - Giving thrilling emotive depth on the look and feel in the scene
- Creative Sensational Effect - Helps elevate fantastical viewpoint to emphasis on the narrative
- Attract Attention - Establish visual hierarchy the main point of the scene
- Make Tasteful Composition - Play on negative and positive space to create attractive scenes
WEEK 3 PRACTICAL
VISUAL STUDY REPORT- CHIARASCURO
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Fig 6. Lecture Report for Week 3 (15/04/2022)
Kingdom 킹덤 (2019)
TV Series / Korean Drama
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Fig 6.1 Cinematography shots 1 from Kingdom |
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| Fig 6.2 Cinematography shots 2 from Kingdom |
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| Fig 6.3 The last fight scene from Kingdom (episode 06 season 02) |
"More Blood Will Spill"
Kingdom
Genre: Historical ; Political drama ; Horror Thriller
Director by Kim Seong-hun & Park In-je
AStory Production
Kingdom is about a historical zombie Korean drama series and I
had watched Kingdom for 3 times , honestly, it's really tough to
pick one scene while searching and analyse back about this
historical drama. Truly appreciate every single detailed of
every scene. Kingdom is a wonderfully shot and scripted take on the zombie
genre. Shots cleverly linger on certain scenes to draw out the
impressive sets, while adeptly tracking the action during
sword fights or zombie attacks. The scenery is also
breathtaking, from the beautiful royal-palace to the vast
plains of Korea, while the realistic hovels of civilians add a
visceral feel of poverty that contrasts from the glamor of the
palace. It deliver visual richness befitting of the Joseon
era. History buffs, expect to feast intricately designed
traditional garments and lush landscapes reminiscent of
medieval Korea.
One of the scene I pick out will be the last episode of season 2 ,
"the last fight". Ju Ji-hoon plays the crown prince who must save his people from
zombies that is plague spreads around. In this scene, it interplay of light and shadow which show the
example of Chiaroscuro, it direct the eye of Ji-hoon which
creating a more dramatic look in keeping with its theme of horror
and blood. The lightning with emphasis emotion of Ji-Hoon that you can observe about his insecurity and worried. His face
can portray a bright /bravery side, but at the same time with the
lightning carries a sense of pain and sorrow, which reflects the
inner state of his character.
WEEK 4 LECTURE
COMPOSITION / VISUAL SHOTS
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Fig 7. Basic Composition Visual Rules , Week 4
(22/04/2022) |
Visual Flow - Determines the path of a viewer's eye through visual flow
Visual Balance - The exact path a viewer's eye is going to take , nudge things one
way to another
Visual Hierarchy - Visualize and focus the subject matters
WEEK 4 PRACTICAL
VISUAL STUDY REPORT
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| Fig 8. Lecture Report for Week 4 (22/04/2022) |
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Fig 8.1 Different Types of Shots Week 4 (22/04/2022) |
1. ESTABLISHING
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10/04/2018
in Osaka, Japan
Shot on Huawei
10/04/2018 & 11/04/2018
in Osaka, Japan
Shot on Huawei
3.FRAME WITHIN A FRAME
09/04/2018
in Osaka, Japan
Shot on HuaWei
4.MEDIUM SHOTS
30/03/2021
in Cyberjaya, Malaysia
Shot on Iphone 12 ProMax
5.CLOSE-UP
13/04/2018
in Kyoto, Japan
Shot on HuaWei
6.WORM'S EYEVIEW
15/01/2020
in Cyberjaya, Malaysia
Shot on Iphone 12 ProMax
WEEK 4 PRACTICAL
CHIARASCURO
1. TRACING
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| Fig 9.0 Tracing the pear |
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| Fig 9.1 Outline of the pear |
2. COLOURING
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| Fig 9.2 Progress in Colouring |
FINAL OUTCOME
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| Fig 9.3 Final Outcome in JPG |
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| Fig 9.4 Final Outcome in JPG |
WEEK 5 LECTURE
FOREGROUND/ MIDDLE GROUND / BACKGROUND
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| Fig 10. Foreground / Middle-ground / Background , Week 5 (29/04/2022) |
Foreground - Objects that are nearest to the viewer
Middle-ground - Objects in between foreground and
background
Background - Objects that are the furthest away from the
viewer
WEEK 5 PRACTICAL
VISUAL STUDY REPORT
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| Fig 11. Lecture Report for Week 5 (29/04/2022) |
My Neighbour Totoro's となりのトトロ (1988)
Fantasy/ Family
My Neighbour Totoro's
Genre: Anime / Fantasy / Children's film
Director by Hayao Miyazaki
Studio Ghinli Production
The child-friendly Ghibli film, My Neighbor Totoro's visuals are some of the studio's most iconic. This is the film that some of the most famous Studio Ghibli symbols come from. My favourite remarkable scene is where Totoro give Satsuki and Mei a bamboo leaf filled with acorns, and they plant them in their back yard. Something about it has always felt so magical to me I can't help to love it. I get goosebumps every time I watch this seen. Their enjoyment when the next morning when they say "I thought it was a dream!" brings so much joy to my face.
From the scene, it can tell from the colour of the sky background is about at night, from the character we can tell everyone are bright in colour , like Satusuki and Mei are wearing bright colours pajamas and the little totoro are in light blue and white only except Totoro that is in grey, but at the same time the size of totoro really captures the eyes without losing the attention with its colours.
The setting of the scene are about natural . As a spirit of the forest, Totoro naturally has a deep connection with nature. Totoro is a mysterious figure who doesn't speak, but roars and uses his large frame to wordlessly express his pleasure at the sensation of rain on his furry body. He enjoys the sensation so much that he jumps to cause even more raindrops to fall down. In the scene, the rain serves as a symbolic backdrop to clarify Totoro's true nature. Although he accepts Satsuki's gift of the umbrella, he doesn't actually need it, he receives it out of friendship. In return, he gifts her a packet of nuts and seeds, which can also offer shelter from the rain—that is, once the seeds grow to become trees. What a perfect gift from a spirit of the forest! And it emphasizes just how important nature is in the world of My Neighbor Totoro.
INSTRUCTIONS
TASK 1 - EXERCISE 2
VORMATOR CHALLENGE
- Create a unique character by using a limited set of shapes.
- This character will then be assembled into a trading card game of their own creation
IDEA EXPLORATION
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Fig 12. Idea and Reference , Week 3 (12/04/2022)
While gathering a few different references and resources to get
character design ideas, I found my favourite character to be a
very bubbly, friendly and approachable character. From the movie,
one of my favourite characters from The Secret Life of Pets 2 is
Duke who is a large mutt and the main character of the movie. Duke
appearance is furry in large, small eyes with long hair, and big
round nose grab my attention in every scene of the film. Duke's
smile finally reminded me of a quokka. On the other hand, when it comes to shape of the character , I
really like Baymax, the simple straight oval shape, Baymax overall
shape is designed to be as soft as a big marshmallow/balloon,
looking cute and harmless and approachable.
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SKETCHES
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| Fig 13.0 Sketch Idea , Week 3 (12/04/2022) |
While during sketching stage, I try to think the character while using a
limited shapes in Vormator, I try to explore around with combining the shapes
for example 2 droplet shape combining together to form a heart shape which is
really interesting to experiment with. I recognised mostly shape that I used
are the bar, badge , zerk and drop.
DIGITIZATION
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Fig 13.1 Character Design Progress Week 3 (12/04/2022) |
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| Fig 13.2 First attempt - Preview & Outline |
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Fig 13.3 First attempt - Silhouette Week 3 (12/04/2022) |
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Fig 13.4 Second attempt (improvement) - Preview & Outline Week 3 (14/04/2022) |
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Fig 13.5 Second attempt (improvement) - Preview & Outline Week 3 (14/04/2022) |
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Fig 13.6 Second attempt - Silhouette Week 3 (14/04/2022) |
I decided to try for the second time by changing the head into smaller size
and also adding the tail to emphasis/personality. In the end, it turns a lot
better and the overall silhouette turns like roly-poly and buff character
just like a quokka but in a giant version. It has small ear , big round
tail, tiny leg , and big body.
COLOURING / DETAILS
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Fig 13.7 Colour Progress Week 4 (22/04/2022) |
The character are start from black and white. I choose to mix and match with a set of colour palette and adding some details to the character. It was kinda struggle choosing the colour , I try to search some colour palette from Pinterest for some ideas.
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Fig 14. Colour Palette #1 Week 4 (22/04/2022) |
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Fig 14.1 Colour Palette #2 Week 4 (22/04/2022) |
I love the colour in nude and earthy tone. The warm that undertones induce
comfort and warmth which can feel calm and visually pleasing and I decided
to try experiment and imply to my own character with the colour palette I
had chosen.
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Fig 14.2 Character Colour Week 4 (22/04/2022) |
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Fig 14.3 The Colour Palette Week 4 (22/04/2022) |
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Fig 14.4 Adding gradient to the hair and ear Week 4 (22/04/2022) |
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Fig 14.5 Gradients at the tails Week 4 (22/04/2022) |
To make it more appealing and stand outs for the character , I added some
gradients at its hair, nose and tails. There's also slightly changes where I
add duplicate the shapes and using the pathfinder tools to divide them at the
ear , hand and tail area.
FINAL OUTCOME
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| Fig 15. Final Vormator Character in JPG |
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| Fig 15.1 Final Vormator Character in JPG |
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| Fig 15.2 Final Vormator Character ( Silhouette and Colour) in JPG |
Fig 15.3 Final Vormator Character in PDF
TASK 1- EXERCISE 2
VECTOR ILLUSTRATION
Create the game card for the character. The game card layout design, you
can create your own design or trace any existing template for the
card.
- Design the front of the card (including the character's info)
- Exercise layout arrangement for the visual elements of the illustration
- Choose to create own card layout or trace an existing template for the character
- Think of arrangement, choice of text and icons thats best fit the story of the character
- Decide on the colour scheme with a mood board and colour palette selection
VISUAL RESEARCH
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| Fig 16. Pokemon card and card anatomy Week 5 (29/04/2022) |
I was a little bit confused when I started this task 1 exercise 2 as a person like me who doesn't know much about game, so I did some research on the cards and found quite amount of info that there are many types of cards nowadays, including trading cards, tarot cards, and even like digital cards in NFTs. The cards I recognized the most are Pokemon trading cards, which are still very popular today. Interestingly, it even includes card anatomy, which will be marked with a lot of text, including character name, picture, information, power (HP/Energy), effect, type, and more. This is something I didn't notice when I was a kid looking at Pokemon cards.
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| Fig 16.1 Modern Tarot Cards Design |
Tarot card was really interesting too. It came with different types of illustration , design and layout in every 56 cards of tarot. They usually came in a rectangular round corner shape card and it can be divided into four suits like wands , swords , pentacles and cups. I been experienced once in tarot before and the tarot was actually giving guidance for the daily decision-making in personal obit like love, money , career , goals and general life path within 3-6 months.
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| Fig 16.2 NFT Trading Cards |
While with NFT trading cards, they are created on the blockchain , the cards are in virtual and we cannot physically hold them. They're not just for collecting, people trade for profit, and I think they look more than just plain art in .JPEG format, they can came with a 3D effect trading card to give you your own proof of ownership that looks real cool.
SETTINGS
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| Fig 17. Studio Ghibli Scenery Week 5 (29/04/2022) |
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Fig 17.1 Totoro in Tsukamori Forest , Studio Ghibli film Week 5 (29/04/2022) |
Since my character are about animals which related to about forest / greenery theme, I was thinking about adding a setting to the playing card. Studio Ghibli scenery are my main inspiration, I enjoyed their magical stories and with their breathtaking animation. The style of their 2D animation is so evocative and detailed, their films are always rooted in a distinct Japanese aesthetic.
IDEA EXPLORATION - NAME
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| Fig 18. Valour in google search Week 5 (29/04/2022) |
When I think of character names, the word that keeps popping up in my head is brave. I've been looking for more bravery-related words and meanings, and here it popped up on Valour. I love the explanation part where it said "great courage in the face of danger , especially in battle"I feel like it fits the character where I hope it's not afraid of any challenges it faces in life, but still remains a kind heart it naturally has in its personality. In the end , I decided named the character with "Valour".
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| Fig 18. Different Types of Font Week 5 (29/04/2022) |
There are a variety of good looking typefaces to choose from. I picked 4 of my favourites. The first font seems to be bold and strong, the third and fourth fonts are too thin to be seen, and the font style seems like playful which is not suitable for flat design so in the end I choose the second one that is in neutral way and easy to look at it.
PROGRESS
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Fig 19. Brainstorming / Progress Week 5 (28/04/2022) |
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Fig 19.1 Game Card Layout Week 5 (28/04/2022) |
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| Fig 19.2 Flat design in trees Week 5 (28/04/2022) |
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| Fig 19.3 Progress in Setting for Play Card Week 5 (28/04/2022) |
Here are the progress where I experimenting with a fews layout for the playing card. I decided to try in flat design, where I learn and followed few tutorials about flat design in trees and landscape from Youtube. I manage to create few different types of flat design trees where I can decorate them into the playing cards
FINAL OUTCOME
Meet the giant quokka ! Valour
Hey ! ! I'm Valour, a rare giant quokka. I have a teddy bear face in shorts and fluffy brown fur, little round ears and a heart shaped nose, no! I don't have the photogenic smile like other quokkas, different quokkas have different personality ! I'm friendly and warm in character, but take care of your own personal safety as I'm a wild animal and I might get wild and bite nasty things that might carry diseases like salmonella. I am also one of the herbivores and I love to snack on various leaves, stems, grass and bark. Plus, I'm nocturnal, which means I'm most active at night. I'll be looking around for food and interacting with other quokka friends.
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| Fig 20. Final Play Card Design in JPG |
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| Fig 20.1 Final Play Card Design & Character in JPG |
Fig 20.2 Final Play Card Design & Character in PDF
REFLECTION
I was satisfied with the outcome, cause as a beginner with 0 experience
in using illustrator. Although my character might be simple and
straight-foward but still I feel really satisfied where I can design a
character within 5 weeks. Endless of keep trying which really helps to lead to completion. The progress in this 5 weeks including lots of
observation , researching and learning more skills by watching others
tutorials from Youtube. I can defiantly feel more familiar with
Illustrator , I love how a tremendous amount of satisfaction and sense of accomplishment comes in finishing the task. I believe this is really a good start and looking forward for other task after the raya.
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