Illustration and Visual Narrative: Task 2

 18.10.2024 - 01.11.2024 / Week 4 - Week 6

Angelique Svetlana Pekasa / 0377365

Illustration and Visual Narrative / Bachelors Of Creative Media / Taylor's University

Task 2: Exercises 

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Table of contents

1. Lectures
2. Instructions
• Research and Ideation
3. Reflections

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Lectures

Week 4

In this week's lecture Mr. Hafiz showed us how to use adobe color to extract a color palette from our desired image. This will be very helpful to create our background later on.

To use the color palette:

1. Download color palette as JPEG > Image trace > Expand > Ungroup
2. Select white > Same > Fill color
3. Pick desired color > Fill > Create new color group > Make swatches

We were also introduced to gradient mesh and how to use the gradient tool and adjust it according to our liking. 

Week 5

This week our lecture was conducted online, we were given a pdf file to look on. This pdf file gives explanation on types of perspective and compositions.

Week 6

Deepavali holiday, no lecture was given.

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 Instructions

<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KKXtHI7tgvnmBmPnWmk4V8BiOLEnxr6u/preview" width="640" height="480" allow="autoplay"></iframe> 

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Task 2: Composition

In this task we were assigned to make a background for our character. Our background should include foreground, midground, and background elements. For this task we weren't restricted on vormator shapes, we were able to use pen tools, shape builder, gradients, and all other tools freely.

Research and Ideation 

I first went on pinterest and the framed ink book given to find inspiration for the composition and mood of my work, then I started sketching my work on clip studio paint. I also used adobe color website to extract color palette from desired image. For this task I wanted my character to be placed in an underground hell, which is where he lived. Attached below is my sketch and the detailed explanation of my references. 

Fig 2.1 (sketch done on clip studio paint), (week 5, 25/10/2024)

Fig. 2.2 (Reference/mood board), (week 5, 26/10/2024)

Digitalization

I insert my sketch to adobe illustrator and insert it as a template (this reduces the opacity and lock the layer into place. After that I started to work on my foreground using the pen tool and curvature tool. I also color it with aerial perspective in mind. Aerial perspective is a method to create a sense of depth by changing its color as the object goes further in to the background. 

Fig 2.3 (foreground with aerial perspective), week 6 (29/10/2024)

I then continued on making the middleground and background. For the background it might seems very messy, but I played with the layers, parts of the objects will be hidden by another layer on top of it.

Fig 2.4 (left: middle ground, Right: background), week 6 (30/10/2024)

I also used shape builder and path finder to make the shadows. And for the background, to make an illusion of the staircase I made a rectangle for each step of the staircase and used gradient on it. Gradient is also used in the making of the doorway, and a bunch of molten lava in the background.

Fig 2.5 (using shape builder and pathfinder), week 6 (30/10/2024)

For the fires in the doorway, I made the fire with the pen tool, copy it, and use transform and reflect. Then I used shape builder in order to combine them, and added gradient to it.

Fig 2.6 (using transform, reflect, shape builder and gradient), week 6 (01/11/2024)

In addition to that, I created some shapes and used gaussian blur in order to make shadow for my character and effects to make the atmosphere looks very hot.

Fig 2.7 (using gaussian blur), week 6 (01/11/2024)

FINAL RESULT

Fig 2.8 (final results), week 6 (01/11/2024)

Fig 2.9, (Pokemon card), week 6 (01/11/2024)

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Reflections

Experience

Overall, I really enjoyed doing this project, because we were given freedom on what to make with no limitations. This type of freedom makes the task and IVN in general different with other subjects. However, I encountered a lot of problems while using adobe illustrator as it keeps on crashing down, this cause me to redo my work several times. I tried to restarting my computer and updating the application into the 2025 version, but it still keeps on doing so. At the end, I deleted the entire app and redownload it, thankfully it works.

Observation

From the framed ink book I observed how perspective really matters and how it will make a huge difference in the mood and theme of our artworks. I learned how to put my character in a position where it is the center of attention. In addition to that, I also learned how to create a background that tells a story. 

Findings

I find multiple ways to use tools with along side each others, like on how I used transform and reflect tool alongside shape builder and gradient to make the doorway. I also find out that gaussian blur could be use not only for shadow, but also for effects.