Illustration and Visual Narrative - Task 1

23/09/2024- 11/10/2024 (week 1 - week 3)



Cindy Noverin / 0376409

Illustration and Visual Narrative / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylors University

Task 1 : Exercise 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Lectures

Instructions 

Further Reading



Lectures

Week 1

On the first week there is no face to face lectures so we were instructed to do some case study and learn the basics of adobe Illustrator. We were also got the task to do character design sketches and if possible finish the whole character design.

    IVN 01 - Character design Basics

This lecture explains about how character design in cartoons made with a main shape that could explain the character personality or characteristic. Sir Hafiz take Adventure times character as an example. where Fin mostly a rectangle and Jake is a round shape. also the choice of colors for the character is important too as it also could represents different kind of approach

Week 2

on the second week, we were taught how to use curvature and pen tool and learn how to create shapes with it. we were also given task to start doing our vormator shapes character while waiting  the others that haven't got their adobe license . During the class, we also get to play the berzier game where we need to make various shapes using the curvature tool with limited amount of nodes and I saved up to 38 nodes.

fig.1.1. bezier game (02/10/24)

Week 3

on the third week, we were taught how to use the pathfinder and shape builder tool. we tried to do the Adidas logo and continue doing our vormator challenge.

 


Instructions


Task 1 : Vormator Challenge

Week 1 : Practice

during the first week, because we don't have physical I learned how to use some tools by watching the "Learn how to draw anything with adobe illustrator" and did the brazier game.
fig.2.0. Adobe Illustrator Practice (02/10/24)

Week 2 

On the second week when we were given this task, I did some research of the past students work and figured to do something Pokemon like so I drew the character first before looking at the vormator shapes and here's what I came up with

 


fig 2.1. Hylutris character concept 1st attempt (02/10/24)
I came up with the character hylutris, because Otter is my favorite animal. I did search some picture of otters and realize that I have to make the web on his 2 back foot. But I kept going anyway. After doing the sketches, I tried to implement it using the vormator shapes. It took a lot of attempt to get it right but here's what I got. 

fig.2.2. hylutris vormator shapes (03/10/24)
it took me so long to figure out how to do it right, before thinking clearly I combine each shape and I have to redo it all over. when I first use the vormator shape, I made It too big and it looks chubby, so on my next attempt I made it again and the shilouette is what I gos so far until I stopped and decided to make another character but I use the vormator shape first and didn't do much sketch. 

THE SHOW - Graduate Showcase

During the second week, there's an announcement of a Mural Drawing Competition held by Taylor's Design School regarding the Graduate Showcase. Me and My friends decided to participate in the competition. While I heard that most people join the competition for the extra mark, that doesn't sound so bad but I want to join for the experience and achievements. I had doubts at the beginning because I haven't managed to get along with anyone in my class. so I asked the group chat and Celine said she wants to join. but there's only two of us so we ended up joining Gaby's team that consist of Katherine, Felice, Aveline, and Jennifer. they already thought of what kinds of concept that they're going for where we draw different people with different features and combine it into one and do some abstract drawing on the side. 

More details of the process are in my separate post : THE SHOW- Graduate Showcase

On the 5th October, I first went to The Starhill to look at the graduate's Artwork. I thought I wouldn't be able to see it the next day and I didn't have friends to go with so when I saw someone on the group chat talking about it, I took the chance and went there with Callegra. We arrived there perfectly at 2 PM and the show is just getting started. We took some photos of the artwork (hoping to observe it better when we got back. because my team are gathering at evening so I can't go out too late and its far..). We met Ms. Anis and the judge for the mural drawing competition the next day. After observing the artworks, we went out to get lunch and got back to Taylors.

On the 6th October, me and my team arrived there 1 hour earlier to get ready, have the competition briefing and collect our materials that consist 2 base board, 2 A2 paper, and 3 Faber Castell Color Pencil. When we were exercising days before, we were all using any kinds of coloring material but color pencil. Just to find out on the spot that the majority of the drawing have to be drawn and colored with color pencil. So we just decided to draw hairs, elements, and shirts out of color pencil and the rest uses crayons and gouache paint. the 2 hours timer runs out and we finished our drawing. While observing the judge that's deciding the winner, we kind of joked that we are going to win because they kept looking at ours from afar. we all were called to stand on the stage for photos then the winners are announced. Turns out we got the 1st Place. I felt quite happy and it gave me a boost of confidence to try participating in more competition because back in high school, I lost a lot of times. I couldn't have got the first place if it weren't for my team.
fig.6.1. Our Group Photo (06/10/24)

Week 3

fig.2.3. Nogris first appereance (07/10/24) 
While doing this vormator shape of Nogris, I first thought of a mushroom character. then I think what if I  give it some ear. then when I give it a tail, it started to look like a tiger, so I search if there's such thing as a tiger mushroom. turns out there is, and its a medicinal herb. so I decided to go with his character design and add more details, like the strips, the eyes, whiskers, and the mushroom antenna. and if its going to be a Pokemon, I think that he's going to be a ground/grass + fighting Pokemon. 

fig.2.4. Nogris simple sketch (08/10/24)

in the middle of making him, at first I was thinking of how it could be more related with nature or mushroom. i add a smalll mushroom on top of his head and put a symbol on his tummy. I did this sketch on my iPad because I'm in the middle of a club activity. and when I got back to my dorm, I continue my work. but I change the mushroom position from 1 in the middle to 2 as an antennae. I added some stripes on his hands hand feet too with the tentacle. although its simple, I will make a more detailed stripes when the Pokemon card is made.

fig.2.3. Nogris vormator shapes (08/10/24)

Next, I started on Nogris shading and coloring, I chose a regular tiger color which is orange and and put brown for his strips for the mushroom, although he is based on a herbal medicine "tiger mushroom",  the visual of the tiger mushroom doesn't fit this cute little thing so I made king oyster mushroom out of the vormator shapes and make it as his antennas . The hardest past when making Nogris is when I have to mask some stuff to the body, like the stripes and shading. It took me so many undos and reshaping. I also add more claws because just 2 each hands looks a little bit lonely. 
fig.2.4. Nogris with Color and Shadow (10/10/24)

Nogris’s lore

Nogris is a ground / fighter mushroom tiger that lives in the forest. He has the ability to heal itself and fight like a tiger. Although he looks cute. He can be fierce and competitive when fighting his opponent. When he’s bored, he would challenge the other mushroom Pokemon Breloom into a fight and often ended up with a tie. Since tiger is typically a family of cats, water type Pokemon are his biggest enemy.



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Feedback

Week 2

we are not allowed to distort the character, only resize it and flip it, I could also use the vormator shapes given to cut out the other shapes.

Week 3

we were given instruction to only put 3 colors for the shilouette and submit it along with the outlines to let the lecturers know what shape I used.

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Reflections

Task 1
during the process of making characters out of vormator shapes, I learned some things, like using curvature, pathfinder, shape builder, learning some shortcut keys, how to do clipping mask, recoloring things without having to select them one by one, blending mode, and more. I used Ibispaint X and Procreate as my drawing apps in the past so I know some functions, but using Adobe Illustrator is a new experience to me and I found it fun to explore and experiment with them. 

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Further Reading / Sources

Case study of Malika Favre Artwork

while observing some creations by Malika Favre, first thing that I notice is the vibrant colors and how it contrast with the second color choice. The shadow are sharp that makes is more bold. she also uses a lot of nirvana patterns. most of her artwork also only consist of 4 to 2 colors and she got creative with how the colors goes together. it could create a shadow and background, it could also create another shape as if its a ambiguous image. 
fig.5.1. saint agustine - the newyorker
like from this picture, she uses four colors. black, light yellow, red and turquoise, five if the green stem counts. there's a picture of an apple and a couple as the shadows as if its telling a story of Adam and Eve. it uses black for the background colors and turquoise as the apple's shadow. not only that, the red is bright and there's turquoise contrasting it making it more appealing 

Source


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