Illustration & Visual Narrative - Exercises/Assignment 1

23/09/2024 - 01/11/2024  (Week 1 -  Week 5)  

Alya Rahima Zahra (0363588)  

Illustration & Visual Narrative / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media  

Exercises and Assignment 1

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JUMPLINKS:   

1. LECTURES

2. EXERCISES

3. ASSIGNMENTS

4. REFLECTION

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LECTURES  

> WEEK  1   

First introduction to pen tool, using The Bezier Game.  The Bezier game is a pen tool game that works exactly the same way as pen tool.  This game can help us increase our skills in using the pen tool.

Fig 1 Pen Tool Exercise

> WEEK  2  

Mr. Hafiz gave us lecture on how to design characters.

Here are the summaries of Lecture 2 (Char Design Bsics) :

Fig 2.1 Stylized Design

There are 3 Main things on how to make the character looks appealing:

1. ICONIC

2. SIMPLICITY

3. UNIQUE

Beside those 3, we must also remember the Principles of Character Design:

Shapes > Colour > Emphasis > Contrast > Harmony > Expressions, Poses

- Shapes

Fig 2.2 Shapes

These are some basic vormator shapes. It could act and represent as the character's basic silhouette design. These shapes can be used to identify a character from one another. 

We are expected to explore the possibilities of combining different interesting shapes for our character's design.

Mr. Hafiz also helped us by giving tutorials for tracing shapes with the pen tool.

Fig 2.4 Pen tool exercise (10/10/2023)

Fig 2.5 Pen tool exercise Result 

> WEEK  3  

In week 3, we learnt about Chiaroscuro which is the use of light and dark to create the illusion of three-dimensional volume on a flat surface.  In this chapter, Mr. Hafiz taught us how to make a shadow and adding volume to our tracing.

Here are the summaries of lecture 3:

- Chiaroscuro itself has a purpose to increase the scene's dramatic tension by exaggerating the subject's importance using color or light contrast.

- Chiaroscuro is used in visual narrative because this method is an excellent lighting choice to difference positive vs negative spaces.

- There are 4 kinds of application of chiaroscuro in paintings, as follows:

1. Using color or light contrast

Fig. 3.1 The Ceilling of St Matthew (Caravaggio,1599-1600)

2. Predominantly dark setting

Fig. 3.2 The Taking of Christ (Caravaggio, 1602)

3. Focus point or subject of a scene is brightly colored

Fig. 3.4 Girl With A Pearl Earing

4. Contrast with a dark background

Fig. 3.4 Barry Lyndon

> WEEK  4  

On the 4th week, Mr. Hafiz introduced us to color and blending and did a tutorial from microsoft teams meeting.  In this chapter we learned how to adding texture into our design with clipping mask.'

> WEEK  5  

> WEEK  6  

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EXERCISES  

> WEEK  1  

The Bezier Game

Fig 1.0 The Bezier Game result 

> WEEK  2   

Vormator Challenge Exercise

Fig 2.1 Tracing shapes 

Fig 2.2 Tracing shapes results 

Fig 2.3 Making character 

Fig 2.4 Adding colour to character 

Fig 2.5 Final character result 

Fig 2.6 Additional adding Gradient & Shadows

I made a happy blue cool-tone character which looks like a cartoon bird. I named this character 'Coralie'. She represents as your friendly-neighborhood monster :)

> WEEK  3   

Light & Shadows

Fig 3.0 Making Chiaroscuro pear 

Fig 3.1 Chiaroscuro pear results

> WEEK  4   

Colors & Blending mode

During practicing this exercise, i'm having a good time playing around with the colors and blending mode. So far i don't have any difficulties for this exercise.

> WEEK  5   

> WEEK  6   

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ASSIGNMENTS  

Milestone 1 Exercise Vormator   

Fig 1.1 My Pokecard 

Fig 1.2 Character Coralie 

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Relfection   

Starting from week 1 up to 5, I could tell it was a good experience learning adobe illustrator.

I am a total beginner for adobe illustrator and everything about it is new to me. It has been very interesting to learn new things and I'm glad that i had the chance to add new skills. Despite that, in order to be master at it, I have to improve myself by practicing more.