Illustration and Visual Narrative-Task 3 & Final Project

July 10, 2022

Illustration and Visual Narrative-Task 3 & Final Project

08/04/2022 - 15/04/2022 (Week 10 - 14)

Yong Kai Yi (0352826)
Illustration and Visual Narrative
Task 3 & 4

Lectures:

Week 7: 3 Acts-Structure

Central theme:

1. Major theme: a theme that runs throughout the entire story and is repeatedly brought up.

2. Minor theme: a more discreetly expressed and maybe non-repeating idea.

Conflict:

The story is driven by the conflict. It's what intensifies the tension and produces the suspense that characterizes an engaging story.

Characters:

1. Central characters: The development of the story depends on these characters. They are the core of the story.

2. Protagonists: The protagonist is the main character of a story. Protagonists don't necessarily have to be likeable, but they do need to compel the audience's sympathy.

3. Antagonists: Antagonists oppose protagonists and stand in the way of their ultimate objectives.

Three- Acts Structure:

fig xx: three act story structure

1. Setup: The setting before the journey, where the protagonist lives. The conflict is typically exposed at the conclusion of the setup.

2. Rising tension: The series of challenges the main character faces. Typically, each challenge is more challenging and comes with greater risks than the one before it.

3. Conflict: The most tense moment and a crucial turning point for the main character.

Reflection: This is the point where the protagonist either successfully resolves the conflict, comes to terms with it, or is ultimately defeated by it. Whatever the case, the adventure finishes here.

Week 9: Transitions

1. Moment-to-Moment

fig xx: moment to moment

The limitation that separates storyboarding from comics or sequential art most is moment-to-moment transition, together with page and panel structure. There may be cuts that fall under one of the other six transition types described below across the material they are used to map. The storyboard, however, is a rigorous Moment-to-Moment representation of a different sort of media.

2. Action-to-Action

fig xx: Action-to-Action

It essentially concentrates on significant occurrences and is more or less a less chopped version of Moment to Moment. or switching between panels, and extending the duration between times.

3. Subject-to-Subject

fig xx: Subject-to-Subject

A transition in the same scene between two connected moments while highlighting a different subject

4. Scene-to-Scene

fig xx: Scene-to-Scene

A scene is a collection of connected events that take place over an extended period of time in a single place. A scene ends and a new one begins when there is a significant change in setting or time between panels.

5. Aspect-to-Aspect

fig xx: Aspect-to-Aspect

Jumping around a scene can be a fascinating approach to take in important details or allow the characters' attention wander. It's also a wonderful approach to introduce the reader to their surroundings by letting them see through the players' eyes or by encouraging them to take a brief diversion away from the players.

Instructions:

Week 07 – Week 14: Graphic Novel (Webtoon), Final Project (Motion comic)

Story narrative writing:

fig xx: story narrative writing in PDF

The PDF above shows the whole idea of my story, it is inspired by the movie Jumanji and the arcade game Street Fighter. Firstly, I included the character development scene, then a scene where the main character have conflict with his friends which leads them to the arcade store, then the incident happens.

After receiving feedbacks from the lecturer, I found out the story doesn't need to be so detailed and explained everything why does it happened. The lecturer also explained the difference between hard story and soft story. For my original story is consider as hard story, as for the Webtoon, the panels and messages we can deliver is limited, so we can go for soft story. Soft story can leave spaces for the reader to imagine, that's why soft story often more memorable because it will be discussed, everyone will have different point of view, for example the movie <Weathering with you>.

Lecturer's feedbacks:

The story is too long and detailed, should try soft story style, don't tell the reader what is happening in a direct way, leave some space for the reader to think and imagine.

Story development in three-act structure:

After receiving the feedbacks, I made some adjustments/ amendments and shorten the story to maintain it around 300 words.

Act 1 – Setup

Exposition, Inciting Incident, Plot Point One

Act 2 - Conflict

Rising Action, Midpoint, Plot Point Two

Act 3- Resolution

Pre climax, Climax, Denouement

Jonah’s father brings him and Ryan to play his favorite game when he was a boy, the “Street Fighter”. It is a classic fighting game, which was very famous during that time. The boys seem quite interested and attracted, they immediately take their seats and start playing.

All of a sudden, a lightning strikes and the arcade’s power cut off. The whole store is very dark. Then, the “Street Fighter” arcade machine started to turn on itself, it lightens the space, they walk towards the machine.

When they walk near it, the light becomes brighter and brighter, they can’t even open their eyes. When they finally can open their eyes, they already in a strange Japanese room with some floating buttons and windows in front of them.

They had a fight.

They found out a book, Ryan tries click on it. The book pops out in front of them, it is a manual (instruction) book. It shows, they need to up level and defeat the final opponent to get the “Road to the Home” train ticket.

They spent 2 days to up level, and finally comes to the final match. They started to fight against the opponent. They realized they do feels hurt when they got hit, in previous game they didn’t feel anything as it is just a game. They started to panic, Jonah trying to stay calm and thinking what to do.

Jonah tries to distract the opponent and signals Ryan to jump over the opponent. Finally, he landed behind the opponent. With the teamwork, they defeated the opponent and got the “Road to the Home” train ticket.

Visual Research (character design):

fig xx: character design visual research from Pinterest

Character design sketch:

fig xx: main character (Jonah) sketch

Jonah is like a nerdy, timid but smart boy, his face kind of oval in shape shows he is a nice, kind and friendly person. Next, I also added a backpack for him to emphasize his nerdy school boy character. He is a typical student who loves to stay home and play video games.

fig xx: minor character (Ryan) sketch

Ryan is Jonah's only bestfriend since they were little. Ryan is a braver and adventurous boy, which make a really contrasting characteristic with Jonah. Ryan and Jonah are good teammates in video games too, they can play well together as a team.

fig xx: minor character (Jonah's Father, Mr.Jod) sketch

Mr.Jod (Jonah's father) have the same oval shape face as Jonah, and he had the typical "daddy tummy" with center parted hair. Mr.Jod also is a video game lover when he was little, often goes to arcade shop to play games. Mr.Jod is a funny and extrovert guy.

fig xx: villain character ( the Baison) sketch

The Baison is a villain game character in the game where Jonah and Ryan sucked into. The character is inspired by the character M.Bison from the Street Fighter game. The face shape is more like hexagon with sharp edges shows the evil and toughness of the character. Also added a little details on his face like a pirate look with scars.

Character design color scheme:

fig xx: main character (Jonah) color scheme

I use Adobe color wheel to try out different color scheme. Some are more vibrant color, some is like earth tone. After the testing, I chose the 3rd color scheme.

fig xx: minor character (Ryan) color scheme

After deciding the main character color, I chose either 2nd or 4th color scheme for Ryan in order to match the overall color theme.

fig xx: minor character (Jonah's Father, Mr.Jod) color scheme

As well as Mr.Jod, I use more like earth tone with beige brown base. But I wanted to make it more mature like and slightly different with the main character, so I chose the 1st one and 4th one, which have a hint of red or blue.

Character design finalizing:

fig xx: main character (Jonah)

fig xx: minor character (Ryan)

fig xx: minor character (Jonah's Father, Mr.Jod)

fig xx: villain character ( the Baison)

After deciding the colors, I finalize and colored the character including their face expressions.

Storyboard rough sketch:

fig xx: act 1&2 rough sketch sequence

fig xx: act 3 rough sketch sequence

The fighting scene will be mainly on act 2, the overall style and concept will maintain simple and harmony, easy to read and view. I made some research for comics and anime, some scene are inspired by the scene from anime movies or comics, as I found them really expressive and interesting.

Fine sketch:

Comic fine sketch

fig xx: pg. 2 fine sketch

Total 35 pages and 58 panels.

Experimentation in AI:

fig xx: brush tool testing

fig xx: shape tool testing

For this comic, I wanted to create a hand drawn organic style, so first I try using just brush tool to color the subject out, without any fine outlines, but I found out the path will be very complicated and messy, will be very difficult to do further edits (just in case), and unable to add shadows using path finder tool.

Next, I try using shape tool and pen tool, but it didn't end up the style I prefer.

Then, I try combining both tool and found out using brush tool to create the organic outline and shape + pen tool to color, have quite a good outcome.

Progression in AI:

fig xx: inking in AI

I use the charcoal texture brush to draw the whole comic as I wanted it something like hand drawn style, which looks less intense and friendly. I mainly use brush tool to draw the outline, and also use pen tool, shape tool to draw some of them too. Furthermore, I also use direct selection tool to adjust the strokes.

fig xx: using pathfinder

I use pathfinder divide tool to separate the path of the tongue and mouth.

fig xx: using shape tool and eraser

I use shape tool to draw the circles out and changed the path to outline stroke, use eraser to remove the extras to form the 'setting' sign.

fig xx: using shape tool and eraser

This is the result using eraser tool on a shape without changing it to an outline stroke.

fig xx: using pen tool

For the figure above, I tried using only pen tool, and change it to charcoal texture.

fig xx: using pen tool and shape tool

fig xx: artboards and layers

I use one page as one artboard and per layer for outline.

fig xx: coloring