Illustration & Visual Narrative - Task 2: Composition

 Name: Liong Xenyi (0383125)

Module: Illustration & Visual Narrative (COM61304)
Date: Week 3- Week 6 
Degree: Bachelor of Design (Honors) in Creative Media
University: Taylor's University

Task 2: Composition

Instructions

In this assignment, you will create the world or environment for your character. This task focuses on learning and applying the principles of composition, allowing you to build a dynamic, well-balanced scene that reflects the mood, story, and personality of your character. The world you design may be based on your Vormator character, or it can be a completely new setting that aligns with a different narrative direction.

Key Focus: Composition and Visual Storytelling

Using the guidelines from "Framed Ink: Drawing and Composition for Visual Storytellers", you will explore how to arrange elements within your environment to guide the viewer's eye, create depth, and tell a compelling visual story. The composition of your world should emphasize balance, contrast, focus, and flow.

This task is designed to help you develop both technical skills and creative thinking while emphasizing the importance of planning and problem-solving throughout the design process.

Submission requirements:

• Documentation in PDF:
• Sketches
• Evidence of Composition Principles
• Vector illustration WITH environment preview (export to png with x1 scale)
• Collectible card design preview (export to png with x3 scale)
• Vector Illustration WITH environment (.ai file)
• Collectible card design (.ai file)

Documentation

Mood board/references

Fig 1.1

Sketches

Fig 1.2

Fig 1.3

Fig 1.4

Fig 1.5

Evidence of Composition Principles

Fig 1.6

Rationale:

I was inspired by the Under Dark, an area underground in DnD (Dungeons & Dragons), where it has a mysterious and serene air, filled with glowing gems and plants decorating the area. It is home to many other species and bugs, that never really goes above to the surface. I was considering which composition to make for my character, Zyra, between a campsite or the under dark. I chose this because I think the colour scheme and area suits her a lot, as in terms of her personality and overall design. It is also more challenging, as it allowed me to be more creative and try drawing something new and interesting. Overall, I could've made the place brighter and experimented with different colours, but I tried to make the glowing items pop up too to show the contrast. I wanted to show Zyra being on a journey, so I created a path using the golden ratio to guide the eyes.

As for my card design, I wanted to use her fire as the power for the card. The word "Ignis Caeruleus" is the Latin phrase for blue fire. I mixed the fire spell with a blue light, as I love the idea of blue fires (inspiration from Hades from Hercules). I reused the fire element and a gem and mushroom as the elements to indicate the power at the top, and the place at the bottom.

Final Output

Vector Illustration with Environment Preview

Fig 2.1

Collectible Card Design

Fig 2.2

Techniques Applied:

• Creating sketches
• Making line art for the background and elements
• Creating the foreground, middle ground and background
• Create a composition with the rule of thirds and golden ratio
• Using different shade, tone and tint for shading and highlights using pen and brush tool
• Using the live paint tool to colour
• Used the brush tool to paint certain areas or textures
• Used gradient, pathfinder, masking and blur tool to create certain effects and textures

Assignments for each Week:

Week 5 - Card Design

Fig 3.1

In this lesson, we learned how to create a card design with an already finished illustration. We learned how to use the pathfinder, gradient and masking tool to aid in making the card.

Week 6 - Composition Techniques

Fig 3.2

This week, we learned how to compose an effective composition. With using guidelines such as rule of thirds and the golden ratio, we made a composition with illustrated assets. The aim is to create a foreground, middle ground and background, with elements to help point towards the subject of focus.

Reflection:

Experiences:

I struggled a lot for this assignment, as I realised I rarely make compositions. I have learned different angle composition shots and applied them in photography before, but had little experience in drawing backgrounds and compositions. It was difficult for me to picture and accurately sketch the composition I want. In the end, I took way too long to accomplish this task, as I set my goal too high and made the composition hard to finish, especially when I am still new to using Adobe Illustrator. There were many times I wanted to stick through, but I managed to push through until I finished it. I was so relieved when I was done. I, however, liked designing the card more, and love how it turned out, since it is centralised on the character and I could come up with a power and theme. 

Observations:

I am still very weak in sketching and drawing good compositions that applies the design principles well and all the knowledge I know of good angle shots. I need to continue observing and sketching more compositions with different angles to understand them further and create better ones that brings out the main subject. I do like making the card design, and think I could do more in the future as it is more enjoyable for me.

Findings:

I like being able to picture my character in a setting that I could bring to life and not just in my imagination. I could apply some techniques I have learned throughout, but still lack certain skills to make it seem more effective. I need to continue improving my composition sketches in the future.