ILLUSTRATION AND VISUAL NARRATIVE (TASK 2): Composition

ILLUSTRATION AND VISUAL NARRATIVE (TASK 2): Composition

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13/10/2024 - 02/11/2024 (Week 4 - Week 6)

Irdhina binti Mazli Sham (0366894)

Illustration and Visual Narrative - Bachelor of Design in Creative Media - Taylors University

Task 2: Composition

WEEK 4: Instruction

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ys_y7oNt1SaQJ30t-l2b5idlODwjeshL/view?usp=sharing

WEEK 5-6: Creating Composition

RESEARCH

The first thing when approaching this task after being informed by Mr. Hafiz was looking for references of compositions and artstyles to use based on the knowledge gained as well as to map out the surrounding world of said character.

The general idea I had was to have the character looming over people, giving it an amplified presence. Framed Ink has a section detailing size comparison, also known as scale progression, which I used for better understanding of what is to be achieved.

Fig. 1.1. Page taken from Framed Ink

Fig. 1.2. Art by Ramazan Kazaliev

Fig. 1.3. Art by Abigail J. Harding

Fig. 1.4. Art by Kevin McKenna

Fig. 1.5. Art by Tuomas Korpi

Another character I referenced for Wyn's appearance and story was of my own named Phyrra. Similar to Wyn, Phyrra is massive in size, much bigger than even Wyn and her role was to be a guardian to a planet's inhabitants. An extra information about Phyrra that I did not integrate into Wyn was her appearance being influenced by the centennial flood itself as well as her general surroundings.

Fig. 1.6. Art of Phyrra

Fig. 1.7. Art of Phyrra in her flood form

IDEATION

SKETCH

I designed two different compositions that have the same size progression elements. I decided to have the first design more offensive and make use of the character's poison berries as a way to weaken unwanted guests by having an ally earn the enemies' trust before they slip the berries into food or drinks. This sketch aligns a lot more to Phyrra rather than Wyn.

Fig. 1.3. First sketch composition

As for the second composition, I did a passive approach that aligns more with Wyn's species behaviour due to its lack of predators. I had its body being the frame, setting it as the foreground whereas its head is on the background. I wanted to highlight Wyn's ability to mimic its surroundings as well as encouraging plant growth on its body. Hence, there are also multiple bushes on and around Wyn and the person with a torch. 

Fig. 1.4. Second sketch composition [CHOSEN]

After showing Mr. Hafiz the two sketches, he suggested I proceed with the second sketch. I decided to redo using the chosen composition but with a different character design. Instead of having Wyn's body completely framing the artwork, I decided to extend its body to have a spiral-like result. This accentuates its size as well as allow more space for people to live in.

Fig. 1.5. Finalised chosen sketch composition

PROCESS:

I started by blocking out the main colours to map out the boundary of each space/layer. 

Fig. 1.6. Blocked out colours of composition

I began shading the character's head to better define and give a clear line of which part is the head and body. Afterwards, I drew the people, fire and added to sacks of food prepared to compensate their live shelter. This being done beforehand helps me see which parts of the background would be covered by the foreground.

Fig. 1.7. Progress screenshot

Fig. 1.8. Close-up of people on foreground

I finished basic shading as well as making the main tree/bush on the foreground using several colours to give vibrancy while maintaining harmony. I had trouble figuring out how to successfully draw Wyn's scales which resulted in roughly three failed attempts before getting it right with advice from Belinda.

Fig. 1.9. Base shading with accessories and scales

Fig. 1.10. Close-up of scale attempt 1

Fig. 1.11. Close-up of scale attempt 2

Fig. 1.12. Close-up of scale attempt 3

I moved on to smaller details in the background such as the people doing their own work as well as lighting/shadows. All of the elements present were done using the pen tool and either shapebuilder and/or pathfinder. 

Fig. 1.13. Progress screenshot with shading and additional details

FINAL OUTCOME

Fig. 1.14. Final completed composition of Wyn

STORY/WORLDBUILDING:

WYN is part of a massive species where their hibernation process is used as a way to tell time, specifically how much time people have before the intense centennial flood hits the land. During its hibernation lasting a century, Wyn would awaken every 25 years in search for food. If people manage to inhabit its body during the unconsciousness, they would provide its food as compensation for their stay. Due to the hibernation’s lengthy nature, this species evolved to have mimicry as well as a body component that encourages plant growth on its own body. The teardrop-shaped fruit made from this combination of mimicry and natural plant growth allows heightened nutrients when eaten by other species except their own. If another “Wyn” tries to eat these fruits, an opposite effect would occur in which they would act similar to poison. This would weaken the body and make them vulnerable to diseases.

Reflection

EXPERIENCE: Illustration and Visual Narrative is a very fun subject that is equally as interesting. The combination of knowledge from the module combined with my own imagination makes for an enjoyable experience when it comes to assignments despite the rush of it all. 

OBSERVATION: The fact that Framed Ink was given to students made the process of finding the desired composition a lot more easier than anticipated. The use of monochromatic colours also made the process easier when it comes to identifying as well as improving my values. 

FINDINGS: While I was trying to find references, I found that the same composition could be interpreted in a variety of styles. These art styles could range from majestic to silly and whimsical but if you know your subject well enough, you would be able to execute any artwork with ease regardless of your preferred style.