Illustration and Visual Narrative / Task 1 - Exercise 1&2

7/4/2023 - 3/5/2023 / Week 1 - Week 5
Michael Chan Henn Loong / 0363611
Illustration & Visual Narrative / BA of Design (HONS) in Creative Media
Task 1 - Exercise 1 & 2

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LECTURES

Week1 - Briefing

In week 1 Mr. Hafiz provided us a link which is https://bezier.method.ac/, letting us practice on the usage of pen tool which we will be using a lot in Adobe Illustrator.

Fig 1 The Bezier Game

Week2 - Introduction to Adobe Illustrator

Fig 2.1 Shapes to create character

Fig 2.2 Example of Stylized Design

Fig 2.3 Example of using shapes for character

Three ways to make your character appealing.

Iconic: Create characters that are iconic, so that even if it is only the black silhouettes people can still immediately recognize the character.

Simplicity: Create characters that are not too intricate so that it allows the viewers to digest and understand the purpose of the characters easily.

Unique: The uniquity of the character are not only memorable but also creates an impact on the viewers.

Fig 2.4 Principles of Character Design

Fig 2.5 Example of good contrast

Contrast: For an example in Fig 2.5 the difference of two forces are being shown in the colors as they are separated into two different colors Blue and Red showing "Good" and "Bad".

Fig 2.6 Harmony

Harmony: Every elements in your design should compliment each other just like how they designed it in 'Inside Out' it shows how the details are repeated on every emotions.

Fig 2.7 Expressions / Poses

Expressions / Poses: Expressive emotive characters, win the audience. With clear visualization of the characters behaviours, quirks, personalities make it easier to appeal to the viewers.

Week 3 - Introduction to Color on Adobe Illustrator

Fig 3.1 Color palette

Using a color palette helps with looking for good contrast combination and more precised color gradients. With color palette we can also customize our own color combination and use it when we like.

Fig 3.2 Extracting Colors

After achieving the graphic that we are interested in, we can play around and check out different color combinations or contrast that the graphic contains we can also extract the color combinations from it and save it in our own library for further usage.

Fig 3.3 Example by Mr. Hafiz

Fig 3.4 Example by Mr. Hafiz

Week 4 - Pencil Tool

Fig 4.1 Pencil Tool

Pen tool is one of the most frequent used and useful tool in AI, using the pencil tool we can create our own shapes or even graphics.

Fig 4.2 Example 1

Fig 4.3 Example 2

Fig 4.4 Example 3

Week 5 - Image Trace & 3DL

Fig 5.1 3D Extruding

Extruding extends a 2D object along the objects Z axis to add depth to the object. For an example, if you extrude a 2D circle, it becomes a cylinder.

Steps to Extrude Object

• Select the object
• Click Effect > 3D (Classic) > Extrude & Bevel (Classic)
• Click More Options to view the complete list of options, or Fewer Options to hide extra options.
• Select Preview to preview the effect in document window
• Specify options 
• Click OK

Fig 5.2 3D Revolving

Revolving sweeps a path or profile in a circular direction around the global y axis to create a 3D object. Because the revolve axis is vertically fixed, the open or closed path that you revolve typically needs to depict half of the desired 3D object's profile in a vertical and front-facing position; you can then rotate the 3D object's position in the effect's dialog box.

Steps to Revolve

• Click Effect > 3D (Classic) > Revolve (Classic)
• Select Preview to preview the effect in the document window
• Click More Options to view the complete list of options, or Fewer Options to hide extra options. 
• Positions- Sets how the object is rotated and perspective from where we view it.
• Revolve- Determines how to sweep the path around the object to turn it into three dimensions.
• Surface- Creates a wide variety of surfaces, from dull and unshaded matte surfaces to glossy and highlighted surfaces that looks plastic.
• Lighting- Adds one or more lights, varies the light intensity, changes the object's shading color.
• Map- Maps artwork onto the surface of a 3D object.
• Click OK 

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INTRODUCTION

Task 1 : Exercise 1 / Vormator Challenge Character

1. Vormator Challenge

Fig 3.1 Vormator Shapes

We are asked to create a character by designing using the Vormator shapes in Fig 3.1. At the start of the task I've already know that I want to create a monster type of character so I got an idea on what vormator to use on what part very easily.

Fig 3.2 First attempt on Vormator Character

On the fist attempt the overall setting looks fine but I felt like its a little bit too simple as I'm still not really familiar with AI, and I think the character doesn't really look that ferocious and I think the color i used doesn't emits a ferocious vibe so I went on and made some more changes and improvement in both the shapes and color.

Fig 3.3 Final Vormator Character

I've used all of the shapes provided while creating my own character.

The Zerk- Hand / Upper body

The Drop- Head / Teeth

The Badge- Eye / Belt plate / Chest plate

The Chevron- Elbow plate / Belt

The Bar- Lower body

The Wurst- Mouth

The Cobra- Arm

The Tentacle- Horn / Fingers / Leg

Fig 3.4 Final Design

Fig 3.5 Final Design

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Task 1 : Exercise 2 / Illustrator Type

We are asked to use the Pictionary Generator and use the two words generated to create our own illustrator type.

Fig 4.1 Pictionary Generator

I used the Pictionary Generator to get my two words as in Fig 4.1, the words I got is Dragon and Quicksand but as I forgot to screenshot the page last time so I went back and took another screenshot while I am doing my Blog.

Fig 4.2 Quicksand 

Fig 4.3 Quicksand

Fig 4.4 Dragon

Fig 4.5 Dragon

I actually don't really have any ideas for these two words so I did them both separately. So for the quicksand I didn't really do much I just added in a background with a sandy texture and made the word 3D. As for dragon I only drew out the dragon and put it at the side of the letter D like it is hanging there, and for the layer in the letter D it is just something that I found when I'm plying with AI so I added it in so that the product wont look so boring.

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REFLECTION

Experience:

Using Adobe Illustrator for the first time was an exhilarating journey into the world of vector graphics and digital design. As I first opened the application, I was immediately captivated by the sleek and professional user interface. However, I couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation mixed with a touch of uncertainty. Navigating through the various tools and panels, I quickly realized the potential and future Illustrator held. It seemed like a vast creative playground ready to bring my ideas to life, As I created my first character, I did everything carefully, unsure of what exactly I would create but eager to explore.

Observation:

As I explored the software's features and tools, I noticed that Adobe Illustrator presents a steep learning curve for beginners. The software offers a vast array of tools, panels and functions, which is initially overwhelming. Navigating through the interface and understanding the usage and purpose of each tool requires patience and willingness to explore.

Findings:

I think Adobe Illustrator is proved to be a versatile design tool, offering a wide range of features to create and manipulate vector graphics. it's tools and functions cater to various design needs like logo design, illustrations, typography and more. This versatility allows user to explore different creative avenues and adapt the software to their specific design goals.