Illustration & Visual Narrative / Assignment 1

This action adds to and enriches the main action and adds more dimension to the character animation, supplementing and/or re-enforcing the main action.
A secondary or continuation of action prompted by the primary action where all of these actions work together to create a more seamless animation.
For example, the action of flapping a cloth. The arm swinging is the primary action, while the cloth movement compliments the action.

Fig.1.1 Example of limited animation , Week 9 , 22.11.2023

A fast and effective way to heighten the interest of the animation by adding a realistic complexity by underpinning impact of an action by aesthetically unfolding a series of connected actions. However, this is more likely to be minor actions supporting a main action.

Fig.1.2&3 Example of limited animation , Week 9 , 22.11.2023

Examples of limited animation

Fig.1.4 Example of limited animation , Week 9 , 22.11.2023
https://thunderpaw.co/comic/ch1/

Fig.1.5 Example of limited animation , Week 9 , 22.11.2023

https://creativecloud.adobe.com/cc/discover/article/moving-pictures-rebecca-mock-has-turned-gifs-into-an-art-form?locale=en

Fig.1.6 Example of limited animation , Week 9 , 22.11.2023

Fig.1.7 Example of limited animation , Week 9 , 22.11.2023

Fig.1.8 Example of limited animation , Week 9 , 22.11.2023

Fig.1.9 Example of limited animation , Week 9 , 22.11.2023

Fig.1.10 Example of limited animation , Week 9 , 22.11.2023
https://stable-diffusion-art.com/step-by-step-guide-to-make-an-animated-gif-with-stable-diffusion/

2. INSTRUCTIONS

3. TUTORIAL

Week 7 : Transparency gradient and noise

The Grain Effect combined with linear, radial and freeform gradients can be used to create textures by adding shading to the illustrations.

Step 1 : Copy and paste the object and use pathfinder ( Shape Modes: Unite to merge it. )

Fig.3.1&2 , Use pathfinder to merge , Week 7 , 8.11.2023

Step 2 : Apply gradient on it. ( Gradient tool : G )

Fig.3.3&4, Apply gradient, Week 7 , 8.11.2023

Step 3 : Apply grain effect on it. ( Effect > Texture > Grain > adjust intensity, contrast and grain type )

Fig.3.5 Where to find Grain effect , Week 7 , 8.11.2023

Fig.3.6 & 7 Windows in Grain Effect , Week 7 , 8.11.2023

Step 4 : Place the layer that applied gradient and grain effect on the original layer. Adjust the opacity.

Fig.3.8&9 ( Left ) window of opacity, ( Right ) the result , Week 7 , 8.11.2023

Tutorial video link:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ime8o_Febts&authuser=0

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFxFgMp2_jk&authuser=0

Week 8 : Pencil Tool

Pencil Tool ( N ) is a free-hand path drawing tool. It offers the freedom to draw whatever we want digitally but still keeps a little bit of realistic taste. We can often use the Pencil tool for drawing.

Fig.3.10, Freedom to draw the shape we want , Week 8, 15.11.2023

To let the path become smoother : Object > Path > Smooth

Fig.3.11&12 ( Left ) Where to find the smooth tool, ( Right ) After apply the smooth tool , Week 8 , 15.11.2023

The pencil cap can be adjusted to butt cap, round cap & projecting cap. ( Stroke > Cap ).

Fig.3.13&14 ( Left )Where to find cap , ( Right ) Example of round cap , Week 8 , 15.11.2023

4. PRACTICAL

Week 7 : Transparency gradient and noise exercise

We are told to choose one character from the four characters given and apply gradient and grain effect on it.

Fig.4.1, Illustration people , Week 7 , 8.11.2023

Fig.4.2 & 3, ( Left ) Before, ( Right ) my outcome , Week 7 , 8.11.2023

Week 8 : Pencil Tool

We are going to use the pencil tool to draw out the template given.

Fig.4.4 & 5, Template given , Week 8, 15.11.2023

My outcomes:

Fig.4.6 & 7, my outcomes , Week 8 , 15.11.2023

5. ASSIGNMENT

Assignment 1 : That Decisive Moment

Week 6

For this assignment, we must find a related story that discuss Urban Legends. Therefore, we have to interpret and illustrate the decisive moment of the story we chosen.

I choose a Korean urban legends called The Hollow-Eyed Woman in Jayuro Highway. I research for more ideas about this and make a mood board.

Link for this story: https://www.kworldnow.com/5-disturbing-korean-urban-legends-that-haunt-your-dreams/

Fig.5.1 The Hollow-Eyed Woman in Jayuro Highway , Week 6 , 1.11.2023

Fig.5.2 Mood board , Week 6 , 1.11.2023

Week 7

I break the story into 3 act structure which are the beginning, the middle and the ending. I will have to choose one of the turning points and illustrate it.

Act 1: The Beginning
The story begins with numerous car accidents that have occurred on Jayuro Highway. The mistiness of the area seems to provide a logical explanation for these unfortunate incidents. However, rumors spread among the drivers that there's more to these accidents than meets the eye. Whispers of a woman, her eyes void of any emotion, wandering along the highway, began to circulate.

Act 2: The Middle
As the legend goes, one night a daring driver was speeding down Jayuro Highway, unaware of the eerie tales surrounding the place. Suddenly, he spotted a figure in the mist – a woman in her 20s, wearing a pair of dark shades despite the darkness. In a heartbeat, he swerved to avoid hitting her, narrowly missing a potentially fatal collision.
The woman approached the shaken driver and, with an unsettling calmness, asked to be taken home. Overwhelmed with guilt for almost causing her harm, the driver agreed. As they drove, the woman directed him to a mysterious address using the car's navigator.

Act 3: The Ending
Soon after, they encountered the aftermath of a terrible car accident. The driver, wanting to explain the situation to his mysterious passenger, turned around only to find that she had vanished into thin air. Bewildered and shaken, he realized the truth – he had picked up a ghost on Jayuro Highway.
Later, the ghostly woman, true to her unsettling nature, called the driver's wife to drive him. The wife, not an adept driver, obediently followed the navigator's instructions. Unbeknownst to her, the spectral journey led them to a cemetery. It became clear that the Hollow-Eyed Woman was leading them to her final resting place.

Sketches

After breaking them into parts, I decide to illustrate the turning point in act 3 ( the ending ). The turning point focuses on the driver's wife, who, under the influence of the ghostly woman's navigation, inadvertently steers them towards an unforeseen destination—a cemetery.

Fig.5.3 Sketches #1 , Week 7 , 8.11.2023

Fig.5.4 Sketches #2 , Week 7 , 8.11.2023

Week 8

As the outcome of the editorial illustration must be portrait, the composition will be more focus on the interaction between driver's wife and the ghost.

Below are the outlines of my illustration:

Fig.5.5 Outline part 1 , Week 8 , 15.11.2023

Fig.5.6 Outline part 2 , Week 8 , 15.11.2023

To make it more minimalist, I remove the unnecessary things to make it not so complicated.

Fig.5.7 Outline part 3 , Week 8 , 15.11.2023

After that, I use the colour palette from my mood board as my reference and start colouring it.

Fig.5.8 Process work , Week 8 , 15.11.2023

I apply the gradient that we learned in week 7.

Fig.5.9 Process work , Week 8 , 15.11.2023

First Attempt

Fig.5.10 First Attempt , Week 8 , 15.11.2023

I made some adjustments by recolouring some parts to become more catchy.

Second Attempt

Fig.5.11 Second Attempt, Week 8 , 15.11.2023

Third Attempt

Fig.5.12 Third Attempt, Week 8 , 15.11.2023

Week 9

I have started working on transforming my poster into a GIF animation. I created two versions of the ghost, one wearing a short skirt and the other wearing a long skirt. I chose short skirt as my result because I think it will be more creepy to show the legs out.

Fig.5.13 Two versions of ghost , Week 9 , 22.11.2023

I crafted two different scenes portraying the driver turning his head forward and witnessing the ghost arriving home.

Fig.5.14&15 The other two scenes , Week 9 , 22.11.2023

Below are the frames that I created in Illustrator :

Fig.5.16 14 Frames , Week 9 , 22.11.2023

Frame 1- 4 : The driver's sweat slowly trickled down, and the ghost's tears of blood slowly flowed.

4 - 10 : The driver was frightened by the scene of the ghost gradually disappearing. ( I utilised a gradient to convey the driver's shock and adjusted the ghost's opacity to create a disappearing effect.)

10-14 : When the ghost had already vanished, the driver, fearfully turning her head forward, unexpectedly saw the ghost standing in front of the cemetery (symbolising that the ghost had reached home).

Afterwards, I export all the frames from Illustrator to Photoshop to animate them. I adjust the timeline to make it look more smoother.

Fig.5.17 Process work in Photoshop , Week 9 , 22.11.2023

First Attempt

Fig.5.18 First attempt , Week 9 , 22.11.2023

I found that some lines appear on the driver's face (gradient effect). Mr. Hafiz suggested that I do the effect in Photoshop. I tried out using the techniques that I have learned in Photoshop for doing this.

1. Use Magic Wand Tool to select the area that I want to make the effect.