Illustration & Visual Narrative - Milestone 1 Exercise (Vormator)

27/09/2023 - 25/10/2023 (Week 1 - Week 5)

Isabel Tan Xen Wern/ 0355602/ Bachelors of design in creative media/ Taylors University

Illustration & Visual Narrative COM61304

Exercise 1 (Vormator)

---

LECTURES

Week 1 (27/09/23) : Introduction & Briefing

• create e-portfolio + the Bezier Game

Figure.1.1

the Bezier game was used to practice using the pen function in Adobe Illustrator (27/09/23)

Week 2 (04/10/23): Vormator Shapes

• We were introduced to the Vormator challenge which would be our project 01.
• we were tasked to trace the shapes given using the pen tool that we learned last week.

Figure 1.2

Attempt to trace the Vormator shapes using a pen tool (04/10/23)

Week 3 (11/10/23): We learned to create shadows on shapes 

• and how to use the following tools: pathfinder, shape builder & knife tool.
• tasked to trace a pear shape and apply the technique shown.

Figure 1.3

Tracing, Creating shadow line, using knife tool to create 4 different slices (11/10/23)

Figure 1.4

Attempt no.2 (11/10/23)

Week 4 (18/10/23): Colours and Blending mode

• learned about blending modes (Normal, Darken, Lighten, Contrast, Inversion, and Component) and clipping paths.

Figure 1.5

Week 4 Exercise 1 (18/10/23)

• first outlined the shape of the person then created shadows using the pen tool.

Figure 1.6

adding colour (18/10/23)

• create a rectangular shape for the background, and choose the desired color.

Figure 1.7

adding texture (18/10/23)

• add the desired texture at the back.
• select the person and object> compound path > move > add clipping mask

Week 5 (25/10/23): No Classes

---

PROCESS

Sketches: 

Figure 1.8

Idea Sketches (19/10/23)

Attempt 1:

Figure 1.9

First tryout doing character design (19/10/23)

Figure 2.1

Attempt at doing a background (19/10/23)

Attempt 2:

Figure 2.2

Tryout number 2 (19/10/23)

• using a penguin as inspiration as well as a Moose for the Horns.

Attempt 3:

Figure 2.3

Tryout number 3 without shadows/texture (19/10/23)

• using an elephant and tentacles as inspiration.
• i decided to further explore this design by adding shadows and texture

Figure 2.4

Adding shadows and Texture (19/10/23)

• i used a light colour texture of water (symbolizing that this is a ocean / water creature) and a darker water texture to show the shadows.
• also changed the texture of the face and belly to a light wavy design texture to not onlymatch the colour surrounding but also still sticking to the concept of water.
• added so stripes to the horns.

Figure 2.5

The background (19/10/23)

• whiel still using the shaped given, i created a wavy background to symbolize under the water.
• i also decided since the creature was inspired by an elephant, i decided to put it in a bubble to symbolize it can not only breath underwater but also on land (air inside the bubble)

Final Design:

Figure 2.4

Final Design

• other than combining both the character and the background. i also added a few shadows of the same creature to symbolize that they travel in groups/ there are many of them.

pokemon card:

Figure 2.5

Dumbo

• name coming from the movie Dumbo.

---

REFLECTION

I've Learn a lot about how to use Adobe illustrator from this class, which helped me a lot in my other classes that uses adobe illustrator as well. it was a bit difficult at the start since this was a online class, i personally find it more difficult to ask for help from lecturers when they physically see your progress and how to help. it was quite hard to keep up to the lecturers teaching during class but thankfully, he uploaded videos that i could rewatch and try again myself. the videos also help when i cant remember how to use a certain tool, the videos help me bring back the knowledge. i was only able to complete this task thanks to the videos as i am quite a forgetful person.