ILLUSTRATION & VISUAL NARRATIVE - Assignment 1 Decisive Moment

7/11/2023 - 21/11/2023 / Week 7 - Week 9

Alyssa Lim Shyn Yi / 0365877

Illustration & Visual Narrative / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University

Assignment 1 Editorial Illustration Decisive Moment

TABLE OF CONTENT

1. INSTRUCTIONS

2. LECTURE

3. ASSIGNMENT 1 (DECISIVE MOMENT & POSTER ANIMATION)

4. ARTIST STATEMENT

5. PROCESS DOCUMENTATION

6. REFLECTION

INSTRUCTIONS

Lecture

Week 6 Lecture

Summary of Week 6 Lecture

In this week lecture, Mr Hafiz introduced to us about composition theory talking about perspective. It is the art of representing three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface so as to give the right impression of their height, width, depth and position in relation to each other. There are a few construct perspectives which are:-

One-point Perspective
Two-point Perspective
Three-point Perspective
Isometric Grid
Dynamic Application

Week 6 Lecture

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Summary of Week 6 Lecture

Mr Hafiz briefed us on our assignment which discuss on the topic related to editorial illustration of urban legends. The duration of the assignment is from week 6 to week 8. In this assignment, we were asked to do research on urban legends. The task is to develop an editorial poster illustration to represent the chosen urban legend. We are to interpret the narratives decisive moment, the turning point (climax) of the narrative. There are 3 acting parts which are the beginning (The Setup) , the middle (The Confrontation) and the ending (The Resolution).

ACT 1 The Setup

The first turning point
At the beginning of a narrative, the "exposition" is the author providing some background information to the audience about the plot, characters' histories, setting and theme.

ACT 2 The Confrontation

The second turning point
"rising action", typically depicts the characters attempt to resolve the problem
Most of the time to find themselves even worst off
Some cases because they do not yet have the skills to deal with the problem that confronts them
What they do is only learn new skills but arrive at a higher sense of awareness of who they are and what they are capable of (character development)

ACT 3 The Resolution

The third turning point
The "climax" is the scene or sequence in which the main tensions of the story are brought to their most intense point
The dramatic question answered, leaving the character (hero) and other characters with a new sense of who they really are after the conflict has been resolved (or some one has been owned.)

Week 7 Lecture

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Summary of Week 7 Lecture

In the following week, Mr Hafiz had taught us about theory of composition which had three different types of planes which had foreground, middle-ground and background.

Foreground = Close to the viewer

Middle-ground = middle ground

Background = Far away

A few examples listed below are:-

By using size differences & color contrast to highlight foreground as main focus
By using size differences & light/shadow contrast to highlight the main focus
By using shapes & light/shadow contrast to highlight the main focus

Design flow refers to good arrangement of visual focus using foreground, middle-ground & background should also indicate a sense of movement & rhythm in your design. A design with good flow will lead the viewers' eye throughout the layout and should influence the way the viewer will digest your content. Then, Mr Hafiz had showed us a dark comedy animation short called "The Soloists" using 2D/CG by Gobelins (2021) for us to understand the lecture more.

Figure 1.0

Figure 1.1

Figure 1.2

Figure 1.3

The images above are some of my favorite scenes from the video. The video shows great uses of lightning and camera angles to highlight the main focus. The video had also applied all three elements such as foreground, middle-ground and background. Hence, this will immediately communicate a sense of scale to the viewer. Overall, I think it was indeed a good animation with good composition and storyline.

Week 9 Lecture

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Summary of my Lecture

In week 9, we were briefed on lecture discussing about guide in doing animation. In limited animation or known as animated gifs, there are secondary action, overlapping action & follow through. Secondary action talks about adding and enriching the main action and adding more dimension to the character animation, supplementing or reinforcing the main action. It's 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.

Assignment 1 Decisive Moment & Poster Animation

Research

For this assignment, we were asked to find a related article or story that discuss Urban Legends. The legends maybe local or international and the art style must be derived from Art Deco. Our poster must be illustrated in an art deco style in Adobe Illustrator. Therefore, I had chosen a Japanese urban legend which was Kuchisake-onna or “Slit-mouthed woman” in English.

Kuchisake-onna is actually a vengeful spirit in the Japanese folklore. For the past decades, this urban legend was still a part of the famous Japanese folklore until now. Kuchisake-onna was a woman whose mouth had been cut wide open at the corners from ear to ear similar to a glasgow smile. Usually, she will covered her mouth with a surgical mask or mask to hide her injuries. Then, she will search for potential victims, mostly children and ask them if she is beautiful. For this particular situation, it really depends on how the conversation goes between the victim and her, the victim will either end up dead, disfigured, or both. If they said no, she would slash their faces open with a pair of scissors, giving them similar Glasgow smile.

* Glasgow smile refers to a smile caused by wounds cutting from ear to ear.

Meaning of Kuchisake-onna

口 = "kuchi" meaning mouth
裂け = "sake" meaning split
女 = "onna" meaning woman

Figure 1.0 (Conversation Diagram between Kuchisake-onna)

There were actually a few versions to portray the story. The first version traced back to the Heian period which was about 1200-800 years ago. The legend started with a beautiful woman married to a samurai. She was proud of her stunning physical appearance and decided to cheat on her samurai husband one day. Later, her husband discovered her affair and was very furious. The samurai then slit her wife mouth from ear to ear, causing her glasgow smile. After his dreadful actions, he asked his wife "Who will think you're pretty now ?" The tale was a cautionary one to remind people to stay loyal to their partners but the story ends with a horrific ending.

Another version of the tale was a woman that her mouth got disfigured during a medical or dental procedure. She was disfigured by a woman who was jealous of her beauty or that her mouth is filled with numerous sharp teeth. By the year 2007, there was records of cases reported during the nighttime where a number of children had died that time. Rumors said that there were sightings of woman with similar features like Kuchisake-onna appeared at the time and place of the incident took place.

Figure 1.1 (How To Escape From Kuchisake-onna)

THREE ACT NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

Act 1: Setup Kuchisake-onna, a woman wearing a surgical mask, wanders the streets asking individuals if they think she's beautiful. She then reveals a slit mouth under the mask, horrifying those who encounter her.

Act 2: Confrontation This act involves the protagonist encountering Kuchisake-onna. She asks her infamous question, "Am I pretty?" The tension rises as the protagonist tries to respond correctly to avoid harm.

Act 3: Climax/Turning Point The climax occurs when the protagonist is faced with a critical decision or a significant event that changes the course of the story. In the legend, this often involves outsmarting or escaping Kuchisake-onna. This turning point is my illustration will be focusing on.

ART DECO STYLE ILLUSTRATION

Setting: An urban environment at night, perhaps a dimly lit street or an alleyway, to create a mysterious and eerie atmosphere.

Characters: Show Kuchisake-onna confronting the protagonist. The protagonist could be positioned off-center, appearing frightened or determined, trying to outwit or escape her.

Composition: Utilize strong geometric shapes and lines characteristic of the art deco style. Use bold, angular lines to create the buildings or surroundings. Play with symmetry or repeating patterns to add a sense of structure and tension.

Color Palette: Bold and contrasting colors were common in art deco. Consider using a limited yet striking color palette, perhaps deep blues, purples, and dark reds to create a nocturnal, foreboding atmosphere.

Focus: The focal point should be on the interaction between Kuchisake-onna and the protagonist. Use composition, lighting, and expression to draw attention to this crucial moment.

Details: Incorporate intricate details in the architecture or background elements, such as ornate building facades or intricate patterns on doors or windows, in line with the art deco aesthetic.

DECISIVE MOMENT

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Figure 1.2 (Decisive Moment)

MOODBOARD

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COLOUR PALETTE

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DRAFT SKETCH

Figure 1.3 (First Sketch)

Feedback

Mr Hafiz commented that the character should include in a scene. I should include something and someone in the scene.

Figure 1.4 (Second Sketch)

Feedback

Mr Hafiz stated that my sketch for background should be in more current like in today's time. He then suggested to change the person behind to wearing day to day clothes.

FINAL SKETCH

Figure 1.5 (Final Sketch)

FINAL ILLUSTRATION

For the colors I used for my final illustration, I had chosen them from the pictures I placed inside my moodboard. Nevertheless, I had also added some gradient and textures to some of the part to make it look more eye-catching.

Figure 1.6 (Final Illustration)

ANIMATED GIF

We were asked to do animation of secondary action. Hence, I decided to animate the background in the illustration using Adobe Photoshop. In the beginning of my process, I duplicate my original layer and made a clipping mask of my background using quick selection tool. Next, I started to create frame animation and duplicate a few frames that I needed to use and began my animation.

Figure 1.7 (Process)

Figure 1.8 (Animated Gif)

ARTIST STATEMENT

I had always been fascinated by the urban legends or ghost stories in Japan. Hence, I decided to choose one of my favorite urban legend which was Kuchisake-onna (slit-mouthed woman) to be in my project using art deco style. Using the geometric elegance and bold contrasts of art deco, I portray the unsettling encounters with Kuchisake-onna, blending the allure of sophistication with the chilling horror of the folklore. Through meticulous detailing and rich hues, I juxtapose beauty and terror, inviting viewers to contemplate societal perceptions of beauty, fear, and the interplay between aesthetics and menace. Each stroke within these illustrations captures Kuchisake-onna's mystique, aiming to evoke introspection and unease, delving into the captivating yet chilling legend.

PROCESS DOCUMENTATION

REFLECTION

I was able to discover and generate a wide range of ideas in this exercise by effectively utilizing my creative thinking skills and methodologies, which helped me to produce high-quality work. In addition, I had make use of internet technologies to obtain information. For example, I use Google and Pinterest to source ideas and concept related to Kuchisake-onna (slit-mouthed woman), my urban legend character. Furthermore, I had the ability to effectively and skillfully generate and communicate design concepts and solutions using both manual and digital skills.

QUICK LINKS

Illustration & Visual Narrative - Task 1 Exercise

Illustration & Visual Narrative - Assignment 1 Decisive Moment

Illustration & Visual Narrative - Assignment 2 Digital Triptych

Illustration & Visual Narrative - Final Project Self Titled