ILLUSTRATION & VISUAL NARRATIVE - ASSIGNMENT 2 DIGITAL TRIPTYCH

27/11/2023 - 8/12/2023 / Week 10 - Week 11

Alyssa Lim Shyn Yi / 0365877

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

Assignment 2 : Digital Triptych - Exploring Scott McCloud's Transitions

TABLE OF CONTENT

1. INSTRUCTIONS

2. LECTURE

3. ASSIGNMENT 2: DIGITAL TRIPTYCH

4. REFLECTION

INSTRUCTIONS

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LECTURE

Week 10 Lecture

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Summary of My Week 10 Lecture

During week 10, Mr Hafiz brief us about our new assignment known as digital triptych. The main purpose of this assignment is to apply Scott McCloud's theory on transitions to come out with a digital triptych. A digital triptych consisted of three panels which are one before, one during (climatic turning point), & one after a significant event. Each panel will represent a different transition type from McCloud's theory.

Law of Closure: Objects grouped together are seen as a whole.

Transition And Gutters

Empty space between the panels containing the illustrations and dialogue of text are known as the gutter. It is essential for comics to be successful because it allows for closure to happen. Scott McCloud describes closure as, " Observing the parts, but perceiving the whole". The example shown below is how Scott McCloud shows how the gutter stimulates time & motion when the reader uses closure.

Figure 1.0

Based on the first panel, the main is about to be attacked by another man with an axe. However, the next panel shows a deathly scream rising from a cityscape. This left the readers to decide what had happened between these two scenes.

Gutters act as an invisible messenger within comics in that they pass information but are simply an empty space. Comic artists need gutters as well as the reader's participation in drawing conclusions from them in order for time & motion to take place. Authors influenced the readers by using different types of panel-to-panel transitions within the gutter.

Figure 1.0 (Scott McCloud's Transitions)

Transition Exercise

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Summary

Types of Transitions

Moment to Moment: A single action portrayed in a series of moments
Action to Action: A single subject (Person, object, etc...) in a series of actions
Subject to Subject: A series of changing subjects within a single scene
Scene to Scene: Transitions across significant distances of time and/or space
Aspect to Aspect: Transitions from one aspect of a place, idea or mood to another
Non Sequitur: A series of seemingly nonsensical, unrelated images and/or words

McCloud explained that how this categorization method is an "inexact science" but is useful in helping to understand the story telling process of authors. The most common transitions are action-to-action followed by subject-to-subject & scene-to-scene. While moment-to-moment, aspect-to-aspect and non-sequitur are very uncommon.

ASSIGNMENT 2: DIGITAL TRIPTYCH

RESEARCH

For this particular assignment, I decided to do some research about digital triptych before I started to implement my work. The image shown below are some examples of art in digital triptych.

Figure 1.0

(Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights, 1490-1510. Museo del Prado, Madrid)

Figure 1.1

(The Merode Altarpiece, attributed to the workshop of Robert Campin,c. 1427-32)

A digital triptych is known as an image or artwork which consists of three separating panels or sections that are presented as a whole. In the art history, traditional triptychs were having three panels hinged with the focal panel in the middle and two smaller panels on either side are the source of this format.

From the panel above, the first panel was the panel before the climatic turning point happens, the middle panel was the climatic turning point and the third panel was the panel after the climatic turning point happened. Following our lecturer's instructions and Scott McCloud's theory, we were instructed to choose one of the transitions from Scott McCloud's Transitions and applied into our digital triptych.

For my digital triptych work, I decided to choose " Scene-To-Scene" as I think it is the most suitable transition to be presented here.

DRAFT SKETCH

For my sketching, I decided to use the source from my previous assignment which was discussing about an urban legend character, Kuchisake-Onna (Slit-mouthed woman). For more information, you can click here. Since my climax turning point was where Kuchisake-Onna showed up in the middle of the street with the victim walking towards her, the panels below are my statement using "Scene-To-Scene" transitions.

The 1st Panel (Before the climatic turning point)

Figure 1.0 (Before the climatic turning point)

The 2nd Panel = Decisive Moment (Climatic Turning Point)

Figure 1.1 (Climatic Turning Point)

The 3rd Panel (After the climatic turning point)

Figure 1.2 (After the climatic turning point)

Feedback: My lecturer suggested that I could add some shadows or silhouettes into the scene without letting it too empty.

FINAL SKETCH

The 1st Panel (Before the climatic turning point)

Starting off with a quiet Japanese street with forest at the background
Kuchisake-Onna had appeared and wandering around the streets looking for victim
The atmosphere in the scene was looking serene and ordinary

Figure 1.3 (Before the climatic turning point)

The 2nd Panel= Decisive Moment (During the climatic turning point)

This panel was decisive moment(climatic turning point) from my previous assignment where Kuchisake-Onna met the victim who was waking alone on the streets
Kuchisake-Onna had also show up in her terrifying form
The facial expression of the victim was looking worried and fear of what he or she might encountered with
The significant feature of Kuchisake-Onna which was her slit-mouth had been emphasized with scars and bandages

Figure 1.4 (During the climatic turning point)

The 3rd Panel (After the climatic turning point)

This was the scene after the climatic turning point where Kuchisake-Onna had disappeared from the scene
The atmosphere presents a lingering sense of eeriness and quiet
The color I'll be using was more to cool tones and a touch of muted warmth, signifying a subdued resolution
Some silhouettes were added inside the drawing, hinting at the scene after the climatic turning point

Figure 1.5 (After the climatic turning point)

ILLUSTRATION

The 1st Panel (Before the climatic turning point)

Figure 1.6 (Before the climatic turning point)

The 2nd Panel= Decisive Moment (During the climatic turning point)

Figure 1.7 (During the climatic turning point)

The 3rd Panel (After the climatic turning point)

Figure 1.8 (After the climatic turning point)

ARTIST STATEMENT AND PRESENTATION

My digital triptych assignment navigates the urban legend of Kuchisake-Onna known as slit-mouthed woman reinterpreted in the art deco style. I traverse the stages before, during, and after a significant event tied to the Japanese folklore across three panels meticulously crafted in Adobe Illustrator.

Panel 1: Prelude to Horror The initial panel encapsulates an unsuspecting urban setting at dusk, adorned with angular art deco architecture. Amidst the tranquility, subtle hints foreshadow the looming presence of Kuchisake-Onna.

Panel 2: Climactic Encounter The second panel erupts into tension and fear as Kuchisake-Onna confronts a protagonist or victim, captured through dramatic lighting and bold art deco stylization. The sheer terror of this fateful encounter is palpable.

Panel 3: Lingering Disquiet In the aftermath, the final panel reveals an urban environment tinged with residual unease, symbolizing the enduring impact of the encounter. Muted art deco tones and understated compositions hint at the haunting aftermath.

Through the fusion of the chilling allure of Kuchisake-Onna's legend and the structured elegance of the art deco style, my artwork invites viewers to traverse this haunting narrative. Each panel, meticulously designed within Adobe Illustrator, seeks to evoke contemplation, exploring the interplay between horror, sophistication, folklore, and artistic interpretation.

REFLECTION

Creating this digital triptych artwork was a challenging and captivating journey for me. Embracing the principles of the art deco movement within Adobe Illustrator, I embarked on a visual journey across three distinct panels, each representing a pivotal stage of this haunting urban legend. I found out that it was fun while learning about Scott McCloud's transitions. Other than that, I had managed to improve my skills in using Adobe Illustrator such as using shortcut keys, pen tool, gradient tool and texture more efficient than before. As for my learning out come, I had successfully generated and communicate design concepts and solutions through manual and digital skills effectively and skillfully. Moreover, I had also brainstormed and done research using creative thinking skills and methodologies to explore and generate. A wide range of conceptual ideas had also been tested. Last but not least, I felt that I had reached another milestone after completing this assignment. I was satisfied with my final outcome although the process was quite challenging and tough.

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