Illustration and Visual Narrative / Task 2

Britney Chow Pei Jun / 0350043 / BDCM
Illustration & Visual Narratives
Task 2

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INSTRUCTIONS 

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TASK 2: DECISIVE MOMENT

Visual Research 

For this task, we're required to create a poster and animate it by choosing a decisive moment in either a movie, a comic or anime, etc. I first started with choosing what films. For me, since I have love watching anime since I was young, and so I decide to choose from there. Below are a few of my choices. 

fig 1.1; Fullmetal Alchemist; sauce: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fullmetal_Alchemist)

fig 1.2; Spirited Away; sauce: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirited_Away)

fig 1.3; Big Fish and Begonia; sauce: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Fish_%26_Begonia)

fig 1.4; Durarara!!; sauce: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durarara!!)

The above are my main choices, I have also debated whether if I should do anime or films like Naruto or Howl's moving castle because I also really like these and I also think people will know which and what I'm choosing since they are quite famous. However, I thought that I do not want to choose a too mainstream one, but not so underrated to the point that no one knows them. And I came up with these four choices. However, among these 4 films the one I watched regularly was Fullmetal Alchemist, as no matter how many times I watch it, I still feel fascinated by it. Thus, I decide to choose Fullmetal Alchemist as the anime that I want to focus on. 

fig 1.5; Rough sketch;

This is the decisive moment I choose for this task. This is the moment where he got sent to another place and had the final talk with the "Truth". I decide to draw it this way, with the big door behind his back to show as if he's a magnificent being. 

fig 1.6; After adding colors;

After a few hours of trying to find out which shade of colors is the best, I think that this fits him a lot. However, I was also told to try out different perspectives. 

fig 1.7; Perspective reference #1; sauce: (https://kingofthewilderwest.tumblr.com/post/179931068318/just-wanted-your-opinion-on-something-roys-gate)

fig 1.8; Perspective reference #2; sauce: (https://64.media.tumblr.com/4b011bb88f6fc04457415980b7343c9d/tumblr_inline_phx45qTuTO1s8zbfz_500.png)

After checking out these references, I decide to sketch it out. 

fig 1.9; Rough sketch 2; 

fig 2.0; After adding colors and mist;

I feel like this sketch looks quite okay, I then decide to focus on this and move it to illustrator. 

fig 2.1; Moving into AI;

fig 2.2; Adding colors

After moving it to AI, I used the pen tool and make the base of the poster. I then added the words, which is quite the hard part because I have to keep on adjusting the words on the path of the circle. Next, I added the colors by color picking from my sketches and then adjusting them by a bit. 

fig 2.3; Further refining;

I also made Edward's face gradient to make it look he's serious. I have also added shadow to his back by using Gaussian Blur. 

fig 2.4; Creating new brush;

To make the mist, I have to create a new brush and lower down its opacity. The above is the setting to make the brush. 

fig 2.5; Creating the mist;

The above is the product of the new brush, it feels quite realistic so I used it and lower only a bit of the opacity. 

fig 2.6; Final outcome of Decisive Moment Poster; 

fig 2.7; Final outcome of Decisive Moment Poster in PDF;

Animating 

fig 2.8; Animating;

I have to make the animation in Adobe Photoshop, thus, I transfer the layers from AI to PS and convert them to smart objects. My initial idea on the animation is to make the "camera view" from top to bottom and then move the mist. However, I thought that feels quite typical, so I tried to remake it and this time, I made it that the door opened instead and the mist moving from the right to the left. 

fig 2.9; Adding frames;

I made 2 more doors and make it slightly open. 

fig 3.0; Last timeline Animation

I adjusted the mist and made a few of them to make it look more smoother. The above is all the layers it took for the whole gif. 

fig 3.1; Final Animated Poster in GIF; 

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FEEDBACK 

Ms. Anis and Ms. Jennifer told me to try out different perspectives, perhaps from up or from the bottom. They also told m I could try to add the mist to make it look less awkward with the white background. 

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REFLECTIONS

I think this task is actually very fun! I was able to research more about perspectives since I was an amateur in this. I was also able to learn more features of Adobe Illustrator by doing this task because I have to think of how to execute my sketch. And I have also learned how to create a brush as well. I have never tried creating a poster digitally before, so this is actually the first time, I wouldn't say that I did a very good job at this, but I would like to think that I have did my very best. This task also proved to be quite challenging because I do not know much about animating and have to check out tutorials and stuff. In conclusion, I really like this task, and I was really grateful for my lecturers for guiding me throughout this task.