12/6/2024 - 3/8/2024 (Week 8 - Week 14)
Shawn Wong Kai Hen / 0375372
Illu's & Visual Narrative / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Assignment 1
Instructions
We are to choose one song from the list below, appreciate
the song, hear it through and understand the lyrics. You
are then required to sketch initial ideas, figure out
storyline, illustrate and compose and animate a ‘moment’
base of your understanding from the chosen song. This
moment will be the album cover. Illustrated typography
must be included. Foreground mid ground and background
must be considered and illustrated.
Then songs list is as below:
-
Fly me to the moon
-
The way you look tonight
-
Come fly with me
-
Girl from Ipanema
-
New York, New York
Chosen Songs: Fly Me To The Moon
Assignment 1: Fly Me to the Moon (non-animated
cover)
Moodboard:
Fig. 1.1 Mood board for non-animated album cover
- Week 8 (12/6/24)
Creating a mood board is an essential step in designing a
project, providing a visual and conceptual framework to
guide the creative process. For the 1954 song "Fly Me to
the Moon" by Bart Howard, I aim to design a minimalist
album cover that embodies the song's timeless elegance.
Drawing inspiration from the title "Fly Me to the Moon,"
the design will incorporate elements of mystery and
illusion, capturing the ethereal and dreamlike qualities
associated with space and exploration. This approach will
ensure a cohesive and visually compelling representation
of the song's essence. Let's delve into the design process
to bring this vision to life.
Rough Sketch:
Fig. 1.2 Rough Sketch for non-animated album cover
- Week 8 (12/6/24)
Before beginning work in Adobe Illustrator, I
prioritize brainstorming and generating ideas.
This process involves researching and gathering
references and inspiration from websites like
Pinterest. Following this, I create rough
sketches to visualize initial concepts and
refine the direction of the design. This
methodical approach ensures a well-thought-out
and cohesive design outcome.
Fig. 1.3 Initial Sketch & Idea - Week 8 (12/6/24)
Based on the title "Fly Me to the Moon," the
inclusion of a moon in the design is essential. I
envision a girl holding several balloons,
ascending towards the moon, symbolizing aspiration
and wonder. To enhance the night scene, I will
incorporate blinking and static stars to create a
captivating night view effect. Additionally, to
avoid a monotonous appearance, I plan to include a
shooting star, which will add dynamism, especially
for the animation phase. Given the emotional
nature of the song "Fly Me to the Moon," I have
decided to use a dark theme for the design,
emphasizing its depth and sentiment.
Fig. 1.4 Progress - Week 8 (12/6/24)
After completing the initial version of the
design, I found it challenging to decide on the
girl's position. To address this, I created
several variations with different placements and
sought feedback from friends. Ultimately, the
first version was the most preferred. Currently,
the title design is still a work in
progress.
Fig. 1.5 Details Refinement - Week 9 (16-17/6/24)
Upon completing the title design, I created two
versions: a 4:3 format for the album cover and a
1:1 format for music playback visuals. However,
I feel that the title design lacks creativity
and visual appeal. To improve it, I have decided
to meet with Mr. Hafiz to obtain his comments
and feedback.
Fig. 1.6 Final Design - Week 9 (16-17/6/24)
After receiving feedback from Mr. Hafiz, he noted
that the overall design is visually appealing and
effectively captures the desired mood. However, he
also mentioned that the title in the latest
version appears too plain and lacks design
elements. Based on his comments and suggestions, I
revised the title to incorporate more design and
patterns. This final version reflects the
improvements made after considering Mr. Hafiz's
feedback.
Final Design:
Fig. 1.7 Non-Animated Album Cover 1:1 - Week 9 (19/6/24)
Fig. 1.8 Non-Animated Album Cover 4:3 - Week 9 (19/6/24)
Allow me to briefly explain the details
incorporated into the album cover. The design
features a small girl character holding several
balloons, attempting to fly to the moon. The
foreground includes mountains and trees, while the
midground showcases the girl and the moon. The
background depicts a night sky with blinking stars
and a shooting star. This design represents a
girl's dream of flying to the moon, encapsulating
a sense of wonder and aspiration.
<iframe
src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s7QiHUyeFHkRqgkdw5oUaNxWOI-VYQWP/preview"
width="640" height="480"
allow="autoplay"></iframe>
Assignment 1: Fly Me to the Moon (Animated
cover)
Animation Progress:
Fig 2.1 Animation progress - Week 11 (2-5/7/24)
In this phase, I imported the design file
from Adobe Illustrator into Adobe After
Effects to create the animation. As shown in
Figure 2.1, the design is in a 4:3 resolution
to serve as the album cover. Additionally, I
created buttons and text elements to enhance
the appearance and functionality of the album
cover, making it more interactive and visually
engaging.
Fig 2.2 Blinking and Shooting Star Animation - Week 11 (2-5/7/24)
In this phase, I began animating the blinking
stars, the shooting star, and the background. For
the blinking stars, I used the Fractal Noise and
Glow effects to create small, randomly placed
stars that closely resemble real stars. After
setting the timeframe for the blinking animation,
I applied a looping code to ensure continuous
repetition.
Animating the shooting star was simpler: I
created it using a line, set the timeframe, and
adjusted the speed curve in the graph editor to
achieve a fast-to-slow motion effect. A GIF
demonstrating these animations will be provided
below.
Fig 2.3 Rocket Animation progress - Week 11 (2-5/7/24)
Lastly, I added a rocket animation to enhance
the design's visual interest. Using the Motion
Sketch tool, I created the rocket's flight path
around the title and moon. Motion Sketch
captures the movement path as you drag the
element, automatically setting the timeframe. To
ensure fluid animation, I utilized the Smoother
tool to refine the rocket's motion.
Additionally, I applied looping code to ensure
continuous animation playback, allowing the
rocket to continuously fly along the designated
path. This addition enriches the overall
animation by introducing dynamic movement and
visual appeal.
Animation Outcome:
Fig. 2.4 Animated Album Cover 1:1 - Week 11 (7/7/24)
Fig. 2.5 Animated Album Cover 4:3 - Week 11 (7/7/24)
Here is the final animated album
cover. I am pleased with the
design and color scheme, as it
achieves a minimalist style while
maintaining visual interest.
Simple Mock Up:
Fig. 3.1 Mock Up - Week 11 (7/7/24)
Assignment 2 (Final Project): Comic cover and
Animated One Page intro
Fig. 4.1 Moodboard for comic - Week 12 (10/7/24)
This is my first time creating a comic,
and when I learned that I would need to
illustrate it, I felt quite unsure due
to my limited drawing skills. Despite
this, I am determined to give it my best
effort. I have chosen to adapt Edgar
Allan Poe's story, "The Angel of the
Odd," into a comic format. Given the
limited references available for this
story, I have been reading and
translating it to gain a deeper
understanding of the details.
Storyline
Then songs list is as below:
- Fly me to the moon
- The way you look tonight
- Come fly with me
- Girl from Ipanema
- New York, New York
Before beginning work in Adobe Illustrator, I prioritize brainstorming and generating ideas. This process involves researching and gathering references and inspiration from websites like Pinterest. Following this, I create rough sketches to visualize initial concepts and refine the direction of the design. This methodical approach ensures a well-thought-out and cohesive design outcome.
Based on the title "Fly Me to the Moon," the inclusion of a moon in the design is essential. I envision a girl holding several balloons, ascending towards the moon, symbolizing aspiration and wonder. To enhance the night scene, I will incorporate blinking and static stars to create a captivating night view effect. Additionally, to avoid a monotonous appearance, I plan to include a shooting star, which will add dynamism, especially for the animation phase. Given the emotional nature of the song "Fly Me to the Moon," I have decided to use a dark theme for the design, emphasizing its depth and sentiment.
After completing the initial version of the design, I found it challenging to decide on the girl's position. To address this, I created several variations with different placements and sought feedback from friends. Ultimately, the first version was the most preferred. Currently, the title design is still a work in progress.
Upon completing the title design, I created two versions: a 4:3 format for the album cover and a 1:1 format for music playback visuals. However, I feel that the title design lacks creativity and visual appeal. To improve it, I have decided to meet with Mr. Hafiz to obtain his comments and feedback.
After receiving feedback from Mr. Hafiz, he noted that the overall design is visually appealing and effectively captures the desired mood. However, he also mentioned that the title in the latest version appears too plain and lacks design elements. Based on his comments and suggestions, I revised the title to incorporate more design and patterns. This final version reflects the improvements made after considering Mr. Hafiz's feedback.
Allow me to briefly explain the details incorporated into the album cover. The design features a small girl character holding several balloons, attempting to fly to the moon. The foreground includes mountains and trees, while the midground showcases the girl and the moon. The background depicts a night sky with blinking stars and a shooting star. This design represents a girl's dream of flying to the moon, encapsulating a sense of wonder and aspiration.
In this phase, I imported the design file from Adobe Illustrator into Adobe After Effects to create the animation. As shown in Figure 2.1, the design is in a 4:3 resolution to serve as the album cover. Additionally, I created buttons and text elements to enhance the appearance and functionality of the album cover, making it more interactive and visually engaging.
In this phase, I began animating the blinking stars, the shooting star, and the background. For the blinking stars, I used the Fractal Noise and Glow effects to create small, randomly placed stars that closely resemble real stars. After setting the timeframe for the blinking animation, I applied a looping code to ensure continuous repetition.
Animating the shooting star was simpler: I created it using a line, set the timeframe, and adjusted the speed curve in the graph editor to achieve a fast-to-slow motion effect. A GIF demonstrating these animations will be provided below.
Here is the final animated album cover. I am pleased with the design and color scheme, as it achieves a minimalist style while maintaining visual interest.
This is my first time creating a comic, and when I learned that I would need to illustrate it, I felt quite unsure due to my limited drawing skills. Despite this, I am determined to give it my best effort. I have chosen to adapt Edgar Allan Poe's story, "The Angel of the Odd," into a comic format. Given the limited references available for this story, I have been reading and translating it to gain a deeper understanding of the details.
Storyline
Panel 1: The Skeptical Narrator
Description: The narrator, sitting in a cozy room, smirks with disbelief while reading a newspaper article about a bizarre accident.
Panel 2: The Appearance of the Angel
Description: The Angel of the Odd appears in a puff of smoke, a drunken, bird-like creature with a thick accent, holding a bottle.
Panel 3: The First Misadventure
Description: The narrator accidentally sets his house on fire while trying to relight his cigar. Flames and smoke fill the background.
Panel 4: Falling Out the Window
Description: The narrator, soaked and bedraggled, falls out of a window and into a barrel of water, with onlookers staring in shock.
Panel 5: Hot Air Balloon Disaster
Description: The narrator dangles precariously from a hot air balloon, looking terrified, while the Angel of the Odd floats nearby, smirking.
Panel 6: The Lesson Learned
Description: The narrator, back on solid ground, looks humbled and relieved. The Angel of the Odd hovers nearby, looking satisfied.
Sketch
Fig. 4.2 Rough Sketch Intro Page - Week 13 (17-19/7/24)
To begin, I have decided to create a rough sketch.
Based on my panel planning, I will sketch some
outlines to aid in brainstorming. This is a
significant challenge for me due to my limited drawing
skills, but I am committed to the process. I have
sketched each panel according to my initial plan to
help visualize the comic.
Refinement
Fig. 4.3 Refinement - Week 14 (21/7/24)
After completing the sketches, I have moved
on to the coloring stage. Since my sketches
were primarily created using pen and brush
tools, applying color has proven to be
challenging. As a result, I have spent a
considerable amount of time refining and
altering the outlines to facilitate the
coloring process. During this phase, I also
made some design adjustments to improve upon
the initial sketches. These small changes
and refinements are part of my ongoing
effort to enhance the overall quality of the
comic.
Fig. 4.4 Final Intro Page
- Week 14 (21/7/24)
This is my final introductory
page, which took a significant
amount of time to complete.
Despite my lack of confidence in
my drawing skills, I have given my
best effort to create and color
the design. The most challenging
aspect was rendering the shadows,
as they are crucial for adding
realism. Although I was unable to
capture every detail perfectly, I
have done my utmost to complete
it. Overall, the process from
start to finish has been extremely
challenging for me.
Animation
Progress
After completing the
introductory page, Mr. Hafiz
requested that we animate it.
For me, animation is not as
challenging as drawing. While
working on the drawing, I
ensured to create all the
necessary layers in advance to
facilitate easy importing into
After Effects for the animation
process.
Fig. 4.5 Illustrator workspace
- Week 14 (22 - 23/7/24)
Fig. 4.6 Illustrator workspace
- Week 14 (22 - 23/7/24)
As you can see, I have organized different
layers within the panel. Before importing
the layers into After Effects, I need to
release the layers first. In Figure 4.6,
you can see the result after releasing the
layers, with all paths and strokes
visible. This allows all the layers to be
properly imported into After Effects for
the animation process.
Fig. 4.7 After Effect workspace
- Week 14 (25/7/24)
Fig. 4.8 After Effect workspace
- Week 14 (25/7/24)
Here is my After Effects
workspace where I created the
animation for the comic's
introductory page. For a fire
scene, I downloaded a fire video
and composited it with my design,
which was not difficult. In Figure
4.8, you can see the effects I
used, including Fractal Noise,
Turbulent Displace, and Fast Box
Blur. These effects are helpful
for creating smoke or clouds, and
I recommend them if you are
looking to achieve a similar
effect.
Finally, after completing all the
animations and setting up the
layout, I exported the project as
a GIF using Adobe Media Encoder.
The export process took some time
due to the large size of my design
file and animation. However, I am
pleased to report that I have
successfully completed the
assignment!
Final Artwork Compilation
Fig. 4.10 Comic Cover and Intro PDF, Gif - Week 14 (24-5/7/24)
FEEDBACK
Week 9 - Assignment 1
-
Good ideation, Mr. Hafiz quite like it but the title
can have more design
Week 10 - Assignment 1
-
No comment and feedback
Week 11 - Review Session
-
Everything good. Design is nice and clean, but the
title still can improve,
E-portfolio need to
complte. Finish with the animated cover and
submit.
Week 12 - Review Session
-
No feedback given
Week 13 - Review Session
-
No feedback given
Week 14 - Review Session
-
Submitted
- Good ideation, Mr. Hafiz quite like it but the title can have more design
- No comment and feedback
-
Everything good. Design is nice and clean, but the
title still can improve,
E-portfolio need to complte. Finish with the animated cover and submit.
- No feedback given
- No feedback given
- Submitted
REFLECTION
Creating both non-animated and animated album covers has
been an incredibly enriching experience. The non-animated
cover allowed me to focus on design fundamentals, honing
my skills in composition, color theory, and typography. It
challenged me to convey a message and mood through static
imagery effectively. Conversely, the animated cover added
a dynamic dimension, requiring me to consider movement,
timing, and how to capture attention in a digital format.
Balancing these two tasks not only expanded my technical
skills but also deepened my understanding of visual
storytelling. This project has demonstrated the power of
different mediums in evoking emotions and has inspired me
to continue exploring the boundaries of my future
specialization.
I really dislike to drawing, drawing can say is
my most weakness part in design. Not saying i
drawing is not good but i really hate to draw but
in design course still need some drawing skill.
But the way, i still learning during the last
assignment for this comic, even i hate drawing but
i still continue to start the assignment, i even
know i will draw something ugly but i still try my
best to finish the work. Is very challenging for
me during this few week doing the drawing part and
coloring.
Overall, despite facing significant challenges, I
successfully completed the task and gained
valuable skills throughout the process. This
experience has underscored areas for improvement,
particularly in coloring and animation, which I
plan to focus on in future projects. From start to
finish, I continuously pushed myself to the limit,
persevering through repeated attempts and
setbacks. This relentless determination has been
instrumental in my learning and growth, and I am
committed to further developing my skills and
resilience.
I really dislike to drawing, drawing can say is my most weakness part in design. Not saying i drawing is not good but i really hate to draw but in design course still need some drawing skill. But the way, i still learning during the last assignment for this comic, even i hate drawing but i still continue to start the assignment, i even know i will draw something ugly but i still try my best to finish the work. Is very challenging for me during this few week doing the drawing part and coloring.
Overall, despite facing significant challenges, I successfully completed the task and gained valuable skills throughout the process. This experience has underscored areas for improvement, particularly in coloring and animation, which I plan to focus on in future projects. From start to finish, I continuously pushed myself to the limit, persevering through repeated attempts and setbacks. This relentless determination has been instrumental in my learning and growth, and I am committed to further developing my skills and resilience.
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