ILLUSTRATION AND VISUAL NARRATIVE - TASK 1: CHARACTER DESIGN

21/04/25 - 18/05/25 (Week 1 - Week 4)

ZHANG QIYU

0384019

Illustration and Visual Narrative  

Task 1 :Exercises (Character Design)

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INSTRUCTIONS

Submission requirements:

1. Documentation in PDF:
• Sketches
• Rationale
  
• Moodboard
• Final Artwork Line Art
• Final Artwork Color & Shading
2. Final Artwork

• 1 .ai file containing 3 Characters Line Art
• 1 .ai file containing 3 Characters Color & Shading

Mr.Fitri introduced us to Adobe Illustrator during our first week of class. He showed us how to use the interface and the basic tools of illustrator. There was a game introduced to us called Beizr to practice how to use the tools in photoshop and illustrator.  He had also briefed us on our upcoming assignment about character design, he showed us pass students work and the percentage that is carried for each assignment.

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Task 1: Exercises (Character Design) – 20%

Documentation

Character Design Line Art

                                                                       Fig 1.1 Character Design Line Art 1

                                                                      Fig 1.2 Character Design Line Art 2

                                                                 Fig 1.3 Character Design Line Art 3

Character Design Rationale:

• This illustration is inspired by the classic Tom and Jerry ani-mation, with the theme of a cheese police officer catching a thief mouse. It combines a retro rubber hose drawing style.When arranging the main image, I deliberately referred to the comic panels of Tom and Jerry, making the entire scene both retro and full of tension, as if it were a comic book from child-hood, evoking a sense of nostalgia. I was thinking that if this painting were made into cultural and creative products, such as stickers, acrylic pendants, or phone cases, there would probably be people who like it.

• This illustration was inspired by the animated series"Crayon Shin-chan", a comic created by a Japanese cartoonist and later adapted into an animation. It's an animation that both children and adults enjoy watching. I have always been a fan of Crayon Shin-chan since I was a child, so l created this illustration: There are various friends of Shin-chan on the turntable. I think it can be used for many collaborations, such as snack packaging boxes, phone cases, mugs, etc.

• This illustration is inspired by Pop Mart, a brand that adheres to the concept of "creating trends and spreading beauty", and is dedicated to bringing novel and unique cultural and entertainment experiences to young people around the world. It offers a wide range of products, including trendy toys, building blocks, and cultural and creative gifts, with a rich and diverse IP product line.Pop Mart introduced the blind box concept to China and quickly sparked a craze among young people. Additionally, it has collaborated with many renowned domestic and international designers and artists to launch a series of exclusive IP products, such as Molly, Dimoo, and Pucky, which are deeply loved by fans. The main character of this illustration I created is Molly, with the theme of "Springtime Flowers" and a dominant pink color scheme, which is very girly. There-fore, it can be used to make some woven bags, water cups, or umbrellas.

Final Output

Character Design Colouring & Shading

                                                               Fig 2.1 Character Design Colouring & Shading 1

                                                            Fig 2.2 Character Design Colouring & Shading 2

                                                           Fig 2.3 Character Design Colouring & Shading 3

Techniques Applied 

Core technologies of the course:

1. AI sketch generation: Using ChatGPT to generate character sketches, adding details through multiple optimization of prompts.

2. Vector line drawing:

• Using the pen tool to draw closed paths, adjusting curves with anchor points.
• Using the shape generator tool to clean up overlapping lines and remove redundant paths.
• Using the width tool to adjust the thickness of the lines, enhancing the hand-drawn texture.

3. Efficient coloring:

• Using the Live Paint tool to quickly fill the enclosed areas with colors.
• Layered shading and highlights drawing. 

Self-expansion Technology:

• Generate multiple versions of color schemes using ChatGPT, and optimize the color combinations through iterative prompts.
• Utilize the online color palette from Dopely to refine the color schemes, enhancing the accuracy of AI instructions. 

Self-reflection

The satisfying aspect:

The efficient collaboration between AI and hand-drawing ChatGPT breaks through creative barriers, quickly providing sketches and color inspiration; vector tools (such as the width tool and layered lighting) enable precise control, enhancing the expressiveness of the image. 

Areas for Improvement:

• Line Art Accuracy: Some paths are not closed, resulting in color overflow. It is necessary to check the anchor points for closure in advance.
• AI Collaboration Efficiency: The color suggestion prompts should use more professional color terms to reduce the number of debugging steps.
• Lighting and Shading: The shadows can be experimented with gradient or soft edge effects to enhance the sense of three-dimensionality.