Illustration & Visual Narrative / Task 1: Exercises Continuous – 20%

Timeline: Week 01 to Week 05
Task: Design a character to demonstrate competencies in tacit making skills, digital proficiencies, and analog abilities.

There Will be Two Part in this Task 

Exercise 01 - Outline only

Exercise 02 - With Color 

JUMP LINK for Continuous Assessment 

• TASK / EXERCISE 01 - Assignment process
• TASK / EXERCISE 01 - Final Sketch
• TASK / EXERCISE 01 - Adobe Illustrator Process
• TASK / EXERCISE 01 - Final Outcome

• TASK / EXERCISE 02 - Research 
• TASK / EXERCISE 02 - Adobe Illustrator Process 
• TASK / EXERCISE 02 - Final Outcome

Assignment Process

__EXERCISE 01__

IDEATION

At the start of this assignment, I conducted some research and created a mood board that brought everything together, including the type of art style and some character design . I then began brainstorming ideas for the character I wanted to create.

This is the mood board and the initial research I conducted.

Figure 1.1 Research on art style for character (Overall Research)

I also started thinking about the visual look of the character (rough sketch).

As for the character, the idea I have now (week 02) is:

• Set in a magical world, maybe?
• Uses more natural colors (green/brown)
• More abstract in style
• Features feathers
• Wears a mask or cloak / or a crystal to represent the face

After some thinking and exploration, I decided to sketch three characters:

• Character 1: Has wings and floats effortlessly in the sky ( Have no leg) — possibly a protector of a certain place.
• Character 2: Has legs and a torn cape — maybe a young adventurer.
• Character 3: Has legs and wears a big jacket — a scientist

This is the first Sketch of the character 

Figure 1.2: First Initial Sketch of Character 01 (left) and Character 02 (right)

Character 01 (Guardian /Protector) – Idea Development Process

After sketching the concept, I redrew it on my iPad and noticed it looked a little off. So, I decided to make some adjustments using GPT to modify the wings and shirt design. The first three versions didn’t really match what I had in mind, so I continued making adjustments myself after generating the images. For this character, I idea is to make it guard or protector of a city, with the ability to fly using wings.

Figure 1.3 Character 01 Development Process (visual) 

 
Character 02 (Adventurer)– Idea Development Process

This character was developed more smoothly than the first one, as I already had a clear idea of what I wanted. In the initial sketch, the character was originally supposed to be floating or flying without legs. However, when I started drawing the digital version, it looked too plain and a little weird. So, I decided to add legs and a more detailed, toned cape to give the character the appearance of an adventurer or an entomologist.

While working on the digital sketch, I also used GPT to help correct the proportions. After drawing it, I realized the character looked too skinny and slightly tilted. Surprisingly, the result from GPT was exactly what I had envisioned.

Figure 1.4 Character 02 Development Process (visual) 

Character 03 (Scientist)– Idea Development Process

For this character, I initially wanted to include a hat, a bag, and a coat. However, after some adjustments—mainly because the head was made of crystal—it looked strange when those elements were added. So, I changed the design to a more student-like look with a big jacket and a skirt to match a typical school setting. But after some brainstorming, I realized I didn’t really like that direction either. In the end, I replaced the outfit with a lab coat to give the character more of a scientist vibe.

Figure 1.5 Character 03 Development Process (visual) 

Final Character Inspiration :

Figure 1.6 All Character Final Inspiration (From Which Part Overview)

Final Character Sketch :

Figure 1.7 All Character Final Sketch

Process part 02 Adobe Illustrator Process

Figure 1.8 Adobe Illustrator Process

Adjusted the lines in Illustrator to make the curve smoother and less wide or awkward by refining the curve.

Figure 1.9 Adobe Illustrator Process

Placed the image underneath, lowered its opacity, then traced over it using the Pen Tool on a different layer.

Figure 1.9 Adobe Illustrator Process (layers )

Used different layers in Illustrator: the sketch (original drawing) on one layer, and each character (Character 1, 2, and 3) on separate layers.

Figure 1.10 Adobe Illustrator Process 

After finishing the drawing, I selected all the shapes and used the Shape Builder Tool while holding Alt to delete the unwanted lines.

FINAL OUTCOME (Adobe Illustrator)

Figure 1.11 Adobe Illustrator Character 01 -  Guardian /Protector Final Outcome

Figure 1.12 Adobe Illustrator Character 02 -Adventurer Final Outcome

Figure 1.13 Adobe Illustrator Character 03 - Scientist Final Outcome

Assignment Process

__EXERCISE 02__

Research and Exploration 

After completing all the line work for the color section, I began my research by exploring Pinterest and Adobe Color to find suitable color palettes. Since I wanted to use warm colors and the crystals in my design are purple, green, and blue, I specifically searched for palettes that incorporated these colors.

Figure 2.1 Color Research

Figure 2.2 Color exploration / research in Adobe Color

Once I completed my research, I began extracting the colors I found and slightly adjusted them to better match the tone I envisioned. 

Figure 2.3 Final Color Decided to Use (For All Character)

Figure 2.4 Final Decided Color Testing On Procreate App

Digitalize Process /Adobe Illustrator Process 

After completing all the outlines in Adobe Illustrator, I began the coloring process using the Live Paint Bucket Tool, as recommended by our lecturer. Below is a breakdown of the steps and techniques I followed:

• Step 1: Filling in Colors Using Live Paint Bucket

Figure 2.5 Adobe Illustrator – Base Colour Filling Process

Figure 2.6 Adobe Illustrator – Applying Color 

Using the Live Paint Bucket Tool, I hovered over each shape until it turned red, indicating it was ready to be filled. To apply color, I either used the left and right arrow keys to cycle through swatch colors or held ALT + Click to select a color using the Eyedropper Tool. Once the desired color was selected, I clicked on the shape to apply it directly.

• Step 2: Organizing with Layers

Figure 2.7 Adobe Illustrator – Layer Management

I organized different elements of the illustration into separate layers. This helped keep the project manageable, especially for adding complex details like shadows and highlights later in the process.

• Step 3: Color Palette Setup

Figure 2.8 Adobe Illustrator – Custom Color Palette

After opening a new file in the color section and done setting up, Whenever i needed to use the character color I will selected colors needed and dragged them to the top section of the Swatches Panel. This setup allowed me to easily cycle through them using the arrow keys while using the Live Paint Bucket Tool.

• Step 4: Evaluating the Initial Color Outcome

Figure 2.9 Color Outcome Using Live Paint Bucket

Once all the base colors were filled in, I felt the artwork looked too flat or plain. To enhance it, I began experimenting with ways to add shadows and depth.

Adding Shadows

To add shadows, I explored two methods:

• 1. Direct Shadow Drawing:
• Drawing lines directly on top of the original artwork and filling the new shapes with shadow colors using the Live Paint Bucket Tool.

• 2. Shadow on a New Layer:
• Creating a new layer, drawing transparent outlines of shadow shapes, and then applying color using the Live Paint Bucket Tool.

After experimenting, I found that Method 1 did not work effectively—the shapes couldn’t be selected properly for color filling. Therefore, I proceeded with Method 2, which was more efficient and yielded better results.

• Figures 2.9–2.11 – Method 1 Attempt (Unsuccessful)
• Figures 2.12–2.14 – Method 2 (Successful Approach)

Figure 2.10 Using 1st method - Outlining the shadow Part

Figure 2.11 Using 1st method - Select and apply bucket tool

Figure 2.12 Using 1st method - testing outcome (it could not select the shape i draw after)

Figure 2.13 Using 2nd method  – Transparent Line Work

Figure 2.14 Using 2nd method  - Drawing Process with Live Paint Bucket

Figure 2.15 Using 2nd method  - Outlining Shadow Shapes

Color Exploration 

Once the base illustration and shadow layers were complete, I experimented further with color adjustments to improve visual appeal.

• Explored various color properties and hue/saturation settings.
• Accessed the Color Library in Illustrator to try out different color combinations and themes.
• Adjusted color balance to create a more harmonious palette and mood.

Figure 2.16 Using the color library and change the color 

Figure 2.17 Adjusting the color balance 

FINAL OUTCOME (Adobe Illustrator)

• 1st version Outcome (Without Shadow)

Figure 2.18 Character with basic color only (from left to right =Character 01/02/03)

• Final Outcome (With Shadow)

Figure 2.19 Character 01 - Guardian /Protector Final Outcome

Figure 2.20 Character 02 -Adventurer Final Outcome

Figure 2.21 Character 03 - Scientist Final Outcome

Rational

Character 01 – Guardian /Protector

This character embodies the role of a guardian and protector of a magical crystal city. The wings allow them to fly and patrol from above, symbolizing vigilance and strength. The purple crystal head represents a serious, focused personality—someone deeply committed to their duty of safeguarding the city. The color purple also reinforces themes of power and mystery, aligning with the city's magical atmosphere.

Character 02 – Adventurer

This character is portrayed as a wandering adventurer, tasked with leaving the city to search for resources and explore distant lands. Her torn cloak shows signs of wear and tear, emphasizing her independence and modest lifestyle. Unlike others in the city, she doesn't rely on external support, choosing instead to live by her own rules. The blue crystal head represents freedom, independence, and a calm, resilient nature. 

Character 03 – Scientist

This character is a scientist and store owner who specializes in magical potions, books, and rare ingredients. Her lab coat reflects her curiosity and love for experimenting with different chemical mixtures and magical formulas. The green crystal head symbolizes knowledge, curiosity, and intelligence, reinforcing her role as a creative thinker and problem solver in the crystal city. 

Reflection

In this assignment, I have trained my skills in using Adobe Illustrator and also had the opportunity to design a character by myself. While in the process of creating, I sometimes got stuck in the middle, but I overcame it by searching for references, which made me realize again how important references are. Additionally, in this assignment, I also learned how to use tools to correct the character’s scale and proportion, as it sometimes went off. Overall, this assignment has taught me how to use Adobe Illustrator more thoroughly, from the beginning lines to the colors. I had not really taken it that seriously before, but it was quite fun and enjoyable to play around with it till now.