Illustration & Visual Narrative / Task 3 : Honor Competition

Timeline: Week 08 - Week 10

Task: 

• Create a illustration for Honor competition with the two criteria provided 
• Criteria 1: Overall Visual Design & Merchandise Design (10%)
• Criteria 2: Final Animated Content (8 – 10 seconds) (10%)

• Topic (chooses 1 to do):
• Renewal of life · Return
• Environmental Protection
• Cultural Prosperity · Celebration
• Traditional Cultural Innovation
• Genesis · The Future
• The Fusion of Tech & Art
• Youth Convergence · Integration
• International Cultural Exchange through a Youth Lens
• Submission: 
• Link to e-learning portfolio post
• Development Board in JPG/PNG
• Accessories Design – 6000 x 3000 pixels in JPG
• Overall Visual Design – 6000 x 3000 pixels in JPG
• Animation Design – 1920 x 1080 pixels in MP4 Format (Size below 20Mb)

JUMP LINK for Assessment 

• 1. Ideation / Research / Exploration /Sketch 
• 2. Digitalize
• 3. Animation Process
• 4. Final 
• 5. Reflection 

1. IDEATION / RESEARCH / EXPLORATION / SKETCH

At the start of this assignment, I chose the topic “Renewal of Life · Return – Environmental Protection.” With this theme in mind, the first idea that came to me was flowers. I began researching flowers that symbolize the renewal of life, and one that stood out to me was the bluebell.

Bluebells are known to symbolize the arrival of spring and new beginnings. While they also carry meanings such as humility and gratitude, their blooming in spring—covering woodlands in vibrant color—represents the changing of seasons and the return of life after winter.

From this simple research, I decided to use the bluebell as the theme for my character. I envisioned a flower-inspired humanoid character, where the upper body represents the flower itself, and instead of legs, the lower body is formed by roots. These roots not only support the character but also show that it is alive and absorbing nutrients  from the earth.

This character design visually expresses the element of renewal of life. Its posture and motion—appearing as though it is about to awaken—represent the idea of return, symbolizing the transition from winter to spring.

Figure 1.1 Bluebell (Image Research)

Figure 1.2 Character Sketch Version 1

Figure 1.3 Character Sketch Final Version 

With this character drawn, I began exploring the background. My initial idea was to design it like a storybook, with different environments in each section. However, after discussing with the lecturer, he suggested that I could incorporate the concept of Art Deco into this task and blend it with my existing idea. So, I began researching the Art Deco style to better understand how to apply it to my design.

Figure 1.4 Art Deco Style Research

Sketch Process for the Background with Character:

Figure 1.5 1st version of the sketch 

Figure 1.6 2nd sketch with implementation of Art Deco style

With this second version, I sketched it based on the reference. However, since it didn’t fully match the theme, I made some adjustments to the character. I tilted the head slightly to give it more gesture and life, rather than having it just stand still. I also repositioned the character to the center to create more symmetry, and adjusted the roots to appear as though they are expanding outward. The lines in the background are designed to resemble growing plants. Also, behind the character, i tried to include a  circular element featuring an image of a bluebell, representing the flower and reinforcing the theme.

Figure 1.7 3rd sketch with implement of Art Deco style

To further develop this, I adjusted the character slightly lower to reduce the emphasis on the roots and began exploring different background styles.

For the background, I aimed to blend the idea of patterns (representing leaves) with a gradient, or alternatively, use a plain gradient for a simpler effect.

Without Background:

Figure 1.8 Sketch without background

Background Exploration Process:

Figure 1.9 Sketch with background exploration

However, through these explorations, I felt the result still didn’t fully capture what I had in mind. So, I tried repositioning the character slightly higher and experimented with a wave-like background.

Figure 1.10 Background inspiration

Figure 1.11  Composition and background exploration with different patterns and colors

Figure 1.12 Final Sketch

2. DIGITALIZE

Using Adobe Illustrator, I traced the final sketch by using the Line Tool, Pen Tool, and the Shape Builder Tool. The drawing was done layer by layer, separating the character and the background to keep the process organized and easier to manage.

Figure 2.1  Character Outline After Using Shape Builder Tool

Figure 2.2 Background View 

Figure 2.3  Separated Character Elements

The character's body parts were kept separate rather than connected. This makes it easier to apply gradients and adjust colors for each part individually.

**for the color i am Using the same  method as task 1 and 2 using Live paint Bucket **

Figure 2.4 Adobe Working Page

Figure 2.5 Final Version 1 

Figure 2.6 Final Version 2

For the final outcome, I created two versions. There isn’t much difference between them, except for the root/bottom part. In Version 1, some areas are darker, while in Version 2, they are lighter. I decided to use Version 2 as the final version because the bottom part of Version 1 feels too heavy, whereas Version 2 appears more balanced.

3. ANIMATION PROCESS

For the animation, the idea suggested by the lecturer was to use a sketch transition—starting from the sketch and transitioning into the final artwork. I also had another idea: to make the circle (representing the sun) behind the character rotate slowly, and to have the character’s flower move gently.

However, after some brainstorming and reflection, I decided to animate the circle behind (the sun) to rotate slowly, while the root would gently zoom in and out.

To begin, I tried different methods. First, I exported the entire Adobe Illustrator file into Photoshop, but it was too difficult to manage due to the large number of layers. So, I referred back to the video provided by the lecturer and decided to export the image layer by layer (character / character's leg [root] / background / sun) and import them into

Figure 3.1 Exported layers with transparent background

With all the layers placed in Photoshop, I opened the Timeline panel to begin the animation process.

Figure 3.2 Opening Timeline in Photoshop to animate

Adding keyframes for each layer’s movement (using the “Position” section).

Figure 3.3 Adding keyframes

Once all the adjustments were complete, I rendered the video and reviewed the outcome.

Figure 3.4 Rendered video

During this process, I actually created three different versions. Initially, I didn’t realize the video duration setting was at 0.00 seconds, causing the animation to play too quickly. I later adjusted it to 8 seconds and experimented with different animation styles.

4. FINAL

Google Drive Link - CLICK HERE

Figure 4.1 Development Board in JPG/PNG

Figure 4.2 Accessories Design – 6000 x 3000 pixels in JPG

Figure 4.3 Overall Visual Design – 6000 x 3000 pixels in JPG

Figure 4.4 Animation Design – 1920 x 1080 pixels in MP4 Format (Size below 20Mb)

5. REFLECTION

For this assignment, I have truly enjoyed working with the given theme. However, there were some challenging aspects throughout the process. During the sketching stage, I initially struggled to determine the direction I wanted to take, especially in deciding on a suitable background. To overcome this, I sought feedback from my lecturer, who recommended the Art Deco style. This suggestion gave me a clearer direction and helped me move forward with more confidence and focus.

Another challenge I faced was during the animation stage. Since I am not very familiar with Photoshop, it took me some time to understand how to mask the accessories onto the image and how to create the animation. I was surprised to learn that Photoshop has animation function, which I had not been aware of before. However with the help of the tutorial video provided, I was able to figure things out in the end.

Overall, this assignment truly tested my problem-solving skills and allowed me to explore new tools and techniques. Most importantly, it taught me how to use Photoshop for animation, which turned out to be both fun and interesting.