ILLUSTRATION AND VISUAL NARRATIVE - Task 1: CHARACTER DESIGN

ILLUSTRATION AND VISUAL NARRATIVE - Task 1: CHARACTER DESIGN

24/9/2025 - 8/10/2025  (Week 1 - Week 3)
Nur Adila binti Nazary (0377352)
Illustration and Visual Narrative / Bachelor in Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Task 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1) Lectures
2) Instructions
3) Class Activity
4) Process
5) Feedback
6) Final Outcome
7) Reflection

LECTURES
Week 1
Module Introduction

Introduction Overview:
- Lecturer introduced the class the module structure, projects and assignments.
- Every week requirement is to document all processes of our work on Blogger which will be our e-portfolio.

Use of AI:
- AI is allowed for assistance for our assignments, research and references.
- Full AI usage and generating final artworks is not permitted.

Module Information Booklet:
- Module Information Booklet is given that has detailed requirements and guidelines for the module.

Week 2:
Character Design Basics
Why stylized design is appealing:
1) Iconic - strong, recognizable silhouette
2) Simplicity - clear easy to understand (shows purpose quickly)
3) Unique - highlights one main trait/characteristic which makes a memorable design

Figure 1. The iconic Adventure Time characters

Main Principles of Character Design
Emphasis and Contrast - focus on clear visual differences that highlight character traits. (simple but works well)

Figure 2. Inside out characters, diagram on emphasis and contrast

Shapes & Silhouettes
Shapes define a character's silhouette and personality:
Circle - friendly, approachable and good character
Square - strong, tough and reliable
Triangle - dangerous, evil and powerful

Figure 3. Aladdin characters, basics sketches with shapes

Combine different shapes for more interesting designs.
Match the character's persona to the shape for stronger storytelling.

Harmony

All design elements should complement each other for a balanced look.

Expression & Poses
Usually shows the character behaviour, quirks and personality clearly.
Strong expressions and poses will have a strong appeal and connection with the audience.

Week 3
Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro (light-dark) – the use of light and dark to create the illusion of 3D volume on a flat surface.

Types of Chiaroscuro:
- Tenebrism – painting method which significant details are illuminated by highlights which are contrasted with a dark setting.

Figure 4. The Girl with The Pearl Earring Painting 

- Low-key lighting – style of lighting for photography, film or television by throwing areas into shade while a fill light illuminate the shadow areas to control contrast.

Figure 5. The Godfather II, Fredo movie scene

The purpose:
- Increase the scene’s dramatic tension
- To create sensational effect
- Attract attention
- Make tasteful composition

WHAT I'VE LEARNED IN WEEK 1-3 LECTURES:

From these 3 weeks of lectures, I learned the basics of how the module works, the expectations for our e-portfolio and the importance of creativity in our own work even when using AI for support. I also learned that the fundamentals of character design like how the shape is, the silhouettes and expression can really make a character memorable. Lastly, I got introduced to Chiaroscuro which is a lighting technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark to create depth and dramatic effect in an artwork. Altogether, these lessons has helped me to understand how important design principles and lighting all play a role together to create a good artwork.

INSTRUCTION



CLASS ACTIVITY
Week 1 class activity:

We played The Bezier Game (https://bezier.method.ac/) to practice using the Pen Tool in Adobe Illustrator. This activity will help us familiarize with creating curves and shapes using anchor points and handles.

Figure 6. My Score in The Bezier Game

PROCESS
Assignment 1 Overview:
Focus: Character Design

CHARACTER LINE ART
The task is to create 3 character designs, each with unique personalities and abilities that is different from each one another.

RESEARCH AND INSPIRATION:
The main inspiration came from this board game called Root, known for its fantasy-inspired themed characters. The sketches incorporate small details such as lines and slashes to give each design a visual interest and a unique look.

Figure 7. The Roots Boardgame Characters in Coloured

Figure 8. The Roots Boardgame Characters in Black and White

IDEATION
Steps to create a Character Design:
1) Traits are randomized using four categories:
    WHO - the character type (E.G Wizard)
    WHERE - the place or setting (E.G Lake)
    TRAIT - personality (E.G Mischievous)
    TWIST - unique and fun detail (E.G has a glass bowl for a head)

2) Create 10 options for each category (Who, Where, Trait, Twist)

No.	Who	Where	Trait	Twist
1.	Explorer	Forest	Sweet	Has a glass bowl head
2.	Witch	Space	Crazy	Is a fox
3.	Villain	Sea/Ocean	Evil	Is an angel
4.	Alien	Potions Room	Happy	Has gills
5.	Sea Creature	Lake	Angry	Is a plushie
6.	King	An Office	Mischievous	Is a flower
7.	Magician	Bar	Creepy	Has robot parts
8.	Scientist	Castle	Sad	Is a cat
9.	Book keeper	Library	Dumb	Has dragon wings
10.	Barista	Bakery	Gentle	Has eyes but no mouth

The options were selected based on elements that appeared interesting or visually appealing, while maintaining a consistent fantasy-inspired theme. 

3) Use a random number generator called Roll a Die (https://rolladie.net/) to randomize the choices.

4) Generate 5 prompts from the randomized results.
The 5 Prompts:
1- Magician, An Office, Happy, Is an angel
2- Scientist, Lake, Dumb, Is a fox (CHOSEN)
3- Villain, Library, Evil, Is a cat (CHOSEN)
4- Sea creature, Castle, Gentle, Has a glass bowl head (CHOSEN)
5- Book keeper, Forest, Mischievous, Is a flower

5) Select 3 prompts and make descriptive sentences.
1- A dumb scientist who is a fox making experiments at the lake.
2- An evil cat who is a villain cursing the library.
3- A gentle sea creature that has a glass bowl head that rules the castle.

6) Start to sketch the characters using basic shapes (circle, square and triangle) Minimum 3 sketches.
1- 

Figure 9. Simple sketches using basic shape - fox

For the first character, a rounder, chubbier shape was used to represent a simple-minded yet kind personality. Softer edges help to show a friendly appearance while still maintaining the features of a fox.

2- 

Figure 10. Simple sketches using basic shape - cat

The second character emphasizes sharp and angular shapes, especially around the ears, to create an intimidating, devil-like presence. According to the lecture given, triangles and pointed forms are often associated with danger, power and evil traits which influenced this design

3- 

Figure 11. Simple sketches using basic shape - sea creature

For the third character, being a sea creature, layered shapes were added to show scales and texture. Since the prompt described it as a ruler of a castle, broader shoulders were added to increase a sense of authority and regal-like while still keeping a gentle personality.

7) Refine the basic sketches.
1- 

Figure 12. Refined sketches - fox

For the not-so-bright fox scientist, simple, rounded eyes were used to show about his straightforward and naive nature. His clothes is a mix of a casual and  professional elements which is regular coat paired up with a button up shirt that re designed with softer edges to match with his personality.
The chosen sketch is the top left.


2- 

Figure 13. Refined sketches - cat

For the evil villain cat, sharp angles and pointed shapes were emphasized especially at the shoulders to give an intimidating silhouette. The slanted eyes and mouth increase her sinister expression. while the draped clothing adds to the mystery and shadow supports her menacing presence. 
The chosen sketch is the bottom left.


3- 

Figure 14. Refined sketches - sea creature pt.1

Figure 15. Refined sketches - sea creature pt.2

For the gentle king sea creature, softer and rounded forms were used throughout the design to show warmth and kindness. Broad shoulders shows authority and strength, while the regal attire mixed with ocean-inspired elements and details like corals motifs and flowing, wave-like shapes.
The chosen sketch is on the bottom image, middle.

8) Choose one design to further develop with added details and expression.
1- 

Figure 16. Developed sketches - fox

2- 

Figure 17. Developed sketches - cat

3- 

Figure 18. Developed sketches - sea creature

9) Turn the developed sketches into line art in Adobe Illustrator.

Figure 19. Finished line art

WHAT TECHNIQUES I'VE USED:

The line art was created in the Adobe Illustrator using the Pen Tool. A 5pt stroke was applied for the inner details, while a 6pt was used for the outer outline to strengthen the silhouette, following the lecturer's suggestion. The stroke was changed into an all rounded tip. Plus, the circle shape was also used to make the tiny details. All paths are combined using the Shape Builder Tool to form the final artwork shown above.

COLOURED WITH SHADOWS AND HIGHLIGHTS
The next task was to colour each and every character that we did with highlights and shadows. The coloring must be done in Adobe Illustrator. By using the tools in Adobe Illustrator, we can create and edit the highlights and shadows.

RESEARCH AND INSPIRATION:
For the characters, each one follows a light colour palette, Inspired by the visual style of the game Root.

1) Fox character (Jamie)
Jamie, the fox character, maintain the typical fox colour palette but in a brighter softer shades. Reference images form Pinterest, including fox illustration and scientist outfits, were used to determine the suitable colour for his design.

Examples and reference taken from:

Figure 20. Inspiration #1

Figure 21. Inspiration #3

Figure 22. Inspiration #3

2) Cat character (Reira)
Reira's colour palette follows the same soft and light tones, but with slightly darker shades to match with her personality. Since the character represents an evil role, deeper colours were chosen since darker tones are usually associated with power and mystery in colour theory.

Examples and reference taken from:

Figure 23. Inspiration #1

Figure 24. Inspiration #2

Figure 25. Inspiration #3

3) Sea creature character (Cornelius)
For Cornelius, the base of skin tone are inspired from an ocean themed colour palette, combined with regal royal tones for his outfit. Some slightly darker shades were added to emphasize his authority and dominance as a king while still maintaining a calm and elegant presence.

Examples and reference taken from:

Figure 26. Inspiration #1

Figure 27. Inspiration #2

Figure 28. Inspiration #3

IDEATION
By combining and sampling colours from these references, the final colour palette for the character was developed.

1) Jamie (fox character)

Figure 29. Coloured version (Jamie)

2) Reira (cat character)

Figure 30. Coloured version (Reira)

3) Cornelius (sea creature character)

Figure 31. Coloured version (Cornelius)

WHAT TECHNIQUES I'VE USED:

The colouring and shading were done in Adobe Illustrator. The line art layer was placed above the colours layer to keep everything clean and organized. For the base colours, the LivePaint tool is used to fill in each section. A separate layer was added for shadows and highlights which were drawn using the Pen Tool. The shadows were set to 30% opacity with the Blending Mode on to Multiply, while the highlights were also set to 30% opacity but with the Blending Mode on to Colour Dodge to create a brighter glow.

FEEDBACK
All designs were sent to the lecturer for some feedback and some improvements.

CHARACTER LINE ART:
The lecturer suggested to make the outer lines thicker by added another 1pt stroke to it. 

Figure 32. Before feedback (character line art)

Figure 33. After feedback (character line art)

COLOURED WITH SHADOWS AND HIGHLIGHTS:
The lecturer asked to change the highlights into a lighter colour.

Figure 34. Before feedback (coloured character)

Figure 35. After feedback (coloured character)

WHAT I IMPROVED
Though this task, I improved my skills using Adobe Illustrator, especially on the Pen Tool and Shape Builder Tool. My line art became more cleaner and consistent after using different stroke sizes. I also improved on choosing colour pallets that matches with the characters personality.

WHAT COULD BE DONE BETTER
I would explore more on the variation in my character poses to make them more fitting with their personalities and so that they would stand out more. I would also try to spend more time on refining small details to give the designs more personality.

FINAL OUTCOME
CHARACTER LINE ART:

Figure 36. All final line art

CHARACTER COLOURED:

Figure 37. All characters final coloured

REFLECTION
Experience
Task 1 was a very enjoyable experience for me, especially because character design is one of my favorite things to do. The randomised prompts made the process even more interesting, as it make sure that everyone created a unique character instead of something too predictable. When it came to digitizing my sketches in Adobe Illustration, I felt slightly worried at first since I had not used the software in a while. However, with the lecturer's guidance and support, I managed to work through the steps smoothy. There were a few complications along the way, but with the help from my friends and a bit of research on Google, I managed to resolve them.

Observations
Throughout the task, I realised that finding the right colours for the characters was more challenging than expected. Certain colour combinations did not suit the personality or story of the characters, which made me spend more time experimenting and researching. I also noticed how important it was to balance style and consistency when refining the line work and shapes in Illustrator. 

Findings
From this task, I learned that character design involves much more than simply drawing, it needs some knowledge about colour theory, storytelling and visual clarity. I also realised how helpful it is to work in my own style, as it make the process more enjoyable and natural. Despite the difficulties at the beginning, this task has strengthened my confidence in using Illustrator again and helped me improve my understanding of how different design choices affect the final character.