ILLUSTRATION AND VISUAL NARRATIVE - Task 3: DIGITAL TRIPTYCH

ILLUSTRATION AND VISUAL NARRATIVE - Task 3: DIGITAL TRIPTYCH

29/10/2025 - 26/11/2025  (Week 6 - Week 10)
Nur Adila binti Nazary (0377352)
Illustration and Visual Narrative / Bachelor in Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Task  3

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

LECTURES

Week 6
3-Acts Structure
Storytelling Basics
Central theme:
It's the main idea or what's the story is really about.

A story may have both a major theme and minor themes
- Major Theme: An idea that is intertwined and repeated throughout the whole narrative
- Minor Theme: An idea that appears more subtly and doesn't necessarily repeat

Conflict:
The conflict is what drives the story. It creates tension and build suspense, which are elements that make  a story interesting. If there is no conflict the audience will not care and there wont be any compelling story to tell. Conflict is what engages an audience.

Characters:
Usually have a number of characters, each with different role or purpose. There always will be a protagonist (good main guy) and antagonist (bad guy).

Central characters:
These characters are vital to the development of the story. The plot revolves around them.

Protagonist (good main guy):

Is the main character of the story. They have a clear goal to accomplish or a conflict to overcome. Doesn't have to be admirable but must command an emotional involvement from the audience.

Antagonist (bad guy):
They oppose protagonist (good main guy), stopping them to achieve their goals. The antagonist can be presented in the form of any person, place, thing or a situation that represents a tremendous obstacle to the protagonist.

Three-Acts Structure:
1) Setup:
The world where the character exists prior to the journey. It usually ends with the conflict being reveled.

2) Rising tension:
The series of obstacles the character must overcome. Each part is more difficult than the last one.

3) Conflict:
The highest tension point and the major decisive turning point for the protagonist

4) Resolution:
The conflict's conclusion. This is the part where the character already overcome the conflict. This is where the journey ends.

Figure 1. Three act structure diagram

Week 7
Transitions
Transitions is very important in comic panels, since it tells the continuity of the story. 

What is Continuity?
In comics refers to consistent and sequential flow of the story, characters and events that maintain narrative coherence across panels or issues.

Figure 2. Example of continuity in a comic

Gestalt Law of Closure
Law of Closure:
It is when objects are grouped together are seen as a whole. We usually tend to ignore gaps and complete contour lines. 

Figure 3. Example of Gestalt Law of Closure

 
The image above shows the Law of Closure. There is no triangle in the picture above, but with the Law of Closure our minds tend to fill in the missing information to create familiar shapes and images.

Closure
Transitions in sequential art are narrative and visual shifts between panels that guides the reader through the story. The reader would fill in the blanks between the panles through the process called closure

Figure 4. Example of Closure in comics

 

Types of Transitions:
1) Moment to Moment
Shows small changes in time. (E.G blinking eyes)

Figure 5. Moment to moment in a comic #1

 

Figure 6. Moment to moment in a comic #2

2) Action to Action
A single subject performing an action. (E.G hitting the ball)

Figure 7. Action to action in a comic #1

 

Figure 8. Action to action in a comic #2

 

3) Subject to Subject
Shifts between different subjects within the same scene. (E.G two people talking)

Figure 9. Subject to subject in a comic #1

 

Figure 10. Subject to subject in a comic #2

 

4) Scene to Scene
Jump across significant time or space. (E.G years later... type of scene)

Figure 11, Scene to scene in a comic #1

 

Figure 12. Scene to scene in a comic #2

 

5) Aspect to Aspect
Moves between different elements of moods of a scene to build atmosphere. (E.G close-ups of objects, weather, expressions)

Figure 13. Aspect to aspect in a comic #1

 

Figure 14. Aspect to aspect in a comic #2

 

6) Non Sequitur (not in use for this assignment)
Panels with no logical connecting, creating disjointed or abstract meaning.

Figure 15. Non sequitur in a comic

WHAT I'VE LEARNED IN WEEK 6-7 LECTURES:

From these lectures, I learned how important structure and transitions are in storytelling. The 3 Act Structure helps to build a clear storyline by making the setup, raising the tension and ending with a strong resolution. I also learned how character roles and conflict make a good and meaningful storytelling. In Week 7, we looked on transitions in comic panels, which taught me how continuity helps to guide the reader smoothly from scene to scene. Understanding concept like closure and the different types of transitions helped me see how small changes can really show time and emotion effectively. These knowledge are really important to create a comic that is readable and engaging.

INSTRUCTION



PROCESS
Assignment 3 (Part 1) Overview:
Focus: 300 Word Story (Act I, II, III)

300 WORD STORY
For this part, I had to make a story about only one of the character using the Three Act Structure where I need:
Act 1 - Setup (Exposition Inciting Incident, Plot Point One)
Act 2 - Conflict (Rising Action, Midpoint, Plot Point Two)
Act 3 - Resolution (Pre climax, Climax, Denouement)

The chosen character is Jamie.

RESEARCH AND INSPIRATION:
Based on my Task 1, this was Jamie's backstory:
Jamie was once the smartest fox scientist to ever live, until one of his experiments went wrong. A mix of unstable chemicals released toxic fumes that damaged the part of his brain responsible for intellect. Now Jamie is less sharp than before, but he still continues his weird experiments, trying to help the city in his own way.

Figure 16. The character Jamie

By using the backstory as my foundation, I wanted to expand it into a fuller storyline that explains Jamie's personality, his world and the main conflict he faced. This helped me build a consistent direction for the whole story.

IDEATION
Act 1 - Setup (Exposition Inciting Incident, Plot Point One)
For Act I, the main goal was to introduce Jamie properly and set up the tone of the story. Since his backstory already explains how he changed from intelligent to less intelligent, I decided to build the beginning of the story around that transformation. This would also help the audience understand the cause of his current behavior and why he acts the way he does.

I also wanted Act I to show the contrast between who Jamie was and who he has become. This would make his character more memorable.

The Setup:
Once upon a time, there was a smart fox scientist named Jamie. Jamie used his intellect for the good of the city, mixing chemicals and ingredients to help the people. He became so popular that the mayor decided to fund his projects and build him his own lab. Jamie was happy, rich, and grateful for the support he received from the people.

One day, the mayor asked him to create an experiment that could purify the city’s polluted water. However, by mistake, Jamie created something else entirely. The fumes from the experiment filled the lab and reached to him, damaging the part of his brain responsible for his intellect. From the smartest in the city, Jamie became the dumbest.

Act 2 - Conflict (Rising Action, Midpoint, Plot Point Two)
For Act II, the aim was to show the downfall and the emotional struggle in Jamie's journey. This is usually the point where challenges become more serious and the character faces consequences that push the story forward. I also wanted to introduce a secondary character because most stories include a companion who helps the main character though their lowest point. Adding this side character makes the story more dynamic and helps to create a stringer turning point for Jamie.

The Conflict:

Despite his condition, Jamie kept working on new experiments for the mayor. Believing in him, the mayor tested Jamie’s new formula in the city’s water, but, instead of cleaning it, the potion made the water undrinkable and dangerous to touch. Furious, the mayor felt betrayed. Jamie tried to fix his mistake, but every new experiment only caused more harm to the city and its people.

Soon, everyone began to hate him, thinking he had turned evil. The city stopped funding him and kicked him out of his own lab. Heartbroken, Jamie fled to the forest, where he continued experimenting alone. One day, he met another former scientist named Theo, who had also lost his intellect after an accident. Realizing they shared the same fate, they decided to work together to prove the city wrong.

Act 3 - Resolution (Pre climax, Climax, Denouement)
For Act III, the goal was to resolve the conflict in Act II. This part brings together all the progress and failures Jamie experienced, leading to the final turning point of the story. I wanted Jamie to have a happy ending, but still keep a sense of chaos that matches his character and the tone of the story.

The Resolution:
Through teamwork and persistence, Jamie and Theo finally created something new, an experiment that could heal the city instantly. When they tested it on a wilted flower, it bloomed immediately. Excited, they rushed back to the city, but people spotted them and chased them away. In the chaos, they managed to pour their experiment into the city’s water system.

The water cleared, shining blue once again. The city was saved. Realizing their mistake, the people welcomed Jamie and Theo back with open arms. The two scientists returned as heroes, continuing to create new experiments but this time, together and to help the city they loved.

Assignment 3 (Part 2) Overview:
Focus: 3-Panel Comic / Digital Triptych

3-PANEL COMIC
The next task is a continuation from the 300 word story. From the story, we needed to choose one specific moment and turn it into a 3-panel comic. The comic must show storytelling through visuals while applying what we learn in lecture Week 7 about transitions.

RESEARCH AND INSPIRATION:
From my 3 Acts, I chose this specific part:
Through teamwork and persistence, Jamie and Theo finally created something new, an experiment that could heal the city instantly. When they tested it on a wilted flower, it bloomed immediately.

This part specifically is the biggest turning point of the story, since it is a breakthrough moment.

After that i started to do some research on the 3-panels composition and found some that inspired me.

Figure 17. Inspiration #1

Figure 18. Inspiration #2

Figure 19. Inspiration #3

By looking at the inspiration pictures, I developed an idea on what I wanted to do. But before that, I had to choose a transition for my 3-Panels to create a sense of continuity in Week 7. 

Based on the Week 7 lecture, there were many transitions to choose from which are:
1) Moment to Moment
2) Action to Action
3) Subject to Subject
4) Scene to Scene
5) Aspect to Aspect

But the one really intrigued me the most is the Action to Action. It is a way to show when a character or subject is performing a type of actions. Since the part I have chosen is the breakthrough moment, I feel like this transition fits perfectly with it.

IDEATION
Panel Planning
From the panel researching, I drafted 3 panel arrangement:

Figure 20. Panel arrangement draft #1

Figure 21. Panel arrangement draft #2

Figure 23. Panel arrangement draft #3

Panel #2 was chosen for the 3-panel comic. With this, I decided to use an Action to Action transition because it clearly shows the progression of events.

PANEL BREAKDOWN:
Panel 1: A bottle of potion is being held.
Panel 2: The liquid potion is used to the
plant.
Panel 3: The two characters waited for the results from the potion.
Background: A tree grew and the two
characters are shocked.

The goal was to make the 3-panel comic easy to understand. I kept the sketches simple so that the viewer can follow the sequence without being distracted from the unnecessary details. The focus stays on the actions and reactions, which helps to communicate the story clearly through visuals alone.

Figure 24. Draft sketch

After making the draft, I redrew to make a cleaner sketch. Both of the sketches were sent to the lecturer for some feedback and adjustments.

Figure 25. Sketch #1

Figure 26. Sketch #2

COMMENTS FROM THE LECTURER:
The lecturer asked to change the arrangement of the panels and change the characters position view. Then add one speech bubble that says "woah".

Figure 27. 3-Panel line art 

WHAT TECHNIQUES I'VE USED:

The line art was created in the Adobe Illustrator using the Pen Tool. A 5pt rounded stroke was applied for consistency throughout the artwork. The three comic panels were constructed using the Rectangle Tool to maintain clean and even spacing. All paths were then refined and combined using the Shape Builder Tool to produce the final illustration shown above.

COLOURED WITH SHADING AND TEXTURES
The next part is to colour the 3-panel comic with added textures to enhance the whole comic. All must be done in Adobe Illustrator by following the lecturer's slides given.

RESEARCH AND INSPIRATION:
For the background, all of the colours are taken from the previous task which was Task 2, where I created a forest themed background composition for the same character. Since the comic is set in the forest as well, I reused the same colour palette to maintain consistency and visual continuity between both works.

Figure 28. Task 2 coloured background

For the characters like Jamie, I used the same colour pallet. As for Theo (the bear) I used some colour pallet inspirations from Pinterest.

Figure 29. Inspiration #1

Figure 30. Inspiration #2

Figure 31. Inspiration #3 

And as for the textures, it was done by following a slide that the lecturer gave in Week 9 (Mask_Texture_Appearance). The texture chosen was Grain, Stippled.

IDEATION
From all of the inspirations and references, I coloured everything in and added the desired and chosen textures with shading and highlights as well to create the 3-Panel.

Figure 32. Coloured with texture

WHAT TECHNIQUES I'VE USED:

For this artwork, I used Making, Texture and Appearance tools to control the shading and overall look. Masks allowed me to click on specific areas so I could shade them cleanly using the Freeform Gradient Tool. To add more depth, I added texture effect using the Stippled Grain option in the Texture settings. This texture was added to the tree leaves and the background, making it have a stronger sense of depth towards the scene.

Assignment 3 (Part 3) Overview:
Focus: Title of 3-Panel Comic

TITLE
The next task was to create a title for our 3-Panel Comic by following at the instructions in the slides given by the lecturer.

RESEARCH AND INSPIRATION:
Before I create the title, I researched different tile styles on Pinterest to find one that suited the tone and visuals of my work. The references I saved mostly follows the cute and playful type of design style.

Figure 33. Inspiration #1

Figure 34. Inspiration #2

Figure 35. Inspiration #3

Based on what I have saved, I noticed that many of the titles used a bubbly text style, with rounded shapes, soft curves and no sharp edges. This type of font gives off a friendly and light hearted feeling which aligns well with the mood I'm going for in my comic.

IDEATION
With my research, I search for some bubbly, playful font style on DaFont.com  to find something that matched the tone of my comic. 

Eventually, I came across a font called Adelia by Fanastudio which perfectly aligned with the soft, rounded style I was searching for.

For the name of the title, I took inspiration from the main storyline, specifically the part where Jamie loses his intellect after the accident. From this idea I decided on the title "The Lost Intellect".

Using the chosen font and following the steps provided in the lecturer's slides, I created the final title design shown below.

Figure 36. Title

WHAT TECHNIQUES I'VE USED:

The editable text was created using the Appearance panel. A gradient tool was used, making the colour transition from light blue to midnight blue. The edges were changed to rounded corners for a softer look to match with the 3 panel comic style I was going for. The Transform Effect was used to generate repeated copies behind the text, creating a layered effect. Graphic Dots were added on top and Blending Mode was set to Colour Dodge to increase the highlights.

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

3-PANEL COMIC:
The lecturer told me to rearrange the panels, add a speech bubble and change the characters position.

Figure 37. Before feedback #1 (3-panel comic)

Figure 38. Before feedback #2 (3-panel comic)

Figure 39. After feedback (3-panel comic)

WHAT I IMPROVED
In this task, I improved my storytelling skills by learning how to structure a storyline using the 3 Act Structure. I also improved in visual storytelling through the panel arrangement and transitions. My confidence with Illustrator tools, especially textures developed a lot and I am much more comfortable on using them.

WHAT COULD BE DONE BETTER
For next time, I would try to make my comic panels more dynamic and dramatic by experimenting with different angles. I also want to work on the characters body language and expressions to show emotions more clearly. I would also want to explore more detailed textures to make the comic feel more nicer.

FINAL OUTCOME
300 WORD STORY (ACT I, II & III):
Act 1 – Exposition, Inciting Incident, Plot Point One
Once upon a time, there was a smart fox scientist named Jamie. Jamie used his intellect for the good of the city, mixing chemicals and ingredients to help the people. He became so popular that the mayor decided to fund his projects and build him his own lab. Jamie was happy, rich, and grateful for the support he received from the people.

One day, the mayor asked him to create an experiment that could purify the city’s polluted water. However, by mistake, Jamie created something else entirely. The fumes from the experiment filled the lab and reached to him, damaging the part of his brain responsible for his intellect. From the smartest in the city, Jamie became the dumbest.

Act 2 – Conflict, Rising Action, Midpoint, Plot Point Two
Despite his condition, Jamie kept working on new experiments for the mayor. Believing in him, the mayor tested Jamie’s new formula in the city’s water, but, instead of cleaning it, the potion made the water undrinkable and dangerous to touch. Furious, the mayor felt betrayed. Jamie tried to fix his mistake, but every new experiment only caused more harm to the city and its people.

Soon, everyone began to hate him, thinking he had turned evil. The city stopped funding him and kicked him out of his own lab. Heartbroken, Jamie fled to the forest, where he continued experimenting alone. One day, he met another former scientist named Theo, who had also lost his intellect after an accident. Realizing they shared the same fate, they decided to work together to prove the city wrong.

Act 3 – Resolution, Pre-Climax, Climax, Denouement
Through teamwork and persistence, Jamie and Theo finally created something new, an experiment that could heal the city instantly. When they tested it on a wilted flower, it bloomed immediately. Excited, they rushed back to the city, but people spotted them and chased them away. In the chaos, they managed to pour their experiment into the city’s water system.

The water cleared, shining blue once again. The city was saved. Realizing their mistake, the people welcomed Jamie and Theo back with open arms. The two scientists returned as heroes, continuing to create new experiments but this time, together and to help the city they loved.

TITLE:

Figure 40. Final title

3-PANEL COLOURED WITH SHADING, TEXTURE AND TITLE ALL TOGETHER:

Figure 41. Final artwork 

REFLECTION
Experience
I thoroughly enjoyed this task. After completing the previous assignments, I became much more comfortable using Adobe Illustrator, Thanks to the lecturer's guidance and the help of my friends. The part that took me the longest was writing the 300 word story. I had not done my creative writing in a long time, so it took a while for my ideas to flow. However, after reading back my character's backstory and gaining inspiration from films and movies, I eventually developed a concept that led to my story. 

I also enjoyed sketching the 3-Panel Comic. It was something new to me since I had never created comic panels before, but it felt familiar in some ways because it combined what we learned in Task 2 about composition. Overall, it was a fun process.

Observations
Throughout this task, I noticed how important placement and arrangement are in visual storytelling. Even a small change in positioning can really affect how the artwork feels. Whether it was arranging the comic panels or placing characters within the scene, each decision really influence the flow and balance of the final artwork.

Findings
From this task, I learned that storytelling and visual design work closely together. A strong storyline becomes stronger when it is supported withe a good composition and character placement. I also realized that creative writing is a valuable skill for illustration, as it helps build stronger concepts and more meaningful work. Lastly, I found that even simple comic layouts needs careful planning to maintain visual balance and help the viewer smoothly through each panel.