IVN Lectures

Lim Yeng San (0366316)

Illustration and Visual Narrative / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylors University

Lectures

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LECTURES

• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4
• Week 5
• Week 6
• Week 7

LECTURES

Week 1: Character Design Basics

Lecture slides on character design were given on the first week.

Stylized Design

Iconic: How recognizable a character is even through their black silhouette

Simplicity: The purpose of the character through the simplicity of its design

Unique: The memorability of the character and the impact it has on the audience

Fig 1.1: The principles of character design

Shapes

- Shapes design a character's silhouette

- To identify one character from another

How the characters personality works as the basis of their shapes

Fig 1.2: A character sheet from the Disney movie, Aladdin displaying the different shapes of the characters

Colour

- Determines and separates the basic characteristics 

Colour Psychology: Different colours give impressions of different emotions and is easily relatable by the viewers

Fig 1.3: Promotional images for the Pixar movie, Inside Out showing the different colours of the characters

Emphasis and Contrast 

- Exaggerate on the emphasis and contrasting visual elements to make the design stand out by using different colours and shapes

Harmony

- Every element in a design should complement each other  

- Shapes, lines, colours, motifs and patterns must be put together in a tasteful manner

- Involves visual hierarchy

- Reflects with the narrative of the character

Expressions and Poses

- Expressive and emotive characters capture audiences

- Clear visualization of the character's behavior, quirks and personality makes it easier to appeal to viewers

Week 2: Chiaroscuro

Lecture slides on chiaroscuro were given on the second week.

Chiaroscuro

- The use of light and darkness to create the illusion of three-dimensional volume on a flat surface

- To increase dramatic tension in a scene by exaggerating the subject's importance using colour or light contrast

- An artistic lighting choice where the focus point or subject of a scene is brightly coloured (used in comics, films and digital works) 

- To differentiate positive and negative spaces

Tenebrism

- A painting method in which significant details such as face and hands are illuminated by highlights which are contrasted with a predominantly dark setting 

 

Low-Key Lighting

- The use of lights to create emotional and impactful scenes

Positive Space

- The subject matter or object of interest in a visual

Negative Space

- The filled space or background that surrounds the subject matter or object of interest in a visual

Fig 1.4: A black and white image showcasing the use of positive and negative space

The Use of Chiarascuro in Visual Narrative

Increase Dramatic Tension

- Gives thrilling emotive depth on the look and feel in the scene

Create Sensational Effect

- Helps elevate fantastical viewpoints to emphasis on the narrative

Attract Attention

- Establish visual hierarchy and the main point of the scene

To Make Tasteful Composition

- The play on positive vs negative spaces creates attractive scenes

Week 3: Composition Theory 1 / Visual Types and Shots

Lecture slides on composition theory, visual types and shots were given on the third week.

Composition

- The arrangement of the elements in a visual

- Elements in a visual should be arranged effectively in a way to bring out meaning

- Composed shots should consciously arranged the focus of the scene to stand out, even in the subtlest manner.

Fig 1.5: Basic composition rules

Fig 1.6: Different types of shots

Week 4: Composition Theory 2 / Perspective

Lecture slides continuing on composition theory and perspective were given on the fourth week.

Perspective

- The art of representing three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface

- To give the right impression of their height, width, depth, and position in relation to each other

Fig 1.7: The different types of perspectives

One-Point Perspective

- Produces three-dimensional images by drawing objects emerging from a single point on the horizon

- Images get closer to the vanishing point the smaller they become until they become so small they can vanish completely

Method: The single vanishing point establishes the guide lines. All objects recede toward this point

Two-Point Perspective

- Vanishing points are placed on either side of the horizon. The objects and buildings within the scene are drawn to both of these vanishing points.

- Helps create a greater sense of space in a scene and gives objects more sense of dimension and place.

- The network of lines allows objects to recede toward two separate points, allowing more dynamic views than one point alone.

Method: Two vanishing points are placed on the horizon and two sets of overlapping perspective lines fan out from them.

Three-Point Perspective

- Consists of two vanishing points on opposite sides of a horizon, but with the addition of another vanishing point high above or below the horizon.

- To achieve a sense of drama and scale or to show more objects in a single scene.

- If the vanishing point (the one that isn't connected to the horizon) is a great distance from the horizon, the intensity of the angle will be less than if it were placed close to the horizon which creates a more extreme viewing angle.

- A third vanishing point on the vertical axis gives a far broader range of angles, and allows viewers to “look down” into a location.

Isometric View

- For creating detailed concepts of individual buildings

- To clearly present three sides of the design without distorting perspective or obscuring details.

(notes taken from week 4 lecture slides)

Week 5: Composition Theory 3 / Fore, Mid and Background

Fig 1.8: The different types of planes

Design Flow

- The way that the viewer's eye moves or is led around a composition.

- Good arrangement of visual focus using foreground, middle-ground and background should also indicate a sense of movement, and rhythm in the design.

- A design with good flow will lead the viewers’ eye throughout the layout, moving from element to element with ease.

- The visual should be able to influence the way the viewer will digest the content.

Week 6: Three-Acts Structure

Lecture slides on Three-Acts Structure were given.

Storytelling Basics

Central Theme

- The main idea or underlying meaning

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

- What drives the story

- Creates tension and builds suspense, which are the elements that make a story interesting

- If there’s no conflict, not only will the audience not care, but there also won’t be any compelling story to tell.

- Engages an audience

Characters

- Each character has a different role or purpose

Central Characters

- These characters are vital to the development of the story

- The plot revolves around them.

Protagonist

- The main character of a story

- They have a clear goal to accomplish or a conflict to overcome

- Although protagonists don’t always need to be admirable, they must command an emotional involvement from the audience

Antagonist

- Antagonists oppose protagonists, standing between them and their ultimate goals

- The antagonist can be presented in the form of any person, place, thing, or situation that represents a tremendous obstacle to the protagonist

Three-Acts Structure

Setup

- The world in which the protagonist exists prior to the journey

- The setup usually ends with the conflict being revealed

Rising Tension

- The series of obstacles the protagonist must overcome

- Each obstacle is usually more difficult and with higher stakes than the previous one

Conflict

- The point of highest tension, and the major decisive turning point for the protagonist

Resolution

- The conflict’s conclusion

- Where the protagonist finally overcomes the conflict, learns to accept it, or is ultimately

defeated by it

- Where the journey ends.

Fig 1.9: Traditional three-acts structure chart

Week 7: Transitions

The lecturer gave a lecture on transitions.

Fig 1.10: Scott McCloud's Transitions

Point of View

- Viewer's can tell the story from a specific character's point of view

- To emphasize one thread of the story or get the most noticeable points of the narrative down as it has been told