02/06/2023 - 30/06/2023 / Week 9 - Week 13
Joey Lok Wai San / 0350857
Illustration and Visual Narrative / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Project 3: Digital Triptych
WEEK 9
During this week, we learned about "Chiaroscuro". Chiaroscuro is all about lighting and shadow, creating visual depth, atmosphere and mood, symbolism and metaphor, visual hierarchy and focus, contrast, and conflict. We did a chiaroscuro exercise using the images from this link: https://goo.gl/photos/jnGdr8EvyaGqZvJg7
Fig. 1.1 Chiaroscuro Exercise, Week 9
WEEK 10
In Week 10, we learned about pattern creation by using the pattern maker in the Object tab. While there are preset patterns available in Adobe Illustrator, creating our own patterns gives us more options. We can use the brush tool to draw strokes, and the blob brush tool to draw the fill.
WEEK 11
Continuing from Week 10's pattern construction, we learned to use the "Draw Inside" function, where the drawn shape is automatically clipped inside the selected shape. We also learned to use the puppet tool to move our drawn objects, with the pattern inside. We also had to submit the progress of Project 3: Digital Triptych. I was torn between two stories, so I did research for both.
Fig. 1.2 Project 3 Progression Check, Week 11
WEEK 12
We had a consultation on our digital triptych progress with Mr. Hafiz this week.
WEEK 13
Week 13 was a public holiday and we watched a recording of our final project briefing on the one-page animated visual comic.
PROJECT 3: DIGITAL TRIPTYCH
In Project 3, we have to choose a story from this website https://poestories.com/stories.php, which are short stories from Edgar Allen Poe. We have to break down the narrative into a 3-act structure and create 3 panels digital triptych illustrating each of the acts.
Fig. 2.1 Three-Acts Structure, Week 9
We have to consider the interesting twists in the plots of each act, highlight the notable icons or symbolisms that occur and think of creating a premise preview for the story to make readers intrigued.
Fig. 2.2 Traditional Three-Acts Structure Chart, Week 9
1. "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe
"The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allen Poe is a nineteenth-century gothic literature about a murderer's guilt. An unnamed narrator begins the story by convincing the reader of his sanity while confessing to a heinous crime. He decides to kill the old man he lives with because he is unable to stand the gaze of the old man's pale blue eye. However, after committing the gruesome murder, the narrator is consumed with guilt as he starts hearing the old man's heart beating in his head, which he believes is coming from beneath the floor. The story ends with the narrator's being driven mad, leading to his confession to the police, revealing the extent of his deteriorating mental state.
3-Act StructureSetup: Exposition, Inciting Incident, Plot Point One
Once upon a time, there was an unnamed narrator who becomes completely fixated on the pale blue eyes of an old man he lives with. Every day, for a week, the narrator enters the old man's bedroom at midnight. He enters with a lantern, letting in a single ray of light to see if the man's eye is open. The old man's eyes are always closed, however, the narrator cannot bring himself to kill him without looking at the disturbing eye. The narrator describes it as a "vulture eye".
Conflict: Rising Action, Midpoint, Plot Point Two
The narrator develops a strategy to get rid of the elderly man as the eye becomes a cause of terror and obsession for him. One night, the old man wakes up and screams when the narrator opens the door. Because of that, the narrator kills the old man with his mattress until he can no longer hear the old man's heart beating. He cuts up the body and hides it under the floorboards. Because of that too, the sound of a beating heart fills the narrator's head, which he believes is the old man's heart.
Resolution: Pre-climax, Climax, Denouement
The police arrive after reports of a scream. The narrator hears the beating noise grow louder which torments his conscience and guilt. He is convinced that the police officers can hear the beating heart too. Until finally, the narrator's guilt and paranoia reach their peak. He confesses the crime to the police and reveals the location of the body.
Story Research
Characters
The narrator: The unnamed narrator delivers the story to prove his own sanity. However, his murderous actions and increasingly unpredictable words, however, demonstrate a clear lack of sanity.
The old man: The narrator claims to have loved the elderly man who lives with him. However, the narrator viciously murders the old man, out of fear of his "evil eye."
Central Theme
Major Theme: Madness, Obsession and Guilt
The narrator repeatedly attempts to prove his sanity as he explains his plans for killing the old man, only to prove he is, indeed, mad. His obsession with the old man’s eye is what led to undesirable consequences. The narrator’s guilt manifests in the sound of the dead man’s beating heart.
Symbolism
The eye: represents evil. Eyes are considered windows to the soul, they allow people to observe and interact with the surrounding world. Thus, it could be seen as a representation of rational thinking. The narrator’s obsession with the old man’s eye suggests that they have lost their ability to reason.
The heart: symbolizes the narrator's guilt and conscience. The heart is a symbol of a person's ability to experience. Thus, it could be seen as a representation of morality.
2. Visual Research/ Reference
The short story is nineteenth-century gothic literature. Gothic is characterized by mystery, horror, and gloom — especially in literature. The Gothic period had rich and dark colours.
Fig. 2.3 Gothic Color Pallete, Week 11
Rooms: “Purple, ruby, black, ochre, forest green and gold added complemented the heavy furniture and rich design. The wallpaper was ornate and heavily patterned in natural flowers and foliage. Also popular was trompe-l'oeil architectural features or stencilled designs.” https://www.interiordezine.com/styles-and-periods/gothic/#:~:text=Gothic%20Color,architectural%20features%20or%20stenciled%20designs.
Clothing: Victorian gothic clothing is predominantly black but is often accented with dark hues of purple, deep reds, or greens. In Victorian Goth, fashion and clothing is the focus. Typical gothic fashion includes dyed black hair, exotic hairstyles, dark lipstick and dark clothing.
Fig. 2.4 "The Tell-Tale Heart" Visual Reference, Week 11The visual references and drawings of "The Tell-Tale Heart" have a very creepy and eerie feel. Most of the images use very dark colours, with the occasional bright red for the heart. The figure below served as an inspiration for my design.
Fig. 2.5 "The Tell-Tale Heart" Visual Reference, Week 11
3. SketchesThe main occurring element is the heart and eye. As every act progresses, the heartbeat grows louder in the narrator's mind and I incorporated this into my design. I also wanted to include the pale blue eye in every frame. In a way, it symbolizes how the eye haunts the narrator and never leaves his mind, even after death.
However, in my first sketch, I did not take into account the size of the artboard 300px by 600px, which would make this sketch a little awkward in those proportions.
Fig. 2.6 Sketch #1, Week 12
In the second and third sketches, I tried to make all 3 artboards connect together by making the background the same (e.g. all the events take place in one bedroom). Therefore, it can look like one whole artwork, and can also be viewed individually.
Fig. 2.7 Sketch #2, Week 12
Fig. 2.8 Sketch #3, Week 12
4. DigitizationThis was my experimentation with digitizing my sketch. I wanted to make a room viewed from an angle that would mostly showcase the floor. I later realized it was very challenging to draw from this perspective and showcase all the elements in my sketch.
Fig. 3.1 Digitization Experiment, Week 12 I proceeded with a simpler perspective just like my sketch. I started by blocking out the background (wall and door), and the floor. There is barely/ no description of the bedroom where the plot takes place in, so I took some liberties in designing it. The floorboards are made of wood since it offers a more realistic explanation of how the unnamed narrator hid the body. You can't take out a cemented tile and hide a body under there, can you?
Fig. 3.2 Act 1 & 2 Layout, Week 12
Fig. 3.3 Construction and Sketches, Week 12
A major upgrade here. I changed the entire colour scheme to reflect the setting of the story, which takes place at night. I also drew out and added the main characters: the old man, the narrator, and the three police.
Fig. 3.4 Triptych Layout, Week 12I changed the silhouette of the unnamed narrator to become just a black silhouette without any recognizable traits or details, as mentioned, he is anonymous. I used what we have learned in Week 10 and Week 11, and added patterns to the wall and the flooring.
Fig. 3.5 Unnamed Narrator, Week 12The unnamed narrator is also described as a "madman". To show this, used a different outline stroke, which made the silhouette messy and crazy, as compared to the same characters with a normal outline. I used the gradient tool for the lighting in the room and the torchlight. I also experimented with the outer glow function, as Mr. Fauzi said the third panel was too dark and needed some contrast.
Fig. 3.6 Details and Other Elements, Week 12
WEEK 12
Think about composition, foreground, midground, and background.
WEEK 13
Looks good. The right side is too dark, a bit of contrast between light and dark could help.
Experience
My experience with Project 3 was a pretty decent experience. It was great to be able to adapt a story into a triptych, which is a really interesting format, and even learn how to incorporate a visual narrative into my design. I enjoyed learning and exploring the importance of colour palettes and different compositions to achieve the desired mood and atmosphere.
Observations
From this project, I observed that the midground, background, and foreground are important to get a good composition and draw the viewer's attention. I observed that the right colours can set the mood of your design. Given the story is quite dark and gothic, using darker colours (obviously) is the best way to convey that. Coming up with a flow for a visual narrative can be pretty challenging. Every act needs to tell a clear point with its design.
Findings
I found that creating a visual narrative takes lots of planning. We have to understand the storyline thoroughly in order to summarize it and make it understandable to the viewer in a visual format. It is not an easy process to simply create and plan out a good triptych, and I have much more respect for people who create visual narratives.
Fig. 2.2 Traditional Three-Acts Structure Chart, Week 9
Fig. 3.3 Construction and Sketches, Week 12
Fig. 3.9 Final Digital Triptych (Act 3 - Madness and Guilt) - JPEG, Week 13
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