Illustration & Visual Narrative: Task 2
Ameera Rihana binti Remy Ansara
IVN / Bachelor of (hons) in creative media
Task 2: Composition
INSTRUCTIONS
Task 2: Composition & Card Design
Recap
- Using the guidelines from "Framed Ink: Drawing and Composition for Visual Storytellers, you will explore how to arrange elements within your environment to guide the viewer's eye, create depth, and tell a compelling visual story. The composition of your world should emphasize balance, contrast, focus, and flow.
Requirements:
- Sketches
-Vector Illustrations of environment
- Illustration including Collectable Card Design
-Vector Illustrations of environment
- Illustration including Collectable Card Design
- Evidence of composition Principles
__
1) Inspiration
Based on Task 1, I tried to find similar inspo that included the same style of the characters.
Moodboard
Then, I created a mood board to narrow down the options for the environment.
Then, I created a mood board to narrow down the options for the environment.
Fig 1.1 Mood board #1
Sketches
I drew three different sketches in Photoshop for each of the characters. My lecturer told me the sketch #3 had an interesting composition due to its circular landscape. This is because I used the golden ratio as my guideline.
Fig 1.3 Sketch #2
Fig 1.4 Sketch #3
a) Environment
Once I have chosen the sketch, I started off illustrating the elements that I needed before composition. I used the same method to create the characters by using the pen tool and live paint tool. Then, I added the required shadows and highlights to give more depth.
Technique referred: Task 1
Fig 1.5 Vector Illustrations
Adjustments on Foreground
I was taught that closer objects tend to be darker than the further ones. In this case, I used a masking tool by copying another layer of the front objects and merge them using the pathfinder tool. Then, I clicked on the opacity panel, changed the blending mode to multiply and reduce the opacity.
Fig 1.6 Masking Tool
Fig 1.7 Pathfinder Tool
Editing Middle ground
Adjusting Perspective
To give the assets a bit more dynamic, I used the free transform tool (press E on selected object) to make the house slightly distorted out of its shape.
Fig 1.8 Free Transform Tool
Warping Tool
To make the composition slightly more interesting, I used the warping tool (shift+R) to distort the ground slightly by adjusting the intensity of the brush.
Fig 1.9 Warping Tool
Editing Background
For the background, I used similar assets, change the hues of color and reduced the opacity of the background to make it looked like its further away from the angle.
Fig 2.0 Background Assets
For the composition, I considered using the golden ratio again to rearrange the assets in order to remain consistent. I also made sure to think about the zone of spaces that includes the foreground, background and middle ground. I put different alternatives of composition together to analyze which environment is doable.
Fig 1.7 Composition Planning
To prepare the document, I set bleed lines outside of the template about 5mm. This sole purpose act as a guideline for precise arrangement.
Fig 1.8 Document Setup
Borders and squares
After I completed the illustration for the environment, I proceeded onto the card design. Firstly, I used the rectangle tool and adjust the border using the transform panel. Then, I added squares, rounded on one corner into every corners of the document. I highlighted them and aligned all of them to ensure it stayed in the center properly.
After I completed the illustration for the environment, I proceeded onto the card design. Firstly, I used the rectangle tool and adjust the border using the transform panel. Then, I added squares, rounded on one corner into every corners of the document. I highlighted them and aligned all of them to ensure it stayed in the center properly.
Fig 1.9 Borders
Fig 2.0 Squares
Buttons Asset
By using the eclipse tool, I created circles and scaled them into smaller sizes for the button. Then, I duplicated it and placed them into the squares for each corners.
Fig 2.1 Buttons
Making Clipping Mask
After I was satisfied with the borders, I moved on with the environment and placed the clipping masked object into the document. While the card is set in portrait orientation whereas the latter is in landscape, I copied another border and placed it on top of the environment. I selected the two and right clicked thus choose the make clipping mask option.
Fig 2.2 Making Clipping Mask
Gradient Background
To make the card more interesting, I added gradient to the background using the rectangle tool. I adjusted the gradient according to my preference which is in radial form. Then I added five colors of the same shade and rearranged them. I did the same as well with another rectangle.
Fig 2.3 Gradient Tool
Fig 2.4 Gradient Tool Part 2
Font Adjustment
For the final touch, I downloaded a font and used it for the name of the card. Based on the appearance, I added fill and strokes by changing the color and adding gradients. After colors are dealt, I included special effects such warp arc and outer glow for a bit of highlight. I similarly used the same method for the power move as well.
Font used: Monster Pumpkin; regular, Nunito; bold,semibold
Fig 2.5 Font adjustment #1
Fig 2.6 Font adjustment #2
Fig 2.7 Font adjustment #3
Final Outcome
Fig 2.8 Final Composition, PNG
Fig 2.9 Final Vector Illustration, PNG
Fig 3.0 Final Card Design, PNG
Fig 3.1 Final Composition, PDF
Fig 3.0 Final Card Design, PDF
REFLECTION
Experiences: Working on this project gave me the opportunity to merge world-building with character focused design. The process began with creating an immersive fantasy environment, a mysterious cave with a glowing waterfall and a whimsical mushroom shaped house. From there, I developed the card design for “Snitches,” integrating the background with a distinct character illustration and a thematic card frame. This workflow allowed me to experiment with both environmental storytelling and game-inspired card mechanics, strengthening my adaptability as a designer.
Findings: Through this project, I found that designing environments first provides a strong foundation for later character and interface elements. It made it easier to position Snitches in a way that feels natural within the setting. I also learned that even small graphical choices like the placement of decorative shapes on the card frame or the way shadows fall in the background can influence how players perceive the game’s tone and mechanics. Finally, integrating narrative elements such as Snitches’ ability, Vault Overflow alongside visual design enriches the storytelling potential of the card.
Observation: I noticed that the mood of the artwork is greatly influenced by how the background and character interact. The soft, glowing blue of the cave provides a strong contrast to the warm, vivid tones of Snitches’ cloak, making the character pop visually. The stylized card border adds an extra layer of personality and game context. I also observed that the use of consistent color palettes, shapes, and visual motifs between the environment and the card helps them feel like they belong in the same universe.
Comments
Post a Comment