FINAL PROJECT: NARRATIVE ILLUSTRATION

MATERIALS:

Open medium: collage, drawing, painting, photography, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.

REVIEW:

All “elements of design” and “principles of design” on 2ddesignnscc.blogspot.com

OBJECTIVE:

To create a 3-panel illustration of a narrative (story) from the following options:

-        Book (novel, poem, fairytale, etc.)

-        Song

-        Newspaper article or essay

Things to Consider

- choose your reference material based on your interest in the story as well as its potential for visual translation: are there words, objects, interactions that will make for a compelling illustration?

- rather than thinking about an entire book or song, consider narrowing the scope of your illustrations to single verses, chapters, scenes or lyrics.  Pick those that have rich visual language.

- you may take a representational or abstract approach: consider how all of the elements & principles of design can enhance the narrative

- how will you make your three images consistent? Color, shape, composition? Think visual style.

PREPARATION:

-        choose your reference material and make a list of the visual words & objects you find within the text

-        make a list of emotions you associate with the text: i.e. sad, confused, angry, joyful

-        decide on a color scheme & overall composition that reflects the above lists

-        create several rough drafts or sketches before deciding on three final designs

PRESENTATION:

-        any size or format you choose mounted on illustration board or Bristol paper with a border around it

-        Part of the inspiration text should be mounted with the design (text should be separate from your designs and should use simple font like Times New Roman, Helvetica, etc.).

-        ONE OPTION: three 6” x 8” designs and inspiration text mounted on 15” x 22” illustration board

QUESTIONS TO BE PRESENTED FOR FINAL CRITIQUE:

Describe the story you are illustrating: what is the emphasis of the narrative (the characters or subjects, the mood, etc.) and how did you relate this through your design choices?  How does your color palette reflect the feeling of the story?  How did you maintain consistency across the three illustrations while also achieving variety?  How do you think you were successful and what might you change if you were to illustrate this again?

DATES:

Studio time: Wed 6/4, Mon 6/9, Wed 6/11 (in-progress critique), Mon 6/16

Due:  Wed 6/18 (FINAL PRESENTATIONS)

PAST STUDENT EXAMPLES (please note: examples shown below are without the text, which is typically mounted below each image):