Appraise the issues relevant to visual storytelling in various contexts.
Visual storytelling can be approached in in many different ways. We can find image storytelling in many different medias and formats, also with many different reasons.
A single illustration in a comic book cover has to tell you a story when you analyze The author can give you many tips and start telling you what is about to come inside in that illustration. A teaser poster for a film for example comes to give you a little tip about a whole film that is about to come, showing, many times, a single object, a part of the human body or a scene.
Many times the usage of visual storytelling are not for the public, if you take storyboards as an example. Storyboards are usually made for the comprehension, pre-visualization and planning of a scrip. It can also be used to pitch investors to a project.
This are some of the issues you have to consider when creating a visual storytelling, because they are the one which are going to define how you image is and what kind of image will it be.
Analyze industry and professional requirements.
During the past year we had the opportunity to meet some great professionals of the industry. These people shared with us a little of their experience in the market. It was possible to see that all work development in a professional way goes through a process of briefing, planing, restriction and aspects to follow.
Each of the professional we met talk to us about how the process of construction of the work is important. It was also very well mentioned the planing and research as fundamental to any project.
Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate techniques and methods.
The are in-numerous techniques and methods of image development. There
are also unlimited levels of finish and polish. What is important is to
use the better way for a best result. When the objective is the creation
of a highly polished illustration, for example, it is very important to
start planing the image with smaller and simpler thumbnails.
Here, in the development of one of my key moments, “The Sacrifice” smaller thumbnails were used as a starting point on the planning. Many of these doodle will never be further developed, in the other hand, they are very useful on time saving on the planning and development of a higher quality image.
Follow the final image for the key moment visualization:
Integrate and synthesise research into design solutions.
Research has a fundamental function on my work development. The research
can start in different levels and it can have different functions as
well. During my work development I made historical and stylistic
researches.
To have a better picture of the Aztec culture, and have more convincing
pictures, I looked for references on the Aztec costumes, buildings,
objects and more. However, on the poster and teaser development the
references I looked for were directly related to the media: I searched
for other teasers and poster pictures regardless the subject.
In the following images you can see a previous of the researches I have
done around some movie posters (top) and the result of my work, the
poster I have developed (bottom).
Evaluate and defend own work in the context of contemporary practice.
During this module we had the opportunity to further develop a project we have been working since the beginning of the course, the “Aztecs and Aliens”, creating a Storboard based on a given brief, three key moments, three teaser ads and a poster. Considering we’ve being working on this “tale” from long and modeling it in our way, developing this work was very interesting because it was very clear for me the atmosphere that it would have.
Nowadays, contemporary posters and teaser are characterized by the use of restricted colour and information. On my teaser ads I wanted to emphasize on the creation of a mystic around the glowing inners and the death relation between the Aztecs and Aliens. Having the main colour as blue, I could use warm colours to emphasize on the features I though would be more interesting.
My keyscenes were painted with the intention of bringing to life the moments where there would be more tension on this history. I believe I manage to create a good atmosphere in those pictures, specially on the sacrifice one, also the most important of the keymoments.
When working on my storyboard I decided to experiment a different styleI made this decision after we had the opportunity to meet Roger. Different from the more painted style that I was using in the rest of the project, I decided to work with the line on the storyboard. I believe that the line work allow the action and scenes to be better visualized, specially taking into account that most of storyboards are for pipeline production, here the scene has to be well represented end easily interpreted.
Plan and implement appropriate skills in the creation of visual work.
The
development of my key moments went through a evolutionary process where
I fist started thumbnailing the composition until I could find one to
be worked up.
Operate ethically demonstrating critical understanding of the issues governing good practice
The visual storytelling is a practice that comes from old times and that evolutes and changes because it uses both real life and other artists views. It is very important to have references when developing a image. Many times all we need are solutions that have been sorted by others. Other times all you need is inspiration to your work. Both ways, it is very important to be careful no to copy any ideas or images in this process. It is very important not to use work that is not yours and always credit any case it is needed.
Demonstrate independent learning and continued personal development.
I have no doubt that the image that pleases me more in this project in the key moment of the sacrifice. I think that I manage to find, after a few feedbacks and discuss the composition and ideas in class, a image that creates a great impact and has a good atmosphere in it. I am very please with the teaser ads as well which was also discussed during lesson and I was able to get good direction on the way that some times less is more, I believe that these are the work that added me more, specially composition wise.
Exhibit strong communication skills.
I am happy with the work I have developed during this module. During lesson the discussions we had helped me sorting out some composition issues I had in my images. As a result, I believe this discussions helped me improve my composition skills.
Moreover, I believe that during the development of my images, I could improve my painting skill. I tried to control the light and shadow colour and contrast in my images in a way to emphasize specific details and originate a macabre atmosphere, and I believe I reached my goal. However I knowI still have much to learn about painting.
Another feature Ive being studying and trying to improve are my anatomy description skills. Though I have improved my knowledge of anatomy, I still don’t feel very comfortable on describing certain positions and body parts.
From the work I’ve done I wish I could have further developed my other two key scenes. I am glad with the composition of second one , “The Collection” I wish I had more time to further detail it. I am not completely glad with the composition of my first key moment, “The Morning Hunt” and also did not have much time for a bette quality paint.
