Illustration & Visual Narrative - Task 1: Exercises

Task 1: Exercise (Character Design)

For Task 1, we were required to create three character designs and illustrate them using Adobe Illustrator, applying the techniques we had previously learned. There were no restrictions on the character concepts, we were free to design them based on our creativity, along with a background story for each character.

Sketches

For this task, I decided to go with a circus-themed character design. To me, a circus brings joy and entertainment to the audience, but the performers themselves might carry a darker reality, perhaps due to intense training or being laughed at in ways they never intended. So, I envisioned my characters with vibrant, colorful visuals, contrasted by expressions that reflect a lack of true willingness or hidden sorrow. Below is the reference I inspired from Pinterest for my character design.

Figure 1.1 Reference

Based on the reference, I sketched three characters: a juggler, a clown, and a magician, each with a slightly depressed and unwilling expression. However, I felt that my designs were too common and lacked a unique element. To make them more distinctive, I decided to integrate a symbolic animal with each circus role. Furthermore, I also refine the line drawing to visualize how will they be like in Adobe Illustrator.

Figure 1.2 First Sketch

Figure 1.3 Second Sketch (Refined)

After completing my second set of sketches, the designs looked more unique by implementing animal for each circus role. Although the design concept is different from my initial idea, I now prefer this cuter version with animals incorporated. Below is some description of each role:

• Juggler (Lion Head) - The juggler has a lion head to show courage and performance spirit. Its round body looks like a juggling ball, showing its role. The red and white pattern on the lion head is inspired by the circus tent roof, making it feel more like part of the circus.

• Clown (Balloon Dog) - This clown is designed like a balloon dog, a common balloon shape made by clowns to entertain kids. It shows the fun and playful side of a clown.

• Magician (Penguin) - The magician is a penguin because its black and white body looks like a magician’s suit. To make it funny, the penguin looks confused because nothing is coming out of the magic hat.

After I was satisfied with my sketches, I showed them to Mr. Hafiz to get his feedback. He approved them and allowed me to proceed with digitalizing the sketches in Adobe Illustrator.

Tracing

I started tracing my character by importing the sketches I had previously made in Procreate. I lowered the opacity and opened another layer for tracing. For the tracing process, I used different tools depending on the shape. For example, I used the Circle Tool to draw the head and body, the Pen Tool or Curvature Tool for large curved areas, and the Star Tool to create curly, consistent line shapes. While tracing, I intentionally overlapped the shapes so I could use the Shape Builder Tool later to combine them seamlessly. I also made minor adjustment on my character design to enhance the visual. Below is the line tracing before using shape builder.

Figure 2.1 Line tracing before using shape builder

After that, I used the Shape Builder Tool to merge the shapes and remove any extra lines, which was very convenient.

Figure 2.2 Using shape builder tool to merge the shape

Figure 2.3 Line art after using shape builder tool

Personally, I felt that the lines were very clean, and I was satisfied with the result. While tracing, I made some adjustments to the lion by removing the tail, as it looked quite unbalanced. I also removed the platform because I believe it can be used later for Task 2, which involves creating an environment for the character. After getting approval from Mr. Hafiz, I continued with the coloring of my character design. This was after attending the lecture where he taught us how to use the Live Paint Bucket Tool, create color palettes with Adobe Color, and add color swatches.

Colouring

For the colouring, I started by trying it out on my own without referring to any references or colour palettes, as I had something in mind. However, I found it difficult to pick colours from the swatches because the UI was too small, making it hard to select the right shades. Additionally, the colour mixer was different from what I usually use in Procreate. As a result, my first attempt didn’t turn out very well. Below is the colour scheme I tried on my own.

Figure 2.4 First attempt of colouring

Therefore, I began looking for references on Pinterest to find a playful and engaging colour palette that suits the cuteness of my character design. Instead of searching for colour palettes directly, I looked for graphic designs that used colours matching the tone of my character. I observed how these designs mixed and matched colours to create a harmonious color scheme. Below are some observations based on the image references I selected from Pinterest.

Figure 2.5 Colour reference 1

The image plays with complementary colors (like red-green, blue-orange, yellow-purple) to create bold contrast. It also uses analogous hues (e.g. red-pink-orange or yellow-green-blue) to keep some areas harmonious.

Figure 2.6 Colour reference 2

The palette consists of muted, desaturated versions of bright colors like red, yellow, green, and blue.  This soft pastel palette can be mixed in many combinations without clashing, giving off a peaceful, artistic, and friendly vibe, fitting for creative or lifestyle-focused brands.

Figure 2.7 Colour reference 3

This color palette uses soft, light-toned colors for the background, while the key elements are highlighted with saturated and bolder colors like red, orange, green, and hot pink to make them stand out.

I imported these image references into Adobe Illustrator to extract the colors and apply them to my character design. I used the Live Paint Tool to sample the color scheme and fill in the character. At the same time, I removed the stroke, as I personally felt the character looked better without it, the stroke was too bold and stood out too much.

Figure 2.8 Outcome using colour reference 1

Figure 2.9 Outcome using colour reference 2

Figure 2.10 Outcome using colour reference 3

After trying out these color schemes, I personally feel that they look much better. The three characters using the same palette also feel more cohesive, as if they belong to the same series. Among the options, I preferred the second one because I like the pastel tones and they look quite cute. I showed the color schemes to Mr. Hafiz as well to get his opinion. He liked all three, and he allowed me to proceed with the second one for further refinement.

Shadow

Before the Week 5 lecture, I had already attempted to add shadows by using the Curvature Tool to draw the shadow shapes, then separating them with the Shape Builder Tool. Initially, I tried to color the shadows by manually selecting from the color swatches, but I found it difficult to identify the light source and determine the correct shadow placement. Eventually, I adjusted the shadow color by lowering the G value by 20 in the RGB settings to create a darker tone. I struggled a bit with creating the shadows at first, so below is my initial outcome with the added shadows.

Figure 3.1 First attempt adding shadow

After the lecture, I learned a new method of creating shadows from Mr. Hafiz. The technique involves duplicating two layers, changing the blending mode from Normal to Multiply, and then erasing parts of the top layer to form the shadow. Using this method, I refined my previous attempt. I created two types of shadows and experimented with different colour overlays. However, for some reason, adding the shadow made my character look a bit creepy.

Figure 3.2 Second attempt adding shadow

I showed this to my lecturer to get his feedback. He chose the version in the top-left corner. So, I selected that shadow style and further refined my overall character design by adding details, improving the shapes, and more. 

Final Outcome

• Leo Bounce – The Juggler (Lion) - Leo Bounce is a brave lion, perfect for the circus stage. His round body looks like a juggling ball, showing his fun and active role. The red and white stripes on him are inspired by the circus tent roof, making him instantly recognizable as a key circus performer.

• Balloo – The Clown (Balloon Dog) - Balloo is shaped like a balloon dog, just like the ones clowns make to cheer up kids. His bouncy look and playful face reflect the cheerful and silly spirit of a circus clown, making everyone around him smile.

• Pengini – The Magician (Penguin) - Pengini is a cute penguin with a black and white body that looks just like a magician’s suit. He tries his best at magic, but sometimes things go wrong, like when nothing comes out of his hat. His confused expression adds a funny twist to his act, showing the fun and unpredictable side of magic.

Figure 4.1 Final Outcome (From left to right: Leo Bounce, Balloo, Pengini)

Figure 4.2 Reference Board

Reflection

Throughout this assignment, I have learned both the ideation process and how to improve my skills in Adobe Illustrator. First, I learned how to create original character designs based on my own ideas, which allowed me to think outside the box. In the end, I came up with a concept that combines animal and circus elements, using a cute minimalist art style with a touch of humour. This task also helped me brush up on my Adobe Illustrator skills. I practiced creating more complex character designs using useful tools such as the Pen Tool, Live Paint Bucket, Shape Builder Tool, Multiply layers and more. Through these fundamental exercises, I believe I’m now more prepared to create better illustrations for my upcoming assignments.