IVN - TASK 1 EXERCISE

21/4/25 - 12/5/25 (Week 1 - Week 4)

Lim Jia Xuan

COM61304 Illustration & Visual Narrative

Task 1: Character Design

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1.0 INSTRUCTIONS

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2.0 TASK 1: CHARACTER DESIGN

2.1 Character Design Documentation

Figure 2.1 Character Design Documentation

2.2 Character Design Line Art

Figure 4.2 Character Design Line Art 

2.3 Character Design Colouring & Shading

Figure 4.3 Character Design Colouring & Shading 

Techniques applied in this task:

• Line Art:
• Pen Tool (Bezier handles - smooth/ corner) - To draw the silhouette of the characters
• Shape Builder Tool - Clean up overlapping lines

• Colour & Shading:
• Scale Stroke & Effects - To maintain consistent lines and details
• LivePaint Tool - Create LivePaint Group to fill in colour
• Eyedropper Tool - To select colour
• Pen Tool (Bezier handles - smooth/ corner) - Create shapes for shadow and highlight

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3.0 REFLECTION

3.1 Experience

Designing my own characters from scratch was both a rewarding and imaginative journey. I thoroughly enjoyed bringing them to life through visual style and storytelling. This project, along with the Bézier exercises, helped me further strengthen my control over the Pen Tool—allowing me to create cleaner, more fluid lines with greater confidence. I also gained a deeper understanding of how lighting affects form, as I had to carefully place highlights and shadows based on the direction of the light source. Overall, it was a highly engaging, hands-on experience that allowed me to apply technical precision while exploring creative expression.

3.2 Areas for Improvement

Looking back, I started by sketching the characters myself and then used AI (ChatGPT) to help refine and enhance the designs. While the AI did contribute some interesting ideas and emotions, the outcome didn’t fully align with my expectations—so I had to make further adjustments on my own. This experience helped me realize that although AI can be a useful tool in the creative process, the personal touch and artistic judgment are still crucial in conveying the emotion and storytelling I envision in my final designs.