Week 3

#oneperday2020 

Week 3 explored storytelling in the form of comic strips. One again we took pen to paper while looking at the various techniques used with a fine point marker. This knowledge was then used to create a story with a defined plot, characters, and setting. These elements came together to convey a specific emotion to our audience. In my case, I demonstrated embarrassment in my high school experience of arriving late to assembly.

When approaching this topic I explored a few techniques and designed on example scenes before starting. As this medium was brand new to me I wanted to become a bit more comfortable with fine line drawing before stating. I did this through the exercises done in class and experimentation with facial expression.  

This comic strip was first sketched with a 2B graphic pencil. The final product was made with 99.L fine point NIKKO pen on 110gsm cartridge paper.

I created this comic stripe by first deciding on my story and my layout. Once this was done I used a pencil to sketch out the scenes and characters. After my first draft was made I used a new page to recreate this comic strip fixing any aspects I did not like such as facial expressions. This became the final draft that was copied with a black fine-tip marker making the final product. 

Approaching this task was a daunting experience for me. I had never used a fine line pen in my art before and was not comfortable with comic drawing. Creating the first scene was very challenging. In the drafting stages I altering the perspective of the bedroom many times. I wanted the opening image to set the scene and style for the entire comic strip. I feel that with my minimal experience I achieved this well. Although the final drawing is very simple I feel it expresses the intended message clearly and effectively. 

When creating scene two I used my knowledge of camera shots and angles to convey my message. I felt that an extreme close up would be the most effective in showing the audience the distress I felt. When drafting this scene I trialed multiple facial expressions as I had never attempted this style of drawing previously. The chosen style combined with the crazy hair was effective and achievable for my skill level. If I were to do this scene again I would have liked to add some shadow and depth to the figure in the background.

When planning my comic strip I wanted the middle to image to convey movement and urgency. By making this scene an extra long shot it is clear to the audience the movement of my character. This scene intentionally builds on tension leading up to the climax. At this point in the design process, I found myself having fun with the comic strip. Adding personal touches like my school hat and basketball. This scene was one of the most simple in the comic stripe but I feel that it was necessary for the storyline. If I were to improve it I would add more depth to make the scene more interesting. 

This scene was one of the most difficult to communicate. I based the design of this scene off the stereotypical movie scene of a character at the end of a long dark hallway. Aiming to show everyone's attention moving to my character. I am not overly satisfied with this image as it lacks detail and interest. Although it does communicate the continuation of the story.

Reflection

The final scene holds a variety of important elements to the story. I feel that it gives a good resolution to the short story and effectively conveys the embarrassment of my character. I decided to split this scene in half to show the anger of the principal as well as my character's embarrassment. Trying to draw the principal's facial expression posed a challenge. I drafted various faces but ultimately felt that the chosen one showed the frustration of the moment. I feel drawing the main character as slouched, head down in her chair is very effective. This would resonate with the audience as most people would have experienced this feeling. I am very satisfied with the last scene but if I were to do it again I would experiment more and try to improve the surrounding audience.