Visual Storytelling for Compelling Illustrations

Visual Storytelling for Compelling Illustrations

“Congratulations! You have reached the end of this course. Thank you so much for taking part and I hope you've enjoyed it. It's now time to work on your project. This could mean finishing the illustration you started by completing the course tasks or making a brand new project! Either way, I strongly suggest you take the time to gather inspiration and make a unique project of your own. Make sure to keep track of your progress with different pictures of each step. It'd be great if you could also explain the choices you've made along the way and tell us if you have any doubts. This will help me guide you better if you need advice. Here are the main steps to follow: The Storyline Choose the story you want to tell. Identify the core conflict of that story, and try to summarize it in a single sentence. References Gather reference images: collect photos of the people, places, and objects you will have to draw and look for past examples of images that told similar stories to the one you would like to tell. Download and organize your photos in a series of folders. The Concept Sketch Start sketching. In loose thumbnails, try to design a composition that hones in on the main narrative action and minimizes extraneous details. At this stage, don't worry too much about making a beautiful drawing, just try to tell the story clearly. Apply some of the 9 storytelling tricks provided in Unit 2.

Show your sketch to others and receive feedback. You may have done this already, by posting your sketch in the forum in Unit 3. You can also ask a friend or family member. Don’t tell the viewer anything about your sketch in advance; the sketch should speak for itself. Ask the viewer, "What's happening in this picture? Tell me everything you see." If the viewer can relay the central narrative—who is doing what and why—you have succeeded. If they can't read your image, one of two things has gone wrong: · You haven’t drawn the objects in your sketch clearly enough · Or, you have not created a clear, narrative composition. Keep sketching until a viewer can easily relay your intended story. The Refined Sketch Gather more specific reference photos if needed. Shoot reference photos of yourself to nail down life-like gestures, proportion, and foreshortening. Continue to refine the sketch. Add color. Think about color narratively. What colors suit the tone of your story? Use restraint and a limited palette. Is there a certain object you want to emphasize? Perhaps the color red appears on that object and nowhere else. Consider designing a palette around a pair of complementary colors or around a narrow section of the spectrum. The Final Details Tighten up the details of your final image and make the finishing touches. And that's all! I can't wait to see the project you come up with, so don't forget to share it in the forum. You can do so by clicking on "Create your project". Remember to share both the final result and the steps that have led you to it. It would be great if you showed a picture of each step and added a brief explanation about what you have done in each one. I will be more than happy to answer any of the questions you might have along the way! I will try to get back to you as soon as possible. In the meantime, participate in the forum, comment on others' work, and interact with the community. See you there!”

Partial transcription of the video

“ Final Project Thank you for taking this course with me and exploring the world of visual storytelling. I hope that you feel comfortable to tell your own stories with pictures. Whatever story you decide to tell, the more you can insert your personal voice, sensibility, or sense of humor, the more likely you'll reach an audience of like-minded viewers. Pick a story based on your interests, passions, or curiosity. Create something different from my work. Think through the pencil. Sketching is one of the most powerful ways to generate ideas. Stories are actions. What is the verb in your story...”

This transcript is automatically generated, so it may contain mistakes.

Course summary for: Visual Storytelling for Compelling Illustrations

• Level: Beginner
• 100% positive reviews (43)
• 1714 students
• 4 units
• 13 lessons (2h 18m)
• 7 downloads

• Category

  Illustration

• Software

  Adobe Photoshop

• Areas

  Digital Drawing, Digital Illustration, Drawing, Editorial Illustration, Traditional illustration