Independent project by Yilin Wang

Starting inquiry sheet

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-02-14 11:30:32 UTC

I wrote something about my plan and some thoughts to support my future project about what I'm good at and what I need to improve and notice.

Ahkran Girmay

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-02-18 14:49:04 UTC

He as an illustration maker is very close to my situation and ideal career plan for my future. I learned how he created his works when both for his own works and the commercial works. This also guided me about the different types of creation I could do for studying and more challenges in my daily life.

There is more than one way to be strong

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-02-22 22:34:41 UTC

This is one of my favorite picture books for kids. It is about one little dragon not like his other friends likes to destroy and make fire. He likes flowers and looks like not as powerful as the other dragons. However, by saving his brother from one danger, he was recognized by the other dragons I really like the calm and peaceful feeling of this story books and I also really like dragons. The little white dragon Maurice was unique in this story and this reminds me of when I was a kid, as with a talent for art my situation was not as nice as this dragon and sometimes was treated as trouble. Rather than being acknowledged by the people, my situation was a little complicated and more realistic. This time I wanted to talk about this as one of the ideas I want to show in my future works.

15min doodle

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-02-23 01:59:26 UTC

This session was a test and started my picture book ideas. I did some tests on the character part. This might connect to the project I made before, I want to make a dragon that is not close to the normal image they were shown in the other works. The design was based on lamb and looked smooth with fur. Which was also able to connect to my last projects .

Some doodle design with color

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-02-23 02:02:06 UTC

I did the sketch with color. As a floral dragon, I do not want it to be too harmless and kind with quite strong attitude.This image was still a little bit too far and I might change some other details in the future, this was just one starting idea.

Communication

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-02-23 02:17:59 UTC

After showing my initial ideas I receive different questions and references from my teammates.

The initial mind map of the theme I want to focus

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-02-27 14:30:39 UTC

I first list all the problems I'd love to focus on with possibilities, and then I start to focus on some specific situations, especially the ones that actually happened on me.Later I reflected on some true problems in society.I finally roughly set my main direction as social diversity .

dragon study

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-03-02 04:16:34 UTC

To support my character design, I need that traditional Western dragon to set up the environment and background of the story I want to tell. From that doodle, I could find out some of the points that caused the stereotype of one dragon design and I wrote them next to my sketch image.

I might do more surveys to support the ideas I want to show.

Who are you

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-03-04 15:15:46 UTC

During class, we wrote something about ourselves. In this section, I could take a deep look at myself and may connect to the last unit project which I also focused on myself. Those questions actually reminded me of things I just met when my talent for art was first found when I was a kid and still studying in one traditional education system in China .Although it was not a very happy time , there were still a lot of kids facing this situation and It is one interesting point to talk about.

Project guide

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-03-05 02:41:48 UTC

In this table, I talked about my main directions and listed some references that might support me in my further study. I enlarge and clear the direction of social diversity from my specific kid experience in school this time.

Outcome change

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-03-06 19:51:13 UTC

During the coaching class,some changes happened to me. My initial plan for this project was actually picture booking creating. But when I finished the writing I chose to change the way to show my story. from a set storybook to one board game. This game could simulate and get the player involved in the story and really resonate.

Boardgame inspiration

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-03-06 21:53:10 UTC

This is one solo role-play game I saved last year. During this game, you need your own imagination to create one unique story that happened to the main character and her sword. That inspired me about the idea of telling your own story. I would write one rough storyline, the details would be created and recorded by the players as their unique version. A game with strong experience .

storyline note

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-03-06 22:03:04 UTC

My storyline would be based on my real experience from primary school all the way to middle school even high school, a story about escape and finding true self.I memories and reviewed my life and wrote them as notes to prepare for the storyline created for the dragons.

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-03-06 22:03:50 UTC

Dragon style studying

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-03-06 22:04:51 UTC

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-03-06 22:05:00 UTC

Rule design for the board game

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-03-06 22:26:46 UTC

This is a very basic game with one big map 30 cards and one chess.

The story may show you one direction but you will meet different challenges and chances that even would cause you into an endless loop. The experience caused one simulation that really happened in my life when I was a kid. This also would happen when you finally escape this situation.

Exhibition of IVM year 3

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-03-07 00:34:58 UTC

I went to the exhibition in Backhame, I saw lots of illustrations made by the year 3 students. I took a look at the material and how they print their works from digital into specific works. And how they display their works to the viewers.

game simulator

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-03-09 03:16:21 UTC

To test the game, I made one simple model. When I was testing it, it still just got one simple structure and worked successfully. However, I wanted to add more details to this game .I might add more small missions into the whole structure to fulfill the experience .

The chess design

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-03-31 03:06:34 UTC

As one of the most important parts of this game, I want to show the spirit of this dragon in this design. During this game, the player needs to escape and has an adventure with Galea, the player might struggle and even stuck in different situations. However, during this experience, you will always find a way out, and Galea is one character who is both weak and stone one will never give up. For a strong connection between her and the flowers. I found something called flower language. So in this image, the flower she was holding was called calla lily and means hope in the language. This would be the wish for both Galea and the players to search and fight for their own happy ending and the chance to start the new beginning.

The game board and the block design

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-03-31 03:22:06 UTC

For the block designs. I extract the main situations Galea would face during her life and, redesign them into symmetrical patterns. All textures in this map are handwritten to fit in the main style. The general idea of all the designs is the positive situation would be closer to nature and the negative one shares the dragon silhouette which is close to the characte

For the background, I just used the flower elements which I also used in the play cards to match the suit and unified all the designs .

All the card designs

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-03-31 03:30:29 UTC

Galea and the flowers have always been the main element in those card designs. I also keep using my handwriting to show and match the vital feelings I want to show in this game. And for the color of the words.I used the contrasting color between the chance and the challenge card.

For the ideas of the illustration making

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-03-31 03:33:47 UTC

One rough brush, weak lines, and eye-catching color.

element is used with a showy role to show creativity power and vitality.

Small skills

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-03-31 03:35:11 UTC

Curve, for better color balancing.

Folding model of the role book

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-03-31 16:14:32 UTC

I want to design one role book that is small and easy to carry and produce. So I used the shape of one small booklet to fulfill my design.

The rule book

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-03-31 21:21:41 UTC

Based on the rules and the stories I wrote on the page, I just added the related elements to fit the style of the board, the play cards, and the chess. In this part, I was more focused on the information telling and how to show the information much clearly.

The printing sample

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-04-01 00:25:20 UTC

To show the specific effect in real life.

However, in this version, I found muchChromatic Aberration in the final result and I needed to change different machine to produce my final result.

The details of the rule book texture design

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-04-01 02:26:17 UTC

As the most important part in this, the main direction of this part would be clear and easy for the players to read.I simplified the whole page and used fewer patterns in this part.

The rule texture

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-04-01 02:27:18 UTC

Reference game AMELLO

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-04-08 15:26:29 UTC

This is a digital board game about an adventure for the throne. In your adventure, you need to gain something such as equipment, or territory prestige to win. It is one complete and complicated system to run this game which contains a great number of cards about the event and characters you need to solve or deal with during your journey and rolling dice is almost the only way to help you move and fright.

This structure inspired me to the base logic of my own board game. However, I would simplify some details because mine would be a face-to-solo player but not one multi-player game .

All the character illustration works

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-04-08 15:46:58 UTC

Is one of the most important parts of building up the art parts of this game. This really took me a lot of time. Not like the project I made before, I weakened the line part but enhanced the color part. Not only just because I want to show a strong butterfly element to contrast with the stereotypical dragon, but I do not want my overregulation lines to limit this character and let her always look free even a little bit close to exploding at any time. A rough textured brush shows her life force and her strong spiritrited.

initial character design plan

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-04-11 23:36:13 UTC

In this mind map, I set some of my ideas for creating the main character by listing some of the main feelings and thoughts I what to show when I was designing the.

Printing of the game board

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-04-11 23:39:01 UTC

The main way to show my work, is digital printing.The size I chose is A2 and for me this size is good enough for players .

Board game

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-04-11 23:46:20 UTC

This is not the first time for me to play a board game but the first time to create one. For me, when you are playing, you start to attend to this story but not just look at it.This part really attracts me .

printing template of the cards

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-04-14 02:06:46 UTC

Before put my cards into the printing stage ,I should first let the image fit in this template to make sure the machine would not cut out something important and make everything in the perfect place .

All the card image set in the right place

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-04-14 02:08:01 UTC

By using the template before to make all images in the right place .

Design of the card box

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-04-15 13:56:52 UTC

I also did the design for the card box .In this design, I still keep the most iconic pattern which I used on the card back. However, I added both two kinds of designs and mixed them together in order to show the complicated situation and destiny of the player and Galea would be met when picking the cards during this game. The back design is one called Lily which means hope in the flower language This is always the main hint and a kind of encouragement to all players and Galea herself.

The flower language

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-04-15 14:34:47 UTC

To fit the character, I would use a lot of elements of flowers in my design to show her spirit. Flowers are a very classic medium for conveying information. I did some research and learned some flowers I could use when I am designing and getting ready for my own illustration parts.

character design of the Holly Mother

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-04-19 17:14:31 UTC

One of the most important background characters who adopted Galea when she was only an egg and raised her as her own child. She is always kind and wise but a little bit conservatis. She always wants her kid to become strong and tough especially Galea, the really unique one. The design I used followed the study sketches and the iconic elements I found on those dragon designs I found from other artists. Something like horns and scales with sharp teeth and so on.For the color of both Galea and the other basic background dragons. I used very light grey and light blue eyes to show her calm and the spirit of a leader and one mother.

Design of the other background dragons designs

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-04-20 00:59:59 UTC

Too different from Galea, the colors I chose for them were all in a low saturation and the design elements I used on them would be much closer to the image of people's first impressions of dragons and based on the study I recorded on my sketchbook. This doodle I showed would lead to a vibe and support my further illustration making .

design of the baby dragons

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-04-21 23:33:37 UTC

As part of the environment and as the peer Galea would not have much difference from those adults and would become projections of them. They would have the same color as their parents and a little bigger than Galea .

storyboard for the background story

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-04-24 00:56:34 UTC

To improve my rule book, I chose to visualize my background instead of just writing in words. My initials would be separated from the story into six images and tried to let them look like a picture book .

Background story illustration NO1

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-04-27 02:45:44 UTC

These are the first ones From the storyboard, I used a symmetrical composition to show that dragons always set themselves to rules and do not like change .For the color parts, I changed a little bit based on my initial character design. I would use the right version for my final decision because it shows a somewhat dreary atmosphere than my lift version and the color looked in much better balance than the first one.

The second illustration of the rule book

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-04-29 14:24:30 UTC

This one is about How the MOTHER found the egg of Galea.

Not like the last one. In this image, although the environment is still dark and dreary, there are two main characters are lit. And show the sparkle of the whole Destiny that happened at that moment .

Recent game set

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-03 03:17:41 UTC

In this image, I displayed all the physical stuff you could use during the game. For further development, I would be much more focused on the package part and the redesign and progress of the rule book. It might be provided as a video and the package would focus on the direction of flowers.

How to visualize the story plan

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-06 01:06:28 UTC

Instead of the first version of the booklet, I chose the ways of video-making. This will help the players understand the background story better than just text, the same as the introduction of the rule part. To follow my initial ideas of the picture books, the whole structure would be similar but with moving and improving texture to guide the players to understand .

The background music

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-06 01:27:25 UTC

From one of my favorite games. The music created for this game usually with strong negative feelings and always used a lot of orchestral instruments and was going to fit in the delicate feeling of this main character .

Storyboard and frame design of the rule guide

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-06 01:56:40 UTC

To visualize the rules, I was going to take videos of it. The whole image would be designed into a simulation of the game playing. And then to fit the main style I used during the game art design, I was going to use the elements of flowers during the filming .

some ideas for the package

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-07 23:07:34 UTC

To have a strong connection with the idea of the flowers .I chose flower banquet as the main direction . I would test how to display the game set in the design of a flower banquet .flowers would be structured to keep it steady. Instead of real fresh flowers, I would use artificial ones, I would start with strong paper folding flowers .

The paper flower making

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-08 00:11:15 UTC

The flowers I chose were tulips. The flower language for this kind of flower is love noble and capable which connects strongly with the creating ability of the main character. In the second season of this flower, the structure is strong enough and has a space in the middle where I could put some small parts such as dice and the chess to keep them .

Progress of the flowers making

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-08 00:17:02 UTC

During the process, I changed the length the the thickness of the stick parts to make sure they could connect to the flower part well and I tried them in different colours .

Initial testing of the package and photograph

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-08 01:23:31 UTC

Just a quick building and structuring. The shape is good but the structure For problem-solving, I think I need some glue to stick these sets together The covering paper could contain more designs to fit the game design part.

Physical firming of the rule book

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-08 22:26:38 UTC

The place where I took this video is the one park nearby. I also prepare fresh flowers to match the style of the Game set and create a pleasurable environment.My friend helped me with some moving and I recorded the content. I did not change much From my frame design and focused more on the details of fixing. These are all just material and single pieces, I am going to put them together into one complete video with the background story part .

Style set of the rule telling video

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-08 22:42:18 UTC

For the style testing, I first set this on the grass to see the true rendering and how my ideas would work in reality. I was really satisfied with the color and the sunlight was my favorite part of this image.

The font design

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-09 18:12:54 UTC

This part took me a little bit long time to decide. As my initial design, I used the same kind of style, my own handwriting, however, the result was not good it would get into the background image, and I could not read the words. Then I did more different testing by changing the color and even adding a white block behind the words. I figured out they would break the environment I set in the video. The final solution was, I use those fronts I found in the system. They have one black part which could help those words hide in the background, and a relatively soft shape would not break the environment .

The music chooseing

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-09 18:35:08 UTC

My initial choice was the one that shared the same album with the music I chose for my background story part. However, I changed my idea to another song which I think was fitter but with the opposite feeling of the. This is one of my favorite songs by Fuji Kaze. It is a song about flowers, especially the flowers in someone's heart. This is quite close to the feeling I wanted when Galea was searching for her own courage to get out of the recent environment. The change when the music switch happened in the video also could show the faith that although you have a not perfect beginning, one they you can get where you want to go.

About the rule book and background story video

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-09 18:44:45 UTC

In this video, I did not show many fancy skills and other technical stuff, all I wanted was to tell a clear story and create a clear starting of the player's journey. I still used many texture parts to guide the players, but look clearer than the initial guide book.

The banquet package structure making

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-10 01:05:55 UTC

I developed the whole structure of the banquet. It was separated into two parts, the cover paper and the inner paper flowers. Those flowers need to tie together and become very strong to fit in the cover paper. There would be space between the flowers and the bottom of the paper cover. This was prepared for the card and another game set. The game board would play the part of the cover paper and the chess and the dice would hide in the paper flowers.

The whole structure would just be one whole flower bouquet at last .

Starting

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-11 23:49:12 UTC

In this project, I still want to focus on myself and based on the study and ideas. That project works and designs myself and has a deeper look into some societal problems. The main detail directions would be about my own growth and even some aspects of myself knowledge .

The block and the background

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-11 23:55:59 UTC

I separated them here.

I emphasized the flower element in the background .

The communication zine making

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-14 04:04:19 UTC

during this session, we were separated into groups and needed to create a zine based on the comments we left. In this task, we needed to work as a group and I played the part of the illustration making.I need to reflect on other students works and do some creation base on them.

The illustration making

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-14 05:42:38 UTC

My reflection on those works was more like a summary after observation. I would first collect each special point of those different works and redesign these ideas into a new pattern that would be closer to my own style and ways of thinking. When I was creating, deconstructing parts, and rebuilding them.I guess this work might help the original creates to improve with some kinda of new ideas .

Feedback from the other groups

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-14 06:22:10 UTC

I also received something from the other groups. I am very interested in the illustrations they left next to my work. I could see that the whole game board was redesigned into a map, which means the creator tried to visualize some kind of concept in my work. I also could see some different designs of my own packaged flower parts which I could not really show in the material testing .

Specific printing result

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-14 06:27:17 UTC

My other group mates played a part in printing. I could see my works were presented well on the paper.

The exhibition and the comments

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-23 04:15:14 UTC

During the exhibition, I rechieved different types of comment .

They think my illustration part was good with an interesting worldview design.

Display in the exhibition

ywang0220214_2 — 2024-05-23 04:18:47 UTC

I simulated the one I put on the grass when I was filming the guiding video. My aim was just to show my work clearly in each part.