Graphic Narrative

1. Graphic Narrative
Evidence
Mel Storey
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2. Digital Photography
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Angry Sad Happy

3. Evaluation
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Digital photography is a good way to start to build an effect over the top for both a
graphic novel and a children’s book. But in my opinion I don’t feel like this is a good
effect to use on its own for either novels.
Photography may or may not be time consuming depending on what you are
shooting. If the shot consists of lots of detail in costume, props and makeup it can
take time but simple expression images do not take a lot of time. A good quality
camera can make a poor image into a detailed image. This is what I needed to
improve my digital photography images in the above slide.
Resources needed are a photography studio if you want staged images. Props,
make-up and costumes. Suitable actors and a computer maybe with Photoshop if
the photographs need to have post production done and most importantly a good
quality camera.
Although you don’t often see none edited photographs in either graphic novels or
children’s books but they are used to be rotoscoped from or used for a cartoon
effect. Therefore they are seen in graphic novels behind effects and are popularly
used in young adults novels for front covers.

4. Illustration
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5. Evaluation
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The quality of the illustration isn’t very high, this depends on your skill on illustrating
and time. If you had these two elements you could produce a higher quality image
as illustration makes it easier to add small detail into your image to show more in
one image.
This process does take time, it is the slowest effect to do and can be time
consuming to get right. But when it is done in the right style it has great effects on
the images used.
To get this effect you will need a pencil, paper and any utensils needed. Coloured
pencils will add a splash of colour to your illustrations and to the page which is
widely used in children’s books.
Illustrations were and still are used in children’s stories. Children study the pictures
in a book the same or maybe even more than they study the text. Simple drawings
help younger children read but with a few extra details a simple drawing can be
acceptable for an older range of children and it still gets their attention and helps
them understand the story more. The novel Alice in Wonderland were all hand
drawn illustrations illustrated by Lewis Carroll. The first illustrations drawn where
very detailed and in black and white pencil and ink. Later he created water colour
and pencil drawings of the same illustrations to replace the black and white as
colour print was starting to get popular in children’s books.

6. Comic book effects
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Cutout effect

7. Comic book effects
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Film Grain effectRough Pastels

8. Evaluation
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To create these cartoon style images of Beyonce I used methods and artist effects
such as cut out, rough pastels and film grain with an over layer of Threshold layered
over the top to show more features and creating shadow.
The quality of these images are high, they show great detail for cartoons and it is
not greatly time consuming. But it can turn time consuming when you’re taking your
own images, you may need props and certain actors to pose for these images
before you can edit them.
As I mentioned above it may be difficult to take the images you want to create this
effect you may need certain props, costumes or specific scenes that need to be
photographed. Easy access to a camera and a computer with Photoshop is needed.
This design would be appropriate for graphic novels as it is bold, cartoon like and
highlights certain parts of the image well for example her chest and facial
expression. This would appeal to the audience as graphic novels are mainly for the
male gender with enhanced features. This effect may not look great on children’s
storybooks as it may be a bit too harsh and graphic for a soft fairytale.

9. Rotoscope work
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10. Evaluation
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Rotoscope is a high quality way in which you can make photographs into a graphic
illustration for both graphic and children’s novels. This technique can be time
consuming to get the perfect rotoscope, but when it is done right it works extremely
well.
To achieve this effect you will need a computer or Mac with Photoshop. Using your
own image may include you to shoot a scene with an actor/model and props.
Therefore you will need to have access to a digital camera too.
Rotoscoping is largely used in graphic novels as it gives a similar effect to the
cartoon effect in previous slides. It takes a lot longer to do than the cartoon effect
but if you do it in the right way the effect and quality of the image will be greater.
Sometimes it may have more or less detail depending on how you layer.

11. Overall Evaluation
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Overall the experiments went well, I developed my skills in graphics and could feel
which effects suited me and my ideas.
I think, if I practice my skills, illustration will be a good effect for my storybook design
as it can be portrayed in a simple colour crayon fashion. My fairy tale will be Alice in
Wonderland, an old fashion novel. In which I want the illustrations to tell the story
well but leave a vintage and old fashion feel to them. I think using graphic designs it
would make it too modern. Although Tim Burton modernised the same story in his
2010 making of the film. I could interpret this in my work if illustration does not work
by taking digital photographs and using the cartoon style effect. This effect is not too
harsh so will fit with the children’s story.
I would like to practice my own illustrations by drawing the same image again and
again until I an happy with the final image. Deciding colouring pencils or water
colours to make the image stand out will also be something I need to research and
practice.