This document contains a summary of the development process for a digital graphic narrative project. It includes sections on shape tasks, rotoscoping, text-based images, comic book style images, photography, and illustrations. For each task, the student provided an evaluation of what they liked about their image and what they would improve if doing the task again. They received feedback on an initial proposal for a storybook project, which was positive overall but suggested simplifying some elements and adding more character details. Storyboards and scripts for the storybook are also included.

1. Digital Graphic Narrative
Development
Joe Costello

2. Shape Task

3. Evaluation
What did you like about your image?
I like how the image is made up of very simple shapes yet you can still instantly tell
what it is. I also like that the strokes make some of the shapes stand out more such as
the arms, because without the strokes, the arms would just blend in to the body and
the image would be almost unrecognisable. As well as this, I think the
shading/gradient makes it look more realistic and three dimensional and I think it
works well on the eyes and on the left arm.
What would you improve if you did it again?
I would re-do all of the shading because some of it doesn’t work very well, especially
on the body. I would also add more lines on the body to make it look more realistic
and more like a walrus, since there are more lines and creases on the original image.
Another thing I would improve on would be the background, since the gradient
background is too simple, so I would add a more detailed background of the walrus’
environment and also make the various sections of the face blend in more.

4. Rotoscope

5. Rotoscope

6. Evaluation
What did you like about your image?
I like that you can tell that it is Ainsley Harriott, despite the fact that the image is made out
of simple shapes and lines layered on top of one another. I also like that there are various
different shades of the skin tone which makes the image look more three dimensional and
realistic, but at the same time it also manages maintain a cartoon style. I also like that with
the Spiderman rotoscope, it is very simplistic, yet you immediately know who it is supposed
to be. It also looks similar to how he appears in the comic books.
What would you improve if you did it again?
If I did it again then I would get a different image of Ainsley Harriott that is not just a head,
and has a body. This way I would be able to include more detail and it would also make the
image more realistic. I would also probably be more precise with the selections to reduce
the amount of jagged lines and also to make sure that the various changes in colour match
up. Another thing I would do is add a stroke to the layer which is just the outline of the
head, since this would further enhance the cartoon style of the image. With the Spiderman
image I would spend more time on it as it was rushed. I would also add more detail to it and
add more shading.

7. Text Based

8. Evaluation
What did you like about your image?
I like how you can see all of the different text styles and variations, and how you can
make the text more interesting by adding an image to it by having two layers and
creating a clipping mask, or stamping out certain areas with a basic shape. I also like
that the text is bold, and the letters are close together, meaning that you can clearly
see what the image behind it is. If the text was thin and far apart, you wouldn’t be
able to see the image as clearly.
What would you improve if you did it again
If I did this again then I would try out other fonts both bold and thin, and try out
different images and shape stamps. I would also produce more examples, but aside
from that, I wouldn’t change anything else.

9. Comic Book

10. Comic Book 2

11. Evaluation
What did you like about your image?
I like the overall abstract comic book effect that has been applied to both of the
images, as it has made the darker tones and shadows stand out more, making it look
more dramatic, which fits with the overall theme of the pictures. Also both images are
actually quite simplistic, as it is just various colours on top of a black outline of the
image. Despite this, you can still immediately identify what it is supposed to be and
they look quite abstract and artistic.
What would you improve if you did it again?
If I did this again, then I would try out the effect on more detailed and less detailed
images to see what it looked like. Also I would play around with some other blending
modes, as ‘screen’ is the only one used in both of these images. I would also adjust
the images before applying effects to them, so I would adjust the levels/contrast etc,
meaning that when the effects had been applied, the images would look more
interesting and comic book-like.

12. Photography
surprise sad
curiosity excited

13. Evaluation
What did you like about your image?
I like that a wide range of emotions are shown and that Harry has portrayed all of the
facial expressions and emotions well so you can clearly tell how he feels. They are also
clearly shot and distinguished, meaning that they can be easily rotoscoped.
What would you improve if you did it again?
If I did this again then I would take more images of more emotions, and make the
emotions more extreme so you could easily tell what they are supposed to represent. I
would also take the photos in different settings and use different people to capture a
wide range of different expressions. I might also do post production on the images as
well.

14. Illustration

15. Illustration

16. Evaluation
What did you like about your image?
Because I drew both of these images by hand, it means that they are more
original and follow an individual style, as opposed to a digitally created image
such as a rotoscope which could be traced. This means that I have complete
ownership over the images so there is no need to worry about any legal
issues.
What would you improve if you did it again?
If I did it again then I would draw more images that may appear in a children’s
book and also make them more cartoony/less realistic which would appeal
more to the audience.

17. Initial Ideas

20. Old woman
Hen
Peasant
All of the characters will
be rotoscoped so they will
follow a cartoon-like appearance.
Old woman’s cat
Peasant’s kids

22. Proposal
Dimensions
Number of pages: 12…Page dimensions: 21 x 25.2cm
Story Overview
A group of ducks hatch, and one of them is ugly. None of the other ducks want to play with him, and he is kicked around by the
farmer. When he sees his own reflection in the water, he realises that he is ugly, so he becomes incredibly sad and decides to flee
to a forest. He finds the house of an old woman and her pet hen and cat, and he stays there for a few months. However he is still
depressed and becomes bored of the old woman, so he decides to leave. When winter sets in, he is nearly killed by the freezing
temperatures, and just as he is about to die, a peasant takes him in to live with him. However the duckling soon becomes
frightened of the peasants children, so he decides to run away to spend the rest of the winter in a swamp. Then spring comes
around, and the duckling sees a beautiful swan swimming in a pond. He falls in love with the swan, but soon remembers that he is
incredibly ugly so he doesn’t stand a chance. He then sees his reflection in the water, and is amazed to see that he is no longer an
ugly duckling, but is instead a swan. They fall in love, and he is no longer depressed.
Export Format
PDF
Advantages: This format is compact and able to compress large files, so it can be emailed easily. It is also very
compatible with most machines and is an easily created file.
Disadvantages: not an editable document format and you need to have a PDF reader installed to view these
files.

23. Deadline
15th May 2015
Audience
The target audience of this book will be mainly children, of both genders, ages 3-9.
It will appeal to all children of this age, as it will not discriminate against anyone, as
the overall message of the story is not to discriminate on the grounds of
appearance. As well as this, since parents tend to read these sorts of books to their
children, it might also appeal to parents, therefore I will make the text large, so it
will help with educating children on how to read. This fact may appeal to parents.
Production Methods
I will produce the images for the storybook by rotoscoping existing images, as well
as applying a cartoon effect to images using Photoshop. This will allow the images
to take on a more child friendly, simplistic, cartoony/abstract appearance, meaning
it will appeal to the target audience more. I might also use shapes within Photoshop
and use the warp tool to manipulate them to create certain characters/settings. For
the text, I might also use warp tools to curve text around images etc. This would
make the book more kid friendly.

24. What are the strengths of the proposal? What areas of the proposal need further work?
It well set out with good clear ideas. I like the idea
of the rotoscoped images being used to create a
more child friendly appearance. The fact that you’ve
based the production around not only a child based
audience but also considered what might appeal to
an adult based audience that would be buying your
product.
I don’t think many of the areas need further work as
it all seems pretty tight as it is.
What are the strengths of the idea generation? What areas of idea generation could have been
further developed?
The idea generation, like the proposal, is once
again set out clearly making it easy to see how you
came up with all the ideas. There is a lot of detail
written down about all the different ideas in your
mood board which allows further insight to how you
want to develop the book.
You do mention in your story, the duckling will live
with a woman and her cat/chicken. You left these
out of your character based mood boards. Maybe
include these.

25. What are the strengths of the proposal? What areas of the proposal need further work?
a good proposal, you described in detail what
production methods you would do.
Look at all possible methods for the production
(shape warping, photography and illustration).
Maybe tone down the story
What are the strengths of the idea generation? What areas of idea generation could have been
further developed?
Good and creative ideas, lots of photographs and
good annotations throughout. The mind map has
lots of details and is easy to read.
on the mood board, maybe talk about each picture
(is it rotoscoped or hand drawn?). Add more details
to the character page

26. What are the strengths of the proposal? What areas of the proposal need further work?
I like the great detail throughout your proposal,
clearly outlined how you want your book to read,
and how you want it to look. I like the idea of using
simplistic design methods to make it suitable for
children, but also making it look artistic and
abstract. The story itself portrays a really great
message, and I think its an especially important
message in today's society.
I’d say the story may be a bit hard hitting for your
chosen demographic. I would simplify the story, and
leave out the more harsh details, so as not to affect
the young children you’re aiming to target the book
at.
What are the strengths of the idea generation? What areas of idea generation could have been
further developed?
The mind map is particularly impressive, you’ve
thought of every detail. I like your consideration of
different ways to illustrate the book, thinking about
the time, cost and copyright implications. Another
strength is the fact you’ve thought about the
parents of the children in your proposals, a factor
that’s often overlooked, as it’s the parents who will
be buying the book, after all.
On the character page, maybe outline further how
individual characters would look; what kind of
colours, what techniques would you use to design
them, etc.

27. Feedback Summary
Sum up your feedback.
The feedback I received was mainly positive, however there was some constructive criticism which will allow me
to improve on certain aspects within the idea generation and the proposal. I agree with all of the feedback I
received, and the positive feedback is great to see. Overall it has been useful and has highlighted the areas that
need to be improved, for example, some characters have been accidently missed out on the ‘characters’ slide and
there is also not a great amount of detail on this slide.
Which parts of your feedback do you agree with and why?
I agree that there needs to be a greater amount of detail on the ‘characters’ page, and I should add things like
what production techniques I will use to create the characters as well as things like colours etc. Also mentioned
was that some aspects of the story need to be toned down so it is not hard hitting on the demographic. I believe
that this is referring to a part in the story where the ugly duckling nearly freezes to death, however this will not be
explicitly shown in the book.
Which parts of your feedback do you disagree with and why?
I disagree with a piece of feedback which says that I should look at more production methods, as all possible
production methods have been included in the mind map/mood boards. Also they say that the story should be
‘toned down’. There are no elements of the story that need to be toned down, although I think they are referring
to the part when the duckling nearly dies, but like I said, this part won’t be shown in a way that it is inappropriate
for the demographic.

28. Story outline
• A mother duck is sitting on some eggs.
• The eggs hatch. One of the ducks is an odd colour.
• None of the other ducks want to play with him.
• The farmer comes over and kicks him.
• He is sad so decides to leave.
• He ends up in a forest and finds an old woman and a hen.
• He lives with them for a few months but gets bored and leaves.
• The winter sets in and the duckling is freezing.
• A peasant finds him and brings him home with him.
• The duckling is terrified of the peasant’s children, so he leaves.
• Now it is spring. He falls in love with a swan he sees. He sees his own reflection in
the water. He now realises he is a swan.
• They live happily ever after.

29. Storyboards

30. A mother duck is sitting on her eggs. The eggs hatch but one is an odd colour. None of the other ducks want to play with him.
The farmer comes over and kicks him. He is sad so decides to leave. Then he ends up in a forest and finds an
old woman and a hen.
Quak!

31. He lives with them but gets bored and leaves Now it is winter and he is freezing. A peasant finds him and takes him home.
He is terrified of the peasant’s children so
he leaves.
Next spring he sees a swan.
He realises he is now also a swan.
They fall in love and live happily ever after.

32. Original Script
It is a beautiful summer day. The sun shines warmly on an old house near a river. Behind the house
a mother duck is sitting on ten eggs. "Tchick." One by one all the eggs break open. All except one.
This one is the biggest egg of all. Mother duck sits and sits on the big egg. At last it breaks open,
"Tchick, tchick!” Out jumps the last baby duck. It looks big and strong. It is grey and ugly. The next
day mother duck takes all her little ducks to the river. She jumps into it. All her baby ducks jump in.
The big ugly duckling jumps in too. They all swim and play together. The ugly duckling swims better
than all the other ducklings.- Quack, quack! Come with me to the farm yard! - says mother duck to
her baby ducks and they all follow her there.
The farm yard is very noisy. The poor duckling is so unhappy there. The hens peck him, the rooster
flies at him, the ducks bite him, the farmer kicks him. At last one day he runs away. He comes to a
river. He sees many beautiful big birds swimming there. Their feathers are so white, their necks so
long, their wings so pretty. The little duckling looks and looks at them. He wants to be with them.
He wants to stay and watch them. He knows they are swans. Oh, how he wants to be beautiful like
them. Now it is winter. Everything is white with snow. The river is covered with ice. The ugly
duckling is very cold and unhappy. Spring comes once again. The sun shines warmly. Everything is
fresh and green. One morning the ugly duckling sees the beautiful swans again. He knows them. He
wants so much to swim with them in the river. But he is afraid of them. He wants to die. So he runs
into the river. He looks into the water. There in the water he sees a beautiful swan. It is he! He is no
more an ugly duckling. He is a beautiful white swan.
http://www.worldstory.net/en/stories/the_ugly_duckling.html

33. Final Script
1. Once upon a time, in a farmyard, a mother duck sat on her eggs.
2. The eggs then hatched but one duckling was an odd colour. He was grey and didn’t look
like any of the others.
3. None of the other ducklings wanted to play with him, and the mother duckling ignored
him. “Go away” they said. “you are ugly”.
4. The farmer came over and attacked him. “You are ugly!” he shouted. “Go away!”
5. He was sad. “Everyone hates me” he cried. “I am so ugly”. And so he left the farmyard.
6. A while later he ended up in the middle of a forest. He was lost, but soon an old woman
and her hen found him. “Hello there” she said. “are you lost?”. The duckling nodded his
head. “Come with me” said the old woman.
7. The duckling lived with the old woman and her hen for two months, but he soon got
bored of her, so one day he decided to run away and live in the forest by himself.
8. Soon it turned to winter and it was so cold that the duckling nearly froze.
9. The next day a peasant found him frozen in the snow. He kicked off the ice with his boot
and brought the duckling home with him.
10. He lived with the peasant and his family for a few days, but he was terrified of the loud
children, so he ran away to a swamp.
11. When spring finally came, the sad duckling went out to the pond. He saw a beautiful
swan swimming along. He bowed his head in sadness. However, in the reflection of the
water, he realised he was no longer an ugly duckling but was now a swan!
12. He was so happy. He swam over to the other swan and they instantly fell in love. They
swam together for hours and hours, and lived happily ever after.

34. Digital Flat Plans

35. Digital Flat Plans

36. Digital Flat Plans

37. Digital Flat Plans

38. Digital Flat Plans

39. Digital Flat Plans