Abstract
Understanding the art of visual storytelling is vital for
any artist, especially illustrators and designers. The ability to convey ideas
and the stories behind them visually is essential for any artist, whether
communicating the events of a narrative on the wall of a monastery or within
the panels of a comic book.
Any artwork produced should be in service of the narrative which
it is trying to convey and should aim to portray the events in the most
dynamic, visually engaging way possible. It is necessary therefore to strike a
balance between the artistic vision of an image and the story it tells.
The more proficient an artist becomes at conveying narrative
through their work the more subtext can be inferred, making the work become an
event rather than just an image. This is a desirable skill within the world of
illustration and visual narrative.
Given the world’s love for visual media and entertainment
the ability to convey narrative through visual media effectively is now more
vital than ever. When it comes to developing the visuals for the film and games
industries it falls to concept artists and illustrators to visualise these
worlds that are being created for audiences’ entertainment.
By exploring past and present artists working within the
world of visual narrative an artist should develop their knowledge and
understanding of how to tell a story through their work.
Introduction
The ability to tell stories through visuals has been part of human
culture throughout the millennia, since Neolithic man began to recount events
in their lives on cave walls. Today visual storytelling has evolved into
numerous different means of conveying a narrative through imagery.
Today, the ability for an artist to visualise their and other’s ideas as
well as convey a narrative is sought
after skillset. Translating ideas and descriptions to visuals, whether
communicated in writing or verbally is
highly important in all fields of art whether working independently or
collaboratively.
With all fields of visual storytelling the aim “is to convey to the
audience a visual description of an event that occurred in the story” (Sherline
Pimenta, Ravi Poovaiah(2010)) whether this is a panel or cover of a comic, a
piece of character design for the latest film or an environment design for the
games. The artist’s goal is to give as much information visually on their subject and begin to build their story visually.
This project aims to show that better understanding of the art of
traditional and contemporary visual storytelling can result more appealing,
rich and dynamic work. By exploring past and present artists working within the
world of visual narrative an artist should develop their knowledge and
understanding of how to tell a story through their work. Taking the lessons
learned from case studies on these artists and putting them into practice in
practical work will aid in developing further and a more in depth knowledge of
the theory and practical application of visual narrative.
“All design decisions should be made to support the story and reinforce
the believability of the characters.” (Khang Le, Mike Yamada, Felix Yoon) This
is true in each medium as the visuals are used as a vessel through which a
story is told. However each medium has considerations which the artist must
take into account. This can make it challenging for an artist to visualise the
details of their subject. With comics one of the main considerations is
reproducibility as the subject must be drawn many times, consistently,
sometimes in dynamic poses and from complex angles. As a result of this, often
designs are simplified in comics in order to make the artwork as consistent as
possible. With the advent of Digital Art
and 3D modelling there are more tools than ever before to aid the artist
in producing more detailed and consistent art.
Scott McCloud predicted that “illustrators would employ 3D modelling
software to comic art to achieve artwork that is not attainable with pencil and
ink.” (Scott Macleod.(2000)) This prediction was based on the western comic
book industry’s aim for realism. While this is commonplace among concept
artists and designers, there are few illustrators who have applied this to
comic art. Artists such as Stjepan Sejic has utilised 3D modelling and matt
painting to produce “Ravine”, in which the sequential art truly bridges the
uncanny valley.
While there are a number of visual storytelling mediums that require a
variation of approaches when developing ideas, the storytelling aspect can
follow similar principles. When it comes to conveying a story in a comic or
graphic novel format, principles of cinematography such as type of shots and
the 180 degree rule are applied. This aids in composing more dynamic and easier
to follow page layouts. These principles are also applied in animation to the
same effect.
This project will explore transmutation of stories from ideas and written
word into the visual medium. Exploring how ideas and narrative can be conveyed
visually; whether it is through single images like religious murals in
monasteries around the world or a series of images such as book illustrations
or sequential images like comics and graphic novels. The project will include
the exploration of methods developed by artists in different fields as well as
the tools that can be utilised while producing narrative visuals.
Literature Review
Joe Lambert described a story as “a narrative account of an incident,
person, event, or position” (Lambert, J. (2002)). As a starting point any
artist may draw on this as initial inspiration for beginning the process of
transmuting prose to visuals. Sandra Rietz elaborates saying “Stories vary in
nature - they may be biographical, familial, ethnic, commercial, or
instructional. A story is a restructured everyday experience through which we
come to know, remember and understand” (Livo, N. J., & Rietz, S. A. (1986).
Conveying story visually is the driving force behind comic
books, film as well as many games. Taking someone’s writings or ideas and
transmuting them into visual media is common practice within the visual
entertainment industry. “The grammar of visual storytelling requires that the
graphic novelist think critically about how he/she wants to tell the story”
(McCloud, 1993). Whether depicting a scene through a single image or through a
sequence of image panels an artist must think carefully about composition and
design in order to work out how best to convey the narrative within the images
they produce.
In his book “Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn’t
Exist”, James Gurney explains that when developing the idea for a single image
or a page of sequential panels an artist must take into account that while “a
painting can suggest the full scope of the narrative. The challenge is choosing
the moment and the angle that tells the tale in the most memorable and engaging
way.” Gurney, J). This is of utmost importance in all illustrative roles,
especially when dealing with pivotal scenes in any story.
In DC Comic’s “Batman: Knightfall” (Batman vol 1 #497.(July
1993) story arc, Batman is taken down by
the monstrous Bane. A combination of well scripted dialogue, dynamic art work
and layouts that build the pace of the scene resulted in one of the most
gripping and memorable scenes in its time.
Stjepan Sejic and Dan Luvisi are currently two of the most
successful comic artists today. Both have extensive experience for some of the
comic book industry’s biggest names. Currently both are working on producing
graphic novels of their self-created I.P’s “Ravine” (Sejic.s 2012) and “Last
Man Standing – Killbook of a Bounty Hunter” (Luvisi, D.2013) . While the two
are working in the same field, their products offer drastically different
experiences for the reader.
The main events of “Ravine” are told through a classic
comic/graphic novel format but using the latest technologies in digital arts
such as 3D sculptures which are painted into the panels. This results in a rich
and highly realistic style which along with Sejic’s traditional and digital
painting skills becomes a cinematic experience which rivals the visuals of most
fantasy epics. In depth, back story of the world is told through written text
with illustrated elements, such as character portraits and scenes to highlight
important moments. This is reminiscent of the method used by Games Workshop to
convey back stories to their table top games within rulebooks and other
companions.
Lu Visi’s approach to “LMS” is a complete break of
tradition. His book is presented as a scrap book made by the main protagonist
Gabriel and is included in the character’s design as one of his props. The
book’s pages have the appearance of a combination of a police case file and an
artist’s sketch book. Littered with clues, leads, character art and other
information this format gives the reader insight into the world Lu Visi has
created, conveying the story.
Project Methodology
The methodology of the project will be comprised of mostly
practical based research.
Studying the work methods and practices of both past and
present illustrators, designers and classical painters will aid in developing
further understanding of principles and processes as well as develop pipelines
for individual and sequential narrative art.
Case studies will be carried out on artists and their art.
The case studies will be based around the art of illustrators who work in the
fields of book illustration and comic books/graphic novels. A look back at how
baroque painting produced hugely detailed murals depicting scenes and
narratives transmuted from text.
From here the project will split in two, where the lessons
learned from carrying out case studies will be put in to practice.
The first part of the project will involve a collaborative
effort, working with a peer on the production of a story bible, development
work as well as a series of finalised pages and covers for a co-created graphic
novel currently entitled “Captain Benezuela” (spelled with a B).
The second part of the project will involve the production
of book illustrations that are transmuted from text. This part of the
assignment will either be based on text and passages from existing, or
self-written literature.
Ultimately the focus with each side of the project is the
same: to successfully convey narrative visually. By structuring the project in
this way, it allows for the side by side comparison of the two types of visual
storytelling.
Project Aim
The aim of the project is to explore visual narrative
through comic books and illustration.
Project Objective
1 - Conduct a series of case studies of classic and
contemporary painters and illustrators to develop a better understanding of the
principles, methods and techniques which will aid in successfully convey narrative
visually.
2 - Visualise and produce a series bible, development work,
a series of final pages and covers for a Graphic Novel.
3 - Transmute a passage of text into a series of images
intended as book illustrations. Text will either be from existing literature or
from a self-written narrative
Conclusion
The project and its findings will hopefully prove beneficial
within the professional fields of illustration and comic book/graphic novel
production. Carrying out the project will highlight the similarities,
differences, strengths and weaknesses between the two fields of illustration. Conducting
case studies into successful artists, who produced classic and contemporary
narrative art, will not only provide more insight into the history and
development of visual storytelling. This will also prove invaluable learning
lessons that can be applied in producing narrative art within the project and
in future works. Hopefully illustrators and concept artists alike will be able
to see that conveying story through art not only gives context to the work they
create. Also the project aims to show that telling a story through a piece of
art can give the viewer a much more rich and memorable visual experience.
The cultural impact of the project could include the
development of more consistent and detailed art pipelines. There are a variety
of powerful tools and processes that are available for an artist. For example,
adopting 3D modelling and matt painting as part of a pipeline might help overcome
inconsistency in illustrative art.
The need to visualise ideas or stories and pass them on
visually seems ingrained in cultures throughout the world. As wide and varied
as the methods are in the modern day, the goal is still the same: to produce
artwork that best illustrates the events, characters, locations and the stories
that bring them together.
References
- Gurney, J. Imaginative Realism: How to Paint
What Doesn’t Exist. James Gurney
- Khang Le, Mike Yamada, Felix Yoon. The Skillful
Huntsman. Design Studio Press.
- Lambert, J. (2002). Digital Storytelling:
Capturing lives, creating community. Berkeley, CA: Center for Digital
Storytelling.
- Livo, N. J., & Rietz, S. A. (1986).
Storytelling: Process and practice. Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited.
- Luvisi, D.2013. Last Man Standing – Killbook of
a Bounty Hunter. Dark Horse.
- McCloud, S. (1994) Understanding Comics: The
invisible art. New York: Harper Collins.
- Scott Macleod. (2000). Reinventing the comic.
HarperCollins
- Sejic, S. Ravine. 2012. Top cow Productions
- Sherline Pimenta, Ravi Poovaiah. (2010). On
Defining Visual Narratives.Design Thoughts.
- DC Comics,
Batman vol 1 #497. (July 1993). DC Comics
Bibliography
- Ellis Waterhouse. (1962)
Italian Baroque Painting. Phaidon Press Ltd.
- Gurney, J. (2010). Color and Light: A Guide for the
Realist Painter. Andrews McMeel Publishing
- Nicholas.T.Profares.(2005).
Film Directing Fundamentals: See Your Film Before Shooting. Focal Press
- Titus Burckhardt. (2006). The
Foundations of Christian Art(Sacred Art in tradition Series).World Wisdom
Further Reading List
