Unit 33 - Comics and Graphic Novels: LO2 - Task 3: Developing Ideas for a Character

After I scanned in my intial sketch, I placed it onto Adobe Illustrator. I intially used the trace tool on Adobe Illustrator and experimented with that; though I liked the scratched effect it had on the cauldron, I wasn't pleased with the way the rest of the picture turned out as it look too sketchy and left lines where I didn't want them. My biggest issue was that it made the eyes uneven.

After this attempt, I resorted to tracing the image my self by going over the image with the pen tool.

Below is the image of the (almost) completed outline on top of the initial sketch. You can see where I made certain adjustments and corrections on Illustrator, such as the length of the cape and size of the crown. I added a rectangle using the box tool to mark a line where the image ends as I noticed my intial sketch was uneven and slanted to one side. Since I just needed the basic outline for now, I left out additional details such as the decoration on the collar and crown aswell the ripples in the potion and streak in the hair; I added these later in the process.

I then removed the intial image and just focused on the outline itself. By removing the image I could focus on the outline. I added the missing details and accessories and corrected minor mistakes such as gaps in the outline.

Then, selecting outlines and different types of pen tools, I tried different effects on the hair, cauldron and potion to make them stand out made and make them seem like they had some of form of material quality to them to make them seem less 2 dimensional.

Below are three more of my initial sketches. The first depicts the character performing the sterotypical villain cackle, the next shows her gazing into a crystal ball (one of the minor characters), and the final presents a side-on angled view of her sat in a throne.

I went over the designs and experimented with the different pen tools. I liked the effect I added to the face within the crystal ball as it made it look more transparent, but didn't like the chalk type pen tool effect I initially chose for the hair as it left gaps and made it appear fuzzy instead of the desired tangled-hair look I wanted her to have. I tried different types of charcoal untill I found one that suited her; this also involved changing the size of the pen lines to avoid leaving gaps in the hair.

My crystal ball design was inspired by two Disney character designs; the Magic Mirror (designed by Gustaf Tenggren) from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Madame Leota (designed by Marc Davis) from The Haunted Mansion.