SETTING THE CANVAS

 
 
 
 

A Colorstory on the left serves as a guide for cohesion across multiple scenes being worked on simultaneously. Colors shift between vibrant and muted, in a metaphor for recent cultural memories that are fading in the light of a rapidly changing world.

 

An evocative reference image gives off a melancholic urban vibe for lead artist Jiani Yu to integrate into the opening illustration, seen below.

 

“Project Saudade. Scene 01. Waiting for the Bus to Moksha”

EVOLUTION OF AN ILLUSTRATION

The workflow and process for any given scene varies, depending on the perspective and animation needs within. Scenes that feature multiple camera angles rely on descriptive storyboards and multiple revisions, while single perspective shots might utilize a sketched storyboard to establish the main features from the very first draft.

  • Ideation

    The director sends detailed descriptions and multiple visual references to the tillustrator assigned to a particular scene. In this case, the above visual reference gives the idea of a bridge disappearing into heavy fog.

  • Storyboard Sketch

    An effective storyboard sketch suggests a clear point-of-view, identifies the main elements, and provides a concept to be developed over a few weeks. This sketch is already giving off a moody vibe.

  • Work In Progress

    With each draft, new details emerge to be confirmed and considered by the director. Here, we see a rendering that shows vehicle spacing, and a light line to mark the where a more detailed shoreline will exist in the next rendition. The director gives detailed feedback until a final draft is reached.

  • Final Illustration

    A final draft reveals a suspension bridge stretching out at dusk over sparkling blue waters. Once the illustration is approved, it is ready to be sent to the animator for an intensive process that can take many weeks.

BEHIND THE SCENES: ILLUSTRATION

The iterative scene-generation process often begins with descriptions of scenes in screenplay format - plain and concise, distilling the essence into its bare bones. A similar logical through-line suffuses each project file. A glimpse into the process below reveals the multiple drawing layers that go into one scene.

 
 
 
 

After weeks of intensive communication, organization, and drawing edits, the final two illustrations are ready to ship off to St. Petersburg for animation!

 

  • Bus Scene Perspective A

  • Bus Scene Perspective B