Illustration and Visual Narrative / Project 2

15.05.23 - 01.06.23 / Week 7 - Week 9

Name: ALYSSA AISYAH BINTI 'ARIEF NASRAN (0364017)

Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Project 2: Illustration Poster MyTIGER Values Art Competition 2023

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INSTRUCTIONS

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Illustration Poster

For Project 2 of Illustration & Visual Narrative, we are to participate in the Maybank Foundation MyTIGER Values Art Competition 2023. Based on our chosen topic from the chosen SDG Goals, we must submit an illustration poster that interprets our project aim through the Maybank TIGER core values of Teamwork, Integrity, Growth, Excellence & Efficiency and Relationship Building.

The 12 chosen SDG goals for this project are:

• No Poverty
• Zero Hunger
• Good Health and Well-being
• Quality Education
• Clean Water and Sanitation
• Affordable and Clean Energy
• Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Sustainable Cities and Communities
• Responsible Consumption and Production
• Climate Action
• Life Below Water
• Life on Land

The challenges of the assignment are the following:

• work only with the details in the competition brief
• Include a logline to set up the mood

Research

First I went through the MyTIGER values in order to better understand how I should go about approaching this project and interpreting them when designing my SDG poster.

The TIGER acronyms contain the following values:

• Teamwork: We work together as a team based on mutual respect and dignity
• Integrity: We are honest, professional and ethical in all our dealings
• Growth: We are passionate about constant improvement and innovation
• Excellence & Efficiency: We are committed to delivering outstanding performance and superior service
• Relationship Building: We continuously build long-term and mutually beneficial partnerships

Following this, I then looked into the 12 given SDG goals, and after looking through them all, i decided to narrow it down to just three options, the topics that peaked my interest the most were “Life below water”, “Quality Education”, and “Zero Hunger”. Thus I began my research and development on these 3 topics.

Life below water

This SDG is about Conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

The targets are:

• Prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds
• Sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems 
• Take action and restore ecosystems to achieve healthy and productive oceans
• Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification
• Regulate harvesting, end overfishing, unreported and unregulated fishing
• Increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources,
• Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology
• Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets
• Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in UNCLOS

Quality Education

This SDG is about ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

The targets are:

• Ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and Goal-4 effective learning outcomes
• Ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development
• Ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university
• Substantially increase the quantity of youth & adults who have relevant skills, including technical & vocational for employment & entrepreneurship
• Eliminate gender disparities in education, ensure equal access to all facets of education across the board (disabilities, indigenous, poverty)
• Ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy
• Ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development (development, lifestyle, human rights, equality, etc.)
• Build and upgrade education facilities that are safe and non violent for all types children
• Substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries, in particular least developed countries
• Substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers in developing countries through international cooperation training courses

Zero Hunger

This SDG is about creating a world free of hunger.

The targets are:

• Ensure access to safe, nutritious food for all, especially vulnerable populations.
• Eradicate malnutrition and address nutritional needs, including stunting and wasting in children.
• Double the income and productivity of small-scale food producers, especially women and marginalized groups.
• Implement sustainable food production systems and resilient agricultural practices.
• Preserve the genetic diversity of seeds and domesticated animals, promoting equitable sharing of benefits.
• Increase investment in rural infrastructure and agricultural research to enhance productivity in developing countries.
• Eliminate agricultural export subsidies and trade distortions to support fair markets.
• Adopt measures to stabilize food commodity markets and reduce price volatility.

After careful consideration and research I have decided to go with the topic "Zero Hunger" as I found myself moved by its targets and was able to better visualize a rough idea of the poster design.

I have also created a moodboard to serve for inspiration and understand how to better portray my topic through illustration.

Moodboard

Fig 1.0 Moodboard

Design Process

Sketch

I first started out with the sketch based on my rough idea of the design and inspiration from the the moodboard. The sketch idea partially stems from the many times I have looked into my refrigerator and closed it back, not finding anything satisfactory to eat, yet it was never empty. Thus I drew it trying to portray a melancholic feeling while keeping to the idea of the empty fridge. I have also added empty food cans and bowls littered around the room to a amplify the feeling of true emptiness as if there was really nothing left in that house to eat, and a dark room with the only light source emanating from the fridge; this is to symbolize that hunger issues often come alongside an issue of poverty- thus the girl being able to only afford cheap temporary food sources, and only having enough to keep the refrigerator running, yet not the lights in her home. The visual concept of an empty refrigerator and littered empty food is meant to symbolize the harsh reality of hunger and poverty faced by many. I wanted to capture the sense of despair experienced by those who lack access to nutritious food, or food in general. I have also chosen to draw it in birds eye view perspective to show the whole scene and give a more interesting dynamic perspective. As it was instructed we were to include a tagline in the poster, the greyed out boxes are a rough draft to show where I wanted to put my it. I have come up with the tagline "Zero Hunger, Zero Excuses" and the subtext, "let hunger die not the hungry" to reinforce the urgent message of the chosen SDG theme and poster.

Fig 1.1 Sketch

Digitalization

Once I had my sketch, I then placed my sketch into the artboard to act as a guide when illustrating. I first started out by creating the basic shapes of design which consists of the subject, the girl, the background, the fridge, and other larger shapes such as the door and table utilizing the pen tool, shapes tool and perspective warp tool for more rectangular shapes. I have lowered the opacity in order to better follow my sketch and observe how the shapes overlap with each other for better adjustments later on if needed

Fig 1.2 Basic Shape of Subject

Fig 1.3 Basic Shape of Wall & Floor

Fig 1.4 Basic Shape of Large Objects

I then moved on to creating the smaller objects in the design such as the littered food cans and trash bags utilizing the pen tool and shape builder tool to help create the lables/logo/packaging, and once finished I have duplicated some objects such as the soda can to scatter around the image.

Fig 1.5 Basic Shape of Smaller Objects

Once all the basic shapes were completed, I then refined any shapes that needed further adjusting.

Fig 1.6 Compilation of All Basic Shapes

When I had all my basic shapes ready, I then started to put down the base colours of the design and turned the opacity back up for all. For one particular large object- the sink next to fridge, I have used the gradient tool to create a silver colour.

Fig 1.7 Colouring Sink Utilizing Gradient Tool

Fig 1.8 Compilation of all Base Colours

After having the colouring set, I then proceeded to create the shadows and light using the pen tool, perspective warp tool, shape builder tool trying to follow the perspective of the design in order for the light and shadows to look coherent and natural, cutting out excess unwanted shapes and ensuring the shadows appear darker in some areas, as well as appear behind the objects. Additionally, I have also added a subtle outer glow to the light to add depth.

Fig 1.9 Creating Shadows

Fig 2.0 Creating Light

As a final step, I then added in my tagline text "Zero Hunger, Zero Excuses" and the subtext, "let hunger die not the hungry" using the fonts Bahaus 93 Regular for the main tagline in the colour white, and Futura Std Heavy for the subtext with the same colour as the shadows.  have also included a line in the "O" of the word zero to represent the numerical number 0 further amplifying the text meaning. Furthermore I have also added in lines for the text to sit comfortably on and duplicated them along with the text onto a separate layer in a complimentary orange shade to act as a background by slightly moving them in opposite directions as I felt the text was not visible and eye catching enough.

Fig 2.1 Addition of Text + Lines

Fig 2.2 Adding Text + Line Background

Final Outcome

Fig 2.3 MyTiger Values Art and Design Competition Illustration Poster JPG

Fig 2.4 MyTiger Values Art and Design Competition Illustration Poster Outline

Final MyTiger Values Art and Design Competition Illustration Poster PDF

The title of this Illustration Poster is "Zero Hunger, Zero Excuses.

It tells a story of a young girl that rests her head upon the last shelf of her empty refrigerator, her face etched with despair and hunger. Her surroundings are a stark reminder of the harsh reality she faces—a multitude of empty food cans, discarded drink bottles, and forsaken food containers, amplifying the profound absence of nourishment and sustenance in her life. The blank, deadpan stare on her face is also meant to encapsulate a double meaning- a sense of emptiness, both literally due to an empty stomach along with her surroundings, and physically in mind, body, and soul; someone with a broken spirit. This single girl represents the frustration and helplessness experienced by nearly 1 billion of those who endure the pangs of hunger each day,  and this illustration is meant to serve as a powerful symbol of the urgent global issue of hunger, urging us to confront the devastating consequences it has on countless lives. The hope is for this illustration to serve as a reminder that we have the power to reshape the narrative and create a world where no child laments before an empty refrigerator, and where nourishment and sustenance are a fundamental right for all, in this girl's lament lies an opportunity for change. Let us heed her silent plea, advocate for equitable access to nutritious food, and work tirelessly to create a future where the empty cans, bottles, and containers surrounding her are replaced with abundance, hope, and the assurance of a world free from hunger.

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REFLECTION

Through participating in the Maybank Foundation MyTIGER Values Art Competition and working on Project 2 of Illustration & Visual Narrative, I have learned valuable lessons about using illustration as a powerful tool to convey meaningful messages. The competition challenged me to interpret the chosen SDG goals through the lens of Maybank's core values - Teamwork, Integrity, Growth, Excellence & Efficiency, and Relationship Building in my poster. Illustrating the poster was quite time consuming as it involved the creation and refining of many shapes, carefully choosing colors to convey the somber mood, along with shading and light for the ambience, and although there were many moments where I felt burnt out and tired, through this project, I realized the power of visual storytelling and how illustrations can serve as compelling tools to raise awareness and advocate for important issues. The process of researching, conceptualizing, and executing the illustration deepened my understanding of the complex challenges related to hunger and poverty.

My hope is that this illustration will resonate with viewers and inspire action towards achieving the SDG of Zero Hunger. It is a call to address the underlying issues of poverty and inequality that contribute to hunger, urging us all to work together as a global community to build a world where access to safe, nutritious food is a fundamental right for everyone.

In conclusion, this project has been a valuable learning experience that has deepened my appreciation for the power of visual storytelling and the impact that illustrations can have in promoting positive change. It has motivated me to continue using my creative skills to address social and environmental issues and to be a part of the collective effort to create a more just and equitable world.