REFLECTIVE JOURNAL

KHETI GRABOWSKA

FINAL MAJOR PROJECT

03-02-2025 to 10-02-2025

SUMMARY OF WORK COMPLETED

What tasks did you complete this week?

I completed my mind-map and produced three initial ideas I was interested in and extracted from the various realms I created on Paint.

Did you meet your planned goals? If not, what challenges did you face?

I wanted to finish the final idea and initial research on the first week too, but I was unable to as we were bombarded with information on Monday and I had to plan out what was suitable for me to complete.

Did you experiment with any new techniques, tools, or creative approaches?

I used Paint, and recently was recommended draw.io, to make my mind-map, which seems simple enough, but I didn't know how simple the shapes and text was to use! I did more research on famous media to provide inspiration and an ability to imagine my ideas more clearly.

CREATIVE & TECHNICAL DECISIONS

What artistic choices did you make this week (e.g., color palettes, composition, animation techniques)?

I haven't created anything yet, but plan to make mood boards and color palettes for each realm, and already have an idea of what tones I want to use.

Why did you make these choices, and how do they help communicate your theme of "Realms"?

I think providing a concise color palette and mood board helps bring depth into your idea and what design to go for. For example, for the tropical realm, the colors will consist of oranges, yellows, and blues. These bright and vivid colors show you the vibrancy and passion of the realm without outright telling you.

Did you take inspiration from industry professionals, games, films, or concept artists?

I listed several examples in my actual work, but Honkai: Star Rail and Toilet-Bound Hanako Kun will most definitely inspire the environmental shots with their colorful, bizarre, yet pleasing compositions.

CHALLENGES & PROBLEM SOLVING

What difficulties did you encounter? (e.g., software issues, composition struggles, animation problems)

It was mostly just procrastination and stress. The idea of starting such an important project was daunting and left me stalling until Sunday.

How did you overcome them? (Did you research solutions, seek feedback, or change your approach?)

I had gotten a new PC, so using it to type out my work and ideas made me feel better as it's far quicker and more convenient to use than my old laptop. It made working at home easier for me.

What will you do differently next week to improve your workflow?

I will make a small schedule as to what I should complete in one week so I can track my progress and feel more motivated.

FEEDBACK & CRITICAL REFLECTION

Did you receive feedback from peers or tutors? What was the key takeaway?

I was given several ideas on what realms to expand on (Thank you Max, Sam, and Alex!) and used them in my mind-map.

Do you agree with the feedback? Will you make changes based on it?

The ideas were very helpful, and my second concept with the bug kingdom was suggested by a friend as we had already worked on it for the Miro board.

Looking at your work so far, what do you like and what do you want to improve?

I'd like to add more physical pieces, such as color palettes, rough sketching of designs and environment, and mood-boards. I may go back and improve on this.

MY PLAN FOR NEXT WEEK

What are your next steps?

I'll begin by deciding what idea I want to use for the rest of the project.

What specific goals will you aim to achieve?

I'm striving to finish deciding my final idea by answering the given questions and then conducting research on critical perspectives to further amplify the depth of my concept.

Are there any resources or research you need to support your development?

I will need to research artistic companies and individual creators to inspire off of as well as talking about what my concept will provide exactly.

I will need a drawing program, such as ibisPaint X (or Photoshop, now that I can use my XPPen tablet).

Of course, I may need Paint to create more mind-maps to clearly envision my future steps.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

How do you feel about your progress this week?

I've done a fair chunk of work, however, I'd like to complete more work next week to thrust myself into the assignments that really put your concept to action.

Has your vision for the project changed or evolved?

I certainly have more of an understanding of what I want to do, as I was completely dumbfounded on ideas for the project. The mind-map and research has helped me open my mind to various concepts.

What are you most excited about for the next stage of development?

I really want to get into the drawings and concept artwork. I think it really helps to show what I'm trying to achieve and present to the viewer when I'm creating something from my own two hands.

10-02-2025 to 17-02-2025

SUMMARY OF WORK COMPLETED

What tasks did you complete this week?

I completed the Final Idea & Initial Research page, as well as picked out my final concept to expand upon for FMP.

Did you meet your planned goals? If not, what challenges did you face?

Again, I have been procrastinating. I wanted to work on more pages, but I've been a bit burned out from completing the formative units and attempting to get the best grade on all of them. The more weeks that come, the easier it'll be to continue my FMP.

Did you experiment with any new techniques, tools, or creative approaches?

I've only been writing for now.

CREATIVE & TECHNICAL DECISIONS

What artistic choices did you make this week (e.g., colour palettes, composition, animation techniques)?

I've talked about what kind of palettes, shots, and designs I'll be producing, but I have not created anything just yet.

Why did you make these choices, and how do they help communicate your theme of "Realms"?

As I've mentioned before, it helps communicate what kind of atmosphere and society your characters reside in. For example, Mars will be volcanic, filled with broken buildings and homes, and smoke from both natural causes and ammunition screams danger and battle. The colours will be a deep red, ashy greys, and molten orange, further showcasing the environment on Mars and how it looks in reality and in my own rendition.

Did you take inspiration from industry professionals, games, films, or concept artists?

N/A

CHALLENGES & PROBLEM SOLVING

What difficulties did you encounter? (e.g., software issues, composition struggles, animation problems)

Like before, I've been procrastinating. 

How did you overcome them? (Did you research solutions, seek feedback, or change your approach?)

I thought to myself deeply about each concept until deciding I wanted to write it all down. My biggest problem when it comes to procrastination is being unable to think of any ideas when actually at my desk and staring at the site, so I laid in bed and mapped it out in my mind first.

What will you do differently next week to improve your workflow?

Possibly start drawing so I have something physical to talk about as well as expanding my concept by visually presenting it.

FEEDBACK & CRITICAL REFLECTION

Did you receive feedback from peers or tutors? What was the key takeaway?

Yes. I've asked several friends and even my mom on their opinion on all three concept ideas and which one they thought was strongest as I always appreciate another perspective that is not my own.

Do you agree with the feedback? Will you make changes based on it?

Yes. Several people picked Planetary Civilisations and gave me their opinion about it, some being that it was unique and they hadn't seen it before, and others being that it is a very vast concept and can be played around with however I'd like. I took this feedback into consideration and, with the support, made my final decision.

Looking at your work so far, what do you like and what do you want to improve?

I like how I've already expanded upon each concept before even getting into the nitty-gritty of it. I'm proud of my ideas and may even work on the other two I did not choose in my own time.

MY PLAN FOR NEXT WEEK

What are your next steps?

Creating palettes, reference sheets, mood boards, and concept art, as well as work on my Action Plan page.

What specific goals will you aim to achieve?

I want to have a solid amount of sketches and reference images to help inspire me for further weeks.

Are there any resources or research you need to support your development?

Pinterest and other artists' renditions and designs of similar concepts will help me decide on my own.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

How do you feel about your progress this week?

I feel like I could have done more, but something is better than nothing.

Has your vision for the project changed or evolved?

I'm now certain with my final project whilst the first week I was only pretty sure.

What are you most excited about for the next stage of development?

Drawing and designing environments.

24-02-2025 to 3-03-2025

SUMMARY OF WORK COMPLETED

What tasks did you complete this week?

I have finished the Proposal & Action Plan, the Career Focus & Practical Skills section in Primary Research, and a well-rendered concept of Venus' representative.

Did you meet your planned goals? If not, what challenges did you face?

I wanted to finish the Genre & Themes and Narrative section in Primary Research, but only got halfway through the Genre & Themes as I got an idea for a Venus character design.

Did you experiment with any new techniques, tools, or creative approaches?

I finally tried out MediBang Paint on my XPPen tablet as I wanted a simpler program and my friend recommended it to me if I preferred clearer layouts. I experimented with the hue shift and filters provided in the application.

CREATIVE & TECHNICAL DECISIONS

What artistic choices did you make this week (e.g., color palettes, composition, animation techniques)?

I made her design resemble traditional Greek pottery with a porcelain mask and hair decoration. I used the clipping mask to tidily color and shade her in.

Why did you make these choices, and how do they help communicate your theme of "Realms"?

The blue of her design depicts the sea, the pink depicts love, the yellow depicts beauty and radiance, and the white is inspired by Greek robes and fashion. Her mask is a derivative of Aphrodite's energy, and it is forbidden on Venus to walk the plains without a mask as not to challenge the deity's beauty. The highest ranked, which is who I drew, has the original mask that holds the love goddess' essence, whilst civilians wear clones or remakes of it. 

Did you take inspiration from industry professionals, games, films, or concept artists?

My biggest inspiration was Aphrodite herself and Greek ensembles.

CHALLENGES & PROBLEM SOLVING

What difficulties did you encounter? (e.g., software issues, composition struggles, animation problems)

Trying a new software and entirely unfamiliar approach of a digital tablet and its provided pen definitely made me nervous to try and make something as I didn't believe I could make something that was good enough in both my eyes and the brief's.

How did you overcome them? (Did you research solutions, seek feedback, or change your approach?)

I was in a call with my friend whilst doing it and streaming it to him whilst asking for advice on my color palette and design choices which helped me feel more at ease.

What will you do differently next week to improve your workflow?

I've created a schedule for one of my tasks as well as added them to my phone's calendar to remind and motivate me to do the allocated tasks I assigned myself with to keep things organised and concise.

FEEDBACK & CRITICAL REFLECTION

Did you receive feedback from peers or tutors? What was the key takeaway?

I was given advice on three different head pieces I gave my design for Venus. My friend picked the second option as it was balanced with the rest of the design unlike the other two.

Do you agree with the feedback? Will you make changes based on it?

I did and in turn rendered the second design.

Looking at your work so far, what do you like and what do you want to improve?

I like my design so far and how detailed my work is. I'd like to improve my work ethic when it comes to designing and concept art as well as make a full body reference sheet for Venus' representative.

MY PLAN FOR NEXT WEEK

What are your next steps?

Continue with Genre & Themes and Narrative to expand my world and deepen my characters' personalities.

What specific goals will you aim to achieve?

Finish the Primary Research section and make one or two more designs.

Are there any resources or research you need to support your development?

I will only need a searching engine to research Greek mythology and the background of the characters I'll be creating. I will also be using MediBang Paint to make more concept art.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

How do you feel about your progress this week?

I'm fine with it, but I would've preferred I did more. I am proud of my design.

Has your vision for the project changed or evolved?

Yes- particularly the story. It feels more grounded and detailed now.

What are you most excited about for the next stage of development?

To design more characters and maybe dabble in some environment concepts.

03-03-2025 to 10-03-2025

SUMMARY OF WORK COMPLETED

What tasks did you complete this week?

I've finished my Genres & Themes, as well as illustrated an Aphrodite concept and have changed the trajectory of my plot line.

Did you meet your planned goals? If not, what challenges did you face?

I wanted to complete the Narrative section and maybe even finish Primary Research, but I was not able to complete either. Again, I've heavily procrastinated, and I think I'll speak to Simon and see if my already completed work is on par for a Distinction to motivate me to complete the rest.

Did you experiment with any new techniques, tools, or creative approaches?

I have used reference images based off of Aphrodite's major symbols, roses, seashells, doves, sparrows, swans, and myrtles. I put these into the canvas themselves to help guide the design I wanted to make for her. I also added a few dresses to help mold her outfit. Putting these images on-screen is a common technique used by character designers and made it easier to create a flowing and concise design. 

CREATIVE & TECHNICAL DECISIONS

What artistic choices did you make this week (e.g., color palettes, composition, animation techniques)?

I've accumulated Aphrodite's reference and inspiration photos which I will use for the Mood Boards section. I've also decided on her color palette.

Why did you make these choices, and how do they help communicate your theme of "Realms"?

Aphrodite is the ruler of Venus, a fundamental part of the solar system and Greek mythology as a whole. Her almost alien look depicts indescribable and otherworldly beauty, which is constantly brought up whenever she's around.

Did you take inspiration from industry professionals, games, films, or concept artists?

The reference technique was based off of the same thing that concept artists and character designers do to create compelling designs.

CHALLENGES & PROBLEM SOLVING

What difficulties did you encounter? (e.g., software issues, composition struggles, animation problems)

Nothing technical, but I've been procrastinating as per usual.

How did you overcome them? (Did you research solutions, seek feedback, or change your approach?)

Again, I talked to my friends about the story-line as it initially felt hollow and illogical, reaching several conclusions and a brand new trajectory for the characters, environment, and lore. This helped me decide what designs I'll be aiming for, as well as made writing about the project much easier since I have a clearer understanding of what I want it to be.

What will you do differently next week to improve your workflow?

Design Ares. Me and my friends spoke extensively on his design and it motivated me to finally create him. 

FEEDBACK & CRITICAL REFLECTION

Did you receive feedback from peers or tutors? What was the key takeaway?

Yes. As I've mentioned before, they helped me with the story-line and characters, and I've decided to use the deities themselves instead of a representative. I've also added Ouroboros from Roman mythology to get involved with the war instead of Azathoth as its more concise to mix up Roman and Greek mythology rather than Greek mythology and Lovecraftian Horror.

Do you agree with the feedback? Will you make changes based on it?

Yes. A lot of the story-line will be adjusted and tweaked from this feedback and advice.

Looking at your work so far, what do you like and what do you want to improve?

I want to create more environment pieces and action-based compositions. I like my vision for the characters and the story.

MY PLAN FOR NEXT WEEK

What are your next steps?

Finish Primary (and maybe Secondary) Research. Create some shots of Mars' battle-ridden field, Venus' feminine paradise, Ouroboros' form curl around Earth's husk, and Zeus' domain as well as design Ares, Ouroboros, and Zeus.

What specific goals will you aim to achieve?

Finish Primary Research and create character designs that I am satisfied with and feel fit the narrative.

Are there any resources or research you need to support your development?

Websites dedicated towards Greek and Roman mythology information as well as Pinterest to help create mood boards for said aesthetics.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

How do you feel about your progress this week?

I'm disappointed but I'll only have to try harder the upcoming week.

Has your vision for the project changed or evolved?

Yes, almost entirely, as I went more in-depth about this earlier.

What are you most excited about for the next stage of development?

Designing Ares and finally finishing Primary and Secondary Research.

10-03-2025 to 17-03-2025

SUMMARY OF WORK COMPLETED

What tasks did you complete this week?

I completed Narrative and a few sketches.

Did you meet your planned goals? If not, what challenges did you face?

I finally finished a sector off and am happy, even if it's little progress.

Did you experiment with any new techniques, tools, or creative approaches?

N/A

CREATIVE & TECHNICAL DECISIONS

What artistic choices did you make this week (e.g., colour palettes, composition, animation techniques)?

I've created a messy concept of Aphrodite's Venus with the main colours that her planet encapsulates.

Why did you make these choices, and how do they help communicate your theme of "Realms"?

It helps bring depth as each planet will have different colors, architecture, and societal norms, both familiar to our own society and extraterrestrial.

Did you take inspiration from industry professionals, games, films, or concept artists?

N/A

CHALLENGES & PROBLEM SOLVING

What difficulties did you encounter? (e.g., software issues, composition struggles, animation problems)

Procrastination.

How did you overcome them? (Did you research solutions, seek feedback, or change your approach?)

By doing some work on my phone as it's easier than getting out of bed and turning on my computer.

What will you do differently next week to improve your workflow?

Try to focus more in college as well as at home.

FEEDBACK & CRITICAL REFLECTION

Did you receive feedback from peers or tutors? What was the key takeaway?

A lot of my writing and characters have been suggested by my friends as I struggled on a coherent narrative.

Do you agree with the feedback? Will you make changes based on it?

My second draft of the story was heavily helped by my friend, but I made a third draft as I wasn't happy with the climax and also wanted to try and be more independent.

Looking at your work so far, what do you like and what do you want to improve?

I like my Ares design so far.

MY PLAN FOR NEXT WEEK

What are your next steps?

I would like to create character sheets and finish Primary Research.

What specific goals will you aim to achieve?

Character concepts and designs.

Are there any resources or research you need to support your development?

My drawing tablet and Google to research.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

How do you feel about your progress this week?

It's small but something.

Has your vision for the project changed or evolved?

How the story goes has changed drastically.

What are you most excited about for the next stage of development?

Character designing and refining them.

17-03-2025 to 24-03-2025

SUMMARY OF WORK COMPLETED

What tasks did you complete this week?

I started with the character biographies and what their designs will entail. I've also started with Aphrodite's rendered character sheet.

Did you meet your planned goals? If not, what challenges did you face?

Not really. I'm working quite slowly and it's difficult to keep up with the work with little verbal and direct guidance.

Did you experiment with any new techniques, tools, or creative approaches?

N/A

CREATIVE & TECHNICAL DECISIONS

What artistic choices did you make this week (e.g., color palettes, composition, animation techniques)?

I've spoken about base color palettes of the characters so far.

Why did you make these choices, and how do they help communicate your theme of "Realms"?

It'll help provide depth for the world when the characters are connected to their relevant environment, such as Ares as a scarred, burly brutalist in a harsh Mars.

Did you take inspiration from industry professionals, games, films, or concept artists?

I took inspiration from Greek mythology and their symbols for each deity.

CHALLENGES & PROBLEM SOLVING

What difficulties did you encounter? (e.g., software issues, composition struggles, animation problems)

Motivational and avoidance issues of the work.

How did you overcome them? (Did you research solutions, seek feedback, or change your approach?)

I did some drawing and writing on my phone since it was easier and more accessible.

What will you do differently next week to improve your workflow?

Do more work at college and ask my friends to motivate me.

FEEDBACK & CRITICAL REFLECTION

Did you receive feedback from peers or tutors? What was the key takeaway?

Not this week.

Do you agree with the feedback? Will you make changes based on it?

N/A

Looking at your work so far, what do you like and what do you want to improve?

I want to improve my workflow.

MY PLAN FOR NEXT WEEK

What are your next steps?

Complete the characters section.

What specific goals will you aim to achieve?

Hopefully move onto locations

Are there any resources or research you need to support your development?

My phone, computer, and a search engine.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

How do you feel about your progress this week?

Not great. I haven't been doing much as of lately.

Has your vision for the project changed or evolved?

N/A

What are you most excited about for the next stage of development?

Finishing the character section as it is quite lengthy.

24-03-2025 to 31-03-2025

SUMMARY OF WORK COMPLETED

What tasks did you complete this week?

Finishing Ares' design and the character section in primary research.

Did you meet your planned goals? If not, what challenges did you face?

I did more than usual, which is great, but I also struggled with motivation loss.

Did you experiment with any new techniques, tools, or creative approaches?

I used reference images and colour swatches to visualise Ares as well as implemented his symbols into his design. (Vultures, snakes)

CREATIVE & TECHNICAL DECISIONS

What artistic choices did you make this week (e.g., color palettes, composition, animation techniques)?

Ares' design.

Why did you make these choices, and how do they help communicate your theme of "Realms"?

Ares is my main character, so I wanted to draw him as soon as possible and finally give him a tangible design.

Did you take inspiration from industry professionals, games, films, or concept artists?

Particularly his original appearance in Greek mythology and things associated with him.

CHALLENGES & PROBLEM SOLVING

What difficulties did you encounter? (e.g., software issues, composition struggles, animation problems)

I did struggle with Ares' helmet and his colours.

How did you overcome them? (Did you research solutions, seek feedback, or change your approach?)

I took advice from Sam, who told me that I should draw veins, eyes, and gorey aspects for his design. This is where the tendrils from his helmet and his belt came from.

What will you do differently next week to improve your workflow?

Call with friends and stream my site as a motivator to keep writing.

FEEDBACK & CRITICAL REFLECTION

Did you receive feedback from peers or tutors? What was the key takeaway?

For the ultimatum point of the story, I constructed this with Alex.

Do you agree with the feedback? Will you make changes based on it?

I liked it and changed the reason for the inter-planetary war to Ares' stubbornness to get a core piece from every deity.

Looking at your work so far, what do you like and what do you want to improve?

I like Ares' design a lot and think the helmet is really cool!

MY PLAN FOR NEXT WEEK

What are your next steps?

Designing more characters and completing more research sections.

What specific goals will you aim to achieve?

Design Gaia and finish Locations.

Are there any resources or research you need to support your development?

N/A

PERSONAL REFLECTION

How do you feel about your progress this week?

Better than before.

Has your vision for the project changed or evolved?

It has certainly changed after Zeus and Ares' confrontation was shifted.

What are you most excited about for the next stage of development?

Designing the rest of the characters.

14-04-2025 to 21-04-2025

SUMMARY OF WORK COMPLETED

What tasks did you complete this week?

Finished Gaia's and Zeus' design as well as some of Locations and Color Theory.

Did you meet your planned goals? If not, what challenges did you face?

I met my goals!

Did you experiment with any new techniques, tools, or creative approaches?

Just more extensive research for the color theory.

CREATIVE & TECHNICAL DECISIONS

What artistic choices did you make this week (e.g., color palettes, composition, animation techniques)?

Those two designs.

Why did you make these choices, and how do they help communicate your theme of "Realms"?

They're both important to the story and their designs are discernable concerning who they are and where they're from. I'm also trying to make them all look unique and diverse to showcase the vast collection of civilisations my realm hosts.

Did you take inspiration from industry professionals, games, films, or concept artists?

I took inspiration from Earth itself for Gaia (the sea for her dress, tree branches on her sleeves and head, fruit as a head accessory, and the sun and moon.) For Zeus, I wanted to showcase his selfishness and sleaziness through shape language, making him bottom-heavy and encased in flashy clothing. I took inspiration from his origins and his role as a deity (clouds and thunder on his clothing.)

CHALLENGES & PROBLEM SOLVING

What difficulties did you encounter? (e.g., software issues, composition struggles, animation problems)

I struggled a bit with Zeus' design as I wanted to give him armor without flooding his already large shape.

How did you overcome them? (Did you research solutions, seek feedback, or change your approach?)

I simply cut away at the same layer when rendering as a trial and error and also looked at real armour and cloths for reference.

What will you do differently next week to improve your workflow?

Talk to my friends about it and ask them to motivate me!

FEEDBACK & CRITICAL REFLECTION

Did you receive feedback from peers or tutors? What was the key takeaway?

Sam and Alex helped me with the base for Zeus, being that he covers his unsightly stature with flashy armour and accessories.

Do you agree with the feedback? Will you make changes based on it?

Yep and yep!

Looking at your work so far, what do you like and what do you want to improve?

I love Gaia's design and am liking how diverse I'm making everyone look.

MY PLAN FOR NEXT WEEK

What are your next steps?

Finish more designs as well as more written work.

What specific goals will you aim to achieve?

Finish Hermes', Phobos', and Deimos' design as well as more work on Primary and Secondary Research.

Are there any resources or research you need to support your development?

N/A

PERSONAL REFLECTION

How do you feel about your progress this week?

I think I did okay and managed to pump out two designs!

Has your vision for the project changed or evolved?

Not really, it's been quite steady.

What are you most excited about for the next stage of development?

More designs!!!

21-04-2025 to 28-04-2025

SUMMARY OF WORK COMPLETED

What tasks did you complete this week?

Finished Hermes', Phobos', and Deimos' design and jotted down notes for all the remaining questions for the research.

Did you meet your planned goals? If not, what challenges did you face?

I did well and have set a good margin with notes that'll make it easier to work on next week.

Did you experiment with any new techniques, tools, or creative approaches?

N/A

CREATIVE & TECHNICAL DECISIONS

What artistic choices did you make this week (e.g., color palettes, composition, animation techniques)?

Hermes', Phobos', and Deimos' designs.

Why did you make these choices, and how do they help communicate your theme of "Realms"?

Despite being more secondary in terms of their importance to the plot, I think adding them grants the narrative and the realm more depth and makes it feel lived in and regulated.

Did you take inspiration from industry professionals, games, films, or concept artists?

Hermes was inspired by Hades' Hermes as well as his origins, and I had an idea for a more negative palette for the 'brothers' from the get-go and wanted them to look like imps.

CHALLENGES & PROBLEM SOLVING

What difficulties did you encounter? (e.g., software issues, composition struggles, animation problems)

Phobos' and Deimos' colour scheme was consistently changed and I wasn't satisfied with any of them.

How did you overcome them? (Did you research solutions, seek feedback, or change your approach?)

I used filters and the gradient map to see what I thought looked good and asked my friends too.

What will you do differently next week to improve your workflow?

As per usual- ask friends for help and motivation!

FEEDBACK & CRITICAL REFLECTION

Did you receive feedback from peers or tutors? What was the key takeaway?

I gave different versions of Phobos and Deimos to my friends and asked them which they liked best.

Do you agree with the feedback? Will you make changes based on it?

Not really, because I then thought of the negative palette idea!

Looking at your work so far, what do you like and what do you want to improve?

I like my designs and Hermes might be my favourite so far. I just love how vibrant he is!

MY PLAN FOR NEXT WEEK

What are your next steps?

Start planning the Midpoint Evaluation and finishing written work.

What specific goals will you aim to achieve?

Start creating concept work, environment shots, and planning the final illustration.

Are there any resources or research you need to support your development?

N/A

PERSONAL REFLECTION

How do you feel about your progress this week?

Fine in terms of written work, happy with my designs.

Has your vision for the project changed or evolved?

Still the same!

What are you most excited about for the next stage of development?

To finally get the research page done..

28-04-2025 to 05-05-2025

SUMMARY OF WORK COMPLETED

What tasks did you complete this week?

I finished up both researches and began my final product.

Did you meet your planned goals? If not, what challenges did you face?

I did and am glad my work ethic is starting to pick up again!

Did you experiment with any new techniques, tools, or creative approaches?

Oftentimes, I decide on one idea without considering alternatives. For my final artwork, I asked around with several loosely-drawn concepts to see what everyone else liked.

CREATIVE & TECHNICAL DECISIONS

What artistic choices did you make this week (e.g., color palettes, composition, animation techniques)?

I decided which concept to expand upon and used a moodboard website to organise mine.

Why did you make these choices, and how do they help communicate your theme of "Realms"?

I wanted several perspectives to help me decide on my final piece and to make sure it was best at displaying the narrative with just the cover to hook an audience in.

Did you take inspiration from industry professionals, games, films, or concept artists?

I did look up environments on ArtStation to get a good idea of what effective composition looks like.

CHALLENGES & PROBLEM SOLVING

What difficulties did you encounter? (e.g., software issues, composition struggles, animation problems)

I couldn't decide on a single concept and struggled on which one I liked most for the final product.

How did you overcome them? (Did you research solutions, seek feedback, or change your approach?)

I asked around for help and to see which one people resonated with most, which worked out effectively.

What will you do differently next week to improve your workflow?

Continue on my artwork even if it's 10 minutes at a time, making sure I scribble through and storm up ideas on the way.

FEEDBACK & CRITICAL REFLECTION

Did you receive feedback from peers or tutors? What was the key takeaway?

I did through the survey and for the final product decision.

Do you agree with the feedback? Will you make changes based on it?

For the survey, I agreed with a majority of criticism, and will apply them to the polished versions of my character designs. The final product was chosen by the most voted concept.

Looking at your work so far, what do you like and what do you want to improve?

I want to improve my amount of alternative outfits and concepts to bulk up my production log.

MY PLAN FOR NEXT WEEK

What are your next steps?

Finish the final product and PowerPoint.

What specific goals will you aim to achieve?

Finish the final product alongside its post-production and refine designs with feedback given.

Are there any resources or research you need to support your development?

Using techniques such as half-tone shading, bounce light, building up values through greyscale, and using filters to block out colours is crucial for my piece.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

How do you feel about your progress this week?

I'm quite proud, considering how much I've completed in comparison to other weeks.

Has your vision for the project changed or evolved?

I did regret my choice in the middle chunk of the FMP, but I've slowly began liking it again when starting my final product.

What are you most excited about for the next stage of development?

Finishing my final piece, even though I'm quite nervous on how long it will take me.

05-05-2025 to 12-05-2025

SUMMARY OF WORK COMPLETED

What tasks did you complete this week?

Finish the PowerPoint and begin evaluating in production.

Did you meet your planned goals? If not, what challenges did you face?

Yes, but time is still ticking and I have a tight margin, considering I need to finish my final piece and refine my designs.

Did you experiment with any new techniques, tools, or creative approaches?

I made the palettes for the PowerPoint through a colour palette generator to neatly organise them and labelled them to evenly balance with the existing characters, with each one getting 1-3 colours. The primary palette with five colours represents the atmosphere of my entire world with explanations for each one. 

CREATIVE & TECHNICAL DECISIONS

What artistic choices did you make this week (e.g., color palettes, composition, animation techniques)?

Colour palettes.

Why did you make these choices, and how do they help communicate your theme of "Realms"?

I gave a consistent palette to follow to make my work cohesive and not scatter-brained, like a professional project. This helps confidently portray my theme as I have a strong basis of colours to use at my disposal.

Did you take inspiration from industry professionals, games, films, or concept artists?

N/A

CHALLENGES & PROBLEM SOLVING

What difficulties did you encounter? (e.g., software issues, composition struggles, animation problems)

I struggled with my final piece as it wasn't turning out how I wanted it to.

How did you overcome them? (Did you research solutions, seek feedback, or change your approach?)

I layered over the sketch with the lasso fill tool in a trial-and-error manner and cleaned it up to have a plain state instead of a messy sketch.

What will you do differently next week to improve your workflow?

Focus more in college as I often get distracted by my friends.

FEEDBACK & CRITICAL REFLECTION

Did you receive feedback from peers or tutors? What was the key takeaway?

N/A

Do you agree with the feedback? Will you make changes based on it?

N/A

Looking at your work so far, what do you like and what do you want to improve?

I like my PowerPoint and the palettes I've created. I want to improve my final piece and hope it'll work out with some elbow grease.

MY PLAN FOR NEXT WEEK

What are your next steps?

Finish the project.

What specific goals will you aim to achieve?

Finish my final piece, post-production, evaluation, and  practise work.

Are there any resources or research you need to support your development?

N/A

PERSONAL REFLECTION

How do you feel about your progress this week?

Quite good as I completed an entire tab!

Has your vision for the project changed or evolved?

N/A

What are you most excited about for the next stage of development?

Finishing my final piece!

12-05-2025 to 16-05-2025

SUMMARY OF WORK COMPLETED

What tasks did you complete this week?

Finished my entire project!!

Did you meet your planned goals? If not, what challenges did you face?

Yep, I managed through some harsh pressure.

Did you experiment with any new techniques, tools, or creative approaches?

I used a bunch of filters over grayscale to help build my colouring, shading, and lighting.

CREATIVE & TECHNICAL DECISIONS

What artistic choices did you make this week (e.g., color palettes, composition, animation techniques)?

My book cover and title logo.

Why did you make these choices, and how do they help communicate your theme of "Realms"?

The title logo is a staple and heart for my project, as it depicts my work and represents my narrative.

Did you take inspiration from industry professionals, games, films, or concept artists?

I took inspiration from Dark Comics and other companies to help me make up certificates and logos for the post-production.

CHALLENGES & PROBLEM SOLVING

What difficulties did you encounter? (e.g., software issues, composition struggles, animation problems)

I was at a pothole with what to title my entire project and struggled on the composition for my final piece.

How did you overcome them? (Did you research solutions, seek feedback, or change your approach?)

I talked to my friends about it and we researched Ancient Greek words, which helped me decide on a title. The composition was slowly built with trial-and-error and me taking a break from the art program.

What will you do differently next week to improve your workflow?

Work all day through college and cross off objectives in my Word document.

FEEDBACK & CRITICAL REFLECTION

Did you receive feedback from peers or tutors? What was the key takeaway?

I got help with the title.

Do you agree with the feedback? Will you make changes based on it?

I completely agreed and we even researched the meanings of the words so it was relevant to my work.

Looking at your work so far, what do you like and what do you want to improve?

Well.. I can't exactly improve it since it's all done, but I love the final piece, even if it started out rough.

MY PLAN FOR NEXT WEEK

What are your next steps?

Evaluate in my own time and practise in preparation for next year.

What specific goals will you aim to achieve?

I really hope I get a distinction this year and next year.

Are there any resources or research you need to support your development?

I'll do more research and practise on things I'm not too strong in whilst building up my story writing.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

How do you feel about your progress this week?

Fantastic- I'm so happy I finished it all in time!

Has your vision for the project changed or evolved?

I'm definitely happier with my Realm now then I was in the middle of the project.

What are you most excited about for the next stage of development?

To practise during the holidays and make a brand new project for next year.