digi eval

1. Graphic Narrative Evaluation

2. You should give specific details about your work.
You should provide both written and visual examples to explain your project.
You should find areas to praise in your work. Be specific about why you think they are
good or why you are proud of them.
You should also find areas that could be improved. Look for areas that you could make
better if you went back to them. Be specific about what you would improve.
Add additional slides as you need to. Don’t be restricted by what is here.
Any blank slides should be deleted before submission.

3. Does your final product reflect your original intentions?
For the most part, the pages of my final product strongly follow the planning done with
my sketched storyboards. For pages 2 and 6, I completed two separate versions of the
sketched storyboard. Then, when creating the page, I considered both the differences
and similarities between the two scenes. This allowed me to better reflect on the
choices I made in the design process and choose the best elements of each version.
These two pages blend the planning sketches in order to have the best outcome.
A similar process occurred for the designs of both page 1 and 5, where
early planning regarding the visual style of the book heavily influenced these scenes.
With regards to page 1, a test page for the book was based on its storyboard sketch.
But this was not an exact copy; its purpose was to ensure that the art style of the book
had some sort of reference point, and the test page was this. However, there were
elements of the scene that strongly influenced the final layout of the page. For
example, the low-angle camera of the test page exposed issues when it came to text
placement – the text would interfere with the sky and market stalls if the camera
position remained at that level. With that in mind, I altered the design of my
storyboard for final production: the camera angle was raised considerably in order to
cut out the sky from the image and leave enough room for the text. The text would
then be positioned in the top-left corner of the page which would be left white. This
would mean that it would have enough room so as not to overlap with the market
stalls, and also ensure that the first body of text in the book would be relatively plain
and give the reader a more accessible introduction.

4. However, the process of making changes to page 5 began
much earlier in the process. The initial sketching task was
the core influence of pages 5 and 6, but mostly showed me
what not to do with the pages. Again, like page 1, most of
what I learned from the sketches was associated with
changing layouts. That said, the solution to this problem
was significantly different this time; splitting it into two
separate scenes turned out the be the best option I had as
it was effective in increasing the impact of the two
elements when compared to having them both on one
page. Now, page 5 shows the dog looking across the bridge
about to cross it, while page 6 is comprised of a much
closer up, high angle shot of the dog looking over the
bridge and towards the shadow. Originally though, the
sketching task showed a merged version of 5 and 6, where
the shot from page 5 was used, though the actions of the
dog were the same as they are in page 6.

5. How well have you constructed your images?
My images were constructed through the consideration of two different art
styles. The first of these two is for the characters, and uses block colours that
form a realistic design with rounded edges. Colours are limited to only 3 or 4
main shades per character, but the ones chosen are bright, stand out and
blend together well.
The environments however further lean toward the realistic
approach, and in more respects than just the form. Instead, they are made up
of more colours and use sharper edges than the characters. This means that
environments retain detail and complexity while still being simplified for a
children’s books. This allows characters to stand out from the rest of the
scene.
It is the contrast between the harsh edges of the environment
and the softer, more rounded, brighter colours of the characters that really
makes the two elements stand out from each other. That said, they still have
a similar overall look that does not clash harshly. Due to this, children can
better follow the most important aspects of a scene as they will notice
characters much sooner.

6. Skylines across the various pages show a change in time of day, and while this
is an interesting dynamic for altering the lighting and look of scenes over the
course of the story, it began to introduce an issues with image consistency
throughout production. As images of the sky can be very complex yet also be
made up of a fairly small range of colours, they lend themselves well to being
placed in the book. However, the detail within them is often done through a
subtle blend of colours which meant it was difficult to portray them while
keeping a consistent look, regardless of what was going on with the sky (time
of day, colour, cloud level etc.). While the colour of the sky itself was
manageable for fitting with each scene, looking from scene to scene showed
inconsistencies when it came to colours present in the images.
This lead me to the decision of taking time to go through each
page and unify the look of the sky as much as possible. While one or two
pages with a different take on the style were acceptable and added more
variety and mood to a scene, it was important for me to keep a consistent
theme. To do this, I made sure to blend some common colours and cloud
designs in all images of the sky. While this can be subtle, it goes a long way to
making it seem like the same sky at different times of day rather than
completely different skies from different regions of the world.

7. Another challenge was standardising the dog design across all pages.
Certain perspectives of the dog could be partially re-used in some
situations, leading to what may have been seen as similarities and
consistency across all dog character models. However, the different
view lead to variances that were difficult to detect immediately, but
significant in altering the perceived structure of the dog’s body. It was
not that each view of the dog looked unnatural by itself, but the overall
appearance that varied too much. While reusing the character design
from one page on another was generally very helpful, time was needed
in most instances to make many small adjustments that ensured the
dog was of the correct perspective in the scene.
Indeed, over the course of both the construction of the sky
and dog, similar problems occurred – things were looking good
individually, but were lacking any cohesion. A major problem with the
page construction as a whole was the necessity for constant tweaking
(as evidenced by the examples of the sky and the dog) in order for it to
first fit within the page and then fit as a whole. This took up a lot of time
– something that could have been avoided if more emphasis was placed
on planning these areas, particularly the sky.

8. How well have you used text to anchor your images
Throughout my book, I have used text not only with the intention of summarising what is being shown on
each page, but also to guide the reader across it. Consistently, text is placed near or next to a location of
particular relevance to a page, thus drawing the reader towards that spot and focusing their attention.
This is very similar to another method I used for the same effect – creating a contrast in the detail and
complexity of the characters and the environment.
An example of this strategy in play can be seen on page 1, where it’s implementation is
far more subtle than what is present on some of the other pages. Text is placed on a white background
(fading into the blue sky) in the top-left corner of the page. I did this with the goal of making the
introduction very clear to the reader – text beginning in the top left corner of the page introduces the
book in a straightforward way. Instead of using the text to bring focus to something else, the page itself
draws the readers attention to the text as it is shown on a white background so stands out. I thought that
this was an effective way to introduce the book.
For pages 2 and 3 however, text is centered in the middle third of the page in order to
bring added focus to the elements needing emphasis; the positioning on page 2 draws attention to the
meat (juxtaposing the gaze of the dog), while page 3 concentrates on the journey of the dog and the text
is placed in a way that follows it. The text for page 3 is more spread across the middle of the page as
though it is leading the reader in the direction that the dog is headed. While I found this method of text
placement to be effective for page 2, I did not like how the ends of each line on page 3 were left floating
in the sky with no framing from other objects or scenery.

9. There is a clear contrast between the text placement on page 5 and page 8; both pages share a
central layout of text, though it is placed above the dog on page 5, and below on page 8. I chose
this difference deliberately as it is another way of showing the dog’s motivations. The text on
page 5 talks about crossing the bridge, and placing this above the dog focusses the reader on
the goal – the landscape ahead that symbolises the freedom from the forest. dog is urged
forwards. On page 8, the text acts as a trail behind the dog, emphasizing the speed, as though
the dog ran through.
With page 7 I attempted to draw attention to the meat falling from the dog’s
mouth into the river – the text follows the fall of the meat, beginning at the top of the page and
ending at the bottom. Having to read the text all the way down the page emphasizes the fall,
almost acting as a way to slow down the scene and draw out the fall.
Across the double page spread of page 9 and 10, the text is split up into three
sections that follow the path and the transformation of the dog to the child. Furthermore, the
text spread out across the whole page emphasizes the disappointment of losing the food and
also the drawn-out nature of the rest of the journey back. While I like the intentions behind this
text placement, I have found that it (mainly the middle section of text) obstructs the original
image too much and also gets too close to the heads of the characters.
The general rule I tried to stick by with anchoring my text is to ensure that it was
placed in a way that compliments images and does not obstruct or stand out unpleasantly.
Unfortunately, one problem I had with the font I chose for use in my children’s book was that it
had a transparent element to it. I had not planned for this, so sometimes text placement
needed to change, or as in many of the darker scenes, needed to be changed to white to have
greater contrast with the environment surrounding it.

10. Is your product suitable for your audience?
I targeted my book at the age range of children that are 3 to 6 years old with the assumption that parents/carers
would be reading the book with their child at least the first time through.
The main challenges I had when creating the book were related to keeping environments and text
simplistic enough to be understood, but complex enough to hold detail. I made sure to look back upon my research
of currently existing and successful children’s books (in particular The Gruffalo) to see how they managed to
appropriately balance detail and simplicity.
Another aspect of my book was making sure that the image of the shadow was impactful upon
the scene but not too scary for my target age group. Initially, I mistakenly went down the road of designing the
shadow like it was some sort of phantom version of the dog lurking in the water. This was first planned in the
storyboards, so it wasn’t until I reached the production stage before I began making changes. First of all, I
constructed a very basic (incomplete) version of what I was hoping the phantom dog to be to see how it would fit
on the page. Unfortunately it was not successful, so I switched to the simpler and more effective option of creating
a darker and blurrier version of the dog. In the final version, the scene on page 6 is far more effective and more
appropriate for my target audience.
Despite targeting an age group of 3 to 6 years old, I did want to incorporate some elements into
the book that would be enjoyed by the adults that may read it with their children. While it needed to be kept subtle
to not be at the expense of a child’s understanding of the story, added meaning and metaphors which can be
noticed by a more analytical mind (such as the transformation from dog to child and what that and the rest of the
story represents) were ways that this was accomplished. Furthermore, these subtleties also enhance the book for
anyone that comes back to the book when they are older.

11. The book is aimed at boys and girls, so does not include any stereotypes that may
appeal more to a particular gender. That said, however significant in swaying the
suitability of the book for a particular gender, the dog is referred to in the book as
male (with the pronoun “he”), as is the child at the end who is wearing clothing
typically associated with boys.
I made the book with the intention of it being best-suited to western
markets and any ‘class’ of people, though I see no reason for it not to appeal
towards eastern markets as long as the text is translated and a few cultural
aspects are changed such as the market at the beginning. Of course, the decision
to target western markets initially as well as any ‘class’ of people was made
because it is the culture I am most familiar with and the market that I previously
mentioned for possibly being something that would need to be changed in
localisation is something that a wide group of people from many backgrounds
interact and are familiar with. This familiarity of setting is important for a
children’s book as a child is only aware of a select few locations (e.g. home,
nursery/school, frequently visited shops), and a market is arguably one of the
most iconic and prominent attractions to many town centres.

12. What do you like/dislike about the techniques you have used?
The very first technique I used that directly contributed to the images was making storyboards and sketches. While these were not implemented into the final
images, the ease that came with the simplicity of the technique meant that creating the storyboards was quick, effective and easily modified – things that are
essential at the planning stage when other options and possibilities have not yet been ruled out. That said, converting sketched images into a digital format of
acceptable quality requires a scanner. Fortunately, I had access to one, but problems arose when it was required. People using it, complications possible in
the scanning procedure.
Moving into Photoshop, the next tool I used was the transformation tool which was particularly useful for manipulating images that I used
to set out the basic structure of each page in a similar way to the storyboards. A downside was that raster graphic quality was still affected through the
scaling associated with this too, however this was not too much of an issue for my project all images used were replaced or heavily edited. Furthermore, the
transformation tool did not affect the quality of vector graphics as is expected. This is particularly good as many images featured in the pages are vector
based and were transformed many times.
All of the vector graphics seen in my project were made using the shape tool. The tool lends itself well to the creation of characters (all my
characters are created using the shape tool) as many shapes can be layered and resized separately or as a group and can gradually build up layers of colour.
While the transformation tool is an excellent pairing with the shape tool, it would have been preferable for options within the shape tool for creating custom
irregular shapes (similar to a mix between the custom polygon tool and the polygonal lasso). This would have significantly reduced the time needed for
perfecting transformations of rectangles and circles.
The polygonal lasso allowed for some of the heavy editing and stitching together of different images that went into creating each page.
While the rectangular selection tool allowed for much broader selections that were useful for making vignettes or blurring the edges of some rasterised
objects, the polygonal lasso facilitated precise yet clean selections (something that is generally not the case when using the magic wand). Despite the
versatility of this tool, there were still issues. When higher numbers of points were made to the selection or its start and end points came too close together,
selections would suddenly complete. Although a workaround for this was present with the add to selection option, it was a continuous issue during
production and clearly needs more refinement from Adobe (I doubt it was a hardware issue when running on a mid-range Mac).

13. While all of the previous techniques have focused on image structure, selection and manipulation, I also used many
that were essential for creating a coherent overall look to my pages. Some of these were focused on colour correction
and adjustment while others were useful in altering textures and details within a page’s constituent parts. The most
important of all these tools was the ability to alter the brightness, contrast and hue of an image or selection. Named
as Brightness/Contrast and Colour balance within Photoshop, these tools were used to improve the blending of colour
between images and also correctly lighting a page overall.
Although it still can be considered a selection tool, I primarily used the Colour Picker in conjunction with
the Brightness/Contrast and Colour balance tools in order to alter specific colours within an image rather than the
whole thing. While ultimately this was successful in the end, ensuring that the correct elements were selected was
usually difficult with the Colour Picker. Furthermore, if used to remove a more prominent colour within an image
(such as a white background), it would give the whole image a small hint of transparency – something very
undesirable when most of my images needed to be layered and blended with others.
Clipping masks were the main method of adding detail to otherwise flat and plain objects. For example,
the market stalls on the first two pages are made entirely of shapes coloured in greyscale. This was done to ensure I
retained the correct perspective throughout what is one of the more detailed structures in the book. Then, I
appropriately transformed and altered sections of various images to add both colour and texture to these shapes in a
way that fit with the rest of the structure. This was a very effective solution to the alternative of warping photos of
market stalls.

14. What do you like/dislike about how your final product looks?
I think that the most positive aspects of my book include the overall page layout, character design (including the block colours) as well as the
detail yet accessibility of the environments (contributed by the detailed yet clean use of colour). Indeed, the book as a whole is designed to be
clear on what the focus on each page is, which all of these elements together suggest I have done this successfully. The intention behind this
was to make sure that my target audience knows the focal point of each page and grasps the key information quickly and through an intuitive
method. This knowledge gained then allows them to supplement it into the process of learning words in the text (which is a key aspect of a
children’s book).
On the other hand, there are elements to my book that I am not so keen on - while the sky was supposed to shift over the
course of the book, and in darker areas it was supposed to look cloudier, I feel like the overall style of it may have shifted too much throughout
the books in the pursuit of these effects. As I mentioned previously, I did remedy this through the frequent use of consistent elements such as a
recurring cloud design and keeping some colours consistent.
The text was an element that I thought was good in guiding the eye of the reader across the page, but much less successful in
the way it fit in with its surroundings. Much of it was placed too close to the key elements and detracted from the quality of the designs. I think
the goal I had of using the text to guide the reader is something that requires a lot of refinement. Given how I gave production of the images
priority towards the end of the project, less time was spent on text placement. This meant that while the broad positioning of text was good,
the specific placements still needed more fine-tuning.
Another aspect of the text that I was unhappy with was the transparent part of it. While it may have been possible for me to
add a background through methods of various time requirements, I should have tested my text on the test page in order to discover this aspect
sooner. Once discovered, changing the font to something more suitable would then be an option.

15. Why did you include the content you used?
The overall purpose behind page 1 was to clearly introduce the reader into the book with an accessible wide
shot. Bright colours were also used to make the scene vibrant and grab the attention of the reader (or in some
situations where an adult begins reading the book with the child not paying much attention – at a glance of the
book these colours would get the attention of a child). Bright colours also contrast well with the dark woods
that appear later and accentuate the change in tone and the feelings of the dog.
Page 2 continues with the vibrancy, but introduces perspective to the scene in a more complex
view highlighting various aspects to the scene as well as the hierarchy of their importance. Market stalls in the
distance refer to the previous page and show the link, while the dog is seen slightly off centre, with the meat
positioned ahead of it. This perspective is also more dynamic and further focusses the reader. The tree adds
variety to the scenery, as do the birds in the sky.
In order to make the scene in page 3 more interesting (as otherwise it is simply a scene showing the
dog walking), I implemented the mole, the underground cross section and the tree in the distance. These
elements together add more variety and introduce perspective and depth in an otherwise flat and plain scene.

16. The dead tree and the crow perched upon it add to the dark tone of the scene for page 4. The bushes shroud
what is ahead, and the muddy path is a clear indication of the route through the scene and shows that it
won’t be pleasant.
Page 5 was particularly important, as it needed to ensure that the dark theme of the previous
page would not outstay its welcome (especially considering it is a children’s book). Therefore, a distant image
of the grassy plains is shown to illustrate that the end of the journey is in sight. The bridge is one final hurdle
after the path through the woods which still linger in the foreground.
Going back to a dark tone, but ensuring that it is not too much for a children’s book, the shadow
of page 6 represents fear of the unknown and how it is usually not as obscure as it may initially seem. The
blur/narrow depth of field is used to focus the scene on the shadow, adding both perspective and an
emphasis on the most obscure aspect of the page.
Pages 7 and 8 implement a motion blur effect on first the meat that falls from the dog’s mouth
and then again when the dog is running away. The effect gives a subtle, but more engaging dynamic to these
pages after somewhat of a drop in the pace of progression through the story.
Transition from day to night effect on page 9/10 is an interesting effect that illustrates how long
the child has been out playing. Furthermore, it is an interesting stylistic accompaniment to each stage of the
transition from dog to child.

17. What signs, symbols or codes have your used in your work?
The child that is shown at the end of the story mirrors the target audience of the book, adding a relatable element to the boy’s
adventure and displays the power of imagination. Furthermore, it highlights the fears, actions and consequences of the dog/child
can be applied to the real world and that the child reading should learn from this.
The shadow on page 6 could represent many things and is definitely open to interpretation, but my thoughts behind
it suggest that it is the selfish form of someone’s personality, an enemy and a lesson to learn from. This is heavily tied in to the
lessons learned by the dog/boy over the course of the story.
The dark woods represent a transition into the unknown, adventure, yet show what may be considered as the true,
unsheltered world. Again, this is heavily influential on the lesson’s learned by the dog.
The cross section of ground on page 3 not only makes the scene more interesting but also juxtaposes and
symbolises the discovery and adventure of the dog as he ventures into the outside world from the market.
The home at the end of the path on page 10 represents a safe place which is mirrored by the panicked nature of the dog/child on
the previous page transitioning to the slow pace as he transforms the closer he comes to the house.
More literally, the bridge exiting the woods represents both danger and an exit. However, looking into it deeper
shows that it is also somewhat of a physical manifestation of the dog’s fear and acts as a final hurdle on his journey home. It may
also be seen as a challenge in the instance of this story, as the dog is tested when he meets with the shadow. It gives an example
to the reader of failure and how there is no reward for it, and usually punishment.

18. What representations can be found in your work?
The only representation of a person in my story is the child at the end. As previously stated, their presence represents
imagination, experimentation, growth and learning. Furthermore, although the dog and child is referred to as male
within the story, the design of both characters is fairly non-specific so either gender could be applied to them. This is
both adaptable to the preference of the audience and also implies to them that generalisations cannot always be
made from the way someone or something looks.
When it comes to religious representations, the shadow in the forest may be interpreted as some (e.g.
Christians) to be the devil, though this was not planned in the design process. This view makes sense also, as the
shadow tempts the dog and sways him towards selfishness – something that the devil is often said to do in the Bible.
The meat in the story represents haves and have-not, showing that people always crave more, but should
remain happy with what they have.
The home at the end of the story has connotations of safety, warmth and family as that is what is
expected from most people when they think of home. Furthermore, when children see an environment such as this,
they are very familiar with it as it is usually one of the few places they know and spend a lot of time in.

19. What style have you employed in your products?
• Realistic environments made up of bright colours in the Gruffalo were the
main inspiration for the environments within my story. This means that
environments retain detail and complexity while still being simplified for a
children’s books. This allows characters to stand out from the rest of the
scene.
• When it came to character design, I focused on my research regarding The
Bad-Tempered Ladybird. The block colours used to create accessible detail
within the characters was what influenced my decision to limit colouring to
3 or 4 main shades per character, but the ones chosen are bright, stand out
and blend together well. It goes together and contrasts well with the
environments and allows characters to stand out from the rest of the scene.

20. What were the strengths and weaknesses of the pre-production and
planning
Although my schedule was planned in detail, in retrospect it did not set out as realistic of a
workload as it initially seemed. Indeed, while production remained on schedule to begin
with, it soon fell behind, not due to a lack of effort, but rather as a result of the production
methods in place. Although discussing the final results of my book is another section of the
evaluation entirely, it must be noted here that I feel that it was successful. I say this now
because, although I blame the production methods for the problems with maintaining
schedule, they did yield an effective presentation that had a unique aesthetic.
Unfortunately, time-keeping became a necessary sacrifice once the project got underway in
order to uphold consistency and quality.
In a bid to improve timekeeping on the project whilst retaining an effective
presentation in the same style, it may have been a good idea to decrease the space that
images took up on each page. Rather than (for the most part) utilising all the space on a
page to show images, separating the text and placing it around a smaller, more focused
image would decrease overall workload while maintaining quality and justifying the need for
that specific page size. Indeed, it may even be a possibility to reduce page size overall – as
well as requiring less production (as long as images are not just scaled down, containing the
same level of detail) it would also make a useful pocket book for parents travelling with their
child/children that need to carry something that may occupy their attention when
necessary.

21. Going back even further in the planning process, the test page was actually
an early indication that, if methods remained exactly the same going into the
final production stage, production will fall behind schedule. This is now clear,
but at the time not fully apparent to me. As the test page was never
completed to a standard I would consider acceptable, it showed that making
10 pages in an even more restrictive timespan would certainly be a challenge
if the process of creation was not altered. While the main character of the
test page was completed, the environment certainly wasn’t, and instead left
as a basic background showing a slightly edited photo of a market. However,
what I did notice at the time was that I had spent too much time converting
every detail of the dog and shading it in a fairly realistic way (at least for a
character that was supposed to be made up of block colours) and not enough
time creating the environment surrounding the dog. Therefore, I evened out
this workflow for the final production stage, which was already less time
consuming in terms of character creation – I was able to reuse character
assets for many of the scenes. This was done through copying required
objects from one page to the other with a slight warping of the constituent
parts and adjustment of the colour palette in order for it to better match the
next scene.
That said, environments took more time this time around as
more focus has been placed on them in the plan. Unfortunately, time
management continued to be an issue with my project leading up to its
completion.

22. Closer towards the beginning of the project, idea generation
yielded many interesting possibilities for stories to base the book
on. Only stories that do not have any copyright associated with
them were researched. After browsing www.wordoftales.com for
some time, I decided that the best stories for my book were ones
that could be told with a minimal amount of text over around 10
pages. Therefore, I narrowed my search to the fable category of
stories. Once I had done this, I found 4 potential stories and saved
them all in a word document so that I could find them easily.
The choice between the four Aesop fables I found was
decided through The Dog and the Shadow having a recognisable
protagonist, and a fairly simple plot that is not too long for a 10
page children’s book.
The next stage of this was to plan any changes to the
story as well as production methods through the use of a mind map
and mood board. I made several iterations to the story as seen in
the development PowerPoint. Each of these focused on refining the
story structure and the actual writing that would appear on each
page. As it is an old story, some words needed to be adjusted to fit
a modern dialect and be accessible for younger children.
Furthermore, despite it being the best story I found to fit a 10 page
structure, I made further story modifications to increase how well
each scene would fit.

23. Historical and cultural context
• Initially the story within my book was a fable by Aesop. Origins
pre 5th century BCE
• Featured in Aesop’s fables compilation books.
• My book offers a more updated version of the story, altering any
archaisms to better suit the child audience and adjusting visual
representations to better suit modern life. For example, the
market stalls at the beginning utilise modern designs for the
tarpaulin above them, the child wears fairly modern clothing
(red hoodie etc.) and the house at the end with a more modern
look to it.