Making a Classroom Illustration

kayleenartlover

I made a list of ideas for illustrations that would work for portfolio, based on the 100+ ideas list.
This one is gonna be an interior environment with anthropomorphic fish as a 2 page spread.
I'm really liking it so far. It's taken me a bit to get the perspective that I want.

Critiques on composition are welcome. I'm new to the adding space for text part, so if there is better strategy for placement for the spaces for text let me know.

ArtMelC

@kayleenartlover wow! I am a little confused with the concept though, you mentioned anthropomorphic fish, are the students supposed to be fish? If so then I am not seeing any hint of them being fish in the shape language... though I might have misunderstood your write up!

kayleenartlover

@ArtMelC I used reference photos of kids first to get the poses on "paper." I'll be making character designs based on different fish that live in saltwater reef. This was to figure out the perspective and eventually draw the desks in the spaces so I had to make sure everything would fit.

ArtMelC

@kayleenartlover I see, I get it now! I am just going to comment on text placement for now. In my opinion it is really hard to work an unknown text into a composition, so my first step would be to imagine what text will accompany this image? That will give you an idea of how long it will be and how much space and where to place it, otherwise the visual balance can get thrown off.

ArtMelC

@ArtMelC Composition wise I feel that there are too many competing objects that are all around the same size. And multiple boxes (the posters at the back, all the tables, all the students feel like repeating units). It is challenging because of the classroom setting where things tend to be quite uniform. Maybe vary the size of the students? Rethink if you need to draw every single table in the classroom?

kayleenartlover

@ArtMelC Yeah I haven't thought about what the story is yet. I definitely should work on that to figure out what the actual text would be for this scene.

carlianne

@kayleenartlover Oh yeah it'll help us give you better feedback when you know what the story you're trying to tell too!

I was going to say the composition is even as well right now. The girl looks like she'll be the focal point, and she's pretty close to centered horizontall and vertically).

But I would decide on a story first and then deciding on a composition will come from that decision

kayleenartlover

@carlianne is it bad that she's in the center? I was hoping enough students would be looking at her and having her higher up from eagerness would be the way to go. But I'm open to suggestions for where the focal point should be on a 2 page spread

kayleenartlover

Okay so I haven't thought about story ideas for this until today. But I do have one idea that might be really cute or really dumb

I'm wondering if the story would be showing schools for different creatures on every page:
plants have kinder-garden, jungle animals have gym, aliens have rocket math idk, rocks have band, otters learn to swim, birds learn to fly, and kids learn to read... ?

I would want it to flow like a repetitive poem, but that might be a bit much.

Anyway, I'm sure there's a simpler story, I'm just not experienced with writing kids books. Maybe I need something short and simple kinda like when we had that Critique Arena prompt with Riley and the garage?

ArtMelC

@kayleenartlover if you have some time and Disney+ you can try studying the classroom scene from Turning Red movie. You can also google "Turning Red classroom scene" to see clips just on that specific scene. Pause at key frames just within that classroom scene and you'll realise the classroom was never shot in the standard "rows of desks viewed from the teacher's stand" angle.

It is always shot to highlight a specific story:

Mei being embarassed when she saw her mom outside the window
On another frame, the students and the teacher all looking in one direction (the window and Mei's mom - which are out of frame)
Zoom in of various people's facial expression

Of course unlike animation, in PB you have to tell it all in one frame so you can pick which of these camera angles work best for you to tell the story in a single image, but hopefully this movie gives you a starting point to think of possible compositions.

kayleenartlover

@ArtMelC They do show it from this angle on Disney's Inside Out, I believe. I think it's meant to be more of an establishing shot. So I can do interior environment design. Another reason why I picked this angle was to show multiple students, some paying attention and some doing their own thing. And I wanted to have the room recognizable as a classroom. I only drew the gestures of the kids so far. No desks yet. Does it really look that bad?

ArtMelC

@kayleenartlover No, I wouldn't say it's bad as much as it's not yet fully developed or considered as a story. The girl raising her hand is a good starting point. Build the story around her. Why is she raising her hand? How do the classmates react? Is there any twist or surprise (e.g. she is actually raising her hand to go to the bathroom, not to answer the teacher's question)? Finally, is this the best angle to both tell the story and showcase your environment design skill?

kayleenartlover

@ArtMelC I understand. I'll have to think about the story more before I continue working on this one.

ArtMelC

@kayleenartlover All the best!

Nyrryl Cadiz

@kayleenartlover hi kayleen! this is just me but maybe you simplify this piece more and remove a few of the kids?