Build a Character in Illustrator
Exploring Ideas
This section explores the criteria "Explore the visual arts practices and styles as inspiration to develop a personal style, explore, express ideas, concepts and themes in art works(VCAVAE040)Explore how artists manipulate materials, techniques, technologies and processes to develop and express their intentions in art works (VCAVAE041)."
Finding Inspiration
This section explores the criteria "Analyse and interpret artworks to explore the different forms of expression, intentions and viewpoints of artists and how they are viewed by audiences(VCAVAR045)Analyse, interpret and evaluate a range of visual artworks from different cultures, historical and contemporary contexts, including artworks by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to explore differing viewpoints (VCAVAR046)"
Types of drawing
This section explores the criteria "Select and manipulate materials, techniques, and technologies and processes in a range of art forms to express ideas, concepts and themes (VCAVAV042)Conceptualise, plan and design art works that express ideas, concepts and artistic intentions (VCAVAV043)."
Exploring techniques
This section explores the criteria "plan and make their art works in response to exploration of techniques, technologies and processes used in the work of other artists. They demonstrate the use of materials, techniques, processes, visual conventions and technologies to express ideas and convey meaning in their artworks."
Refining project
This section explores all the criteria, reworking, reassessing, considering intent, concept and technique.
Final outcome and character backstory
This section explores the criteria "Create, present, analyse and evaluate displays of artwork considering how ideas can be conveyed to an audience (VCAVAP044)."
VCD – Putting it all together
Great job! After all your hard work it’s time to bring it all together!
Learning Intention: Finalising your work
Success Criteria: Bring together your best work and create a biography of your character – who are they?
Bringing it all together
Now it’s time to get all your work together and go back to your character outline that you started with. You can create a narrative about your character like the one below, and add it to your visual diary.
It’s also great to place your character in an interesting space. The is from a photo I took a while ago from a laneway in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
 | Meet Ruth Ruth is a dangerous rabbit. She has a secret hideout underneath her rabbit hole where she tests weapons and makes plans for all kinds of naughty-ness. Even though she is a villain by trade, she loves her luxury and high fashion. She won’t be caught anywhere without her trademark glasses. She has an eclectic taste. Her favourite symphony is Beethoven’s 5th, and her favourite book is ‘Oh the places you will go’ by Dr Seuss. She does have a secret desire to be a children’s book author, to give all those other aspiring villains out there something to read. As she is a rabbit, she loves to eat carrots, but don’t ever cross her as her favourite dish is revenge. In this photo however, she is off to get some crepes, they make her special carrot flavoured ones. The audience for this character would be teens and adults, she is intended to be comical. |
 | Ruth here has a serious attitude, but she’s just playing it up for the camera. She would never take a flame thrower into a public place. She’s very careful with all her power tools. |
Teachers, an extension for this project: It’s great to get all students work together in the same space. You can share them for everyone in illustrator and have an extension to this assignment where everyone shares their characters and makes their own character scene using all the students work from the class. It’s really a fun thing to do.
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