Assignment #4 – Illustrator “Comic/Cartoon Fantasy Makeover”

Students use their familiarity with Illustrator tools they learned in the Name Game assignment (including the selection and direct selection tools, and specialized applications using text, using layers, gradients, symbols, clipping masks, and shape manipulation tools) to modify a cartoon character, superhero, or comic character that they will use a  basis for creating a fantasy makeover. For this assignment, students must demonstrate knowledge of each of the listed tools and applications in one design that is theme based/tells a story. The outcome should not appear to be a random showing, but instead a deliberate and well though out composition showing their ability to use the tools.

Students will save their work as both a native .ai file and as a .pdf file to their files1. Students will upload their final piece as a PDF to their ePortfolios as a page/kid to Digital media with the assignment order number, and with a detailed assignment description (can be copied and pasted from here) and reflection restating what they did, how they did it, and how they feel about their work.

Reflection – For this assignment, I used Garfield as my comic character. I brought in the image, colored it, and manipulated it. I chose a different color than the traditional orange Garfield using the live paint option, and used the direct selection tool to change his whiskers and his nose. I also brought in two other cats from the comic, Arlene and Nermal, to be in my scene. I made little stands for the cats using the blob brush and revolve effect, and then I decided my scene would be a cat contest. As finishing touches, I made the medals and flags for the cats awards, the banners, and the shadows and gradient effects to make it more 3D. I made everything myself using a lot of different tools, and it was really fun. I like having had experience in tech classes so I can apply other knowledge of tools. I think I did pretty well on this assignment, and it was very fun.