Narrative Design: Illustration + Storytelling

One of the ways the graphic novel Asterios Polyp uses illustration to demonstrate storytelling is in its use of variation. A lot of subjects in the graphic novel seem so different from each other to the point that the fact they are all in the same story is surprising. Not only in the behavior of the characters, but the design and style of drawing with some of the objects as well as characters have so much contrast that it paints the story in a more realistic outlook that provides several angles. It shows that many of these characters view life in such a different perspective from each other that it almost seems they are from different dimensions, and yet they all learn to live with each other and try to share their point of views amongst themselves and with the reader. Another method Asterios Polyp uses illustration to demonstrate storytelling is its use of color to emphasize the focal point or focus of the image. Often times each scene is colored in a way that one subject will stand out far more than the environment or its fellow subjects, and in each of these cases, that subject is the centerpiece of that image. Although it would be easy enough for the reader to tell for themselves what the focus of each image is, by having the visual cues, it makes the images pop out more.

In game art, story telling is extremely vital. Designing a good narrative for a likeable character in a believable world is exemplary of good storytelling in a visual sense, which is the whole purpose of a game. In a game, the player can even be in control of the direction that the story goes in, with the extent of the influence the players’ decisions have over the progression of the story depending on whether the game has a linear or non-linear story. Without a good story, even the most beautiful games with the best gameplay and mechanics can be unsatisfying.