School of Architecture and Design / Associate Degree in Graphic Design
Advanced Illustration Techniques GRAP 2530
In this course you will be
assessed on the follow-
ing learning outcomes:
• Analyse and respond to an
industry style brief, selecting
and applying appropriate and
creative illustrative outcomes.
• Investigate and interpret
source material to develop
effective illustrations and
images
• Apply your skills in digital
imaging and image capture
to produce, edit and correct
artwork
• Develop creative digital
design outcomes using
industry software appropriately
and effectively
Project 1b. Garden fence mural
Assigned week 3, due week 10
Our environment is full of hard surfaces. Bitumen, concrete, masonry, steel, and glass are materials
whose appearance architects and landscape designers often try to soften. Metal fencing panels are
a common sight whose harsh appearance could be be improved with a softening mural treatment.
The client
The Essendon Community Garden Cooperative* in Brisbane Street, Ascot Vale (not far from our
campus) has a length of unattractive metal fencing. The requirement is to design part of a mural
to be painted on this fence to improve its appearance and make it blend harmoniously with its
surrounding vegetable gardens. This would be achieved by colouring and configuring the mural for a
softer, more organic appearance.
Because the client for this design is a diverse group of gardeners of all ages, a ‘well-mannered’
approach is required. It should not be too visually domineering. Avoid imagery at a giant
overwhelming scale. It should not look like retail graphics, advertising billboards, or graffiti, so avoid
large areas of saturated flat colour, and harsh high-contrast colour schemes. It could more suitably
resemble a woven tapestry.
Avoid obvious repeat patterns (as in wallpaper or floral printed fabric). If you repeat certain motifs
consider different treatments, such as different scaling.
The design is intended to be painted in acrylic paint onto the metal directly. You are to design the
mural for at least one 2.2 m wide unit of the fence, as pictured below, incorporating motifs related
to vegetables or herbs. As the steel fencing panels are not flat, the design needs to acknowledge
the ridged surface to some extent. Use the gridded Photoshop or Illustrator templates (links to
templates in Assignments > Assignment 1b).
Research
The project will be broken down to the following steps which will require interim in-class
presentations to the teacher.
1) Subject matter
Your design should include images of vegetables or herbs, (including shapes and line drawings in
different weights). These may be quite stylized and geometric.
You may adapt drawings or shapes produced in the first assignment, bearing in mind it will be
designed to be painted with a brush in acrylic paint on a large metal panel. It is recommended that
you stylise the vegetable drawings, ie make them simple, or more geometric. You might increase
the line weight.
2) Colour palette
The mural would be painted from a set of pre-mixed exterior acrylic paint colours. You should
create a set of harmonious colours as a starting point. You may vary the color combinations as the
piece develops. Each colour used must be on a separate layer in your design.
Tuition on Colour theory will be given in class, covering the various colour harmonies. It is
recommended that you work around a simple analogous colour harmony as a starting point.

*See Essendon Community
Garden on Instagram.)
The fence at Essendon Community Gardens
School of Architecture and Design / Associate Degree in Graphic Design
Advanced Illustration Techniques GRAP 2530
As part of the research for developing your colour palette you should make a colour inventory from
an existing photo or illustration. Look for interesting colours in Nature, Art and Design such as in
autumn leaves or fallen gum leaves. As the intention is to soften the hard metallic surface of the
fence and to create a more organic effect, avoid large areas of highly saturated colour and large
areas of white or black, tending towards mid-tones.
3) Create a coloured background of shapes registering with the grid template
Study the designs by previous students on p3, built on the grid derived from the redged surface of
the metal fence. To break up layers of background colours into separate shapes in Photoshop, you
could use layer masks on a layers of solid colour. You could configure this using the polygon lasso
tool in Photoshop, or hand-draw different arrangements of shapes on layers of tracing paper over
the grid (then scan them). Outlined shapes can be filled-in in Photoshop using the magic wand tool
to select the fill area. Ask for teacher’s help if unsure about these techniques.
Production specifications
Create your design using the Photoshop or Illustrator template provided in Canvas Assignment 1b.
It includes layers showing the vertical grid, and an optional horizontal grid, plus a couple of layers
that might be helpful in breaking up the background shapes.
As this design is a guide for painting and not intended for print or reproduction, issues like image
resolution and extreme precision are less important than they would be with finished art. (For
instance, the Photoshop template is almost A3, but only 150ppi, to keep file size down.)
As the design is intended to be hand painted with brushes and acrylic paint, the design should
consist of lines and shapes created from flat colours (each colour in a separate layer). Minimise
the need for painting complicated tonal effects. Flat colour may be softened and broken up using
a range of suitable techniques – by layering different configurations of analogous colours, and
overlays of fine patterns (which will be demonstrated in class).
DO NOT USE BLENDING MODES, OR ADJUSTMENT LAYERS.
KEEP EACH COLOUR TO ITS OWN LAYER. DO NOT FLATTEN THE IMAGE.
Interim deadlines
• Research on colour schemes and your colour inventory should be presented in class in week 6.
• Your work-in-progress including a collection of your original drawings should be presented to
teacher in class in week 6.
Final submission due week 10
The submission to Canvas should be a flattened jpeg (if you used Photoshop) or unflattened
llustrator file (both built on the grids supplied). If you used Photoshop an unflattened Photoshop
file should be submitted to the teacher’s USB in by week 11.
Assessment criteria:
• Colour. Development of colour palette as follows:
Harmonious colour combination
Use of colour to create overall muted effect
• Figurative content. Subject matter / motifs to relate to vegetable gardening, and appeal to
gardeners of all ages. Avoid aggressive looking imagery.
• Illustration style and resolution. Outcome should meet client requirements for visual
enhancement of the site as specified in the brief. Evidence of experimentation with drawing and
illustration media, and with drawing/illustration treatments required.
• Meeting technical specifications
(Design for painting in flat colours onto uneven metal surface)
The design should acknowledge the ridged surface of the fence panels as represented in the grid
provided. The design should suit application by hand at the specified scale in acrylic house paint.It
should not include detail that would be unreasonably difficult or time-consuming to apply on site.
Don’t make a feature of domineering
giant sized imagery
Acknowledge the grid of the surface
profile to some extent
These horizontal guides coinciding with
the vertical divisions may be useful
x
Mural Designs by previous class in
which the background shapes register
with the grid provided.
Design by Magenta Kwan
Design by Georgia Shelley
Design by India Coghlan