Introduction
In the Visual Narrative unit, we improved our storytelling skills by writing short story about whatever we wanted, and then we illustrated the story with visual art and an audio production using Adobe Illustrator and ProTools. In Adobe Illustrator, we were taught various things like live paint, patterns, and the pen tool especially, to create our story illustrations. In Pro Tools, we learned how to edit our voiceover to make our story narrations interesting. This unit taught me to explore the elements of what makes a successful and interesting narrative. I am grateful I was able to experience the steps of creating my character by planning its appearances and characteristics, and laying out what the character desires and what is stopping them from what they desire. I learned how to use Adobe Illustrator and I was able to apply what I learned from that to my own pieces, I have made posters and advertisements for various companies, like a real estate company and a restaurant in downtown Palo Alto.
Story
“Broken But Breathing”
In English, we were given the assignment to write a flash fiction story with a well-developed character and a full narrative arc, all within a short word count. To help build our characters, we filled out a Character Questionnaire and created a Plot Map. These tools helped me really think through who my character is, what drives him, what he’s afraid of, and what he truly needs.
My story is called “Broken But Breathing.” It’s about a homeless war veteran named Bob Zeller. I was inspired by the real struggles many veterans face when they come back home. Things like PTSD, homelessness, and feeling forgotten by the people they served. I wanted to show a side of that story, but through a smaller, more personal moment. In Bob’s case, the one thing keeping him going is his dog, Rodger. That bond is what gives the story heart.
Once I finished the story, I created an audio version by writing a script and recording myself reading it out loud. I tried to match my voice to Bob’s emotions of feeling tired, hopeful, lost, and I added some background sounds like wind and traffic to help set the scene. It made the story feel more alive.
What I appreciated most about going from writing to audio was how different it felt to hear the story. When I listened back to the recording, the emotions hit harder. The words I had written felt more real. It helped me see how powerful a story can be when it’s not just read, but heard.
Behind The Scenes of “Broken but Breathing”
This is a screenshot of my short story audio in Pro Tools. It shows the different tracks I used, my voice, background sounds, and effects. I edited everything to match the emotion and pacing of the story.
Here’s my album art for “Broken but Breathing.” I made it in Illustrator using dark tones, flash of color, and a simple design to show the story’s serious themes, like PTSD and survival.
How did I grow?
I got better at writing emotional stories and editing audio. I learned how to use sound to make the story feel more real and powerful.
What was hard and how did I fix it?
Getting the tone right was tough. I didn’t want the story to be too dark, so I focused on Bob’s bond with his dog. That helped balance it out. I also had to fix some pacing issues in the audio by adjusting timing and re-listening a lot.
What would I change?
I’d add more background sounds to bring the setting to life and maybe change how I voiced some parts of the story for more emotion.
What am I proud of?
I’m proud of how real Bob feels. I think people can connect with him and understand what he’s been through.
How will I use this in the future?
I learned that short stories can still be powerful. I’ll use these skills in future writing or maybe even podcast or film work.
How did this project change how I see audio work?
Now I notice how much detail goes into audio stories. Every sound matters. I respect that a lot more now.
Illustrations
This Project was the Exquisite Corpse Project, 4 of us were put in groups and assigned a square with markings on it that we had to make our illustration adhere by. For my square, the second one, I chose to create a lizard. I made a mistake which was thinking my end of the project was the first square so I made a head, but the day it was due I realized it was wrong and I added 2 more heads to finish the piece and I think it turned out nicely, it didnt get seperated drastically.
At Freestyle Academy, there is some really cool equipment and our teacher, Mr. Florendo, wanted to use this equipment so he let us have 1 free product that we could design using Adobe Illustrator. For my project, I made a candle shade for my mum and I included all of her favorite things on it. I wanted to include all of the things she likes from favorite to still really liked but not as much. The project turned out nicely, and only one or two thin pieces broke off but it’s okay. I wasnt able to give it to her on her birthday when I wanted to but I gave it to her after the exhibition was over.
Artist Statement
Title: My mums favorite’s
Paragraph 1: I produced a candle shade cut out using adobe illustrator to create the design I wanted to print, and Mr. Florendo cut it out and I glued the pieces together. I used wood, wood glue, adobe illustrator, and the laser engraver to create my final piece. My mum’s birthday was coming up and I wanted to give her something that I made at freestyle since she’s always been supportive of me with my projects, so I created a candle shade with all of her favorite things on it because she loves candles.
Paragraph 2 (if any) : How did you grow artistically and technically with this project? What did you learn or confirm about yourself and your technical and artistic skills? I grew artistically and technically with this project because I learned that it is important to make sure things are exactly right, I learned this during my printing stage when there was a piece that was barely hanging on and after the laser cut it fell off and I had to redo the connection. I learned that I should take more time when making something, and that patience and precision is extremely helpful for projects
Music
Background context
Process in producing your Experimental Music in Pro Tools
Artist Statement and also Add a Quote block. Provide some “IMPRESSIVE” screenshots of your Pro Tools Session to give the viewer a behind the scenes look at your production
Write a paragraph or two about your main takeaways from using MIDI and production music in Pro Tools.
Design
Provide context of your work in this class
What were you challenged to produce? What did you value from the specific process and production in your elective class? Anyone you wish to thank?
Embed video and/or images of your project work.
Because people like to know about the “behind the scenes” process, add an “impressive” screenshot of your elective class project file and add a caption to explain what the image is about.
For each item below, include a short introduction to the piece so the viewer has some context. A personal reflection (1-2 sentences) always provides a human and emotional touch to the presentation.
Conclusion
In this project, I practiced my storytelling and audio production skills by creating and narrating my suspenseful story Broken But Breathing. My story follows Bob, a homeless veteran struggling with his past and present as he tries to survive a cold night in the city while caring for his dog, Rodger. I grew a lot by narrating this story and adding sound effects to bring out the mood using Pro Tools. I learned how to record my voice, normalize tracks, add fades, and layer music and sound effects to make the narration more immersive and emotional.
One challenge I faced was learning how to navigate Pro Tools since it was completely new to me. There were so many settings and buttons that I felt overwhelmed at first. I had to spend time experimenting and also asked Mr. Florendo and ChatGPT for help to figure out how to create, edit, and export my audio track. Recording wasn’t easy either—I had to do multiple takes because of stutters or background noise like accidentally rubbing my hands on my clothes, which the microphone picked up.
If I could improve my project, I would add more emotion and expression to my narration. After listening back, I think some parts could be more powerful if I spoke louder or showed more intensity, especially during tense moments. Next time, I would go back to the recording booth and really lean into the character’s feelings to make the story come alive even more.
Completing this audio project made me realize how valuable these skills are for future projects. Whether it’s creating voiceovers for videos, presentations, or club activities, I feel more confident about producing professional audio. As Mr. Florendo says, this kind of skill makes me “UNSTOPPABLE.” This project also gave me a new appreciation for the hard work that goes into other people’s audio and video projects — how much effort they put into editing and adding sound effects to engage their audience.
Illustrations
One of my favorite parts of the Narrative unit was using the skills I learned in Adobe Illustrator to create different kinds of art beyond just the Short Story Album Art. Two projects that stood out were the horizontal exquisite corpse and the physical product creation. The exquisite corpse involved drawing something without seeing what others were drawing, then combining all the drawings to create a unique and surprising final piece. The physical product project let us design and decorate real items like stickers, mugs, mousepads, or even wood lanterns that we could take home. I loved this project because it gave me the chance to make something personal and useful, and I appreciated how affordable it was to produce.
For the exquisite corpse, I illustrated lizards, which symbolize resilience and adaptability. I practiced using texture effects, repeating patterns, drop shadows, the pen tool, and the live paint tool, which helped me improve my overall Illustrator skills.
All of these experiences made me excited about designing, especially when I got to apply them to a physical product—like the candleshade I made for my mum, featuring her favorite logos and interests. It felt great to create something meaningful that could also be used every day.
For the Adobe Illustrator project where we got to create a physical product, I decided to design a candleshade for my mum as a gift. I included some of her favorite things, like the Nutella logo, Topo Chico logo, Coca-Cola logo, and an image representing running since those are all important to her. I wanted the design to feel personal and special.
I kept the colors simple to make the design clear and clean, and I played with symmetry to make it visually balanced. After finishing the design, I sent the file to be laser cut and printed onto the candleshade. It was really exciting to see my digital artwork become a real, customized gift that she could use and enjoy.
My Candle Shade Artist Statement
For this Adobe Illustrator project, I decided to create a special design for my mum’s candleshade as a gift. I included all of her favorite things in the design, like the Nutella logo, Topo Chico logo, Coca-Cola logo, and an image representing running, since those are things she really loves. I wanted the design to feel personal and meaningful to her.
I created the artwork in Adobe Illustrator using tools like the pen tool, live paint bucket, and blend tool to make clean shapes and patterns. After finishing the design, we used a laser cutter to print and etch the graphic onto the candleshade, turning my digital art into a real, customized gift.
Besides the logos and running theme, I also took inspiration from a previous project about Positive Negative Space, which taught me how to make balanced, eye-catching designs using only two colors. I used that idea to keep the design simple but visually interesting. I also applied one-point linear perspective skills I practiced before to add some depth to the design.
During the process, I improved a lot with the pen tool and live paint bucket. At first, the pen tool was tricky because of the anchor points, but I learned how to adjust them for smoother lines. I also found that using the live paint tool for filling shapes was better than the brush tool since it avoided crashing the program. Overall, this project gave me more confidence in making detailed designs and inspired me to keep experimenting with creative gifts for people I care about.
Conclusion
While working on this Adobe Illustrator project I quickly realized that it is quite different from Photoshop when it comes to making art. I learned that Illustrator uses vector graphics which lets you resize your drawings without losing any quality or getting pixelated. That was a game changer for me.
I also discovered that creating organic shapes in Illustrator is different because you mainly use the pen tool to draw the shapes and then fill them with color instead of just painting with a brush like in Photoshop. This approach takes a bit of getting used to but it makes the artwork way more flexible.
Because of how flexible Illustrator is I am excited to keep improving my skills and use it for all kinds of projects like designing posters, customizing things like mousepads, tweaking my website, or just making art in general. It feels like a really powerful tool to have in my creative toolkit.
Music
My inspiration for this music came from a strong desire to explore and try something completely new. Since I’m still learning about music production, I wanted to experiment with different sounds and see where it would take me. I spent a lot of time playing around with virtual instruments and mixing unexpected combinations to capture the mood of Broken But Breathing. I also pulled ideas from instrumental music and video game soundtracks I like, which often have unique and experimental vibes.
One thing I’m really proud of is how I created different melodic parts that are pretty different from each other but still work together to tell a story. Playing with different sounds and textures was a lot of fun and helped me find new ways to express the emotions of the character and his journey. I also learned a ton about Pro Tools—from setting up the session to recording and exporting—which made me feel way more confident in my music skills.
What I love most about virtual instruments is that they let me try out so many different sounds without needing to actually know how to play the instrument. That freedom really pushed me to experiment and get creative. It opened up so many possibilities to support storytelling through music in new ways. I’m excited to keep exploring and trying new things with music for future projects—whether it’s for films, games, or my own stories.
My Experimental Music Artist Statement
My inspiration for the music came from a desire to explore and experiment. Since I don’t have much experience with music production, I wanted to try something completely new and see where it would take me. I spent a lot of time testing different virtual instruments and sounds, playing around with unexpected combinations to capture the mood of Broken But Breathing. I also drew inspiration from instrumental music and video game soundtracks I enjoy, which often blend unique and experimental elements.
One of the things I’m most proud of is how I was able to create different melodic sections that, while diverse, still came together to tell a story. Experimenting with sounds and textures was exciting, and it helped me discover new ways to express the emotions of the character and his journey. This project also taught me a lot about using Pro Tools—from setting up sessions to recording and exporting—which made me more confident in my music-making skills.
What I love about virtual instruments is how they open the door to endless possibilities. I can try out so many different sounds without needing to know how to play the actual instruments, which really encourages experimentation. This freedom allowed me to push creative boundaries and imagine new ways to support storytelling through music. I’m excited to keep exploring and experimenting with music for future projects, whether it’s for films, games, or my own stories.
My main takeaway for using Pro Tools and using MIDI in Pro Tools is that you unlock a wide variety of virtual instruments that you can play, without even having to buy a physical instrument. In addition to that, you don’t even need to learn how to actually play a physical instrument, as it only takes a few clicks on the mouse or keyboard to make that happen. Even though there’s still a lot for me to learn, I hope that I get to become even more familiar with Pro Tools so that I can create better music and see my improvement comparing to where I first started.
Design
For this unit in Design class, we focused entirely on making illustrations for our narrative story through Adobe Illustrator, and photography by using colored lights to express mood. Before we started these projects, we were taught how to properly draw shapes in Adobe Illustrator, by using the pen tool and live paint (yes, we learned Illustrator in Design first way before we were taught it in Digital Media). We did many practice assignments to build our foundation with our Illustrator skills, such as tracing a rubber duck image, and drawing our bedroom in one point perspective to show dimension.
For our first illustration project in the narrative unit, we had to identify five personality traits of our character and then find an animal that represents each trait. For my creature, I chose a hummingbird, turtle, lion, dragonfly, and dog. The hummingbird stands for resilience and energy, the turtle represents endurance and protection, the lion symbolizes courage and strength, the dragonfly reflects adaptability and change, and the dog shows loyalty and companionship.
I spent time searching online for images of these animals and their body parts to use as references for tracing. For my color scheme, I picked blue, purple, and touches of orange because they express sadness, hope, and warmth—all emotions connected to my character’s story.
My favorite part of the project was learning how to create different textures in Adobe Illustrator, like the feathers of the hummingbird, the rough shell of the turtle, and the soft fur of the dog. In the end, I created a unique creature that captures the complexity and spirit of Bob from Broken But Breathing.
For the background, I used one-point linear perspective to draw the alleyway where Bob spends much of his time. I positioned the viewpoint low to the ground and slightly off to one side, matching the height and perspective of my creature. I added details like cracked concrete, trash bins, and dim streetlights to bring the scene to life and reflect the harshness of Bob’s world. I also included subtle rays of light filtering through the alley to symbolize small moments of hope amidst the darkness.
After finishing both the creature and the background illustrations, I placed my narrative creature into the scene, capturing a quiet moment of resilience and vulnerability before Bob takes his next steps toward healing.
My Narrative Creature Artist Statement
Got it! Here’s the rewrite with your chosen animals:
My creature is inspired by my story about Bob, a veteran who is now homeless and struggling to survive on the cold city streets. The scene I illustrated shows a quiet moment where Bob sits with his dog Rodger, finding some small comfort despite everything he’s been through. My creature reflects Bob’s mix of pain, strength, and hope in a tough world.
For this project, we started by picking five different animals to represent different parts of our character: one aquatic animal, one insect, one bird, one reptile, and one mammal. I chose a hummingbird, turtle, lion, dragonfly, and dog for my creature. Each animal symbolizes something about Bob. The hummingbird represents resilience and energy, the turtle stands for endurance and protection, the lion shows courage and strength, the dragonfly reflects adaptability and transformation, and the dog symbolizes loyalty and companionship.
I found reference images online and traced them in Adobe Illustrator. I used blue, purple, and touches of orange for the colors to capture the sadness, loneliness, and moments of warmth in Bob’s life. For the background, I drew a city alley using one-point linear perspective to create a feeling of isolation and confinement, with the viewpoint low to the ground to reflect Bob’s experience. Finally, I placed my creature in this setting to show that fragile moment where Bob and Rodger find a bit of peace.
The details of the creature were challenging to draw, but this project helped me get more comfortable with Adobe Illustrator and taught me how to use art to bring stories to life.
In this project, we were asked to bring our narrative characters to life by creating a portrait that captured a key moment from our story. We started by choosing someone we knew who looked like our character and then planned a photoshoot that matched the setting and mood of the scene. Along the way, we learned how lighting, color, and posing all play a big role in telling a story through photography. We experimented with different light setups, including side and back lighting, and used colored lights to help create the right mood.
For my model, I chose my friend Ricardo. He fit the character I had in mind from my story, which follows a man named Bob, a veteran who’s homeless and struggling with his past. Ricardo really understood the mood I was going for, and he did a great job expressing that mix of exhaustion, pain, and quiet hope that defines Bob’s character.
I found a quiet, empty spot that worked well as a stand-in for a city alley. I had Ricardo sit on the ground, representing the few things Bob still carries with him. I asked him to pose in a way that looked tired and distant, as if he were lost in his own thoughts. I used cool-toned lights, mostly blue and soft purple, to bring out the sadness and stillness of the moment.
This project helped me realize how powerful a portrait can be when it’s connected to a story. It taught me how to use light and space to show emotion, and it was really meaningful to work with a friend to bring a written scene into something visual and real.
My Narrative Portrait Artist Statement
Absolutely! Here’s a rewritten artist’s statement based on your story “Broken But Breathing”, in the same tone and format as before:
My portrait is based on my narrative titled Broken But Breathing, which follows the story of Bob, a homeless veteran trying to survive the cold streets of New York City. He’s physically worn down, emotionally fractured, and haunted by memories of war, especially his time in Afghanistan. The only constant in his life is his dog, Rodger, who keeps him grounded and gives him just enough hope to keep going. In the portrait, I captured a quiet, heavy moment: Bob sitting in an alley with Rodger by his side, surrounded by shadows, lost in thought. His expression is one of defeat mixed with quiet resilience, reflecting the weight he carries from both his past and present.
To bring this character and scene to life visually, I first had to figure out how to stage the emotional atmosphere I had written about. I asked around to see who would be comfortable modeling for Bob, and eventually found someone who was open to taking on the role. I scouted a few places for the shoot but ended up using a narrow, dimly lit corner behind a building that felt just isolated enough to reflect Bob’s emotional state.
I spent time setting up the lighting to capture the mood. I leaned into cool tones—mostly blues and grays—to reflect the coldness of the street and the loneliness Bob feels. We took several photos in different poses, trying to find one that truly captured that fragile moment between giving up and pushing forward. Even though the story is dark, I wanted the image to leave a bit of space for the possibility of change.
Once I chose the final shot, I brought it into Photoshop to make some adjustments. I slightly lowered the saturation and softened the light to make everything feel colder, more isolated, and a little more dreamlike, the way Bob might be experiencing it through exhaustion and memory.
Looking back at the project, I’m proud of how the portrait visually echoes the story. If I could change anything, I would probably try to incorporate more elements from Bob’s backstory, maybe a small prop like an old photo or military tag, to hint more clearly at what he’s been through. Still, I feel that the emotion comes through, and that was the most important part for me. The portrait tells a story of someone who’s deeply broken, but still breathing—still surviving.
This unit in Design has been a turning point for me in terms of building confidence with digital illustration. Working in Adobe Illustrator has helped me understand how to bring ideas to life visually, especially through techniques like linear perspective, which I used to develop my narrative creature. As I continue creating visual elements for my documentary book, I’ve noticed how natural using Illustrator has started to feel. It’s exciting to see how far I’ve come, and I’m genuinely looking forward to exploring more creative possibilities with this software.