Turning Everyday Metaphors into Minimal Fun Stories

Everything Stands for Something.On a design, every line and curve is a storehouse of emotions. It's amazing how simple forms and shapes, when given the right twist and tweak, can mean episodes of a story. As opposed to imitating reality, a basic shape with enhanced or exaggerated features can keep you engaged and involved..Geometry with the right gestures can bring up emotions. Characters, visual elements and environment are just steps in the process..Characters Represent a State of Mind.How you choose characters is how you perceive the world. For instance, the choice of jelly-like characters can be indebted to a childhood fascination. The way it moves and its wobbly motions are actually a rebellion against the proper form. As kids, you are taught to mimic and echo reality..Good grades depend on your ability to sketch exactly like nature or books. This may not be liberating enough for some. Which is why one goes to pick characters that represent the thought that lies beyond the conventional..What the Character Speaks not, the Environment does..Once you decide the proportion of the character in the context of the situation, creating the environment becomes easier. It is like setting up a novel, one frame at a time. Emotions and gestures are very important here. The environment needs to support the mood and feel of the character..It needs to subconsciously show if the characters are happy or grumpy. Unlike animation, a still frame doesn't tell you about the sad scene or the happy one. So, the environment makes up for that bit. It's like the background score for a silent frame..Humour Induces Change.Art has the potential to create an analogy. It can become so big that communities and audience are forced to think. And humour is the most friendly way to put across an idea that can connect, communicate and catalyse. It's simply a metaphor for dissecting all the complexities of today's society..Keeping visuals happy and positive often makes them work in the audience's mind. It's not about changing the world or practical things around us. That's not what art is supposed to do. But if worked out right, visuals can definitely change perceptions..Enjoy the Beauty in Uncertainty.Many times, the visual elements have nothing to do with the design or the story. It's their shape and existence that triggers something. It's often more about objects around at that moment or a book that one has come across. That's what is beautiful about being an illustrator..You don't have to prepare for it like a photo shoot. Once the idea of the story is sculpted, the environment around it just evolves. The direction it takes is totally instinctive. This beauty of uncertainty is the most fun part of the entire process.