A collection of my digital art and illustrations, including my isometric works, work-in-progress, storyboards, and rough sketches.

My Studio 3 major project is a 2D animation about a distant future where the sun is dying and its power has become a commodity and can only viewed in cinema-like venues. We follow a man as he nervously waits his turn to experience what may be his last encounter with the sun and the memories they bring. The aim is to evoke a universal experience viewers can empathize with—a simple moment of feeling the summer sun's warmth amidst impending grim reality, capturing the essence of the calm before the storm.

This is my animatic for my upcoming short 2D animation called Sun Symphony, a narrative set in the not-so-distant-future where the sun is about to die and we, humans, have made the sun as a commodity. My original premise takes place in a venue where facilities are built to be able to view the sun with the naked eye, people can purchase tickets to see the sun and feel its warmth. A middle-aged man stands in line. Through the sun session, he hopes to be able to feel the sun’s warmth on his face, a feeling he associates strongly as his fondest memories playing outside in the sun.

Over twelve weeks of interactive and 2D animation work is consolidated into a miniature gallery turned augmented reality experience. In so doing, I hoped to engage audiences with an aspect of curiosity, nurturing the experience as they peer closely into the miniature space of the gallery room and the artworks that come to like through augmented reality.

Nox Path is an augmented reality project I created where I projected a 2D animation onto a multidimensional platform that could only be triggered through an AR tracker that was, in itself, an optical illusion. By viewing the optical illusion at its vantage point, this would trigger the animation to commence. This is the initial research I'll be conducting as part of my masters program.

Abstract:
Anamorphic illusions can enhance augmented reality experiences by adding depth and immersion to the surrounding environment, enabling more creative storytelling in 2D animation. Like Escher’s impossible staircase object reflected in Ascending and Descending (1960), these illusions provoke profound contemplation about perception while delighting viewers with visual magic. Monument Valley (2014), a game renowned for its touch-based mechanics, incorporates 3D elements within a 2D environment to craft a gameplay experience that challenges the principles of physics. Augmented reality serves as an invisible yet pervasive interface between our senses and the world and it offers unparalleled ability to unveil hidden digital depths (Pesce 2020). While anamorphic illusions have traditionally been confined to flat 2D surfaces where viewers can perceive the intended image from a specific viewpoint, there remains a scarcity of research or experiments exploring its use in augmented reality to unlock the storytelling potential of 2D animation. Nox Path endeavours to showcase the potential of employing anamorphic illusions in augmented reality to inspire thoughtful engagement from viewers. It encourages active participation and interaction with the physical space to find the vantage point of the anamorphic illusion. In so doing, this project aims to evoke meaningful interactions, asserting the increasingly pivotal role of visual sensory experiences in 2D-animated augmented reality.

Reference:

Echer, M. C. (1960) Ascending and Descending [Lithograph]. National Gallery of Art,

Washington, D.C., accessed 06 June 2023, <https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-

object-page.61281.html>.

Presce, M (2020), Augmented Reality: Unboxing Tech's Next Big Thing, 1st Edition,

Polity, USA.

Monument Valley (2014), Android [Mobile Game]. Ustwo Games: London.

My project is called Lens(AR): The Future, a 2D-animated augmented reality (AR) experience that allows viewers to glimpse into a dystopian and sci-fi- inspired future through an AR platform easily accessible through a smartphone or tablet. Viewers will be able to get a glimpse into a different world by activating a marker through their camera to trigger an animation as well as trigger simple interactions with objects within the AR space. My project seeks to follow the journey of a little girl as the main character as she traverses distant dystopian and sci-fi lands and views land through her perspective.

The intention of my working inquiry and project is to understand how perspective can be an effective tool in communicating and emotion or mood. In essence, it is the ability to communicate a story without the use of words. I hope to gain a better understanding how this can be done so, where it might be a message, an underlying tone, or a story – linear or non-linear. In addition, I aim to use this project as an opportunity to challenge myself and improve my technical knowledge and skill in 2D animated and AR in the hopes to contribute to the building ideas and concepts within the field of 2D animation in augmented reality.

Interactive playthrough of my Nox Abode Fizzy Soda Bottle Trash hidden world AR experience on EyeJack Creator.

Interactive playthrough of my Juice Box Trash hidden world AR experience on EyeJack Creator.

Link: https://launch.eyejackapp.com/Artwork-9c7a3d18-7ed9-42d4-964d-39a7aa39d473