Practice and Research - Feedback Point 4: Pivoting a Project
- Dan Woodward
- Feb 1
- 4 min read
I received feedback from my conversation with my tutor, so I am taking a breath to assimilate the feedback, look back on where I am and plan ahead.
Rivenhall on Ice
My initial direction was initially fun, but I started to struggle trying to emulate approaches and stylistic choices that did not suit me. My tutor noted that there was a breadth of work demonstrated in the tutorial that wasn't necessarily reflected in my learning log write-ups. As I move forward, I will try and break things down so that more of my work is captured in the learning log. This, less structured part of my studies continues to be a significant challenge as my brain whips me quickly from one idea to the next. Without the structure of specific exercises, I do not naturally stop to think and record individual elements.
I still think it's the right thing to do to put the Rivenhall idea on ice, and move forward with an idea that has closer ties with what I want to create (for the sake of it) rather than trying to create something that 'fits'. While having constraints is often useful for me not to become overwhelmed with choice, in this case my tutor noted that having fewer constraints would allow my created world to breathe more.
Breaking Conventions
I am coming up with a new world, where I can embrace things that are a bit more silly, absurd and peculiar. The main premise I am exploring is the idea of portals to other worlds that are seemingly opening at random. My tutor noted that this idea gives me the opportunity to explore breaking conventions as a narrative device, as well as giving me opportunities to explore stylistic choices within the context of that narrative device.
The conversation reminded me of the power of absence - that often simplicity comes from the choices we don't make. Having space and ambiguity allows an audience to fill in gaps for themselves. This frees me up to just concentrate on specific aspects that I find interesting, rather than try and fill in every element of a world. There is an implicit contract, then, with the reader to co-create the world together.
Cartography
I was pleased that my tutor found my map authentic and compelling. He pointed me in the direction of Ursula K Le Guin and the Mappa Mundi. The latter in particular I found interesting, with its many illustrations of places, beasts and mythical creatures. A lot of the beasts I added to my Rivenhall map were those taken from other historical maps and contexts. Moving forward I wonder what a personally-crafted approach might look like for me? My tutor encouraged me to explore other kinds of maps and see what other approaches I might enjoy.
Aesthetics of the Unfinished
In letting go of trying to emulate the digital painterly style of the illustrations in publications like Daggerheart and Dungeons & Dragons, my tutor encouraged me to embrace more sketchy spot illustrations. I would like to explore what this might look like, and as I move forward I think it will be useful to research other approaches to tabletop roleplaying books that others have taken. My tutor referenced the approach taken in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles RPG.
Visually Representing a World
I discussed my thoughts about my new setting with my tutor, and described a particular aesthetic that I had been considering that felt a bit like an HR manual for the adventurers. This appealed to me as a way to add humour, and add elements of ephemera and annotation to fit the humour of the world. I had been thinking about the way that the TV show 'Resident Alien' emulates a style that feels like an Ikea instruction manual or airline safety document [2,5]:
My tutor pointed me towards the film 'Retirement Plan' which has a graphic line and colour style. I found a recent behind the scenes video [3] which gave me lots of insight into the creative process of this animated movie that I found compelling. I think my natural style has graphic elements that rely on lines. I am not sure I want to adopt a thin line weight - I think I am just too messy to do it justice. Ligne Claire was a big influence growing up, but it did make me think in retrospect of the approach Daniel Aja took for his run doing the artwork for Hawkeye, which was a big departure from other Marvel works, his own included:
I think that I can take inspiration from this blend simpler colour and rendering options, and marry that with interesting line work and graphical elements. That way I hope that I can keep the energy of my sketches. I will also look at how to incorporate 'found' elements into the design and how that can blend with the linework and overall design to aid the storytelling of the world.
I ended the tutorial feeling much more energised to dive into the world that was emerging in my head, and reading my tutor's feedback has helped to cement aspects of my approach.
Reference list
Guerrero, O. (2024). Inside David Aja’s Artistic Evolution Through The Immortal Iron Fist and the Secrets Behind Its Unexpected Success. [online] I AM IRON FIST. Available at: https://iamironfist.com/2024/12/06/david-aja-artistic-evolution-immortal-iron-fist-secrets-behind-unexpected-success/ [Accessed 1 Feb. 2026].
Huge Designs/SYFY (2021). Resident Alien Intro Illustration. [Digital] https://x.com. Available at: https://x.com/ResidentAlien/status/1376994091473514497/photo/1 [Accessed 1 Feb. 2026].
John Kelly (2026). Retirement Plan - behind the Scenes & Scene Design. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X2U35oJHbM [Accessed 1 Feb. 2026].
Marnell, B. (2021). Top 10 Moments from ‘Hawkeye’ by Matt Fraction and David Aja. [online] Marvel.com. Available at: https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/top-10-moments-hawkeye-2012-marvel-unlimited [Accessed 1 Feb. 2026].
Weiss, J. (2021). Resident Alien’s illustrated intros are IKEA instruction manuals for extra-terrestrials. [online] Syfy.com. Available at: https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/resident-alien-syfy-manual-intros-explainer [Accessed 1 Feb. 2026].
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