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Katie Murphy

BFA in Illustration - Entertainment Arts — Illustration
Course:
Visual Development // Graphic Design for Entertainment Arts
Faculty:
Jim Salvati // Paul Rogers
Term:
2025 Fall

Illustrations

Through my illustrations, I explore key scenes as if they were the final animated frame in a television show I develop. My work is geared towards clear storytelling, tight layouts, and expressive color.

Process:

My illustrations start with a series of thumbnail sketches, exploring what the final composition could look like. After choosing the image that best conveys the story I want to tell, I move to a tight sketch, and then a clean layout drawing. From here, I begin to color my work, starting by keying the scene with a primary color to establish the tone. Lastly, I add value to my work and make any finishing touches necessary!

Learning Outcomes:

Being able to creating tight layout drawings allows me to better understand the next step in the pipeline after storyboarding. I also get to focus on creating key moments that encapsulate story moments from my work. This exercise allows me to better communicate with all steps of the animation pipeline.

Project Website:
https://www.katiermurphy.com/portfolio-collections/storyboards/illustrations
Tags:
2D Design,
Animation,
Illustration
“Get Reel!” 1/4
A mermaid, Kai, discovers his new penpal (and best friend) is actually a human. Should he continue to be friend with Dahlia, or should he get out before he’s ’in too deep’?
“Get Reel!” 2/4
Dahlia and Kai explore Dahlia’s attic, where they discover that her father’s fishing business may not have been what it seemed.
“Get Reel!” 3/4
A shocking discovery at the bottom of a locked trunk turns Dahlia’s world upside-down.
“Get Reel!” 4/4
Together, Ki and Dahlia confront a mermaid hunter and take him down together.
An exterior, establishing shot of a shop buried deep in the woods. This piece was based on a real shop I saw in Yosemite and inspired by the art of Gravity Falls and Over the Garden Wall.