2021 Grad Show

Meagan McNarry

AUArts Grad Show grad show profile pic

VCD – Character Design & Illustration

I use my art as a conduit to tell stories and evoke emotion. Written narratives have always been a primary interest to me, and I remain captured by the art of storytelling and its ability to create worlds and experiences using only the imagination of the reader. I look to further expand the scope of my own storytelling by designing characters and worlds, painting a vast narrative landscape that allows viewers to take away an experience unique to themselves. Whether through comics, animation, or digital interactive media, I enjoy contributing to the scene of entertainment with a visual experience that may give the viewer an escape from everyday life.

A Ghostly Portrait Painting of Vel, the Changeling Rogue. Procreate, 1713 x 2146 px (12 x 15 in), 2021

A Ghostly Portrait

A Ghostly Portrait AUArts Grad Show vel_render
A Ghostly Portrait Painting of Vel, the Changeling Rogue. Procreate, 1713 x 2146 px (12 x 15 in), 2021
The Call Touch down on TRAPPIST-1e. Two brave explorers set out to document the surrounding area.
The Unknown World / Allies And Enemies We see more of the world. The explorers banter. Personalities are made clear; the foil is established. Meanwhile, something stalks them from behind.
The Ordeal The knowledge-devouring alien strikes. It kills the good-natured astronaut and absorbs his personality. It learns empathy and feels regret, sadness, guilt. It takes the form of the one it killed. The remaining astronaut cannot pull the trigger.
The Return Feeling hollow, the remaining explorer is at a loss. With nothing else to do, he takes the alien back with him to the ship.

EMPATH: Story Beats

4 key story points of EMPATH.
The EMPATH is a knowledge-devouring alien that has learned from mercenaries, cutthroats, and liars--humanity's worst. Two astronauts encounter it, and it kills the one with a kind heart and good nature. It learns from him and feels...sadness. Empathy.
Procreate, 5500 x 3300 px (35 x 23 in) each, 2020

EMPATH: Story Beats AUArts Grad Show Fig_Ill_P3_1
The Call Touch down on TRAPPIST-1e. Two brave explorers set out to document the surrounding area.
EMPATH: Story Beats AUArts Grad Show Fig_Ill_P3_2
The Unknown World / Allies And Enemies We see more of the world. The explorers banter. Personalities are made clear; the foil is established. Meanwhile, something stalks them from behind.
EMPATH: Story Beats AUArts Grad Show Fig_Ill_P3_3
The Ordeal The knowledge-devouring alien strikes. It kills the good-natured astronaut and absorbs his personality. It learns empathy and feels regret, sadness, guilt. It takes the form of the one it killed. The remaining astronaut cannot pull the trigger.
EMPATH: Story Beats AUArts Grad Show Fig_Ill_P3_4
The Return Feeling hollow, the remaining explorer is at a loss. With nothing else to do, he takes the alien back with him to the ship.
EMPATH - Title Page
Introduction - Concept and Synopsis
The Astronauts - Character Dynamic
The Alien
Test Page 1 Roughs depicting the beginning of the story.
Test Page 2 Roughs depicting the beginning of the story.

EMPATH: Visual Development And Test Pages

EMPATH is a rough concept of a graphic novel featuring two space explorers touching down on TRAPPIST-1e and their encounter with an alien life form. This collection consists of a visual development book with two rough pages of the beginning of the story.
Digital, 2020

EMPATH: Visual Development And Test Pages AUArts Grad Show McNarry_Meagan_Project_2_Graphic_Novel-1
EMPATH - Title Page
EMPATH: Visual Development And Test Pages AUArts Grad Show McNarry_Meagan_Project_2_Graphic_Novel-2
Introduction - Concept and Synopsis
EMPATH: Visual Development And Test Pages AUArts Grad Show McNarry_Meagan_Project_2_Graphic_Novel-3
The Astronauts - Character Dynamic
EMPATH: Visual Development And Test Pages AUArts Grad Show McNarry_Meagan_Project_2_Graphic_Novel-4
The Alien
EMPATH: Visual Development And Test Pages AUArts Grad Show McNarry_Meagan_Project_2_Graphic_Novel-5
Test Page 1 Roughs depicting the beginning of the story.
EMPATH: Visual Development And Test Pages AUArts Grad Show McNarry_Meagan_Project_2_Graphic_Novel-6
Test Page 2 Roughs depicting the beginning of the story.
The Scientist - Model Sheet Pragmatic, focused, a tad cowardly.
The Scientist - Expressions
Character Exploration
Man's Best Friend - Overview A dog? A lizard? A dinosaur? Eager and equipped with frills.
The King - Model Sheet Kind, patient, and with great physical presence. At times a little obtuse.
The King - Expressions

Schism: Character Explorations

Schism: Character design process. "Schism" tells the story of a post-cataclysmic setting in which humans are fighting to survive in a rapidly mutating world as their humanity hangs on by a thread; all the while discovering both remnants of the old world as well as new, developing societies.
Digital, 2021

Schism: Character Explorations AUArts Grad Show Scientist_Character_Sheet
The Scientist - Model Sheet Pragmatic, focused, a tad cowardly.
Schism: Character Explorations AUArts Grad Show Scientist_Expressions
The Scientist - Expressions
Schism: Character Explorations AUArts Grad Show Scientist_PsychoPhysio
Character Exploration
Schism: Character Explorations AUArts Grad Show creature all
Man's Best Friend - Overview A dog? A lizard? A dinosaur? Eager and equipped with frills.
Schism: Character Explorations AUArts Grad Show King sheet
The King - Model Sheet Kind, patient, and with great physical presence. At times a little obtuse.
Schism: Character Explorations AUArts Grad Show King expressions
The King - Expressions
Home
Old World Ruins
Environment Details - Flora
Cliffs and Colour - Mood
A New Society

Schism: World Development

Process for the world design of "Schism". Mutating life and unbalanced ecosystems define the characteristics of Schism's world. Old world ruins and new bizarre structures can be found in equal fascinating measure.
Digital, 2021

Schism: World Development AUArts Grad Show Meagan McNarry 3D Worlds Submission-13
Home
Schism: World Development AUArts Grad Show Meagan McNarry 3D Worlds Submission-10
Old World Ruins
Schism: World Development AUArts Grad Show Meagan McNarry 3D Worlds Submission-12
Environment Details - Flora
Schism: World Development AUArts Grad Show Meagan McNarry 3D Worlds Submission-15
Cliffs and Colour - Mood
Schism: World Development AUArts Grad Show Meagan McNarry 3D Worlds Submission-14
A New Society
Liminal - Title Page
Danielle, the Protagonist
Quill, the Deuteragonist
Supporting Cast and the Liminal Creatures
World Overview
World Details

Liminal: Visual Development

"Liminal" is a young adult graphic novel that explores emotion manifest into physical beings. Young college students comprise the main cast as they explore the Liminal world, the plane upon which these beings reside, just out of sight.
Digital, 2020.

Liminal: Visual Development AUArts Grad Show McNarry_Meagan_Project_1_Visual_Develop.Book-01
Liminal - Title Page
Liminal: Visual Development AUArts Grad Show McNarry_Meagan_Project_1_Visual_Develop.Book-04
Danielle, the Protagonist
Liminal: Visual Development AUArts Grad Show McNarry_Meagan_Project_1_Visual_Develop.Book-05
Quill, the Deuteragonist
Liminal: Visual Development AUArts Grad Show McNarry_Meagan_Project_1_Visual_Develop.Book-06
Supporting Cast and the Liminal Creatures
Liminal: Visual Development AUArts Grad Show McNarry_Meagan_Project_1_Visual_Develop.Book-07
World Overview
Liminal: Visual Development AUArts Grad Show McNarry_Meagan_Project_1_Visual_Develop.Book-08
World Details
Peaks Serene. In reference to "The Spell of the Yukon" by Robert Service. Clip Studio Paint, 3600 x 4800 px (25 x 33.33 in), 2019

Peaks

Peaks AUArts Grad Show Environments II P1 4
Peaks Serene. In reference to "The Spell of the Yukon" by Robert Service. Clip Studio Paint, 3600 x 4800 px (25 x 33.33 in), 2019
Bradley, the Centicore Digital, Clip Studio Paint, 2020
Vel, the Changeling Rogue Digital, Clip Studio Paint, 2020
Nemos, the Bard Digital, Clip Studio Paint, 2020
Aranath, the Wizard Digital, Clip Studio Paint, 2020
Lovers...? In reference to a meme. Digital, Clip Studio Paint, 2020

Character Fun

A few fun character illustrations done in the context of friends.

Character Fun AUArts Grad Show Bradley bg
Bradley, the Centicore Digital, Clip Studio Paint, 2020
Character Fun AUArts Grad Show Vel ref 2
Vel, the Changeling Rogue Digital, Clip Studio Paint, 2020
Character Fun AUArts Grad Show Nemos sprite
Nemos, the Bard Digital, Clip Studio Paint, 2020
Character Fun AUArts Grad Show Aran blue
Aranath, the Wizard Digital, Clip Studio Paint, 2020
Character Fun AUArts Grad Show Vunio smxt
Lovers...? In reference to a meme. Digital, Clip Studio Paint, 2020

This site may contain artworks with provocative content that some viewers may find uncomfortable or upsetting. AUArts supports a culture of non-censorship and ongoing conversations about contemporary art.