"This is how space begins, with words only, signs traced on the blank page. To describe space: to name it, to trace it, like those portolano-makers who saturated the coastlines with the names of harbours, the names of capes, the names of inlets, until in the end the land was only separated from the sea by a continuous ribbon of text."
Georges Perec
BE SURE TO L∞P
This is not an animation assignment, although it may well require animation. A loop can be more of a moving illustration—the animated parts should serve the concept, instead of simply adding a layer of complexity.
A loop can also be a static image that loops onto itself, in other words an image whose ends can be connected to create a seamless whole.
A loop must function at any frame, think of it as a mobile structure that doesn't necessarily have a beginning and an end. Consider the movement itself as the centerpiece of its design.
Why would an illustrator bother with animation? The skillset of the two is quite different, as well as the conceptual approach, therefore the task of animation from an illustrator's perspective should differ from that of an animator. How exactly it should differ depends on each illustrator's style and vision.
ASSIGNMENT 8: A LOOPING GIF or A STATIC LOOP
Option A: Create a looping gif animation using the software of your choice. Considering the time constraints, you are recommended to use Photoshop or Flash for frame-by-frame or tween animation, or, if you like, you can use AfterEffects for something more elaborate. The complexity of the animation should be determined by the concept and the complexity of the drawing. It can be as simple as 4-6 frames.
Format: 1080x1080 pixels GIF
Option B: Create a static image that loops onto itself. Plan ahead and create a mock-up using scrap paper and tape. For the final, you can create a digital loop—an image that scrolls infinitely, or you can connect the two ends with tape or glue, so that the image can be rotated by hand. Either way, try to make the image seamless, so that it's hard to tell where it ends and begins.
Format: any format that allows for the ends to connect
For either option, as a starting point pick one these moods and feel free to interpret it however you like: