International School of the Islamic Educational College

MYP Department

Personal Project Proposal

Project title Character Portfolio

Student Ruhaifa Nabeel Al-Asali Date/Duration October 7th, 2024 – March 1st,
of Project 2025

Goal: Formulate a statement that clearly shows your goal, based on your personal interests.
A Character portfolio, where I would be creating a small book, with colored sketches of around 20-30 original characters,
with character’s description including full name, gender, age, role in the story, personality, background information, goal of
each character, a quote, extra notes, and top 5 songs that describe or remind me of the chosen character, and maybe even
an inspiration source, and with a chapter featuring the characters (as if reading a book) that will be a maximum of 6 pages.
That will be in both digital and physical (if applicable) format, and maybe even aim higher and publish my book as a guide
to writers with ‘writer’s block’, or to writers who wish to write a new book, but are unaware of all their characters, or some
personalities, and maybe even a guide to students, or writer teens like myself.

What is the purpose of the goal? What do you hope to achieve?

The purpose of this project is to explore my creative abilities and enhance them in character designing, especially learning
how to draw male and female human autonomy correctly, in addition to learning how to color and shade with colors. I am
also aiming to develop my storytelling skills, and hope to achieve a deeper understanding of character development and
the role of music in shaping personality, terminating in a visually appealing and comprehensive portfolio.

Global context: Identify the global context. (Note: you might choose not to connect your project to a global context)

Identities and Relationships, Personal and Cultural Expression.

Possible inquiry questions: Explain why you have chosen it, justifying the relevance of
your inquiry.
- How does background influence a character's
personality and goals? I chose this project because I have a passion for reading,
- In what ways can music reflect and enhance storytelling and character design. Understanding how to develop
character traits? rich characters is crucial for creating compelling narratives in any
- What techniques can be employed to create form of media, whether in literature, animation, or games. This
engaging character backstories? inquiry will enable me to explore diverse personalities and the
- How does a human Female body differ from a dynamics that shape them, both mentally, personally, and
male’s, when discussing its outline and physically (by drawing).
structure?
- The correct Technique of shading, and adding
texture to clothing, using colors.

Product/outcome: What product/outcome will you create in response to the goal, global context and criteria?

Product: A comprehensive Character Portfolio book featuring sketches, detailed character descriptions, and narrative
chapters for each character.

Specifications:
- 20-30 original character sketches
- Character descriptions including: full name, gender, age, role, personality, background, goals, quotes, extra notes, top 5
songs related to the character, and inspiration sources.
- A narrative chapter for each character (max of 6 pages).
-The final presentation format will be digital and most probably printed.

Research: Media: Surveys:

What do you have to - Books and articles on character design and - Survey peers on their favorite character traits and
research? Be specific narrative writing the songs they associate with specific personalities.
and list how you will - Online tutorials for art techniques. Ask them questions like:
collect all the - What are your top three favorite character traits
information you Watch videos and read about the topic, in people? Why?
need. using various trusted and useful sites and - Which character trait do you admire most in a
videos. friend? In a leader?
- Are there any character traits that you find off-
putting? If so, which ones?
- Can you name a character (from books,
movies, etc.) that embodies your favorite
traits? What are they?
- Do you have a favorite genre of music that
you think reflects certain personality traits? If
so, which genre and why?
- Are there any songs that you think have
(Main app used will be probably pinterest) themes related to character traits? Which
ones?
Generally:
- Character development techniques in storytelling.
- Artistic techniques for creating engaging sketches.
- How music influences character perception.

Interviews: Observations & experiences:

- Interview art teachers, writers (if - Attend workshops or webinars focusing on
applicable), and English teachers to gain character creation.
insight into effective character development
- Watch videos on the topic
both personality-wise and structure-wise. And by then, record notes, both visual and written, of
the observations I make, and hence study them to
perfect my prototypes and main sketch.
Process Journal: How will you record the significant findings and development of the process? Specify type of format.
I will maintain a digital and physical process journal where I document my progress, notes from research, sketches, and
reflections on my character development process.

Report: How will you report it? Written/digital format/mixed media/oral presentation
The final report will be in a mixed media format, compiling my portfolio, sketches, and character chapters into a solid
digital and physical (if applicable) book. In addition to my product, I might create a PowerPoint presentation, to neatly and
clearly outline my development process and progress; by the use of evidence.
Three facts, from three different sources, to show the importance of the topic

1. According to "The Art of Character" by David Corbett, developing well-rounded characters is essential for captivating
narratives in any creative project.
Corbett, David. The Art of Character: Creating Memorable Characters for Fiction, Film, and TV. Ten Speed Press, 2013.

2. The Exploration of ‘Why does creative self-expression matter?’ Chapter 1 by Girija Kaimal, reveals that creativity not
only facilitates individual healing and understanding but also builds connections among people, highlighting the
significance of metaphor as a bridge between different forms of expression.
Girija Kaimal. “Why Does Creative Self-Expression Matter?” Oxford University Press EBooks, 22 Dec. 2022, pp. 15–28,
academic.oup.com/book/44476/chapter/392570411, https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197646229.003.0002. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.
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3. “In a compelling story, the characters drive the plot, not the other way around. It is conflict between or within
characters which makes a story compelling; their desires and motivations give people reasons to keep reading.” Hence
in any book, characters create symbolism and irony, and explore themes of the book writing, underscoring problems
faced by people, and give others motivation and inspiration source.

“Balancing Plot, Theme and Character | National Centre for Writing | NCW.” National Centre for Writing | NCW, 20 Dec. 2023,

nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/resources/balancing-plot-theme-and-character/. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024 .