graphic translation

This assignment was to realistically illustrate an animal, and then to make a billboard with expressive typography advertising an event featuring the animal in some way. I chose the tailless whip scorpion and the Como Zoo and Conservatory. I chose Como because of their wide range of small animals. This anthropod was quite enjoyable to illustate. I liked how the sleek thicks and thins of his limbs contrasted nicely with his round body and joints. In the process of illustrating this arachnid, I realized that it would be posable, meaning I can change the position of his limbs and body easily allowing for limitless design possibilities. We were instructed to make an all-black silhouette version as well, which was intended for use in black and white print or smaller digital use. For the billboard, I decided to pick a typeface which had high contrast and thick serifs, Felix MT, then I chose to draw out a few of the letters in an effort to mimic the long thick and thin legs of the arachnid. I scheduled the fictional event on the billboard to occur before Halloween because these harmless anthropods may appear eerie to some, it would be fitting for the season.

For this assignment, first I brainstormed potential animal subjects to illustrate. First I searched the internet for strange-looking animals and made a list of potential subjects, remembering the amblipygi from the world-famous Harry Potter film series, I added that to the list and began gathering existing visual media featuring this diverse list of fauna to reference. Once references were gathered, I sketched each animal and considered reasons why I should (and/or should not) pick each specimen. Eventually, I picked the amblipygi, due to the reasons listed above, as you'll see in the photographs of my notes and sketches shown below.