BENTO Issue 02 by Bento Box Design Studio

August 2017

ISSUE | 02 FEATURING PERTH BASED ILLUSTRATOR GIULLANA ALARKON

BENTO is a bi-annual online magazine of all things art and design brought to you by Bento Box Design Studio. A collection of innovative and eye-catching visuals in the one place ready to inspire and open your mind to new and exciting things. BENTO prides itself in featuring emerging creatives consisting of local, national & international talent. We understand how important it is to follow your passion and how little opportunities there are for you to get your name out there. Through BENTO, we want to connect aspiring designers together with other like-minded individuals all across the world. Bento Box Design Studio aims to build a wide community involving all facets of art and design. If you are interested in becoming a contributor and submitting a piece for our next issue please follow the steps found at bentoboxstudio.com.au/press . We would love to see what else is swimming around in the minds of creatives. If you would like to work with us on any further issues of BENTO we are always looking for opportunities to collaborate. Reproduction of this publication in whole or in part is prohibited in any form or by any means, including photocopying, scanning or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the editor, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the editor, addressed “Attn: BENTO Permission,” to info@bentoboxstudio.com.au The views expressed in BENTO Magazine are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the publisher, company or its staff. Cover artwork by Giullana Alarkon © 2017 Bento Magazine All rights reserved

EDITOR

FEAT URED D ES I G NER

Bento Box Design Studio

Gi u l l an a Al ar kon

STU DI O DIRE CTOR

CONT RI BUTORS

Leeanne Nguyen leeanne@bentoboxstudio.com.au

Anthony Russo - Little Red Mining Hood Aska - Psychology Catherine Holbrook - Malfunction Dan Ocon - Tune In! Danielle Bui - c o s m o w o r l d 「コスモワールド」 Denise Pragash - Whale Watching Jonah Jakovcevic - Cookie Dough Melissa Gouw - Eat, Sleep, Design, Repeat Ophelia Roberts - Galahs Shannon Harbron - Impending Tom Benson - Laputa in the Sky

CREATIVE DIR E CTOR Tristan Ta tristan@bentoboxstudio.com.au

ART D IRE CTOR Monica Widjajana monica@bentoboxstudio.com.au

M A RKE RT ING DIR E CTOR Ashvin Nair ashvin@bentoboxstudio.com.au

DESIGNE D BY Bento Box Design Studio

S OCI A L S I N S T A G R A M | @bentobox.studio F A C E B O O K | @bentobox.studio D R I B B B L E | Bento Box Design Studio

S UBSCRI P T I ON bentoboxstudio.com.au

P RES S press@bentoboxstudio.com.au bentoboxstudio.com.au/press/ BENTO is proudly published twice a year.

BENTO ISSUE 01

GIULLANA ALARKON

ANTHONY RUSSO

ASKA

CATHERINE HOLBROOK

DAN OCON

DANIELLE BUI

DENISE PRAGASH

JONAH JAKOVCEVIC

MELISSA GOUW

OPHELIA ROBERTS

SHANNON HARBRON

TOM BENSON

GIULLANA ALARKON ILLUSTRATOR | PERTH, WA AGE | 22

I N S T A G R A M | @g i u l l a nad raws B E H A N C E | G i u l l an a A l ark on T U M B L R | G i u l l an a A l a rk on T O O L S | A d o be P h o to shop , A d ob e I l l ust rat or, I nt uos P ro, bla ck ge l pe n

Max + Sons set the scene for our interview with Perth based Illustrator and Graphic Designer, Giullana Alarkon. We had a heart-to-heart about her ever growing creative journey, illustration style and her undying love for cats. Fresh out of Curtin University she graduated with a double major in Creative Advertising & Graphic Design, and Photography & Illustration to grasp the best of both worlds. She worked hard to develop her skills in both traditional and digital media. This has shaped her identity in becoming the diverse creative designer she is today. Although she is fully equipped with both sets of skills her passion lies within her illustration pieces as they truly reflect her personality and character. They act as a window into her own personal space in which audiences can openly interpret their own understandings. Alarkon currently works for several organisations to gain experience in the professional industry, actively learning new skills and techniques to feed into her creative process and achieve her dream of becoming a well-renowned Illustrator. How would you describe your style? It’s hard to articulate what my style is because it’s constantly evolving with time and the things that I’m exposed to. When I was younger, my illustrations were very focused on light and whimsical themes, however; recently, it’s definitely taken a much darker turn. I feel like it’s my way of finally being comfortable with externalising feelings and thoughts within me. I’ve always been pretty introverted and perhaps drawing is a better way for me to express what’s going through my mind and how I’m feeling. My illustrations aren’t always rooted in my personal experiences and thoughts, a lot of the time I draw ridiculous and sinister things because I think it’s entertaining and I believe it’s a good way to experiment and explore new themes. At the moment my work is heavy on the line work and sometimes graphic. I play around a lot with patterns and shapes, all within a very jarring and limited colour palette consisting of black, red and pink. One thing has stayed consistent throughout the years though, and that is my love for line work and obsession with detail. Do you have any influences? In my earlier stages, I used to be very obsessed with recreating Audrey Kawasaki’s moody and sensual works. I suppose I’ve kept the fascination with drawing women and the female form with me as well as an affinity for detail and line. At the moment I follow a long list of inspiring creatives who are doing very cool things, I wish I could list them all! I’ll start off with Victo Ngai (@victongai), her work changed my life.

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She has an amazing work ethic and her ability to transform mundane themes into such beautiful imagery is something I can’t even begin to fathom. Her process involves going from sketching and then inking traditionally to scanning and adding colour and texture digitally. The aesthetic in her work and her process particularly influenced my series of Studio Ghibli illustrations. Other honourable mentions are Lisa Kogawa (@lisakogawa_), I love her organic and sketchy manga-style illustrations. We also share a passion for drawing food. Leslie Hung (@dairyfree) is a comic artist I really admire. She’s incredibly adept with brushwork and her work for Snotgirl (a graphic novel by both her and Bryan Lee O’Malley) fuels my desire to become a graphic novel artist (but you know, one thing at a time haha). I’ll name two more: Mel Tow (@mlysza) and Felicia Choo (@choodraws), I put them together because they’re friends and they often draw each other’s original characters. I love them both for their amazing linework and versatility as well as their tasteful choice in unusual colour schemes. They’re also not afraid to draw gore and morbid subjects and they execute it in a really unique way. What’s your design process? When I started out I experimented with watercolours, ink and acrylics to achieve different textures and applying it on surfaces like wood and brown paper. That was when Audrey Kawasaki started to become a big influence in my creative process. I was then introduced to Photoshop at University and began combining both traditional and digital medium to create my illustration pieces. I often start with a sketch or an ink outline on paper before adding colours and textures on Photoshop. If I had to pick one, I’d still choose traditional media just because my line work is so much better traditionally than when I do it digitally. I’ve also been a traditional illustrator for much longer, however I’ve fallen in love with combining both. Although I digitise most of my traditional sketches, I always ensure that I include textures and use brushes that mimic traditional media. How do you find inspiration for your work? I find myself always drawing girls or the female form in some way, but my style has changed and developed over time depending on what interests me at that point in my life. When I was younger, I would try so hard to mimic other artist’s styles - sometimes even agonising over the obvious fact that I could never achieve what they have. Nowadays, I draw inspiration more inwardly. I have a habit of taking photos on my phone of the most random things and they eventually become useful whenever I’m feeling uninspired. I also use myself as a model if I need reference photos, sometimes even my own selfies make cameos in my

TITLE | Untitled (Artwork 1)

TITLE | Untitled (Artwork 2)

illustrations. I’m a creature of the humanities and I’ve dabbled in a lot of its branches outside of art and design. I’m also passionate about film, music, photography and creative writing - I feel all of these contribute to my creative process in some obscure way. And lastly, I draw inspiration from everything I consume. I find muses in music, video games, movies, animé, shows, books, the situations I face in life, meals I eat...literally anything and everything. How do you stay current and keep up with the Industry? Illustrating has always been in the back of my mind until recently. I was too focused on getting a full-time job and it eventually ended my creative production. It was the start of this year when I decided to pick it back up by exploring new subjects, learning new techniques, and finding other inspirations. In regards to staying current, I feel that I’m not in a position to give advice as I myself am still figuring things out in life as a designer/illustrator as well. What has been your favourite project so far? The Studio Ghibli series was my favourite project. I completed it in my second year at University when I only just started using digital media to render my illustrations. I had to create four illustrative posters for the movies/books of my choice and I decided to honour one of biggest sources of inspiration, Studio Ghibli. Having been exposed to their films early on I can definitely say that they have heavily influenced my creative choices. Their films never cease to motivate and inspire me. The process took a very long time as I was putting a lot of details into the characters and setting. Each line was inked by hand and seeing how they all come together satisfies me. Have you had any client nightmares? I haven’t had many terrible clients however one project does come to mind. A little while ago I was contracted to refresh the design of an age-care company. The company wanted to redevelop their image to be quirky and different from the competition, which definitely sparked my interest. They wanted to do this using different layouts, colours, and patterns however, unfortunately after countless revisions and drawing everything by hand they ended up going with a design that was nearly identical to what they started with. The entire project lasted a few weeks and because they kept changing their minds about what they wanted they didn’t really achieve what they set out to. Any tips you’d like to share with others? The design process at University was a nightmare for all design students because we had to show our thought process from start to finish. However, it did drive me to do more ideation and mood boards even after I graduated. Pinterest boards help me lay out ideas and plan out what aesthetic I aim to achieve. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I’d like to think that I am content with working for no one else but myself which is really naive and selfish but it’s true...creating for myself has always felt much more satisfying than pleasing clients. I’d probably still delve into graphic design but only as a sideline, my passion really lies in illustration. The dream, really, is to be constantly creating and to turn my illustrations into tangible things people can use but don’t

necessarily need - like I’d totally love to make washi tape with my art on it! Stuff like that. It’s probably really unrealistic and impractical but I’ve always dreamt about living in a two storey studio where I live above and I run an art and design shop below. In terms of location though, I really love Perth but I would probably move to a bigger city in the Eastern States. The dream would be live in Japan or Korea though. Actually...preferably in Japan. My desire to visit the country and even live there stems from the way of life they have over there, the landscape and nature, the culture, the amazing contribution that Japanese creatives have given to design and art and of course, the food! I could go on and on and even get emotional about my passion for Japan but I’ll stop there. You’re a new addition to the crayon box. What colour would you be and why? CMYK 0/36/10/0. It’s the perfect shade of pink! What’s your spirit animal? I want to say cat, but I feel like I should pick something else. No, I’m going to say cat. Pink Cat with my CMYK code. Two things that are unique about Giullana! Please don’t kill me but I have never seen a single episode of Friends. But strangely enough, I know and love the opening theme song. I also have a completely obnoxious habit of quoting Princess Diaries and Harry Potter. ARTWORK 1 // This piece is one of my more personal pieces and it kind of organically manifested itself when I was in need of emotional release. To put it bluntly, it evolved from a combination of frustration and lust for a certain person. Sometimes I tend to disillusion myself when I am attracted to someone and I wanted to communicate the ambiguity between the person I have created in my mind and the truth. And in this process of attraction and obsession, I translate to imagery that feeling of madness and of being disassembled. I also incorporated words in the form of text messages as a nod to our attachment to the digital world; a recurring theme in my body of work. In that same digital space, however, there are things that we try to communicate that fail to make their way to the other person; whether that be intentional or not. ARTWORK 2 // When I started working on this illustration, the girl was intended to be the only element as she was just meant to be used for a sticker design. However, I felt the need to give her context just because of how intensely emotional she looked. I kind of imprinted myself onto her (something I do quite a lot in my work) and in such a vulnerable state, I would typically retreat to a safe setting, i.e. my room. My personal environments can sometimes reflect my mental state and I wanted that to be the case, as well, for her. I don’t really articulate what caused her to be in that state, I wanted to give the situation an air of mystery and to allow the viewer to interpret it however they wanted to. Injury and trauma is a recurring theme in my work and although it comes from my fascination with gore and morbidity, I also use it to augment the subject’s emotions.

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“ I L I K E T O D R AW, I L I K E T O W O R L D - B U I L D , I L I K E T O P R O B L E M - S O LV E A N D I L I K E G E T T I N G PA I D D O I N G W H AT I L I K E ”

VICTO NGAI

ANTHONY RUSSO ILLUSTRATOR | PERTH, WA A G E | 21

I N S T A G R A M | @an th onyrussod esi gn F A C E B O O K | @an th o nyrussod esi g n B E H A N C E | A n th o n y R usso T O O L S | A d o b e P h o to shop

DESCRIPTION // This Illustration was painted for a university assignment. The brief was to create a concept art for a game that depicts the Australian version of Little Red Riding Hood. My idea for this brief was to portray Little Red working as a gold prospector. This scene shows the moment where Little Red arrived at Grandmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cottage and realises that Grandma and her gold have been stolen by a flock of Magpies (my version of the big bad wolf). Red now has to go on a journey to save her grandma and collect gold along the way. For this piece, the Australian Bush inspired me. However, instead of illustrating the typical Australian outback, I wanted to move more towards the wetlands. As for the composition, old PS2 game layouts and game-play from Ratchet and Clank has influenced me and played a big part in this particular piece. I also draw inspirations from other artists. Whenever I am stuck on an idea, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll take the time to dissect and analyse their art, eventually learning something new from that. A few of my favorite artists consist of: Fend Zhu, Ross Tran, Jonas De Ro, Wojtek Fus and Kara Ortiz. DESIGN PROCESS // I started with a few thumbnails of different compositions. I paint these quickly in greyscale and create shapes with the lasso tool on Photoshop. I add just enough detail to understand

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what’s going on. I then pick the best composition and blow it up to a larger size. I begin to refine the shapes and elements of the scene until they start making more sense. I work in greyscale for the most part of the illustration as I find that it’s easier to determine the values before adding colours. I then paint a little more just to blend all the colours properly into the illustration (as sometimes the colour can wash out or muddy your values). I will also add some photo textures into the piece, usually on a soft light or colour blending mode to add texture and noise, and finish off with some levels and colour adjustments.

TITLE | Little Red Mining Hood

How would you describe your style? I would describe my illustrations as stylised realism. There are aspects which are overly detailed and other parts are quite cartoony. I love experimenting with textures and different techniques to create interesting new effects. I also render my illustrations in a painterly way since line work isn’t my strong suit. Two unique facts about Anthony! // Will destroy a whole packet of Amaretti biscuits in one sitting. // I’m a huge artbook collector, my bookshelf takes up a whole wall.

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TITLE | Psychology

ASKA ILLUSTRATOR | PERTH, WA A G E | 37

I L L U S T R A T I O N W E B S I T E | aska illus tra tion. com G R A P H I C W E B S I T E | i nk ab l ack. com T O O L S | P en and A d ob e P hot os hop

DESCRIPTION // This illustration is a result of me binging on the educational series, Discovering Psychology by Prof Philip Zimbardo. After I crammed this 13 hours of intense content, I needed to purge the ideas into this illustration of a disembodied head. Is that really all we are? Just a meaty suit for the brain’s many urges and impulses, most of which are a result of accidental events in our early development, and incidental desires? Looking at this illustration makes me feel better about this rather bleak fact. DESIGN PROCESS // My preliminary sketches are rough as guts. I work using pen or permanent marker and often the illustration will uncover itself to me in the process of drawing. I don’t plan the details. If I change my mind about a particular direction, I take the work to the light box and start again. Smaller mishaps can be fixed later digitally. How would you describe your style? My style leads more towards black and white graphics. Meandering black line on a page, led by a felt-tip pen, progressively increasing in detail and losing itself to the surreal and slightly absurd. Two unique facts about Aska! // I am a published children’s book illustrator and an avid metal head. // I have a degree in quantum physics and work as a travelling science communicator.

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CATHERINE HOLBROOK GRAPHIC DESIGNER | PERTH, WA A G E | 21

I N S T A G R A M | @c at hol b rook W E B S I T E | c at heri nehol b rook .d esign T O O L S | A d ob e P hot oshop

DESCRIPTION // The following project, titled Malfunction, is an eight-image developed photography series which utilises and applies subjective constructional conventions of visual manipulation. Research towards the digital artist and renderer Ash Thorp, who has recently completed work of the 2017 film Ghost In The Shell starring Scarlett Johansson, has been the main source of visual and theory inspiration for the project’s construction. The primary reason and understanding of why I’ve implemented Ash Thorp’s visual work so heavily towards this particular series is due to my appreciation for his particular design aesthetic. As a junior creative within the graphic design industry, the key for future success is to obtain senior creatives as visual inspirations and platform targets to strive towards. Thorps aesthetic constructed within his work utilise colour palettes and digital techniques which I would want to duplicate similarly in my upcoming projects. DESIGN PROCESS // The creative process utilised to generate the visuals for this particular project is an established production framework I’ve created through trial and error over the years. It’s specifically designed in a way to utilise all my creative abilities in a short given timeframe. It normally follows; an initial inspirational visual search on either Instagram or Behance to extract elements to then further explore. Deeper research into the previously found elements is formed once enough material is gathered. I like to find designer names, reference and generate colour from cinematography. Once a base understanding of the idea is generated, ideation begins and the general theme becomes specific, leading to development. Photography studios and computer labs were the main locations in which my work was constructed from. Once enough work is created it proceeds through a cycle of peer feedback, refinement and development. This three stage process repeats until I’m satisfied with the final product outcome. How would you describe your style? The style of work I produce is normally digitally edited studio photography. I infuse large levels of dark tones which makes my work appear aesthetically very masculine. I enjoy extending creative boundaries of what’s possible or typically expected. Two unique facts about Catherine! // Last year, I began a technology start-up business. // At 18 years old, I had a government meeting in The White House.

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TITLE | Malfunction

DAN OCON VISUAL ARTIST | LOS ANGELES, CA A G E | 28

I N S T A G R A M | @r o y g vi sual s F A C E B O O K | @r o y g vi s ual s V I M E O | Ro y G V i s u al s T O O L S | A d o b e A f te r Ef f ec t s

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DESCRIPTION // This particular piece was inspired by my love for “pop-art” style illustration. Stylistically it may have a “pop-art” feel but the full animation speaks more to the popular culture of today’s society. The television shakes vigorously out of control with each knob spinning and the same warped vision repeating on the screen. The TV appears to have a mind of it’s own, not allowing the viewer to have any choice of what is playing. Although as the viewer you cannot control the channels, you still can’t help but be sucked into what is being shown anyway. The program on the TV is nonsense, much like a lot of today’s television programs, however, our attraction to nonsense is something we can’t turn off. DESIGN PROCESS // While designing this piece in After Effects, I began with a small sprite sheet of lips in different positions. Once I animated each pair of lips to loop in a particular order, I duplicated and arranged them in grid format and added some effects to create distortion. One of these effects warped the project giving it a TV style screen bulge. That screen lens look is what inspired the piece to be placed inside an uncontrollable television set.

How would you describe your style? I strive to keep my style unique and colourful with a lot of emphasis on artwork reacting to music.

TITLE | Tune In!

Two unique facts about Dan! // I am a DJ/VJ // I always use my turn signal

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DANIELLE BUI TITLE | c o s m o w o r l d 「コスモワールド」

GRAPHIC DESIGNER | PERTH, WA A G E | 22

I N S T A G R A M | @ i_ a m_ booii F A C E B O O K | @ Ia mBO O II B e h a n c e | Da nii Bui T O O L S | Adobe Illus tra tor

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DESCRIPTION // For this illustration, I was inspired by my 6 months spent living and working in Tokyo, Japan. The Illustration was based off of a photograph taken in Yokohama prefecture, near the water, with the view of the big ferris wheel of neighbouring theme park Cosmoworld and its lights reflecting on the water. I started the illustration while in Japan, and did not complete it until after returning to Australia. Both the photo and the illustration were a fluke in a way, as my camera never usually took clear enough night-time pictures to be able to see enough detail in (though some details I had to more or less make up), and I had never attempted a ‘night-time’ illustration. When I look at the illustration now, I feel nostalgic, and am reminded of a great day spent with great people in a great place. DESIGN PROCESS // For this series of illustrations, I based them on a photograph taken during my stay in Tokyo. I would open the photograph in Illustrator, resize/modify as desired, and start to create vector shapes out of the different shadows, shapes and forms I saw in the photograph. This meant that I could be as detailed or scaled back as I wished, and make changes to the original photograph as I saw fit during the process. Because it was created in Illustrator, I didn’t use layers apart

from the locked under-image, which usually results in a mess of lines and shapes and a lot of sending to back commands until I get it right. This mess gradually starts to take shape as I smooth out all the edges, ensure there are no gaps/missing sections, and start adding the colour and finishing touches. How would you describe your style? A little weird and unconventional both in style and subject matter. I try to keep my style as open and diverse as possible, but I guess my signature style would lean towards bold, solid-coloured vector illustrations. Two unique facts about Danielle! // I used to have a pet rat. // As a child, I wanted to grow up to be a cartoonist.

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DENISE PRAGASH ILLUSTRATOR | PERTH, WA A G E | 20

I N S T A G R A M | @l i o n tv rt l e F A C E B O O K | @l i o n tvr t l e T O O L S | A d o b e P h o to shop

DESCRIPTION // The illustration shows a dream-like scene of a boy watching a whale migration. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a quiet scene, with soft colours and lighting and organic movements. I recently visited Iceland and was inspired by the vast landscapes and sense of being completely alone in the world. It was a surreal feeling, somewhere between loneliness and immense freedom. The piece features whales moving through the sky like they move through water. Whales are the biggest creatures on the planet, yet they move with such gentleness and grace, shown by how they float through and over clouds with minimal disruption. Similar to yearly whale migration, these whales also gather crowds as they pass by. The tone and mood is warm and soft, with emphasis put on the sky and whales that dominate them. DESIGN PROCESS // I start with a colour palette to match the image in my head, then I thumbnail different compositions and perspectives. After choosing a concept, I block colours straight onto the page and work into them from there.

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How would you describe your style? Soft and textural. Highlights are cut out of colours rather than drawn on top. Shapes are big and organic, with volume and shape rather than precision.

TITLE | Whale Watching

Two unique facts about Denise! // Born in Malaysia, raised in Holland. // I wear my beanies backwards.

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JONAH JAKOVCEVIC GRAPHIC DESIGNER | PERTH, WA A G E | 21

I N S T A G R A M | @jonahjc reat i ve T O O L S | A d ob e I l l ust rat or, Sk et c h, iPa d Pro, Apple Pe ncil

DESCRIPTION // This is a drawing of Cookie Dough, a pug. The subject matter is simple but I really like the way the thick bold lines are used to show all the creases of the pug’s face. I’ve named the pug Cookie Dough based on the beige and brown colours, looking like a lump of soft cookie dough. My inspiration is mostly drawn from my own personal interests. I draw what I like or what I find interesting, whether that be food, animals, people etc. I draw a lot of inspiration from artists of different respected fields of work, to name a few; Ash Schmitt, Dipesh Prasad, Tyler the creator, Wes Anderson. DESIGN PROCESS // I like to illustrate my subject matter using thick bold lines as a base and slightly smaller lines to add details. Patches of colours are created where it needs to be whilst paying close attention to how each colour interacts with the bold lines. I’ll then run through the drawing to make sure all patches of colour appear smoothly edged, allowing for the entire drawing to appear as one ‘soft’ yet detailed illustration. I like to caption my drawings, whether it be name, a quote or simply whatever I feel comes to mind. How would you describe your style? Simple and smooth illustration. This creates a minimalistic and ‘soft’ looking illustration of the subject matter; I like to think my drawings blur the line between realism and cartoons. Two unique facts about Jonah! // I love dogs but as a kid I hated them. // I have a crease on my cheek that gets mistaken for some sort of typical battle scar.

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MELISSA GOUW TITLE | Eat, Sleep, Design, Repeat

GRAPHIC DESIGNER | AUCKLAND, NZ A G E | 21

I N S T A G R A M | @ me lis s a gouwde s igns F A C E B O O K | @ me lis s a gouwde s igns W E B S I T E | me lis s a gouwde s igns . com T O O L S | L a go S cra tch Pa pe r

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DESCRIPTION // As a new year’s resolution, I told myself to draw up something no matter how big of a piece. I decided to bring around a journal that I turned into a bullet journal; at least I have my life together by using it as a canvas piece in the plans for my drawings. Having this book around with me allows me to draw whatever comes into my head, whether it’s a quote from a book or small doodles of being bored in meetings. I then develop them even further into being finally executed in the mediums that I feel is the most appropriate. DESIGN PROCESS // I write down a brief plan on what I want to design, then I quickly sketch out some possible typography ideas before drawing them permanently on the medium I see fit; usually Sharpie or Artline pen on white paper. There is no pencil or eraser involved, once ideation is done, it’s permanent.

I love the idea of something executed permanently and ‘the original’ copy. If I started writing out something in Sharpie onto a piece of paper and you can see all the crooked lines, it showed that unlike things fake in the world, it isn’t Photoshopped. Although I love digital mediums in the way it is shaping the future, it shows that you can tweak the design and being the perfectionist that I am, I would spend hours trying to figure out the composition and everything that it might not even be the original design anymore. A lot of my artworks are influenced through everyday life like TV shows I am currently loving or a song that has been stuck in my head. Most of my typography pieces were inspired by those lyrics. Two unique facts about Melissa! // My name means Bee in Greek but I hate Honey. // I was once left behind in a Subway in New York. I’m still alive.

How would you describe your style? Fun, quirky, colourful and #ontrend - I was once the girl who sat in class and didn’t listen to my science teacher talking about chemicals because I drew in the corners of my exercise books. I also put a lot of effort into creating headers for each topic to make it look super extra and motivate my studies. From this, I grew a passion for graphic design, especially typography. I prefer my designs to be on traditional mediums because

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OPHELIA ROBERTS ILLUSTRATOR & GRAPHIC DESIGNER | PERTH, WA A G E | 21

I N S T A G R A M | @op hel i arob ert si l l us tra tion F A C E B O O K | @op hel i arob ert si l l us tra tion T O O L S | P en

DESCRIPTION // My submission piece was inspired by native Australian flora and fauna. It was initially created for an exhibition titled ‘Flight’ held at the Paper Bird Gallery. DESIGN PROCESS // I begin with a brief research to gain inspiration and ideate my process. Once everything has been finalised, I use pencil to outline the main elements and composition before going over it with fine-liners with the technique of stippling to create the final artwork. How would you describe your style? My illustrations are realistic and highly detailed, created using the style of stippling. Two unique facts about Ophelia! // Lived in Taiwan for 6 months on exchange when I was in year 10. // I’m half Malaysian and half Australian.

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TITLE | Galahs

TITLE | Impending

SHANNON HARBRON ARTIST | PERTH, WA A G E | 20

I N S T A G R A M | @shanharb rona rtis a na l T O O L S | W at erc ol our, i nk and cha lk pa s te l on he a vy pa pe r.

DESCRIPTION // My piece, ‘Impending,’ 2016, was created as a visual representation of how I think about the future. Recently I have been considering death, birth and all the things that make up life in between. I love the fact that you never know what is coming around the corner; scary yes, however exceedingly exciting and inspirational. Just entering adulthood, I have chosen to live every day as a fresh start and just let life roll on, this is where my piece comes into view. Water is a force of nature that can be as calm and gentle as a floating feather or crushing and dynamic, just like life. I am a drop of water that may become part of a wave that glides onto the sandy shore, or I may join a force of destruction and strength. The organic flow of the waves in my piece juxtaposed with the large wave that is about to crash down creates a dynamic tension that may represent the unknowing fate of one’s life in the present. The brilliant hues a visual of my optimism for my future. DESIGN PROCESS // I start by prepping the paper with a layer of watercolour to give the paper grip. Alternating between watercolour and chalk pastels, I layer both mediums in order to create form and structure. I then create organic lines with ink on the top most layer. How would you describe your style? My style is quite fluid and layered. I like to lay down organic bases and forms and then place loose, almost naturally geometric, fine lines on top to create a piece that finds and reproduces a harmony within itself. I love to paint or draw the human form or nature, because both subject matters are constantly surrounding us, yet no two petals are the same, no eye colour easily reproduced; truly magical. Two unique facts about Shannon! // I have a gift for making up brilliant and ridiculous names for things. // I have a knack for finding the unique beauty in most things.

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TOM BENSON GRAPHIC DESIGNER | PERTH, WA A G E | 25

DESCRIPTION // In my anticipated excitement to visit the Studio Ghibli Museum, I re-watched all of my favourite Miyazaki films. Laputa took me on a ride of tension-filled adventure and I instantly felt motivated to sketch letters. DESIGN PROCESS // I ideate my process through mood boards, research and sometimes even briefing sessions. When I’ve nailed down the general direction I sketch my ideas and bounce back and forth between screen and paper until it is fully refined. How would you describe your style? I don’t like to pigeonhole my work into a particular style. I believe that great designers have the ability to flex and adapt what they do in a variety of ways. My focus is aimed at solving problems and clearly communicating an idea tailored towards an organisation or business. Being free of style allows room to try new things, resulting in outcomes I wouldn’t normally attempt or immediately expect to work. Two unique facts about Tom! // I nerd out on basketball, sneakers and anime. // I like to photograph and film nature (@uptop_productions on instagram).

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TITLE | Laputa in the Sky

De lic io us ly p re p a red w i th

by Ben to Box Desi gn Stu di o