December 2018
ISSUE | 06 FEATURING A SEARCH & FIND PUZZLE BY THE BENTO BOX TEAM.
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 Bento Box Design Studio © 2018 Bento Magazine All rights reserved.
EDITOR
F EATUR ED I N T ER VI EW
Bento Box Design Studio
Bento Box Design Studio
STUD IO DIRECTO R
CO N T R I BUTO R S
Leeanne Nguyen leeanne@bentoboxstudio.com.au
CR EATIVE DIRECTOR Tristan Ta tristan@bentoboxstudio.com.au
ART DIRECTOR Monica Widjajana monica@bentoboxstudio.com.au
MAR KERTING DIRECTO R Ashvin Nair ashvin@bentoboxstudio.com.au
DESIGNED BY Bento Box Design Studio
Grace Kirby - Christmas Poster Harry Cunningham - Little Aussie Christmas Vectors Mohamed Louanjli - The Santa Chase Norah Yang - Daily Small Drawings Ophelia Roberts - Aussie Christmas Kookaburra Rachel Unwin-Hatton - Xmas Studies Sherlyn Chang - Biscuit Packaging Tina Tran - Little Elf Tyrown Waigana - The Trope of a Conversation
S O C I A LS I N S T A G R A M | @bentobox.studio F A C E B O O K | @bentobox.studio TWITTER | @bentobox_studio D R I B B B L E | Bento Box Design Studio
S U BSC R I PT I O N bentoboxstudio.com.au
PR ES S
press@bentoboxstudio.com.au bentoboxstudio.com.au/press/ BENTO is proudly published twice a year.
BENTO ISSUE 06
06
A LITTLE BIT OF BENTO
10
GRACE KIRBY
12
HARRY CUNNINGHAM
14
MOHAMED LOUANJLI
16
NORAH YANG
18
OPHELIA ROBERTS
20
RACHEL UNWIN-HATTON
22
SHERLYN CHANG
24
TINA TRAN
26
TYROWN WAIGANA
28
FIND IT PUZZLE SOLUTION
A LIT TLE BIT OF BENTO BENTO BOX DESIGN STUDIO Leeanne | Tristan | Monica | Ashvin
S e a r c h & F i n d P u z z l e | One i s not like the othe rs . . .
Find Me! What is your favourite Japanese food and why? Leeanne: Tempura Prawn Udon! Where do I start? The texture of the udon noodle is so nice. It must have the right bounce and not be too soft or hard. I can never get enough of the broth either. Rain or shine, whether I am feeling 100% or not I can always go for some hot udon. 10/10 I leave the joint with broth splashes on my clothes. Tristan: Sushi, definitely sushi. I’m a huge rice guy! I just love the fresh flavours of raw fish that sits on top of a soft bed of sushi rice. I won’t ever get bored of it either since there are literally a million ways to prepare sushi! Oh, and getting hit by that wasabi is oddly thrilling. Monica: Katsu Chicken Curry has got to be my favourite. But of course, it has to have a little spice in it! I couldn’t resist and had to order a bowl almost everyday when I was in Japan. Ashvin: It’s ramen of course! I definitely can never say no to a flavoursome broth and some amazing noodles. When it’s topped off with a runny egg and some slices of tender roast pork, you know there will be nothing but slurping coming from my end of the table. If you were flying out to Japan tomorrow what would be the first thing you would do? Leeanne: I am for sure hitting up one of the many street markets in Japan. There are so many in Japan and I would want to see them all! I am certain I will be spoilt for choices. What do I eat first? Takoyaki maybe? Tristan: That’s an easy one! I will be checking out the local food scenes. The culture is so different to what we have in Australia, the experience definitely enhances the taste of the food! Monica: I’ll definitely be hunting for delish local food from the vending machines and visit Akihabara to satisfy my inner weeb. Who else is with me? Ashvin: The first thing I’m doing is searching for somewhere to eat. With such a unique food culture, where else would I start? I would be like a kid in a candy store running from restaurant to restaurant wanting to try everything! What part of the bento box would you be? Leeanne: I think I am the ever-changing main dishes. I wear many hats in the studio and just like the main I have to make sure the bento box works well and is delicious! After all a Bento Box is not complete without the main dish. Tristan: I would have to say the rice. As the Creative Director at Bento Box and in my personal life I support all those around me. Just like the rice in a bento box, I am the base that connects all the ‘side dishes’ together. Monica: As I’m quite tall, I would say that I’m the really long tempura prawn that doesn’t fit in the bento box. It tastes really delicious on its own and even better when paired with other dishes. This is exactly how I work in the office as part of the team! Ashvin: I think I would be the miso soup because it is not only a dish you taste, but one that you hear as well. That echo of slurping is very distinct and I am one of the loudest of the team when we are out and about.
BENTO 06
THE MOST LIGHTS LIT S I M U LTA N E O U S LY O N A C H R I S T M A S T R E E IS 194, 672.
GRACE KIRBY TYPOGRAPHY | MELBOURNE, VIC A G E | 21
L i n k d i n | Grac e K i rb y B e h a n c e | @grac ek i rb y T O O L S | A d ob e T yp ek i t , A d ob e P hotos hop a nd Adobe InDe s ign.
DESCRIPTION // The following design is a typographic poster inspired by Christmas and the holiday season. I have taken inspiration from the holiday’s vibrant, festive colours and decorative Christmas cards. I’ve always loved the different textures, patterns and designs that can be found on cards, wrapping paper and Christmas baubles. This is part of what makes the gift giving season so fun and cheerful. Another interesting aspect which this poster drew upon, was traditional blackletter type, which is often used in Bibles and some of the first books printed in Europe. I used this style of type to reference the longstanding Christmas traditions that date back centuries and because of the dramatic contrast in strokes and decorative swirls. DESIGN PROCESS // My design process typically begins with research. This is followed by layout sketches and design drafts. When looking for design inspiration, I love looking at typographic poster designs as I believe you can learn a lot about interesting grids and layouts from these. How would you describe your style? I would describe my style as typographic and bold. I enjoy selecting typefaces carefully and love how these choices impact the different tones and themes you can convey through a design. I also like experimenting with negative space to create a clear hierarchy. If you saw Santa coming down your chimney, what do you hope he brought you? Lots of design books! Two favourite things about Christmas // Christmas decorations // Christmas spirit/cheer
BENTO 10
TITLE | Christmas Poster
Surfing Santa
Sandy Sandman
Joey Stocking T I T L E | Little Aussie Christmas Vectors
Christmas Koala
Jolly Croc
Emu Surprise
HARRY CUNNINGHAM ILLUSTRATION | PERTH,WA A G E | 22
B E H A N C E | @harryc unni ng ham I N S T A G R A M | @harry.d i gi t al W E B S I T E | www.harryc unni ngha m. com T O O L S | A d ob e I l l ust rat or
DESCRIPTION // I’ve really been into creating icons lately. I’m not quite sure what it is, but it may be the simplicity of the shapes, glossy hues or the design process of simplifying something into a few colours and shapes. For my submission, I created little Australian Christmas vector characters. The idea behind it was to make something that could be printed on cards, wrapping paper or tea towels. A few of the vector designs were inspired by things I had seen before, like the “surfing Santa”. The koala’s hat was my Christmas twist on the Australian cork hat, which was said to have been invented by jackaroos of the outback. Due to of the lack of snow in Australia, sandmen are more common, so I created one which is meant to be at the beach. I knew I wanted one Australian animal dressed as a reindeer which turned out to be a crocodile. I was originally going to have a white kangaroo (because of the Australian Christmas song “Six White Boomers”) but I ended up making a mother kangaroo with her joey coming out of a Christmas stocking. The last vector art character is an emu coming out of a gift box. It’s meant to represent how they hatch from eggs (or at least how I imagine they would hatch) DESIGN PROCESS // Whenever I begin a project, I always start with writing notes or sketching for a few minutes to flesh it out. I then use Pinterest, Instagram or Dribbble to find inspirations. I usually search for designs that I know I will learn from and push my creative skills. How would you describe your style? I’m still trying to find my style, and I think it is expressed in different ways depending on the project. I love to travel so more often than not my work is centred around that. Whether it’s to do with culture, different countries, animals or food, my style is definitely better when I’m inspired by my work. If you saw Santa coming down your chimney, what do you hope he brought you? A Mac cooling pad. My MacBook has been overheating lately lol! Two favourite things about Christmas // Travel // Family (and food!)
BENTO 13
MOHAMED LOUANJLI POSTER | HELSINKI, FINLAND A G E | 44
S O C I A L | @l i monst ud i oc o T O O L S | A d ob e P hot oshop
DESCRIPTION // I directed this shoot at the Kuer fell near Äkäslompolo in Lapland, Finland. Santa lives nearby! I am the subject of the image wearing snowshoes and using a TLR camera (sometimes it’s too cold to use a digital device). Using the traditional Christmas palette (green/red), this is a poster illustrating a Santa chase story. DESIGN PROCESS // This artwork is made in Photoshop using different adjustment layers (Texture, Duotone, Levels). How would you describe your style? Minimalistic If you saw Santa coming down your chimney, what do you hope he brought you? iPad Mini Two favourite things about Christmas // Holidays // Friendship
BENTO 14
TITLE | The Santa Chase
TITLE | Daily Small Drawings
NORAH YANG ILLUSTRATION | PERTH, WA A G E | 27
I N S T A G R A M | @c hi c hi munk T O O L S | W ac om Grap hi c s T ab le t a nd Adobe Photos hop
DESCRIPTION // The three illustrations are designed as a set, featuring a combination of objects with typography with each having its own unique theme. I regularly design from home, and I spend most of my time there. I am kind of a home buddy :P I wanted to draw something to reflect how I see my everyday life and to also make sure it looks interesting. I get a lot of inspiration from my love of nature and the tiny little things in life. Sometimes I am also inspired by a word I hear in a movie or a colour I see. I am hoping I can draw more in this style. DESIGN PROCESS // I make sure I get to know the themes first. For example, Christmas. It is essential that I collect items that are easy to present in my drawing style. I then draw each object individually before laying them out on a square canvas. The final step is to design typography that represents the style and mood of the piece. How would you describe your style? I would describe it as natural, traditional, nostalgic, positive, rough and random. I am also trying to incorporate new styles into my designs. If you saw Santa coming down your chimney, what do you hope he brought you? I hope he brought me some food! Two favourite things about Christmas // Christmas trees // Gingerbread with sherry
BENTO 17
OPHELIA ROBERTS ILLUSTRATION | PERTH, WA A G E | 22 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 ustra tion T O O L S | P roc reat e and t he A p p l e Pe ncil
DESCRIPTION // For me, there is nothing that says Christmas more than the combination of the colours red, green and gold! This illustration is my interpretation of what an Aussie Christmas looks like. Christmas cards with snowfall and pine trees are a little hard to relate to when Christmas in Australia is sunny, and it’s at least 30 degrees. So I’ve illustrated something a little closer to home! There are no reindeer or snow to be seen, just Australian birds and beautiful bright native flora! Who needs snow when you’ve got red flowering gum and golden wattle as a backdrop? DESIGN PROCESS // My process for this illustration started with a loose shape based sketch. This allows me to figure out the composition and sketch out all of the main components. The next step in my process was to work on a layer above this initial sketch, to refine and add more detail. I continue these steps, adding more layers and continuing to refine until I am happy with my final illustration. How would you describe your style? At this point in time, I would say that I’m not really sure what my style is. I am currently exploring a range of new mediums and colour palettes so I wouldn’t say I have a distinct style right now. I have found that I tend to gravitate toward stippling as well as the use of fine liners or graphite in both traditional and digital forms. For this illustration, I have used a digital graphite brush for details and also added colour in digitally. If you saw Santa coming down your chimney, what do you hope he brought you? Food! Snacks are the way to my heart! Two favourite things about Christmas // The food! // Wrapping presents - I have an obsession with stationery and that includes wrapping paper!
BENTO 18
TITLE | Aussie Christmas Kookaburra
TITLE | Xmas Studies
RACHEL UNWIN-HAT TON ILLUSTRATION | PERTH, WA A G E | 24
INSTAGRAM | @rachuh_ WEBSITE | www.racheluh.com T O O L S | Brush, i nk and A d ob e InDe s ign
DESCRIPTION // My final design came about while I was developing small sketches. During my reflection on my submission, I noticed that it was aligned with my thoughts on Christmas. It should be simple. None of all this chaotic shopping and decorations, but instead just being thankful for family, friends and living in such a beautiful country. DESIGN PROCESS // I start with a million sketches of shapes, then a few pages of layouts which I then partner up with shapes that I think will complement each other. I’ll choose a few and make a selection of small, rough paintings. After I have chosen one, I’ll spend a lot of time on it! How would you describe your style? I create simple abstract paintings that focus on de-constructing plants or objects with a minimalist approach. If you saw Santa coming down your chimney, what do you hope he brought you? Plants and wine. Two favourite things about Christmas // Always the food! // Relaxing in the sun.
BENTO 21
SHERLYN CHANG ILLUSTRATION | PERTH, WA A G E | 22
I N S T A G R A M | @sherl yn.d esi gn W E B S I T E | www.sherl ynd esi gn.c om T O O L S | A d ob e I l l ust rat or and A dobe Photos hop
DESCRIPTION // Clara’s Bakehouse is a biscuit brand that is based on the Nutcracker concept. This is a newly-released collection that pairs crackers with a variety of nuts. As the current biscuit market is very dull and boring, the brand’s purpose is to introduce more fun and entertainment to the industry, as well as encouraging young people to eat nuts. The collection is also aiming to tie in with the upcoming Christmas season. The biscuit packaging is designed around the concept of combining nuts with crackers. The illustration features the nut variety in the hair and uniforms of the characters. I have also utilised decorative typefaces and festive patterns to reflect the Christmas theme. DESIGN PROCESS // I started with market research and found that most packaging is dull and boring. This made me focus on a fun and festive style to stand out. Then I moved onto ideation, coming up with more creative ideas and creating my own nutcracker character. After that, I started to develop digitally as well as experiment with the colour palette, typography, layout, etc. Lastly, I did some refinement of the details of the design and applied it to a mock-up for presentation. How would you describe your style? The brand’s personality is contemporary, fun, quality, playful, youthful and festive. I have also focused on a fun and festive approach by utilising bold and bright colours, decorative typefaces as well as simple shapes and pattern. This will help to clearly communicate the brand’s personality while targeting teenagers directly. If you saw Santa coming down your chimney, what do you hope he brought you? I hope he can bring me a bunch of flight tickets to travel around the world. I really love travelling and taking photographs as well as exploring new things in different countries. Two favourite things about Christmas // Decorating Christmas tree // Receiving Christmas gifts
BENTO 22
TITLE | Biscuit Packaging
TITLE | Little Elf
TINA TRAN ILLUSTRATION | MELBOURNE, VIC A G E | 23
I N S T A G R A M | @ od d i t y5 1 W E B S I T E | www.t i na-t ran.c om T O O L S | A d ob e P hot oshop
DESCRIPTION // Little Elf encapsulates the visual style of classic children’s book illustrations and vintage animation. Holding a present fresh out of Santa’s workshop, the little elf is ecstatic with joy as the gift is ready to be delivered to its recipient. To add to the Christmas imagery, iconic plants such as poinsettias and holly have been added to the composition. DESIGN PROCESS // Initially, I start doing quick sketches of ideas that come to mind. From there, I’ll have a look at some inspiration and character references. I will then experiment with different ideas and imagery followed by hopping onto the computer to start digitising my concept illustration. To finish off the illustration, I’ll start playing around with gritty textures to give it that worn, vintage aesthetic. How would you describe your style? My illustrative style is simple and child-like with a vintage flair. If you saw Santa coming down your chimney, what do you hope he brought you? A bag full of gingerbread cookies. Two favourite things about Christmas // Guilt-free Christmas feasts // Ugly christmas sweaters
BENTO 25
TYROWN WAIGANA ILLUSTRATION | PERTH, WA A G E | 22
I N S T A G R A M | @c rawl i nc roc od i l e F A C E B O O K | @c rawl i nc roc od i l e Y O U T U B E | Crawl i n Croc od i l e L I N K E D I N | T yrown W ai gana W E B | www.c rawl i nc roc od i l e.c om T O O L S | I nk , d i p p en, b rush p en, and Adobe Photos hop
DESCRIPTION // It’s a Monday morning, and Rudolf is going to the kitchen to get a coffee. He stops when he notices Santa, who was overseeing one of the present conveyor belts and they start up a conversation. Rudolf begins to tell Santa about his weekend and how he didn’t really do much because of how thick the snow is this time of year. Santa’s mind begins to drift, as Rudolf is talking to him and he wonders how his sled gets around the world in only one night. He realises it’s crazy that he doesn’t know how it works but instead he just knows how to operate it. Hence the blank expression on his face. DESIGN PROCESS // I begin by conducting brief research and then jumping straight into the illustration. I start by putting lines down and seeing where that takes me. The next step in my process is to add colour in. After that dries, I scan it and enhance the illustration in Photoshop. How would you describe your style? Expressive, emotive, raw, youthful. If you saw Santa coming down your chimney, what do you hope he brought you? A new laptop. Two favourite things about Christmas // Christmas meal with the family // Christmas movies
BENTO 26
TITLE | The Trope of a Conversation
DID YOU MANAGE TO FIND THE HIDDEN ONIGIRI?
SOLUTION | One is not like the others...
De lic io us ly p re p a red w i th
by Ben to Box Desi gn Stu di o
