PROJECT PATTERN

MOODBOARD

THE CONCEPT:

For this project, I wanted to develop my own illustration style and finally create some original work. Additionally, this project became a way for me to connect more with my childhood. I was told these stories growing up, and it was a fun way to learn more about Chinese culture. America also doesn’t really have these kinds of stories about yaoguai or the interaction between the “heavens” and mortals, so I was excited to use my art and design to inform others about the richness of Chinese folklore & culture.

DESIGN PROCESS

STEP 1 The first step in the process (after sketching) is creating the line art of each character. I stuck with a solid black line in a soft crayon texture so it would look more cartoonesque. I also turned off the pressure control so that the line weight would be consistent throughout.

The second step is adding flat colors. I used a specialized crayon brush for this layer. Each character also had six colors specifically assigned to them. Color was added in layers and started from the skin (or fur) and ended with accessories & clothing. The third step in illustrating these characters is adding highlights, shadows, texture and details. I also got to experiment with pattern making. This part is absolutely crucial because it really brings the characters to life. It also usually takes the most time to complete. The final step is adding the calligraphy, background, seal and paper texture. This step also shows the final character posters for each yaoguai. The background color uses a color pulled from the character’s eyes, and the seal uses a color featured in the character’s outfit.

STEP 2

PENG DYNASTY COLOR PALETTE STEP 3 STEP 4

PENG DYNASTY BRUSHES

CHARACTER SKETCHES

ZHU BAJIE

Zhu Bajie was actually the first character I sketched but the second character I began rendering. His original design in Journey to the West was absolutely hideous, so I wanted to make his character design a lot cuter and more lovable. I hadn’t started using the symmetry tool in Procreate at this point and was just copying and pasting each half as I finished.

BAI SUZHEN

Bai Suzhen was the third character I rendered in Procreate. I started using the symmetry tool to make her face, but I wanted to make her outfit “unique” so didn’t use symmetry tool there. My sketches at this point are still very messy because I’m unsure of the style and proportions for each character. Her Chinese dress—hanfu—also heavily references my own.

HULI JING

Huli Jing was the fourth character I rendered, and I actually created two outfits for her. At this point, I fully embraced using the symmetry tool to make my life easier. I also solidified the character proportions, so her sketch was much cleaner than the previous ones. From the start, her character design was one of my favorites because of how cute her fox features are.

BAIGUJING

Baigujing was the final character I conceptualized, which is fitting because she is the antagonist in the game. Her sketch was surprisingly clean, and it may have been because I was sure of how I wanted to her look. But her design is my least favorite. If I were to revisit her design, I would immediately change the eyes and most of her facial features.