INSPIRATION CAN ARISE FROM ANYWHERE.
Hello, my lovely reader! My name is Anoliefo Chisom Prisca, and I am taking a leap of faith to write here, hoping you enjoy my creative process as you read along. I’m excited to share a glimpse into my creative journey as a multifaceted designer, with illustration being my primary focus.
I am a huge fan of this platform. There are so many amazing writers and designers here and I like to feast on everything that catches my fancy. I must confess their articles have been nothing short of inspiring and captivating. I have decided to join the wagon to document my artistic explorations.
The inspiration for this series of illustrations struck me during a research session for my company’s Newsletter. My journey was creating a series of illustrations using an illustration style I fell in love with. And guess what the inspiration sprung from. It was from here; Medium. I do not know how to see who drew the illustration, but I am going to leave behind the picture of the illustration that caught my attention and the link to the design article below.
I studied it to see why I was so drawn to it. I guess it was because of the innocence the lines carried or the simplicity of the shading. It felt like the work of a teen or child, and I was hooked. I fell in love with the perfect imperfections of the illustration. Determined to explore this style, I embarked on a journey to recreate and reinterpret it with my unique touch.
My first muse was our colour fairy on Twitter. She wrote a book on colours and I can’t wait to get hold of the book before the year comes to an end. Using the same colour palette as the original reference, I aimed to pay homage to the initial drawing while infusing my creativity. I also felt it was a form of respect for my first drawing to have that colour as the thought of making more illustrations was brewing in my head.
I think the illustrator made a good choice with the colour. It is so cool and subtle. And besides I was still blown away by the intricate details, especially the eyes that looked like two little tiny bracelet beads. She is
here on Medium.
Above is my reference, sketch and what I was able to come up with. I didn’t want to stop there. I was eager to push my creative boundaries and challenge myself more.
I ventured further to use a prominent designer as my second muse. He wasn’t my second muse just because of how prominent he was in the design sphere, but because of the Aso Oke hat, he sported in the photo. His name is @leyeConnect on Twitter.
I came across his picture while scrolling through my Twitter feed and I felt I needed to see what the African attire was going to look like. This can also be referred to as the “Fila”. Fila is the Yoruba name for the hat worn by the Yoruba to complement their native attires. Give me a moment to share fun facts about the Fila.
It is said by some that Fila when worn to the right signifies an unmarried man, while wearing it to the left indicates a married man. Actor John Boyega was seen wearing one to the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiere. I liked the result as it turned out to be a visually compelling piece.
I chose the colour pink only because I wanted to shift away from the status quo that pink was a lady’s colour. You can tell he looks so good in pink, right? Check below for the illustration style, sketch and reference picture.
Yearning for more challenges, I delved into the style using another muse. I had a challenge drawing the hands. I don’t know if it’s just me, but drawing human appendages can be a herculean task. Undeterred, I refused to let the complexity of hand drawing hinder my progress.
Determination became my compass as I navigated the arena of hand illustration, fully committed to emerging victorious, even if it meant leaving with a few creative bruises. Lol. What was even funnier was the fact that three of my model’s fingers were behind her jaw and the shadow obscured the lines I sought to capture. In a peculiar yet amusing turn of events, I found myself mimicking the pose, to decipher how it was supposed to look like. Funny I chose yellow, because my muse was fair, besides she was giving me this vibrant reminiscent of sunshine piercing through dense clouds.
All along while I was drawing, I had to remind myself to look at my first reference and remind myself of the little details it had, the perfect imperfections that made it unique. I am very quick at abandoning a drawing or spending long hours on a drawing because it is not perfect yet. As the final touches unfolded, the shading emerged as the element that resonated with me the most in this particular illustration.
When I was done at this juncture, a curious thought emerged- what if this style graced the visage of an elderly person? Eager to explore this, I turned to Unsplash, a treasure trove of free images. I got the picture and decided to implement the style into my illustration and it was so good. I was happy I didn’t discard it because my pencil sketch wasn’t looking so good. My choice of colour for the elderly depiction wasn’t arbitrary. I felt the turquoise colour was modern. The combination of her age and the modern colour spoke volumes to me about balance. How does it resonate with you?
The last two illustrations were the most challenging, particularly the one featuring a rugby player. It started with the sketch. I really don’t know what I was thinking when I chose to sketch it at first. I just knew it was sitting pretty in my pictures saved from Twitter. I do not recall exactly whose timeline I took it from. I have a penchant for collecting various pictures that catch my eye. The complexity deepened with the unique perspective the image carried. I had to look for a way to implement this style in illustration without making it overwhelming. I struggled with deciding which details to include and which to omit. I would take multiple glances at the original reference and say to myself, “Girl, as simple as this style is, I don’t think the owner of this illustration would want to add this particular detail, just pay a blind eye to it- let it go.” Embracing this mindset, I committed to my artistic choices, and the result emerged. I chose the colour orange for it because the colour was the primary colour in the picture reference.
Finally, I present the piece adorned with a cascade of flowers that graced my friend’s head, resembling a majestic crown. I really like this picture of her. Captured on her birthday, it exudes a certain charm that resonates with me. At first, I was scared the flowers would be much of a challenge, and to my delight, the result was not only satisfactory but also a joy to create. It only took an extra bit of time. I was also trying to avoid making it perfect. I had to force myself not to add more details. I for a touch of spontaneity with the flowers.
The choice of green was no arbitrary decision; it was her favourite colour. Whenever I see the green colour, I can’t help but think of her. The way she talks about it brags about how it was the best colour. She had it in her clothes, utensils, stationery and beyond. These days I think I am gravitating towards the green colour. I am usually green with envy of her obsession. I am joking. Do not mind me.
My sketches might look less like the illustration and that is because it is where I had my trials and error. Moving them to the artboard, I had to make sure I refined it to look better than it did in my sketch book.
If you’ve journeyed with me thus far, thank you sincerely for your time and engagement. I’m eager to hear your thoughts on these illustrations and discover which of them resonates most with you. This collection stands as a testament to the beauty found in simplicity.
Until our creative paths cross again, your favourite creative spirit, Chisommy. Thank you once again.
