I had a ton of fun working on this project for Shannon Dittemore. I found the first book in her duology (WINTER: White and Wicked) in my local bookstore in grad school. Lots of internet friends had been pumping it up, so I decided to give it a go, which led to a bit of fan art, which led to me picking up her first trilogy, which led to more fan art…. Eventually Shannon asked if I’d be willing to create some artwork for the sequel (REBEL: Brave and Brutal).
Cover and Interior Design for ‘Reaching My Dreams’
This is another college student’s senior portfolio project. She asked me to do a drawing of her in the style of Studio Ghibli, which was more challenging than I expected (I forget how insane anime backgrounds are compared to their simple line art characters). But I downloaded a few new Procreate brushes for this project, which saved me a lot of time and stress. Overall, it was really fun to do. I always like learning other artists’ styles for a project.
Library Fantasy Posters
I wanted to create a series of posters one might find in a local library for the prompt “cause and effect.” Essentially, if you read amazing books, you travel to amazing places. I chose to illustrate three classic fantasy worlds in the form of travel posters: Neverland, Middle Earth, and Narnia. In addition, I wanted all three of them to be able to hang next to each other to create a continuous scene, with Aslan leading the way “further up and further in.” I also added a comet in the sky of the Neverland poster as a reference to the Disney prequel series I read as a kid.
Loaves and Fishes Sign Design
For my final project in my 3D design class, I had to create a sign for a business (real or fictional) and use simple materials like foam and insulation board to mimic authentic materials like wood and metal. I wanted to make a biblical themed restaurant that one would expect to see in a faith-based amusement park, and thought “Loaves and Fishes” could be a clever name for a meal stop. It was also a tribute to the new biblical tv show, The Chosen, produced by Dallas Jenkins, which I had been thoroughly invested in during the semester. I based the original typeface closely after the Orlando Holy Land Experience logo, combined with elements from free Arabic fonts online. The sign was made primarily of pink, half-inch insulation board cut and painted to look like a cartoonish piece of wood to fit the amusement park vibes I was going for. Check out this tutorial I followed to get the same effect. The letters were also insulation board cut with a laser cutter and spray-painted with textured bleached stone paint. I thought it looked slightly like bread (to help with the name, Loaves and Fishes). The fish and paint colors were … Read More
Dyslexia Ambigram Design
After seven weeks and over $100 of supplies, I created this interactive, spinning poster that raises awareness for the “cool” side of dyslexia. As an ambigram, rightside up it reads correctly, but upside down in reads phonetically: “disleksia.” I wanted to do it in a graffiti style because its “creative chaos” feel is what we dyslexics go through sometimes, and I wanted to express it visually for those who don’t understand the experience. The board circle spins on a lazy Susan and changes colors, misspells, and the letters and paint are even at different heights to create a constantly changing, moving piece. Each piece was made of spray-painted foam core cut out by hand and by laser. The entire poster stands at 30″ by 30″ and was submitted as a midterm grade for my masters of graphic design degree. If you’re interested in how dyslexia works and how it affects people’s reading, spelling, and creativity, check out my essay about the dyslexic superpower or watch my short infographic animation. I got an A- on this project.
“O Beautiful for Spacious Skies” Vector
For one of my graphic design classes, I had to create a vector, nature-based painting. I wanted it to be distinctly American as well as have a slight double meaning when looked at closer. The scene is based off the song “America the Beautiful” and attempts to illustrate each landscape description mentioned in the song. Upon closer look, one can see the American flag hidden within the scene: the fruited plains/amber waves of grain are in rows like stripes, and the snow on the mountains have a slight resemblance of stars. I got an A- on this project.
VBS 2019 Campaign
I was able to help with my church’s Vacation Bible School program this summer by creating the graphics, artwork, t-shirts, door hangers, flyers, and banners.
Book and Design for “Timelines”
As a professional writing major at my college, seniors have to compile their best work from over the last four years into a bound, designed book. It’s been a project I’ve been waiting for with bated breath ever since I learned about it. Older students told me as a sophomore to save every paper I ever wrote, keep teachers’ notes, and to be thinking about a theme that can tie everything together. Back then, I couldn’t imagine picking out a theme that could encompass all my writing: after all, I liked to write about different things, and some of my stories were vastly different from others. But as my senior year came upon me, I found the perfect theme. My stories revolve around either hope or memory. Many of them look to the future with either a warning to society about our faults, or an expected adventure just out of reach. And when not writing a social commentary on America’s morals, I’m pulling nostalgia from the cracks of my mind. I thought “memory” and “hope” were much too generic for my theme, but finally it hit me: I also write about time. Time looking forward to the future or back … Read More
Dyslexic, Not Disabled: An Infographic About Dyslexia
Sometimes dyslexics feel at a disadvantage, but according to experts, dyslexics have a leg up in society.
The Drawing Journey
Lots of people say they “can’t even draw stick figures,” but drawing isn’t *just* a God-given talent. It takes practice to get good.