Garden Bridge

A self-portrait celebrating my culture, on-going journey, my love for pink and green, and peace.

This is the second postcard I've illustrated and printed for an on-going personal project. The self-portrait represents my Chinese culture and my excited, yet calm outlook on life during a time of transition. After moving to Portland, I fell in love with the color green. I complimented green tones with pale pinks to create a bright, refreshing Chinese garden.

"Garden Bridge"

Symbolism:

江 jiāng: 'river,' my last name, water, flow, reflection

Bridge: crossing from one realm into another, my character stands in the middle to symbolize an on-going journey

Foliage: stylized 茜 qiàn (part of my first name) flowers in the foreground, lily pads, lotus flowers, cherry blossoms

Pink: the color of my logo, a color of dye that can be produced when the 茜 qiàn plant is processed

Early Sketch and B&W Test

Notes to self

Left: creating stronger lines of action to lead the viewer's eye by adjusting the lily pads

Right: continuing to render the illustration, adjusting values and saturation, locking in silhouettes, etc.