Garden Bridge
A self-portrait celebrating my culture, on-going journey, love for pink and green, and peace.
I created this self-portrait as a new promotional illustration and as my second postcard. It represents my Chinese culture and my excited, yet calm outlook on life's personal and artistic journeys. Living in Portland, I started falling in love with the color green. I decided to compliment it with my brand colors to create a bright, refreshing Chinese garden. The illustration is packed with symbolism, some of which are explained below.
"Garden Bridge"
Symbolisms:
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.