This project was to illustrate a pattern about “forces of nature” with a limited color palette of about 3 colors (black and white could be included) I had a little trouble with this one as my professor never specified if “forces of nature” was in a literal sense or a metaphorical sense. It opened up more ideas for me later. Anyways, my first sketches are in a literal sense. I had chosen to do destructive forces of nature. I sketched out some wildfire and tsunami ideas and liked the idea of fire.
I had a hard time trying to enjoy this project as the wildfire idea was good, but my execution of it wasn’t to my liking. Then I decided to try and incorporate the fire idea with a metaphorical sense of “forces of nature.” I had chosen to draw women who were unjustly burned. I drew Joan of Arc and the witches of Salem. An archaic smile was chosen as, to me, represented their bravery and acceptance of the situation they were in before they died. Sketch below.
My professor had looked over this idea and loved it. Although, she suggested that I incorporate one more female. It wasn’t until I asked my brother for help that he suggested the 2002 Mecca’s School Girl Fire; where Saudi school girls were trapped in the burning school because the religious police prevented people from helping and said the females head coverings were a little to revealing. Their deaths eventually changed some of Saudi’s religious laws in the later years.
Below are the finished patterns I finished in Illustrator with varying color palettes.
