Illustrations on the theme of the Shanhaijing

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Illustrations from the Shan Hai Jing series

This project is a series of illustrations based on the descriptions of 10 monsters from the Shanhaijing. I was inspired by the Shanhaijing, a classic Chinese text that is a compilation of mythical geography and beasts. I took full advantage of my personal imagination based on the textual descriptions and drew what I imagined in Chinese ink painting to create these bizarre animals. When designing an illustration, I generally follow seven basic steps; Explore ideas, Narrow down the concept, Sketch the scene, Choose a color palette, Block out color, Final refinements and try a new way of expression. Being open to new ways of expression is of paramount importance to me, even if some projects don't turn out as well as they should.