I had an assignment to create an icon of anything that I wanted. It was a daunting task, mainly because I couldn't make up my mind about what I wanted to create. The possibilities were endless. 

I decided to sit down and think about what inspires me to create. As I sat jotting ideas onto a paper, I looked up and saw the Triforce pendant that my friend gave me for my birthday a while back. The Legend of Zelda series is more than just a series to me. I started playing it back when I was a kid. If you ever wanted to find me, I was usually at my friends house, huddled next to the TV trying to figure out puzzles to help Link find his princess. Staring at this pendant, I knew this franchise was what I wanted to design. But where to start?

I knew what the basic shapes were to be for my project, but I found it easiest to sketch things out. Did I want rounded edges or sharp edges on the Master Sword? How do I make an Ocarina without it resembling a potato? These were the thoughts that ran through my mind as I sketched away my ideas.

It was time to hit Illustrator and see what sketches I could make come to life. Oh boy, that was hard. Ever get an idea that you can see in your head so clearly, but didn't know how to portray it? Yeah, that was me. 

I got some critique back from my professor about these first 6 icons and he helped me understand a lot about strokes and how I should use them. I was advised to take away the black strokes.It was clear that I needed to go back to the drawing board. I was determined to figure things out and change them.

I took away the black strokes and knew I had some work to do. It did help tremendously, though. I was able to gain a new perspective that I hadn't had before. Ideas kept coming until I had my final icons. 

Here's the end result! I'm proud of myself for the work that I did. It wasn't easy; there were so many times I had to walk away because I was staring at a shadow on a rupee for too long, but I finally did it. And it was so much fun! 

I think my favorite thing about these icons was creating the shadows and the highlights. It was so cool seeing my designs pop by simply giving them shadows. It was really cool,

I'm grateful for the opportunity I had to portray this franchise in icons. It was an honor, really. I'm excited for the future and eager for the next adventure. Thanks for reading!