ARTISTS' THOUGHTS:
This piece was originally suppose to be a book
cover with my interpretation of the characters and setting from the
first novel of the 12 Kingdoms series by Fuyumi Ono. I decided to make
it more poster-like and obviously gained inspiration from illustrators
like Drew Struzan. I loved the TV series in my teenage years for the
vibrancy of the world and the ancient Chinese-like atmosphere and
politics. The character development moved me, especially the heroine,
Yoko Nakajima. I found her transformation splendid from being a girl to a
woman! What a metamorphosis!
I do not think I loved the novel
series as much as I had hoped, but I was interested enough to read the
first three books. If I recall, I found the characters, though having
interesting qualities, somehow dry and dull in the book. I am not sure
if it is how the English translated it or the original writer herself,
but if felt stiff. I did however love the elaboration on the complex
world Ono created, and her use of made up vocabulary to pull the reader
in to such imagination. The culture and politics fascinated me.
However,
I could see if I had no interest in such subjects the writing would
bore me even if the concepts weren't creative, which they were. They
were creative... In fact, I don't know how someone could write such
wondrous things in such a boring fashion.
Before I started this
piece, I drew many concept sketches as I originally wanted to illustrate
three books from the series. I would underline book excerpts, jot notes
and descriptions, and hunted Ancient Chinese and Japanese fashion such
as the Tang dynasty. Why? The book is incredibly influenced by the two
countries. At points, I would modernize certain outfits or fuse the two
cultures into a costume. Other times, I would focus on one
culture/dynasty/era depending how I felt the character's personality
blended with a particular fashion. It was fun researching and sketching
the characters.
After I did that, I struggled on the thumbing
stage as I wanted to incorporate how amazing I felt 12 Kingdoms was.
Yet, every time I sketched an idea, I felt it didn't captured enough of
the world, enough of the culture, enough of the characters, or enough of
the magical beasts. It simply wasn't enough!
Then it occurred to
me to do a montage. So I studied comic covers like the X-Men, which
have a plethora of montages, and really focused on Drew Struzan for his
movie posters such as Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and etc.
Another montage illustrators I looked at was Bob Peek. I tried to
understand what made montage so successful, and strikingly beautiful.
How to interweave the different segments and make them flow and unite as
one composition. It was intriguing and illuminating to me. It was sort
of like a comic page and meshing the multiple frames into one fluid
harmony.
While I worked on the final piece, I wanted to explore
the first novel's title and what it meant to me as I developed other
concepts. The title is Sea of Shadows. I wanted to show the young
heroine, Yoko, being engulfed by her shadows, her dark fears as she
fights against her inner demons and the world she knows so little about.
Yoko is constantly fighting for her sanity and pushing forward. She
struggles with herself as she tries to distinguish foe from friend, but
instead sees everyone in one massive darkness. While she struggles with
herself, I also wanted to show hints of her embracing this world. I
wanted to show how the scared girl pushes her fears to become a brave
and courageous woman. No longer a whimpering girl, but a strong woman
slowly adapting to her surrounding.
Another aspects I wanted to
show is the architect of the world. Sadly, even a montage has limits so I
choose to depict one of the many kingdoms this series has, the kingdom
of Kei. This kingdom bears great importance in the first book. It is
described if I recall as warm, golden and majestic in its proper form.
At the front of this kingdom, I painted the values darker as it gradates
to a brighter value toward the back of the kingdom. I wanted to show a
darkness looming at the edge of this kingdom. The kingdom has a great
tie to the heroine and the man she is looking for named, Keiki, who in
my piece is the elven-like figure dominating most of the upper
composition of my piece.
I depicted Keiki large with long white,
blonde hair, as he is the main story device for the heroine and the
main thought in her mind. He represents freedom, power, hope, and
divinity. In many ways, he influences the heroine's actions. The heroine
needs his abilities and his guidance to achieve that which she desires.
It is through him, her journey begins and transforms her into a greater
person. I wanted to show how great a influence he is in the story and
the heroine's link to the man with his flowing hair.
As this
artist comment is becoming a heavy dissertation, I should probably end
it here. There is so much going in this piece, it would take forever to
expand. I wish I could go into it, but I don't have the time sadly.
Also, I fear I spoiled somethings when I was trying to keep points
ambiguous. So if you are curious about the book or the show- Go check it
out. I highly recommend the TV series. All I can say is while this
piece was a struggle, it was also great fun. I learned much from it. And
in the end, the hard work paid off!
I got into Spectrum #19 this year with this piece!
SPECTRUM!
It's a great honor! I didn't think I'd get in a second year in a row!
If
anyone is curious about what I got in to last year's Spectrum, it was
my La Belle Au Bois Dormant piece, which can be found here:
[Link] . This is the updated version that is published in Spectrum #18.
COPYRIGHT: Illustration belongs to J.S. Choi (c). DO NOT USE!
The characters and world-- The whole she-bang belong to its
original novelist, Fuyumi Ono (c).
MEDIA: Graphite, Watercolor, Gouache, Texture, and Photoshop
