These are my final compositions for this project. Each goes with a quote from Princess Mononoke (1997).
ONE
In this composition, I wanted to contrast the ideas of being ‘tame’ and being ‘wild’. Wolves in general are uncontrollable, wild beasts, but with this quote, it was about the wolf’s head and the power the wolf has, even in death. So the rest of the body of the wolf is within the confines of the circle (aesthetically ‘taming’ him), while his head sticks out, suggesting the notion of pushing the boundaries and refusing to stay within the constraints. I also included a deer because they are symbolic of prey animals – it adds the feeling of a threat to the deer on the wolf’s behalf. The lines pierce through the deer to emphasise this threat; I think the use of two subjects is interesting.
Movement was a prominent principle of design in this piece as I wanted to show the left to right movement of the wolf and carry the eye across the piece, to view the wolf and then the deer. And so, the balance of the piece also weighs more on the right side. There is also emphasis on the wolf and the deer as the most of the design comprises of thin linework, as opposed to block-y pattens that are on both the subjects.
TWO
I think crows are symbolic of a lot of bitterness and hatred. Combining them with storm-clouds and lightning encompasses the intensity that exists in an emotion like hatred. The quote says to see with eyes unclouded by hate. In the context of the film, this was said as though “seeing without hatred” was a goal of the protagonist. However, I thought it would be interesting to portray someone still seeing with eyes literally clouded (hence, the storm-clouds) by darkness and hate still. The constellation-type things are there to show the complicated nature of this quote; easier said than done.
Unity is quite prominent in this piece as most of the work is dark toned, so the piece harmonises in value. Repetition is created with the mass shapes of the crows that make this artwork seem active, to express the fact that hate is an active emotion that moves and breathes.
THREE
I think fate is as vast as mountains and as unexplored as the universe. And I think, like koi fish swimming downstream, we all tend to have no other choice but to go with the flow (which is downstream) and accept our fate. The notion of rising and meeting fate is a scary and dark space. Rising to meet fate is something that takes time, and I wanted to show that by angling the largest fish more to the side (to imply that it might perhaps stray from the movement of downstream swimming like the other two fish and go in another direction, like meeting its fate).
The principle of design that is most strongly used here is the feeling of emphasis, which is executed by using central composition as well as the values – contrasting between black and white. The koi fish all stand out, but are also balanced by downsizing the other two fish that make it more interesting, but not too repetitive and dull. There is also movement down to the bottom right corner of the artwork. The lines of movement contrast as the fish move down while the mountain moves up. The stark contrast and emphasis is complimented by the pattern of the stars, which delivers another element of balance and stability.
This is the design I used for my tote bag.
FOUR
I personally really love this composition. The quote is a side character talking to the protagonist, and I think it tells a lot about how each of us are in our own little worlds, obsessed with our own predicaments. We centralise ourselves, like the subject above – blind to anyone but their own thoughts. However, the world looms (also suggested by the fact that it extends out of the frame of the composition), it still exists even if we shut it out. The constellations in the background also imply a larger universe beyond, but the central figure (outlined in white) represents us, and how we make ourselves literally, the centre of the universe.
By having a centralised composition but with the placement of the earth at the side, there is a diagonal pull from the bottom left corner to the upper right, making one see the human figure first and then realising the world is there – which, in effect, is very visually explanatory of the quote itself. The rhythm of the stars in the background add visual interest and the emphasis (by using the white outline) is on the figure and on the earth as well.
