Locale – Queenstown: Process

From my previous post, I was not satisfied with the mock ups. Hence I decided to change to something that I can inject my personality in to. So I decided to do illustrations instead of image manipulation, as I can do a lot of things in illustrations and explore different style.

So at this point of time, I had less than a week to complete my zine. Hence I did not want to take a lot of time illustrating the details. So I followed Malika Favre’s illustration style, that are flat and uses negative space. Something different then my usual illustration style, but I was very excited to try this! 

A glimpse of Malike Favre’s style

Other than changing the design direction, I also changed the narrative of my Zine. So I decided to go with a simple narrative. Starting from the history of the shop, to it blooming then to the current state of the shop.

Compiling all the research and interview of the first bookstore in Queenstown
Sketched out different layout can be use
Sketches

Sketches for cover page

Illustration

At the start, I drew it out according to my sketches. The I tried to manipulate and create pattern using it. However, it was not to my liking, different from Malika Favre’s style and does not show the place (Queenstown).

First try of illustration and manipulating it
Reference from the Naive Book

So I looked through the Naive book, that Mimi recommended me, and I found something very close to what i have discovered in Queenstown (Image on the left). That Image uses contrasting colours and patterns on it.  Hence, I decided to put in the patterns that I discovered in Queenstown, and used pastel colours in my Zine. So in my edited version, I kept my illustration to the simplest form and tone down the colours. I added patterns on the clothes as patterns was something I discovered in Queenstown.

Left: Original illustration. Right: Edited version
Left: Original illustration. Right: Edited version

Colour was one of the challenges I faced. Because I wanted to use pastel colour and pastel colours would not stand out on a white paper. Hence, through the process of of making the zine, I kept changing the colours so that each illustrations will flow smoothly throughout all the spread.

Coverpage was also the most challenging part of the zine, as a cover page should give a summary or a hint of the zine and it should also be able to capture the readers attention. So I started out by illustrating the the shop and its shop front. I added in the wavy lines in the background as Queenstown was a hill perviously. I kind of like the cube shape of shop, so I started to explore more it want manipulate it in the shop.

 

Out of all the illustrations I have in this Zine, I like the illustration of the aunty the most. So I added in the cube patterns into the aunty shirt. So the cube represents the shop and the aunty is the main character of my Zine. Then I play around with the colours.

That’s all for process post! Next will be the final outcome of the zine!

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