How gorgeous has our blog been looking?! And it's all creditted to Val's absolutely stunning photography skills. (so much talent!)Well, exciting times have been afoot. The bright pink elephant that you've seen popping up an around our blog recently has just been sold for $8000! It's incredible as every cent of that is going to the zoo to assist in it's mission of animal conservation!
It feels just a touch strange knowing that we won't be seeing that elephant again, (and the fact someone bought it!) so I needed to respond to this sudden news with some more elephant news!
I've had many people ask me how I came up with the theme for my elephant and it's patterns. And I've explained to people a few times, but quite briefly and quickly and with a touch of embarrassed humbleness. So here I go explained the full wait of this large tale!
It all began in my illustration class at Monash Uni, taken by the great Ned Culic. One of our briefs was to present two design solutions to this elephant problem. As a grounds for producing the design, I went to the Zoo's website to get an idea of what sort of theme they would be interested in. I came across the endangered animal's page and spotted the orange bellied parrot. It sparked my interest in representing the zoo's conservation message.
Additionally, I was inspired by an image that saw in Banksy's Film "Exit Through the Gift Shop". He presented an elephant painted in a wall paper pattern against the same wall papered wall. I loved how the pattern looked on the elephant, giving it a striking visual aesthetic. (using visual language essay lingo now! oh no, way too boring, back to basics!) SO inspired by the bird, and the ideas on wallpaper, I started sketching out this bird!
Originally intending to create stencils of the birds and stencil it around the elephant, I actually made a more grungy stencil like image of the birds. But then I drew a little sketch of the soon to be elephant pattern:
From there it was just a matter of getting the line work neat in illustrator. And getting the colours right!
I eventually submitted this final version that held the idea to represent the endangered bird by having a multitude of them on the elephant emphasizing the beauty of them in a flock and the need to not forget them!
I also submitted this one which was a pretty rushed job that I'm glad wasn't chosen.
From here, Ned took some away from our class and consequently some were liked and chosen by sponsors. It seems like a decade ago since Ned called me and said that I won an elephant. I was with Val attempting to study in the our local library!
Also in my illustration class was the amazing Brian and Sarah, who's designs were also chosen and subsequently painted and auctioned! Those two are so talented and just incredible!
So there you have it folks. From the idea to the design.
From the design to reality...
Well, you'll have to ask Val for that one. ;)
-keep
smiling-
v&v
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