Bonsai · Museum Themed National Illustration Competition
The Theme of this competition is when antiques meet illustration. Illustrators can choose any antiques as references and use their interpretation to show the beauty of the antiques.
I decided to have bonsai as my subject. I discover a harmonious and elegant quality in building and arranging such a small decoration form. One bonsai is like a small world where everything coexists in harmony. It is interesting for an audience to discover every little aspect of it.
Key Illustration
My Inspiration
I chose two antiques from the Imperial Palace Museum as my references. One is a chessboard from Ming Dynasty, and the other is a jade-made bonsai from Qing Dynasty. I want to capture the beauty of the bonsai and create a scene for it. I picked the lion pattern on the chessboard and changed it into a cute cat-looking creature. I have an orange tabby cat called Mochi, and I thought it would be fun to have him in my illustration. I had this girl who held a pot in her hands. She walked by, and the cat was naughty and used its tail to drag the girl closer to him. I tried my best to illustrate the bonsai from Qing Dynasty by using lines. I give the statue figures a real flesh looking. They were at the back and looked at the girl and creature with smiles.
Bookmark Design
When I created this piece, I intentionally made each object into a separate layer. It is convenient to arrange them freely into three bookmarks.
After this project, I aim to create more bonsai-themed illustrations and will make them into a zine. I am excited to see what I can bring in the future. Hope you enjoy this project, and feel free to share your feeling. If you also love bonsai, we can share more ideas about it.
Thank you for watching!
Have a good day, cheers!