Final project for the Domestika course “Conceptual illustrations using color and symbolism” taught by Christina Chung.

 

Our prompt in this course was “finding hope in hardship.” Despite the title of the course, I ended up with an idea that wasn’t as conceptual and symbolic as I hoped. However, I traded that off with something that I felt was more emotional and grounded. It’s also slightly autobiographical, in that I’ve been through many MRI scans in my life. Though I’ve become accustomed to the anxiety of the situation, the first time in that machine was an utter nightmare for me. Also, it’s not totally realistic to have someone hold your hand while you’re in there, but I wanted to imagine a bit of hope and tenderness in that anxious moment.

 

My rough sketches explored my concept from a few different angles, but ultimately I liked the disorientation and upside-down feel of this composition, which also put the protagonist’s experience at the centre of the illustration and at the heart of the story.