Closing: The Transition

After the conclusion of the design and illustration stage of the elements, I enlarged and arranged them on A3 layouts to prepare them for printing on thicker paper. The Snow Lion background and the base of the pop up was to be printed on A2 layouts.

A3 Print Layout #1

A3 Print Layout #2

A3 Print Layout #3

A3 Print Layout #4

A3 Print Layout #5

Initially, I printed out rough actual sized copies of the coloured illustrations on plain sketch pad thick paper to try out the mechanism in a larger mock-up. I used thick paper strips as the supports for the elements on the mock-up. They were measured and cut according to the distances required.

As I tested the effectiveness of the supports, I moved on to work on the final installation of the pop up elements. In the process, I switched to using transparency strips instead of paper strips as stronger support for the pop up mechanism. Besides, since the pop-up required multiple layers to create depth, the transparency strips worked better aesthetically as they did not serve as a hindrance to the viewing of the scenery while the paper strips obscured the details behind them. For the front-most elements, I created a spring-like mechanism using plastic strips to enable the elements to spring up automatically when the book was opened.

Pop Up Mechanism testing

Besides, I hand drew a few little girl figures on glossy thick paper and stuck them on the pop-up layout purposefully. The girls were depicted as doing all kinds of activities such as climbing the mountains, battling the dragon and traversing through the forest. These silhouettes were representation of the little girl and myself in the story.

 

Snow Lion Realm [Final Pop Up Artwork]

Final Artwork [Zoomed in] #1

Final Artwork [Zoomed in] #2

Final Artwork [Zoomed in] #3

Final Artwork [Zoomed in] #4

For the finishing touches, I transformed the pop-up into a storybook. The cover of the book was done using manually cut kirigami patterns of snowflakes on navy blue sugar paper to resonate with the theme of Snow Lion. The background is accented using gold paint done in rough brush strokes. The title of the storybook, “Snow Lion, Journey into the Mist” is situated in the center of the cover for focal point. I also included a short description of the design concept on the back cover of the storybook.

Final Artwork Cover Page – Kirigami

Final Artwork Back Page – Synopsis

Moving on to the publicity of the pop-up artwork, the A1 sized poster was designed to resonate with the theme of Snow Lion. I designed a couple of poster layouts to portray the story of Snow Lion. Zoomed in photos of the final artwork and some of the elements were included in the poster to serve as attractions for the viewers. A short description was also written inside while photos of sketches and screenshots were included within the poster to fulfill the requirements. In the end, the first poster layout was chosen as it is cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing.

Poster Layout Sketches

Snow Lion Poster

My exposure to new techniques from the process of the project allowed me to learn new skills and gain a deeper understanding of the word “metamorphosis”. Most importantly, it served as a vessel for me to reflect on my experiences and utilize the most effective ways to portray them to the audience. It was an excellent opportunity for me to enhance my skills and push myself over my boundaries to achieve a higher benchmark for my artwork.

Chapter 8: Destiny

Snow Lion

“The dragon’s strength was intimidating. For the umpteenth time, she narrowly missed the searing touch of the dragon’s fire as she dodged behind a glacier. It proved to be only a temporary shield as the glacier melted instantly from the heat of the fire. She waved her sword in the air, channeling all her strength into her right arm. She knew that her last chance of slaying the dragon rested with the last blow she could deal with the remains of her strength. The dragon approached her with an unnerving stare and licked its lips on the thought of massacring her for the joy of it. Suddenly, opportunity stroked when the dragon lost its footing on the slippery ice. Seeing her final chance, the little girl gripped her sword tightly and  dealt a fatal blow on the dragon’s chest. The dragon roared in shock and anguish while it fell off the peak of the mountain into the deep valleys, vanishing into the mist. Blood trickled down the little girl’s wounds. Nonetheless, she felt a sense of relief and satisfaction as she conquered the final test in her destiny. She gazed into the skies above and relished at the sight. The transformation into the Snow Lion was bestowed on her by the heavens of the realm. The little girl had finally achieved her goal. She is the magnificent and magical Snow Lion.”

To portray the monumental figure of the Snow Lion, I chose a reference photo for its illustration. The statues of the Snow Lion could be found as guardians at the entrance to the Potala Palace in Tibet. In order to visualize the celestial quality of the Snow Lion, I decided to let it rise above the mountains and float in the clouds, partially surrounded by mist at the same time. By doing so, the Snow Lion would look mysterious and sacred.

Snow Lion Stone Statue, referenced from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Snow_Lions_protect_the_entrance_to_the_Potala_Pallace.jpg

I played with layers in Photoshop to create the layers of mist and mountains for the Snow Lion background. I also played with the hues of the background to find the most suitable colour combination which depicted the ethereal qualities of the Snow Lion.

Snow Lion Background {Screenshot #1}

Snow Lion Background {Screenshot #2}

Snow Lion Background {Screenshot #3}

As the Snow Lion is the focal point of the background and the story, I had the clouds converging towards the center of the background, which was where the Snow Lion would be positioned in. As the mountains in the background is further away, they were lighter and softer in coloration with more snow to add a blurry effect.

Snow Lion Background

Playing with Hues for Snow Lion Background

For the base of the forest, river and mountains, I took an image of a green maple leaf and manipulated it in Photoshop to render a diversity of colours. They were then duplicated and layered to give an effect of forest floor.

Leaf Image – Base

Layering of Forest Ground {Screenshot}

Forest Ground – Base

This marked the conclusion to the design process of the Snow Lion’s realm. The little girl successfully metamorphosized into the Snow Lion after much blood and sweat. She finally realized that she found her courage as she was bravely overcoming all the obstacles in her journey. As a result, she was deserving to attain the title and qualities of the Snow Lion.

Chapter 7: Into The Clouds

Mountains

“The voyage greatly strained the little girl, both physically and mentally. She dropped onto the ground as she finally reached the river’s source. Her arms and legs were sore from her prolonged battle with the raving waves. She laid motionlessly on the ground, eyes affixed onto the subtle jagged peaks of the mountains which stretched into the clouds above. They were shrouded in grey mist, as if  purposely obscuring her path from her vision. “I can’t do this…” she murmured to herself wearily. As she was beginning to give in to her exhaustion, a faint but strong roar resonated from the mist overhead. Instantly, she felt as if her strength had rejuvenated and she was picking herself up again. She geared herself up for her final battle as she hiked up the feet of the mountains and disappeared into the clouds. She felt a reassuring surge of confidence and determination while she advanced towards the direction of her destiny’s calling.”

The third “arena”, was no other than the snowy mountains where the Snow Lion could be found. Snow mountains were trickier to be portrayed as being in a tropical country, I did not have any first-hand experience in witnessing the magisterial snowy scenery. I had to rely mostly on secondary resources as references for the illustration of the snow mountains. As per usual, guidelines were created using the mountain cut-outs from the mock up and further details were added in digitally in Photoshop.

Snow Mountains Illustration {Screenshot}

For this stage, I included the ferocious dragon as one of the core obstacle for the little girl. In various cultures, the dragon is seen as the primal force in nature and universe. This fire-breathing dragon’s ability is both destructive and constructive as fire can be used to give warmth or burn down objects to ashes. By conquering the dragon’s hostility, the girl may be able to neutralize the adverse effect of fire.

Fire-breathing Dragon Illustration

I chose to portray the dragon in a Western fantasy inspired style. This in combination with the Snow Lion, which originated from the oriental region, represents the fusion of both Western and Oriental cultures which is rampant in the modern world. As such, this also symbolized the potential challenges for the little girl as she needed to adapt quickly to infuse both cultures in her own life by seeking and balancing the best of both worlds.

After defeating the ravenous reptile, the little girl continued her journey towards the highest peak of the mountains as her destiny awaited her there.

Chapter 6: Ripples and Raging Rapids

River

“‘Splish! splash! splosh!’ The sounds of water slapping onto rocks echoed through as the little girl gradually reached the end of the forest. For a moment, she thought she saw precious diamonds shining brightly at the outskirts of the forest grounds. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the glisters and sparkles were reflection of sunlight on the river’s surface. Fed by mountain streams, the river gushed with a roaring terror of swift waters. As the little girl raised her vision towards the mountains, raging rapids and dislodged woods lined the river’s course. She could not help but shudder at the challenges proposed by mother nature. However, the little girl swiftly constructed a small wooden boat strong enough to withstand her weight and the rivers’ forces as she proceeded to travel upstream. She vowed to keep carrying on and not give in to any undesirable circumstances. Waves lapped onto the sides of the boat mercilessly as the little girl raised her flag of courage and pressed on towards the mountains.”

Rivers have long been one of the traditional key provision of food, shelter and means of transportation. A river begins at a source and flows along a course of its own. Meandering youth rivers travel a much longer route than the straight rivers and has a much faster flow rate. Hence, by incorporating this type of river into the realm, it raises the benchmark for the little girl, proving that the expedition to obtain enlightenment is not an easy task to begin with. Obstacles such as drift wood and rapids also served as dangerous natural traps as she got closer to the source.

In order for the little girl to be able to reach the mountains – the river’s source – she must travel upstream via a small wooden boat. However, fate had more sinister plans for her as the river banks were resided by a hungry, savage troll. The troll would do anything to hinder her way towards the source of the river. So, the little girl must conquer the traps laid by the troll by outwitting it.

Troll Illustration

Similar to the method of execution for the forest’s design, outlines were created for the river, the troll and riverside trees using the cut outs. These were then digitized and illustrated via digital painting in Photoshop. I had references for the rocks by taking photos of rocks in real life while the rivers were referenced via secondary resources. As I was more familiar with the design process, it did not take a long time before I finished the illustrations for the river “arena”.

River Illustration [Screenshot]

Girl Sailing on Boat Illustration

Driftwood Illustration

Mid River Secion Illustration

Bottom River Section Illustration

Upper River Section Illustration

Twin Trees Illustration

 

The little girl was set for her embarkation of a new journey on the waterways. As she forged ahead towards the river source, her sight was partially blinded by the incoming mist. She knew that she was approaching her goal very soon. Yet, she felt uneasy as she sensed that fate’s trials for her has not ended.

Chapter 5: Sprouts and Branches

Forest

“The little girl stopped and gasped at the magnificent sight laid down before her. Branches and tree trunks soared towards the blue skies; playful vines danced swiftly as forces of the jungle breeze blew against them lightly; the leaves whistled and rustled in the wind, lightly brushing against one another. It was as if the forest was alive and whispering to each other about the foreign presence of a tiny, insignificant human. The little girl inhaled a  long, deep breath and swept away the last branch obscuring the entrance to the forest.  She exhaled, gathered what courage she had and laid her first step onto the leafy forest floor, crushing the dead leaves underneath her feet. ‘Here we go.’ she thought as she nervously made her way into the depths of the forest.”

The forest was one of those places where nature worked its wonders to generate life. Hanging vines, sharp thorns, dense bushes and tall woods made up the environment and maze-like structure of the forest. My take on the forest was for it to be mystical.

Based on geographical studies, a tropical forest typically consisted of four main stratas: emergent, canopy, understory and forest floor. The play with the plants’ heights was a key factor in creating a realistic forest.

Forest Layers, referenced from http://www.animalcorner.co.uk/rainforests/graphics/strata.jpg

In order to be able to portray a more accurate albeit cartoon illustration of the trees and bushes, I took photos of floras while I was having my daily morning walk around the neighbourhood. These photos consisted of different kinds of trees with a diversity of parasitic plants, short shrubs with leaves coloured with an assortment of hues and other tiny plants which would make up the seedling and leaf litter layer of the forest.

Photo Compilation of Trees and Shrubberies

 

With all the references assembled and digitalized, I detached the forest portion of the cut outs from the mock-up and traced their approximate shapes onto my A3 sketchbook. These outlines served as a guide for my illustration sketches and for me to judge the sizes and ratio of the plant elements. Next, I begin sketching the basic appearance of the forest using a pencil before digitalizing it for digital painting. After transferring a photo of the sketch into my laptop, I used photoshop to digitally paint the images of the trees by enriching them with colours.

Pencil sketched woods outline with cut out guidelines

I wanted to introduce more vibrancy and ethereal quality into the design of the forest so I played with the hue/saturation option of the images. It gave spectacular and interesting results as the colours produced were unnatural and surreal but fitted the theme of a “mystical forest” aptly.

Screenshot – Trees Illustration on Photoshop

Screenshot – Forest Illustration on Photoshop

Trees Colour Manipulation

It did not take long before I added several finishing touches and concluded the design for the forest. I felt the excitement surging up within me as I was to embark on a new quest after nurturing the sprouts of the forest.

I prepared myself to take a leap of faith off the tallest wood and drench myself in the cold, refreshing waters of the  river below.

 

Chapter 4: Testing the Waters

After the main concept was concrete enough, I started working on building the first architecture of the realm, also known as the mock-up. A 20cm x 40cm piece of thicker paper was used as the base for the mock-up, folded in the middle.

Base of mock-up 20cmx40cm, folded at the dotted line

Sketches of the different elements were included on cut outs from pieces of paper drawn using pen. Next, these cut outs were used as trial and error on the prepared base to check the appropriate sizes for each element. After slightly adjusting the sizes of the cut outs, masking tape and blue tac were used to temporarily secure the pieces on the base. That way, I could have ease moving the pieces around when necessary.

An example of the mountain cut-out with blue tac and masking tape

After some shuffling and adjusting, the layout was tentatively finalized. The background would be an illustration of the Snow Lion amidst the misty mountains while the base would be an illustration of the forest ground, thus bringing depth into the realm.

 

Snow Lion Realm Layout Mock-Up

 

Creating a mock-up helped me in visualizing the depth and the sizes of the elements thus minimizing adjustment of the sizes in the later stages. After consulting my lecturer, I was given the suggestion to create the final pop up artwork two times the size of the mock-up. Fully equipped and excited about the upcoming endeavor, I was ready to whip out my reliable bamboo tablet and began constructing the characters in the virtual world.

Chapter 3: Let There Be Snow

“As the legend was told, the Snow Lion, magnificent he was, stood tall and firm on the top of the Himalayas. He gazed towards the Heavens and let out a majestic roar. The earth trembled and vibrated beneath his feet as his thundering cry sent shock waves to those who were brave enough to stand within close proximity. As he fearlessly stood his ground, he raised his strong paw upfront and spoke the magical words: ‘Let there be snow.'”

This small extract, created by yours truly, is basically the core essence for my design concept. Initially, we were tasked to create a few sketches which were related to the design of our concept on “metamorphosis”. Since my concept is about telling a story of the process of metamorphosis from a frail little girl to a majestic Snow Lion, I chose to create a fantasy realm specifically fit for the story.

The ultimate goal was clear, which was for the girl to eventually reach the highest enlightenment in the realm – to become the Snow Lion. In order to reflect this journey, I designed an “arena” for the little girl which would test her spiritually and physically, to see if she had what it takes to obtain enlightenment.

There were in total 3 different “arenas” in the design. Each of them required different ways to overcome the obstacles laid within them. Girl silhouettes acted as personas for the little girl as she faced the different stages.

Snow Lion Realm Layout Sketch

First off, I included the mystical forest as one of the obstacles in the realm, situated at the right foreground of the layout. I was inspired by the classical “Sleeping Beauty” fairy tale where the evil fairy, Maleficient, summoned a thick wall of thorns to guard the castle from outsiders. Similarly, overcoming this  forest proved as a difficult task for the little girl to trudge through as sharp thorns and thick bushes had already obstructed her way to approach the entrance of the forest. By using her intelligence, she must tramp through the maze-like woods without putting herself in harm’s way.

Second came the meandering river coupled with rapids and waterfall as the little girl approached closer to the mountains. This will be on the left foreground of the pop up layout where the river stretched from the front-most view halfway towards the back of the layout.  As the little girl needed to advance to the mountains, she must ride on a small wooden boat going upriver in the opposite direction of the river’s course. This physical extortion was accompanied by more mischief caused by a troll living by the river bank. Hidden within the trees, the troll played the essential role of kidnapping or harming the little girl as she made her way upriver. This trait served as a representation of the unsuspecting failures or obstacles we might face in our lives. As such, the little girl must cleverly avoid its sinister plans by carefully and valiantly travel upstream until she reached the mountains.

Lastly, the ultimate challenge stood the misty mountains which the Snow Lion resided in. The troubles did not end there even though her goal was near. Ferocious dragon were also occupants of the mountains which she would have to battle them in order to be able to reach the highest mountain. She must demonstrate a great level of courage and strength to defeat the fire-breathing dragon while conserving enough strength to continue the rest of her journey.

At the end of the journey, stood the shadow of the Snow Lion, magnificently towering above the tallest of the mountains. As she reached the top, only then would she realize that she IS the Snow Lion herself. By overpowering all the obstacles and challenges, she has successfully gained enlightenment and metamorphosized into the legendary creature – the Snow Lion.

Chapter 2: Know Thy Foe

This project ordered for the foreign skills of paper engineering, consisting mainly of the four types: cutting, folding, twisting and pulling. Nonetheless, I was baffled by the idea of incorporating something alien into my design for the first time ever, considering that the maximum capability of my paper engineering skills were only limited to simple origami. I did a rather thorough research on the different techniques of paper engineering to generate different effects in a pop up artwork. As the saying goes:”Know thy enemy”,  derived from Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War”.

Kirigami Butterfly Tryout

90 degrees folding pop up tryout

Kirigami Butterfly Tryout (With details)

As a start, I tried out the partially cut out method, which leaves part of the cut out still attached to the original piece of paper. This cut out is then folded at the attached area, thus creating a shadow underneath the cut out. As I was searching for examples online, I came across these intricately cut out animal pieces which utilized this specific method to highlight the focal points of the animals, i.e. the Koi’s scales and the stork’s feathers. Using these photos as my inspiration and references, prototypes of girl figures were done as trials using this technique which were then stuck on black coloured paper to give the illusion of a three dimensional space. I found this technique effective in translating the subtle colours existing in the animals’ physical appearance.

 

*Koi Fish (Kirigami)

*Stork (Kirigami, zoomed in)

*Stork (Kirigami)

*These photos are credited and referenced from http://ezebor.com.ar/ezebornews/lisa-rodden-arte-en-papel/

Prototype: Girl Figures Pop Up

By understanding more about the mechanisms, I found a few potential skills which could bring life to my design by the end of the project. I did a few trials on a few of the techniques, each ended up with mixed results. I figured the best mechanism for me could be the 90 degrees folding of the elements with glued on support at the back of each element.

Besides researching on pop up mechanisms, I also took extra interest in researching about kirigami, also known as the art of paper cutting. Kirigami made heavy use of cutting instead of solely folding which is the characteristic of origami. Attempts were made to create a paper snowflake cut out by watching tutorials posted online. These tutorials made use of multiple foldings teamed with purposeful cuts to create the patterns on the snowflake.

My snowflake practices evolved from a simple, more rounded shaped flake into the final few with more intricately designed and increasingly branched out patterns. Initially, thick paper was used for the practice but it was later changed to thin printing paper in order as it required less effort in cutting. There was also less wear and tear when the thinner paper was used as it gave less resistance for the scissors to move around while snipping off the unwanted areas.

kirigami snowflake tryout 1

kirigami snowflake tryout 2

kirigami snowflake tryout 3

As a way to evaluate our progress in the project, we did a short presentation individually on our findings about the meaning of metamorphosis and our design concept in class. Furthermore, we also included our research on the different paper engineering skills which may help us greatly in our work.

Pop Up Presentation Slides Compilation

After thorough research and brainstorming, I settled on the aforementioned skills as the ones which could help breathe life into my pop up in the later stages of this project. Nonetheless, they were subjected to changes depending on the effectiveness of each skill to highlight the various elements in my design. As I armed myself with the theoretical and practical knowledge of these skills, I braced myself for the upcoming thrill as I dwelled further into the realm of the Snow Lion.

Chapter 1: The Legend of the Snow Lion

Amongst the native American tribes, lions are symbols of  family, strength, energy, courage, guardian and protector. Similarly, in Buddhist iconography, we see lions supporting the thrones of the Buddhas as a sign of protection. These are the basic characteristics of a typical lion. However, as I was browsing through the omnipresent world wide web for inspiration and information on lions and “metamorphosis”, I happened to chance upon the legends and folklore about the magnificent Snow Lion.

The Snow Lion, a symbol of fearlessness and unconditional cheerfulness, is the celestial animal in Tibetan folklore and Buddhism teachings. In the northern areas of Nepal, influenced by Tibetan Buddhism and art, the lions became “snow lions” which roam freely in the snow mountains. Snow lions roam without any fear, symbolising the wisdom, fearlessness and divine pride of those dharma practitioners who are actually able to live freely in the high snow mountain of the pure mind, without being contaminated by delusions. Its roar is often a synonym for the Buddhadharma which implies the challenging call to awakening.

As a result, I was deeply inspired by the idea of metamorphosis from a girl to a Snow Lion.

So, I decided to tell my story.

My story illustrates the tale of a brave little girl, a metaphor for myself, who ventures into the wonders and dangers of the mountainous region of Eastern Himalayas resided by the infamous Snow Lion. She believes that the journey will help her to attain the courage that she needs, by showing remarkable perseverence and determination. However, the journey did not come without its challenges. Vicious creatures and monsters such as the greedy troll and the ferocious dragon stood in her way as she trudged through the tough course ahead. Rapids and deep jungles spreaded across the road towards the misty mountains thus further hindering her path to achieve her ultimate goal. As she successfully overcome all the obstacles, it allowed her to metamorphosize into the magnificent Snow Lion by adopting its characteristics as the fearless one.

This serves as a reflection of my actual experiences in life where I faced numerous challenges in order to obtain what I have today. Many difficult choices and decisions were made when i was faced with all kinds of obstacles in life. Yet, I managed to pull through and worked even harder in order to achieve my goals. The story also represents my journey in taking up paper engineering as it was a rather fresh skill for myself.

The final evolution of the little girl in the story is to become the Snow Lion.

Prelude

As an introduction to the course, “Skills Workshop”, we were briefed about the basic requirements and the itinerary of the subject itself. Mr Sham unveils the grand curtains of the first project by throwing us the word “metamorphosis”. That will be the main theme behind our entire project consisting of the elements of pop up.

As a start, a further and deeper understanding is required to truly appreciate the value and meaning behind the word “metamorphosis”. The idea of incorporating the elements of metamorphosis with a pop up artwork is awfully fresh and intriguing. Naturally, I began to whip out my trusty laptop and entered in the word into the good old Google Search tab.

My two second search landed me with a few explanations of the word itself in various contexts:

1)A profound change in form from stage to the next in the life history of an organism, as from the pupa to the adult butterfly.

2)A complete change in form, structure, or substance, as transformation by magic.

3)Any complete change in appearance, character or circumstances etc.

For a light grasp on the word “metamorphosis”, I did a few doodles and scribbled a few lines as an introduction in my sketchbook to fuel my brainstorming process. I paced myself towards more complex ideas by starting with a few literal and basic sketches of the process of metamorphosis in physical form, ie. egg -> tadpole -> frog -> adult frog.

Metamorphosis Research and Sketch

In the end, I decided that the third explanation for the word “metamorphosis” intrigued me the most. In other words, I chose to focus on the dramatic transformation in a person’s character as the main subject for my project’s concept.