01 Memento Mori

Image Making

Ideal Nieghborhood > Illustration > Concertina > Digital Printing > 100x42 cm >

Ideal Neighborhood

Illustration

Digital

x1 Element

100x42 cm

An Illustration of an imaginary neighborhood. Done as part of Character Illustration course at Bezalel Academy, under the guidance of the illustrator Amit Trainin.

{ Research } The project began with a ▸ study of different types of neighborhoods around the world, focusing on people, architectural styles, historical periods, and more. This exploration laid the foundation for creating a unique, imaginary neighborhood through a blend of real-world influences. At a certain point in my research, I became particularly intrigued by the island of ▸ Læsø in Serbia. This island is characterized by a stunning natural landscape, including a variety of sandy beaches, dunes, forests, and salt marshes. A significant aspect of life on the island revolves around its rich fishing culture. In addition to its natural beauty, Læsø has also become a popular tourist destination for those seeking relaxation. The scenic views, along with the island’s distinct building styles, served as a strong source of inspiration for me. Simultaneously, I gathered old photographs of ▸ Israeli kibbutzim, further expanding my visual and conceptual research. Thanks to the study, I was able to compile a set of guiding principles that would lead me in creating the work.

{ Workflow } I began by writing down the lifestyle of the people living in the neighborhood. From there, I developed specific scenarios that could be depicted in the illustrations. In my initial sketches I focused on the general layout of the neighborhood and on main motifs, such as the ▸ circle motif - which was a reference to the golf courses, and also helped emphasize the community nature and structure. The elements that make up the illustration were created individually and later brought together to form compositions that tell a certain story. 

Once I had the overall layout of the work, I experimented with various textures, patterns, and brushes, both manually and digitally. The ▸ coloring process was approached layer by layer, allowing me to achieve a wide range of tones, despite working within a monochromatic color palette.