The Fool is an illustrated vector portrait of a great blue heron against a magnificent golden sky. For this project brief, I was instructed to create a portrait of any animal of my choosing. My challenge, however, is that I was only able to use two colors and their subsequent levels. As such, I utilized the golden yellow for the background, using various shades of gold and yellow to depict a swirling cloudy sky overseen by three full moons. The heron herself utilizes shades of blue, with hints of gold being used for her decorative collar and highlights on her feathers.
This process began with conceptual lists of eleven different animals and their traits. I focused a lot on cultural and mythical symbolism with these beasts, rather than their surface-level traits. For example, the raven is misunderstood and is a symbol of knowledge. The angora goat and Hebridean sheep are often symbolic of the devil or evil, but in truth are gentle and peaceful creatures. Regardless of animal species, I already had a concept I wanted to follow through with. I knew I wanted to depict the creature with a decorative collar, sometimes used for elegant dog breeds to imply prestige, grace, and royalty. And contrasting this, I took a lot of inspiration from the tarot card The Fool, which when reversed, can mean poor judgement, fear, or recklessness.
The Fool is a piece that symbolizes unnoticed struggles. The great blue heron is typically used to symbolize patience, self-reliance, and independence, but here, she hiding her beak behind one of her wings while tears stream from her eyes. The halo behind her head is slightly cracked, a stark contrast to the dynamic colors of blue and gold and the decorative collar adorning the heron's neck. This represents the idea that although someone might seem well-composed and confident from an outsider's point of view, they might still feel guilty, ashamed, or dishonored due to their own life's circumstances. It is a reminder that what is presented is not always the whole story, and serves as an encouragement for patience and kindness towards oneself always.
The Fool is a piece that symbolizes unnoticed struggles. The great blue heron is typically used to symbolize patience, self-reliance, and independence, but here, she hiding her beak behind one of her wings while tears stream from her eyes. The halo behind her head is slightly cracked, a stark contrast to the dynamic colors of blue and gold and the decorative collar adorning the heron's neck. This represents the idea that although someone might seem well-composed and confident from an outsider's point of view, they might still feel guilty, ashamed, or dishonored due to their own life's circumstances. It is a reminder that what is presented is not always the whole story, and serves as an encouragement for patience and kindness towards oneself.
