DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION: ELECTRIC SUGAR SKULLS
|
|
|
|
|
Client: Me
Project Description: Design a sugar skull based on the traditional candy for Day of The Dead
Background Information: I have long been fascinated with the art work that surrounds various celebrations and traditions from around the world. Here I wanted to challenge myself to create images based on the Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos). Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos) is a two day holiday that reunites the living and dead. Families create ofrendas (Offerings) to honor their departed family members that have passed. These altars are decorated with bright yellow marigold flowers, photos of the departed, and the favorite foods and drinks of the one being honored. The offerings are believed to encourage visits from the land of the dead as the departed souls hear their prayers, smell their foods and join in the celebrations!
There is probably no more iconic symbol for Day of the Dead than the skull, or “calavera”. The “calavera” is usually an ornately decorated representation of a skull, often featuring flowers, animals, and other decorations. During the holiday, this imagery is seen everywhere, from Ofrendas, to paper crafts, and even to cartoons on newspapers. In a way, the Calavera has become an embodiment of the holiday itself.
Calaveras are spanish for “skull” and often made as edible or decorative skulls from either sugar (called Alfeñiques) or clay - or in my case out of individual dots in Illustrator. Needless to say these took quite awhile to produce and I am really happy with how they turned out.
Project Description: Design a sugar skull based on the traditional candy for Day of The Dead
Background Information: I have long been fascinated with the art work that surrounds various celebrations and traditions from around the world. Here I wanted to challenge myself to create images based on the Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos). Day of the Dead (Dia De Los Muertos) is a two day holiday that reunites the living and dead. Families create ofrendas (Offerings) to honor their departed family members that have passed. These altars are decorated with bright yellow marigold flowers, photos of the departed, and the favorite foods and drinks of the one being honored. The offerings are believed to encourage visits from the land of the dead as the departed souls hear their prayers, smell their foods and join in the celebrations!
There is probably no more iconic symbol for Day of the Dead than the skull, or “calavera”. The “calavera” is usually an ornately decorated representation of a skull, often featuring flowers, animals, and other decorations. During the holiday, this imagery is seen everywhere, from Ofrendas, to paper crafts, and even to cartoons on newspapers. In a way, the Calavera has become an embodiment of the holiday itself.
Calaveras are spanish for “skull” and often made as edible or decorative skulls from either sugar (called Alfeñiques) or clay - or in my case out of individual dots in Illustrator. Needless to say these took quite awhile to produce and I am really happy with how they turned out.
