Cryptid Icons & Repeatable Pattern
The Project
This is a set of icons featuring seven popular cryptids from around the world: Mothman, the Jersey Devil, the Fresno Nightcrawler, Bigfoot, the Lochness Monster (Nessie), the Flatwood Monster, and the Chupacabra. Later I organized the illustrations into a repeatable pattern that can be used on a multitude of products.
Although they are all, in fact, monsters, I wanted to illustrate them in a cute manner to make sure they were appealing while also providing a feeling of mystery. In areas with a lot of negative space, I put question marks to fill up this space and accent the cryptic nature of these creatures. A limited color scheme was used to ensure the characters remain united in one design, and the choice of colors–purple, green, and yellow–are often associated with media dealing with mystery.
Due to the nature of the design being a seamless vector, it can be printed on any
product at any size necessary. Just a few examples of items it can be used on are
backpacks, phone cases, and even stickers.
The Process
I started the project off by sketching different versions of the characters in Clip Studio Paint, then decided on the best ones for the pattern. After deciding, I import the sketches into Illustrator and turn them into vectors but make sure to keep them in grayscale. Since they’re grayscale, I try a few different gradient maps on the design in CSP to see which color scheme I like the most. I look at all my options so I can later bring together the best qualities from each to create the final design.
