In my Concepts & Composition class at SCAD, we were instructed to create two story illustrations based on the Slavic Folktale of Baba Yaga, also known in the format of the story Vasilisa the Beautiful. The story is similar to the lines of Cinderella, where there is a beautiful girl who lives with her abusive stepmother and stepsisters and is forced to do all the work and chores. 

For both of my illustrations, I wanted to focus on scenes of tension between Vasilisa, the heroine of the story, and Baba Yaga, the morally ambiguous witch. In the first illustration, I chose to illustrate the scene where Vasilisa is sent out of Baba Yaga's house pretty much because she asks too many questions and lets slip that she's protected by her dead mother's blessing, which Baba Yaga is not a fan of. On the way out, she hurls a skull with fire after Vasilisa, which she was sent to retrieve in the first place by her cruel stepfamily.

For the spot illustrations, I did a little one of Vasilisa with the skull on fire, and an illuminated letter V.

For the second illustration, I chose the scene where Vasilisa is ordered to do cook exorbitant amounts of food for Baba Yaga in exchange, eventually, for that firey skull we saw her hurl at our heroine in the previous illustration.

For the spot illustrations, I did one of a bunch of potions and herbs , and an illuminated letter B.

Thanks for stopping by! :)