the ocean is simultaneously scary and peaceful for me, and so alien and mysterious that i cannot imagine falling so deep and not being even slightly transformed into a wilder thing. i could not get the image out of my head of a woman sinking deeper and absorbing the ocean: kelp weaves into her growing and surreal hair, bubbles dissipate.
at first she is sinking passively, then she begins to dive towards the mystery waiting for her, and finally she descends consciously and intentionally, the previously-distant glow lighting her from below.
while i didn't get into the scarier creatures of the deep (i stayed far away from anglerfish), i had a ton of fun making these environments. from creating individual types of coral and jellyfish (my favorite creature!), to employing illustrator tricks like a rocky pattern for my cave and a custom brush for the rope, i was able to push myself to create a unique stylized environment.
