Stylistic artist model: Ben Newman

Newman takes a graphic approach to his book illustrations. He is best know for his book illustrations (such as Professor Astro Cat's Frontiers of Space and Ouroboros) providing a fun and exciting visual experience for what is normally considered a text driven and often complex topics. He uses a unified flat colour aesthetic with subtle textures  throughout his designs, reflective of the popular current design trend of flat design. This also provides an easy layout for their target demographic of children aged 9-11 to understand and learn.

Concept Sketches

These are some concept sketches I've created, that fold in to create a new and surreal image showcasing Whaitere. I want to portray the overriding message in this legend, that is to respect sea creatures like stingray and don't over fish.

Mad Magazine fold in's

Whilst visiting the library, I also looked through a collection of Mad Magazine's to get a closer look at the fold-in's they include on the back page of every issue. I took photos of some of my favorites, and ones I thought were most clever and provided the most surprising and drastic change when folded.

Learning journals & childrens Maori mythology books

I went to the library to get a good look at the learning journals children in NZ aged 7-10 read at school as well as the Maori myths and legend storybooks that are available to them. This helped me gain a good understanding of whats acceptable (politically correct) for children of that age to view, and how much they understand. Most of them stayed true to the original myth, but explained more through visual representation (imagery) and focused more on the characters and their experiences. Furthermore they were often bright and colourful, and almost all depicted some elements of traditional Maori design (even if just subtle) throughout the book.

 

Reference sheets

Some reference sheets of relevant images for me to start illustrating.

Stingrays

Paua and pounamu

New Zealand primary children

 Wellington harbour 

Al Jaffee fold-in's

In 1964, Al Jaffee created his longest-running Mad feature, the Fold-In. In each, a drawing is folded vertically and inward to reveal a new "hidden" picture (as well as a new caption). Below are some of his works, which I am using as reference for this brief:

Most relevant story sections for my design

..."Do you see that?" Koro Pat pointed out to sea. Two black triangular wings broke the surface, slapping down on the orange coloured water.

"It's a stingray!" yelled the kids in unison, running to the water's edge. Kimi picked up a stone ready to throw but Koro Pat stopped her short.

"Hoi, you wouldn't throw a stone at your Mum would you?" Kimi looked confused, she dropped her stone.

"Haere mai, noho mai," Koro patted the driftwood log. Kimi, Jason and Marama came and sat next to him.

"I'll tell you about a stingray, a kaitiaki of this place."

"Our own one that looks after us?" Marama asked.

"Āe, yours, mine, our marae, all of us. We look after the water, this land, and our kaitiaki looks after us."

Kimi used a stick to pull her pāua, cooking in its shell, from the fire. The others followed suit, crouching over the stones, listening. Koro began...

..."Whaitere was a stingray, from the black wings whānau, who lived in a small bay, at the head of the fish of Māui. Her parents raised her as others were raised – gathering food and playing with her fish friends in the weed and around large rocks...

...Hinemoana came to Whaitere in the form of a wave, a deep blue wave of enchantment. With encircling arms Hinemoana picked Whaitere up and carried her away. Away to the deepest parts of the ocean they flew, finally descending through the darkness, past the gates of Hinenuitepō and into Rarohenga, the home of all who die.

"This is Rarohenga, the underworld – your parents now dwell here," Hinemoana said...

 

...With that, Hinemoana disappeared back towards the way they had come and Whaitere swam into a sea, tinted with the colours of the rainbow and surrounded by the dazzling creatures of Rarohenga.

Whaitere didn't recognise her parents at first, but could tell by their shape that they were whai. Their black wings had been transformed into the colours of the pāua shell, intricate patterns woven into their skin...

...After travelling for some time, they came to a cavern branching off to one side, illuminated with a deep green light reflecting from its walls. In the centre of the cavern was the source of the green light – a large flat piece of pounamu was suspended just below the water's surface, rippling with magic...

...Whaitere cautiously drifted down to rest as she was told. When her underbelly touched the surface of the pounamu she was instantly transformed, weaving pāua shell colours into her dark skin. Layer upon layer of magical power surged through her body, gifts from her creator, Papatūānuku.

"The overworld and the underworld are inherently connected, without one there will not be the other," said her father.

"You've been chosen as a guardian for the overworld, teach others to respect your home as you do." said her mother.

"But I want to stay here with you!" Whaitere complained.

"Your magic will allow you many things, including the ability to come and go from both worlds as you wish," her father replied...

..."Teach them to respect your home."

Whaitere could hear the words of her parents echoing in her mind.

Whaitere looked into the eyes of the people fish, then spoke to him in a language he could understand.

"Go back to your people and teach them to respect this place. Our bay will be an example for all your kind and a safe place for ours."...

...'Is that why we only get enough pāua for us to eat?" asked Marama.

"That's why." Koro said.

"And Whaitere is real because we saw one, eh Koro?" Jason asked.

"That's right, and when you're old like me, you'll tell this same story to your mokopuna, won't you?" Koro asked.

"That's for sure." Kimi answered.

And the three children sprung to life, spread their arms and chased each other like enchanted stingrays in a magical underwater world...

Chosen Maori myth

During class, I selected the myth Whaitere - the enchanted stingray, and analysed its characters, cast and settings throughout the legend. 

Paraphrased
-Koro tells the three children Kimi, Jason and Marama the legend
-Whaitere lives peacefully in Wellington harbour
-Years pass, and humans have over fished, and Whaitere's family and friends have disappeared
-Hinemoana takes Whaitere to Rarohenga (underworld) to visit her beloved ones and accept their death
-Whaitere sees her parents, and they take her through Rarohenga and visit the Eternal Spring. She touches the pounamu there and becomes Kaitiaki (guardian) of the overworld
-Whaitere saves some drowning humans, and asks them to respect their ocean home
-Fishing restrictions are enforced at the bay, and the children learn to respect the fish there

Morals/message
-Respect ocean dwellers as much as land dwellers
-Fishing restrictions; only take what you need, and dont be greedy; sharing