Interview about Anubis The Judge Illustration, winner of the A' Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Award 2020
'Anubis The Judge'; through an analysis of the design, it is obvious the designer focused on the primary features of Anubis as an iconic symbol of an ancient and prominent era. He added a title 'The Judge' possibly to portray more of the power or strength the character in his design holds. Clearly, the designer added depth and detailed attention to the geometrical symbols he used across the design. He included a shocker wrapped around the character’s neck, which was also heavy on texture.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsMy great attachment to understanding geometry and its wonderful effect on the visual and tangible mass of the elements, made me associate it with most of the artworks I do, because it creates an amazing balance. Therefore, I created special harmonious symbols that follow a harmonious flow between each other using quarters of a circle on one hand, and the full circle on the other hand, taking into consideration the reflection of this on the viewer's eye as if he is watching the same style of Pharaonic drawings but from a distinctive modern perspective.
What distinguishes hieroglyphic drawings the most are their symbols and the amazing diversity in their composition, as each symbol represents a special form and meaning. Regardless of the meaning of the symbols and the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, these drawings captivated me and took me on a deep journey, through which I weaved a world of my own, and through its reflections created a different model in composition, close in meaning and distinctive in status. As if I see that era from a different parallel world, through which I translate any language in my own way.
I am still a fan of the old school "as I am always told" pen and paper are the basis of every artwork I do.They are the real translator and the building block for ideas, through which I express everything that goes on in my mind, no matter how complicated the details are.It is as if I train my fingers every time to master drawing, and when the line I drew will start and when it will end and with which line it will intersect.It is the most enjoyable process through which I determine the best way to move to digital implementation.I then start with the digital process, and "in the case of Anubis specifically" I decided to rely on integrated circuits and their intersections in drawing the elements, although this is a complex and tiring detail, but I wanted this particular work to have a special character.Not to mention following the rule of thirds in measurement to add a noticeable visual and physical balance to the work for all the elements.
Through my deep research into Egyptian civilization, I found that the beetle and the scale are two essential elements in the drawings, and they were mainly linked to the gods that the ancient Egyptians worshiped, and how they represent a certain mechanism that connects them to the gods,From here I decided to tell a different story that gives these two elements a special connection to Anubis, so I linked his decisions to the scale and gave him the title of judge instead of being a terrifying god of the underworld.With the greatness of his personality and judgment, it became necessary to have a mediator in special cases, and here I made the beetle an intercessor for sins, and a weight for the scale.
I have always relied on quality in my work, and I give the work its ideal time, no matter how long it takes. I wanted the design of Anubis the Judge to be distinct and different from the works I have seen for this character from different artists, even in the smallest details. I wanted it to carry a different meaning and unparalleled elements. So it took me a long time to decide on the most appropriate style with simple visual communication, even if the details of its elements were complicated.
Before starting any work, just thinking about how to implement it creates excitement in my heart, and I imagine the final form of the work and recall how to accomplish it, and the appropriate materials that can be used to reflect its essence and add greater value to the work, beyond the usual perspective. All of this makes the decision to start implementation and choose the drawing style more clear.
Determining the character's point of view has a great impact on the viewer, as you notice here that he is waiting for you face to face.With features of great confidence, emerging from the shadows and dark colors, and eyes from which the pupil has disappeared to add mystery that does not highlight the judge's feelings in any way.On the other hand, I made the necklace, crown and the rest of the elements appear as if they were part of the character, with flowing compositions that reflect weight and majesty at first glance, with a dark color composition whose elements are defined by the ancient gold color.I did not forget to add the pyramid element that is fundamentally linked to the Pharaonic civilization, and make it a logo associated with the name that I designed specifically for the identity of Anubis.The design process went through many stages and was based on the basic high-precision design, to give the character a prominent presence.
With all confidence, I consider my step in participating a wonderful qualitative leap in my artistic career, and a valuable leap that opened many doors for me personally in challenging myself, and a wonderful opportunity to prove to myself and to everyone that the journey of art has no end.This appreciation contributed to instilling a spirit of challenge and determination in me,and taught me to search more deeply into the details of other cultures with their arts and the diversity of their ideas and styles.I consider it a rich leap in my career, which added another luster to my new works and taught me new techniques and styles that showed my works a different kind of beauty.
I am happy to see you notice this.The idea behind the size is to make the character close to reality to penetrate the viewer's feelings, as if the character is standing in front of him with his majesty and clear decorative elements.This is reinforced by the clear presence of the scale at the bottom, which is associated with the beetle "the owner of intercession".
Some cultural information from my Egyptian friends enhanced my research in understanding the Pharaonic civilization, as they were the coexistent and close observers of those monuments in their minute details.This added a deep understanding of the elements, and a clearer vision of the hieroglyphic language and the characters of the pharaohs and their historical status,It gave me the ability to deduce elements that are different in form but close in reasoning and harmonious in meaning.
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