HERMOBSCURA

This was a scratchboard project I did a few months ago. It's a 2 page spread illustrating the traditional japanese tale of Urashima Taro (like Rip van Winkle). It was my first time doing scratchboard and I really really liked it. Haven't gone back to it yet, what with class and everything, but I definitely plan on doing more of this. Some of the symbolism I included was the crane (represents longevity and eternal youth, which was contained in the box) and cherry blossoms (for their short blooming period and fragility represent the transience of life). I'm especially happy with how the old man's face and the sea turtle came out.