The development features: research, illustrations development, explorations, considerations and intentions. 

Concept

Witches are powerful individuals who have deep connections to the universe, nature, humanity, their ancestors, and themselves. Unfamiliar Familiars aims to break stereotypes about witchcraft for a multitude of reasons. It’s not only about debunking the belief that black cats are evil and bad luck that leave black cats in shelters longer because they are less likely to be adopted. There are people throughout the world that still have a fear of witches, often due to a lack of understanding and knowledge, as well their understanding is limited to the fantasies of pop culture. Let’s Protect Each Other is a design for the Strength tarot card, it features a female lion (a symbol that represents strength) receiving reciprocated protection from the witch. The decision of illustrating a lioness was inspired by the fact that my thesis explores the theme of feminism, as witch hunts still exist in the 21st century among cultures most fearful of change, primarily targeting women as witch hunts were originally created by patriarchy terrified of older women. My thesis also covers the theme of stories and histories. Witches are often seen as using magic for evil and selfish purposes since the term witchcraft has been swamped in negativity, however there are many who have the ability to and do use magic for good. Today, good witches that practice folk magic for benevolent purposes are extremely important to many cultures and are viewed with reverence for their healing and protection. Carabao Nipa Hut looks at how Albularyos remain important today because Filipinos have a deeply rooted belief in folklore and folk medicine, ingrained in the pre-colonial Filipinos’ psyche for hundreds of years prior to colonization. With national animals as familiars in place of witches and assisting in healing and protecting people, my thesis intends to break down stereotypes to change the perspectives of those that fear witches, and encourage respect for individuals and cultures that practice forms of witchcraft. Hoping that the inclusion of national animals emphasizes the importance of protecting animals, as they protect us, along with providing much more. Lastly, the theme of identity is featured in this project. Some pieces have significant personal meaning, content decisions of Enduring Love are inspired by the Eskimo proverb about stars and loved ones: “Perhaps they are not stars in the sky but rather openings where our loved ones shine down to let us know they are happy.” Up in the Mountains of Sichuan features giant pandas in mountain ranges in Sichuan, as a Sichuanese individual I was really excited about developing this illustration, including my culture in my thesis was really meaningful to me.

Linear for Springbok Herbalist: A bookmark composition developed in hopes of creating a piece for merchandise.
Linear for Springbok Herbalist: The decision to remove the constraining frame in the composition was because it was unfitting with the energy and movement that the concept aims to convey.
Linear for Up in the Mountains of Sichuan: Composition allows viewers to peek through the bamboos to see the acupuncturist pandas in the mountains where the world's biggest and tallest stone Buddha statue, Leshan Giant Buddha, stands.
Linear for Up in the Mountains of Sichuan: Close up composition focusing on the pandas performing cupping therapy in their natural habitat.
Linear for Carabao Nipa Hut: Considering the placement and distribution of the carabao-shaped nipa hut, medicinal plants approved by the department of health and palm trees.
Linear for Carabao Nipa Hut: Colour and value exploration, and addition of hands reaching out and performing hilot (massages).
Original Colours of the final of Carabao Nipa Hut: In consideration of feedback and suggestions from friends, the final colours are now different from this version.
Linear for Kangaroo Healers: Energetic composition of a kangaroo familiar gliding on healing stones and healing the plants used in Oenpelli (town in Australia) herbalism to heal aboriginal communities.
Linear for Kangaroo Healers: Composition considerations allow viewers to get a peek at the kangaroos healing, without disturbing them, through the golden wattle flowers (national flower of Australia).
Linear for Hallucinogenic Vicuña: A top view of 14 lagoons that together create a Vicuña, the lands replaced and formed by San Pedro cacti (used in healing ceremonies) and Peruvian landscapes.
Linear for Hallucinogenic Vicuña: This composition emphasizes the role of cacti in used in healing ceremonies. The San Pedro cactus is sliced open, explosing 14 sacred lagoons of Huancabamba.
Linear for Your Future is in Your Hand: A Hispaniolan Trogon's (national animal of Haiti) wings hovering around a crystal ball to make predictions.
Linear for Your Future is in Your Hand: Hispaniolan Trogons tattooed hands using a crystal ball to tell fortune. This composition creates a potential for this illustration to be a spot illustration, used for packaging design and many other purposes.
Linear for Enduring Love: Masai Giraffe-shaped trees where village Babus (traditional African healers and professional herbalists in Tanzania) can gather and heal, like a hospital, will have multiple rooms in the Giraffe's patches. Each patch lit by a thin tube from stars in the sky (as Babu’s often report being visited by ancestors or spirits in dreams who reveal medicinal recipes).
Linear for Enduring Love: The importance of stars in this illustration has personal meaning, inspired by the Eskimo proverb about stars and loved ones: “Perhaps they are not stars in the sky but rather openings where our loved ones shine down to let us know they are happy.”
Linear for Let's Protect Each Other: Decision to create a merchandise piece, and further emphasizes the importance of feminism that my thesis explores.
Linear for Golden Ritual Cleansing: A golden eagle performing a limpia (ritual cleansing), flying above a person meditating on a lilypad in Lake Catemaco, surrounded by yellow water lilies native to Mexico.
Linear for Golden Ritual Cleansing: Composition considers that copal (resin), fresh rosemary and red hummingbird sage are often used in limpia through a synthesis of an eagle with copal covered mountains.

Research, Development, Explorations + Considerations

Throughout my research process, I learned about many cultures that practice witchcraft today. I looked through articles, books and insightful documentaries about witchcraft to further broaden my understanding, inquired about the knowledge of my friends, classmates and the general public (through social media like instagram and reddit). I really enjoyed learning about different cultures and individuals’ cultural family traditions. Through conversations with individuals with different cultures, I was able to ensure that my thesis presents its intention clearly without disrespecting cultures or offending anyone. I also looked through blog posts that feature the perspectives of those that fear witches, to get a better understanding of their point of view. This helped me gain knowledge on how I can approach them with my visuals, and inspire them to change their attitudes towards and beliefs about witchcraft.

The concept of each illustration is developed with a focus on the most important aspects: country, witchcraft and national animal (each of these are highlighted in the descriptions of the pieces in Unfamiliar Familiars). I included national animals in my concepts since ancient times, witches and magicians have worked magic with the help of familiars or helpful spirits. The inclusion of plants in my thesis was really important to me, since nature elements are a stylistic addition in most of my illustrations.

Through research I got to learn a lot about plants used in herbalism, ritual cleansings, and massages. I found a list of medicinal plants approved by the Department of Health for Carabao Nipa Hut. There were many blogs about people’s travel encounters with witch doctors that were really informative, they helped me develop and make decisions on illustrations like Hallucinogenic Vicuña that features natural resources used in healing ceremonies, Springbok Herbalist and Carabao Nipa Hut that feature herbs used in their cultural practices. The research process informed my decisions on colour palettes and which elements to include, like the inclusion of stars in Enduring Love that is inspired by the Eskimo proverb about stars and loved ones: “Perhaps they are not stars in the sky but rather openings where our loved ones shine down to let us know they are happy.”

The creative process included the repetition of many stages for developing each illustration: research, concept ideation, collection of reference material, linears (rough, revised, further revised), composition exploration, value and visual distribution sketches, colour and texture experimentation, and stylistic decisions. I researched and collected lots of photographs as reference material for developing all visual inclusions with accurate representation.

All illustrations were painted completely digitally on Procreate with a stylus pen, adjustments like blur and liquify were made in-app. Images were later edited on Photoshop (to add noise and make adjustments needed). The development of Let’s Protect Each Other included designing the border in photoshop and importing it into Procreate so I could place visual elements without creating compositional problems. 

Intentions

Art can be powerful and it can move people to act, which can create significant contributions in change. My intentions are to bring awareness to something not a lot of people know about, especially since many cultures have connections and histories with witchcraft. Unfamiliar Familiars aims to provide representation for witchcraft, specifically the underrepresented witches that practice magic for good and selfless purposes. This project hopes to bring people together, to have conversations and learn about one another’s cultural practices.

With a focus on reaching out to women and young adults. I hope they will respond well because young adults are often recognized as being very open-minded, accepting and interested in creating positive change; especially women. Millennial women also really enjoy exploring yoga, meditation, mindfulness, new-age spirituality, astrology, and connecting with nature; so witchcraft may be similarly interesting. I hope that this will also appeal to feminists, witches, individuals with love and appreciation for nature, and those interested in travel, especially with the intentions of learning about different cultures and their practices.

Unfamiliar Familiars is my OCAD University Illustration Thesis. This yearlong project was developed to consist of a unique variety of illustrations for many purposes (editorial and book illustration, advertising, packaging, and merchandise).