WHEN LINES FOUND LIFE

Crafting Animal Personalities


One of the most rewarding phases of working on "The Meeting in the Sky" was defining the illustration style to bring Colombo’s wildlife to life.

At first, there were no rules—I allowed myself to experiment freely. During this process, I called @kumkumfernando for advice, and his words were simple yet insightful: “Think of the animals as having their own personalities.” That guidance stayed with me and helped me refine my approach after a few initial attempts didn’t feel right.
I eventually found inspiration in the simplest of tools: the symbols on my keyboard. Commas “,” became fur and noses, em dashes “—” outlined mouths, and vertical bars “|” suggested whiskers. My first successful piece was the Purple-faced Lutung (ශ්‍රී ලංකා කළු වඳුරා), with its brown coat, dark face, and lighter fur below. It felt as though it came alive on the page, carrying a quiet confidence, as if it had just noticed me. This illustration became the foundation for the rest of the series.

April 19, 2024
Saigon, Vietnam

See more at:
THE MEETING IN THE SKY - A STORY BY CINNAMON LIFE










'Có Lương là có niềm vui' • Instagram → Behance • Email: adluong07@gmail.com