![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4322e95b9ef0df0df95e29055d2473ef/1972fbc2-f892-4156-bdd4-ef6a8b2fe82d_rw_1200.jpg?h=68f617aca3c37df612b4e7299c8b8c60)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4322e95b9ef0df0df95e29055d2473ef/9a7fcaca-49e4-49ee-a7e4-ded4e7da34e7_rw_1200.jpg?h=97c035962b628a7c68ffbb1747887ae1)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4322e95b9ef0df0df95e29055d2473ef/a6ea22e0-daa8-46ca-898d-cd4849a4b372_rw_1200.jpg?h=eef78491a362714740d54810fd103f50)
The challenge with this project was that the signs were going to be etched - gold on dark brown backgrounds. I could not rely on any kind of shading, since the etching would not be able to replicate it. And the etched lines could only go so thin - which quickly turned illustrations of bushes into scribbled nonsense. Another factor was how to reproduce black and white or highly patterned animals on a dark background with only one color... In the end I used a wide range of tricks to give the eye the illusion of patterns or black/white coloration. Plants were the most difficult to draw in this style - how much detail was too much detail? In the end I'm very happy with how they turned out.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4322e95b9ef0df0df95e29055d2473ef/aba1f774-854e-4ed4-addd-cf37b8690698_rw_1200.jpg?h=22e4c32fa5288d499646ab847e8604e2)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4322e95b9ef0df0df95e29055d2473ef/f9b62b9b-e845-4f0b-b954-7a94f136798c_rw_1200.jpg?h=984aa04701a7f3beb53e0bf7ed18abef)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4322e95b9ef0df0df95e29055d2473ef/732659bc-f934-48ca-a0fa-330c0519007e_rw_1200.jpg?h=bca380a25a15db1d4b426219c5bc8617)