SCD Round 3: Dead River

Funny, this is much more orange looking on my big computer than it is on my laptop. I think the dull color suits it better.

Anyway this is my entry for the mythology theme for . Man did I do TONS of research for this, only which one or two things showed up. As soon as the theme was announced I knew what I wanted to do.

My original story 28 Days borrows a lot from a lot of different mythologies. In the story the heroine, Emily Greenewood, must actually cross the River Styx to get to the realm of the night beyond. I really wanted to depict her in the river.

In the story (and in mythology) she rides across on the boat with the Ferryman by paying passage of two coins (traditionally placed on the eyes at funerals, also why she is wearing black.) I had two coins in her hand, as evidence in the original sketch here [link] and was thinking of placing them on her eyes as the tradition is, but I really liked the look of uncertainty on her face so I kept her eyes visible.

The apple comes into play both in the story and the image here as the only food the dead can still taste. In ancient British tradition, an apple was buried in a church yard as food for the dead.

The Moon is a symbol of both time and life renewed. In ancient Madegascan mythology, Adriamahilala was the first woman. When asked to choose her method of death, she chose to be sent to the Moon so she could be reborn and die each month. It has a literal meaning in the story as Emily has just 28 Days to complete her mission before her own death and the irreversible transformation of both her love interest and best friend.

As the story takes place in the mid 1920's I really wanted to do an art deco style travel poster theme. I think I did a pretty bang up job emulating the style of that period but also keeping in tune with my own.